Consulting Services in Social and Gender Assessment
Last Date: April 22, 2011
CONSULTING SERVICES IN SOCIAL AND GENDER ASSESSMENT
Introduction:
The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is a U.S. Government corporation whose mission is to provide assistance that will support economic growth and poverty reduction in carefully selected developing countries that demonstrate a commitment to just and democratic governance, economic freedom, and investments in their citizenry. Key MCC operating principles relating to the award of grants include emphasis on economic impact, country-led solutions and implementation, and focus on results. Eligible countries are invited to develop and submit grant proposals to MCC for consideration. MCC will seek to enter into a Compact for assistance through large-scale, five-year grants for agriculture and irrigation; energy; transportation (roads, bridges, ports); water supply and sanitation; access to health; finance and enterprise development; anticorruption initiatives; land rights and access; access to education, etc.
MCC recognizes that gender inequality can be a significant constraint to economic growth and poverty reduction. MCC’s gender policy and operational guidance ensure that gender will be considered in the selection of eligible countries and integrated into the development and design of Compact programs, the assessment and implementation of projects funded by the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), the monitoring of program results, and the evaluation of program impacts. ( http://www.mcc.gov/documents/guidance/14-genderpolicy.pdf)
Consultants will work with the Social and Gender Assessment (SGA) team under the supervision of the Senior Director for Social and Gender Assessment and other SGA staff as assigned. As members of MCC country teams in the Department of Compact Operations, SGA staff are responsible for working with partner countries on the development of Compact projects and their oversight during implementation, SGA staff also works in close collaboration with the Environment and Social Assessment (ESA) team which is responsible for MCC’s environmental and social assessment and management process.
Scope:
GSA seeks to contract a pool of long and short-term consultants to work in the following areas: Technical Support, Training and Capacity Building, and Knowledge Management and Communications. According to their expertise, consultants may work in one or all of these three areas, and in different countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe.
Tasks:
The consultant’s assignments may include the following:
1. Technical support
• Participates as a technical advisor to ensure that analyses of social and gender differences and inequalities inform the development of programs to be funded through the Millennium Challenge Account.
• Supports the work of the practice team led by the Senior Director for Social and Gender Assessment (SGA) and other staff to strengthen MCC’s engagement across sectors in current
thinking, conceptual frameworks, approaches, strategies, tools and practices related to gender integration in large-scale international development programs.
• Assists SGA staff in assessing the soundness of a country's proposed programs in the context of social and gender analyses.
• Conducts desk reviews of social/gender issues for specific countries and/or sectors
• Reviews and comments on terms of reference and scopes of work for social impact assessments and gender analyses.
• Provides advice to SGA staff and technical input on social and gender issues related to policy analysis, consultations, program design, project assessments, implementation plans, monitoring and evaluation of Compact-funded projects and activities.
• Provide recommendations on how projects may be better designed to ensure that both women and men benefit equitably from MCC investments;
• Monitors compliance with gender milestones and keeps SGA staff informed of progress and delays.
• Supports staff in providing technical input into consultative processes, social and gender Constraints and Opportunities analyses, project-specific concept papers, TORs, gender assessments, feasibility studies, project designs, gender integration plans, and performance reports for projects in sectors including infrastructure, land, agriculture, health, education, private sector partnerships, finance and enterprise development, legal rights, and others as required.
• Supports staff in evaluating the technical adequacy and in providing technical input to project-specific TORs for environmental and social impact assessments (ESIA’s), environmental and social management plans (ESMP’s), resettlement action plans (RAP’s), HIV/AIDS risk management plans, human trafficking risk management plans., health and safety plans, and other mitigation strategies including the prevention of child labor.
• Provides expertise to staff regarding monitoring, assessing and evaluating social and gender performance, outcomes and impacts of MCC-funded projects.
• Provides support in gender-related Compact closure activities.
2. Training and Capacity Building
• Provides technical and administrative support for developing and implementing a training and capacity building program on gender analysis and gender integration for the range of sectors in which MCC works, and, as appropriate, on other social risk management issues such as HIV/AIDS and human trafficking. Participants can be MCC staff and consultants, MCA partner country staff, consultants, implementing entities, MCA Board Members. Trainings may be held in Washington, DC, MCA countries, or other regions where MCC is present.
• Provide targeted capacity building support to Compact country MCA staff and partners.
• Assist with conducting capacity assessments and monitoring capacity gaps and needs, and developing appropriate forms of support to respond.
3. Knowledge Management and Communications
• Contributes to the assessment, documentation and presentation of best practices related to gender integration and the management of other social issues.
• Helps to develop communications strategies, plans, and materials on social and gender activities and outcomes.
Evaluation Criteria:
All Social and Gender Assessment Consultants are required to have expertise and a minimum of 5 years of experience in the following:
• Social and gender analysis
• Working in developing countries
• Mainstreaming gender analysis in context of sectors and/or issues
• Writing high-quality analytical papers and reports on deadline
• Ability to work constructively in a team.
In addition, Consultants will be evaluated on the basis of their skills and experience in the following, depending on the particular area(s) where they can be assigned:
For Technical Support:
• Developing or working with strategies, approaches, and tools for gender integration in large-scale international development programs
• Conducting desk reviews and providing documentation on issues relevant to social/gender impact assessment
• Providing substantial input into social and gender assessment in policy analysis, research, program design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.
• Designing and carrying out social and gender analysis in feasibility studies, environmental and social impact assessments (ESIA’s), environmental and social management plans (ESMP’s), resettlement action plans (RAP’s), and/or risk management plans.
• Developing gender indicators for performance monitoring and evaluation
• Developing and reviewing Scopes of Work and Terms of Reference for Social/Gender Analysis and country-level social and gender assessment specialists.
• Developing and assessing methods, tools and indicators for monitoring, evaluation, and impact assessment.
• Expertise in sector activities relevant to country compacts, e.g. agriculture, transport infrastructure, water and sanitation, health, education, etc.
• A working knowledge of the language specific to the country where the work is to be conducted is a strong advantage. (Most relevant working languages currently are French, Portuguese, Spanish, and Arabic).
For Capacity Building:
• Designing and conducting training, and developing resource materials in gender analysis and gender planning.
• Designing and conducting training, and developing resource materials on gender analysis in compact-relevant sectors such as agriculture, transport infrastructure, water and sanitation, health, education, etc.
• Designing and conducting training, and developing resource materials on a range of social impact issues such as (but not limited to) human trafficking, HIV/AIDs, indigenous peoples, cultural heritage, involuntary resettlement, health and safety, child labor and inclusion of vulnerable groups, control of assets and livelihoods displacement, with gender analysis embedded in each.
For Knowledge Management and Communications:
• Developing communications strategies and plans.
• Translating technical content into communications materials for a range of audiences at different levels, from MCC staff and partners to the general public.
Other requirements:
International travel may be required. The Consultant may be requested to mobilize on a short notice and will be expected to deliver high quality finished products in a timely manner. Must be able to obtain public trust clearance.
Performance Location:
The Consultant will perform work under this contract in Washington DC, or at the contractor’s office or home of record, in MCC eligible countries or as required to complete tasks.
Period of Performance:
The consultancy will be for a period of 12 months with 4 possible 12 month option periods.
How to apply:
Please include the following in your application to recruitment@mcc.gov with Social/Gender in the subject:
• Brief Letter of interest
• CV that includes the following
o Education, areas of concentration, and additional training courses.
o Detailed descriptions of work performed in each of the required areas, including level of responsibility held for each.
o Reports and publications in which you contributed substantially to the writing.
o Language proficiencies in speaking, comprehension, reading, and writing.
o Contact details for at least three references.
• Narrative statement describing possession of the required qualifications and experience
• Writing sample in which you were the sole author
This announcement will be open and continuous.
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