Context Analysis – Gender Equality and Civil Society

Terms of Reference

 for

Context Analysis – Gender Equality and Civil Society

1. About Plan International 

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We believe in the power and potential of every child, but know this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion, and discrimination. Working together with children, young people, supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges girls and vulnerable children face. We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood and enable children to prepare for – and respond to – crises and adversity. We place a specific focus on girls and young women, who are most often left behind. We have been building powerful partnerships for children for more than 80 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries. Plan International has had a presence in Lebanon since 2017, obtaining formal registration in 2019, and has programmes throughout the country (Beirut, Mount-Lebanon, South, North, and Bekaa).

1. Project Background 

 The involvement of civil society organizations is an important strategy to reform the discriminatory laws that lead to gender inequality, to change the unfair structures, and to ensure access of adolescents and youth to adolescent/youth friendly and gender responsive sexual and reproductive health services. The project aims at strengthening civil society organizations in particular community based and grassroots organizations working for gender equality through building their capacities on an administrative and technical level with a focus on addressing Gender Based Violence and advancing adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights.

1. Purpose and Objective of Context Analysis

The purpose of the context analysis is to inform and support the design of a 5-year project to be implemented in partnership with civil society organisations in Lebanon, including youth groups, focusing on gender equality, including addressing Gender Based Violence and advancing Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights.

To this end, the primary objective of the context analysis is to determine and analyse the legal, political, economic, social and cultural barriers to the fulfilment of children and youth rights to gender equality and the conditions that enable or disable civil society organisations to play its role towards the fulfilment of those rights, in particular for girls and young women.

1. Users of the context analysis:

The primary users and audience of the context analysis will be Plan International and its partners. The secondary audience of the baseline will be the donor, SIDA, who will use the findings to strengthen their programmes; and potentially the local and international community at large.

1. Scope of context analysis

To fulfil the stated purpose of the context analysis, the context analysis shall encompass the following seven dimensions:

Law and policy:                Map and analyse the Lebanese law and policy frameworks affecting gender

equality, protection against gender based violence, advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights and the work of civil society at large;

Influencing:                        Examine power dynamics and pathways to influencing for positive change;

Civil society analysis:     Conduct a comprehensive stakeholder analysis, with a focus on civil society, particularly youth groups and networks;

Examine the strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities for relevant civil society actors to maximise the impact of their work.

Access to rights:               Investigate capacity gaps of rights-holders in claiming their rights, and of duty bearers in meeting their obligations, and outline recommendations to support them.

Conflict sensitivity:         Examine conflict dynamics in Lebanon and in expected project locations and present pertinent recommendations for a conflict- sensitive project design and delivery.

Gender:                               Examine norms, values and other gender-driven biases affecting children, girls and young men and women and present pertinent recommendations for a gender-sensitive project design and delivery

Nexus and                           Examine the humanitarian-development nexus as well as climate change and

Climate change                 environmental impact and present pertinent recommendations for project design and delivery.

Further instructions and requirements for each of the above seven dimensions are available in the complete context analysis guidelines and will be clarified with the Consultant upon selection.  

1. Scope of consultant work

Planning:             Develop a detailed methodology and work plan for successful delivery against the scope of context analysis outlined under 6 – scope of context analysis and as per the instructions under 7 – methodology.

Design:                 Design and test required tools and mechanisms for successful completion of the context analysis including, but not limited to, key informant interviews, surveys, focus group discussions, data verification, presentation and reporting.

Quality:                Assure the quality of methodologies, tolls, data and information used and report to direct supervisor as per agreed work plan

Output:                Submit a context analysis that adequately addresses the seven dimensions outlined in 6- scope of context analysis and incorporates instructions and requirements presented under the extended context-analysis guidelines.        

1. Methodology

The study shall apply a mixed-method approach and adopt quantitative and qualitative methodologies to cover the seven dimensions outlined under heading 6 – scope of context analysis.  More specifically, the context analysis shall involve the following:

Secondary research:       a desk study to scan, compile and consolidate available information, data and analysis

Primary research:            Capture primary data, knowledge, information, perceptions and experiences of key stakeholders through a range of information gathering and consultation methods such as focus group discussions, key informant interviews, surveys and other applicable methodologies. The data collection is the responsibility of the consultant, however Plan International can help in facilitating the communication between them and stakeholders. Sample sizes must be adequate and representative of the target groups.

Analysis:                              Use credible information and data consolidation and analysis methodologies to examine each of the seven dimensions outlined under 6- scope of context analysis and present pertinent conclusions and actionable recommendations for project design and delivery.

The research process and methodology shall be governed by the following principles:

Inclusiveness:   The methodology and research activities must ensure the inclusion of a wide range of viewpoints, specifically gender and age-sensitivity and disability inclusion when applicable.

Evidence:            Data and information used and resulting conclusions and recommendations must uphold the highest standard of credibility, transparency and relevance to the purpose and objective of the context analysis

Ethics:                   The methodology and research activities must adhere to the highest ethical standards for research including, but not limited to, independence, objectivity and impartiality.

Safeguarding:    The methodology and research activities must adhere to Plan International's safeguarding policy and standards.

1. Ethical and Child Safeguarding Statements

Plan International is committed to ensuring that the rights of those participating in data collection or analysis are respected and protected, in accordance with the Framework for Ethical MERL and our Global Policy on Safeguarding Children and Young People. All applicants should include details in their proposal on how they will ensure ethics and child safeguarding in the data collection process. Specifically, the consultant or firm shall explain how appropriate, safe, non-discriminatory participation of all stakeholders will be ensured and how special attention will be paid to the needs of children and other vulnerable groups. The consultant or firm shall also explain how confidentiality and anonymity of participants will be guaranteed.

Additionally, all parties involved in the data collection will receive an induction on Plan International’s Child Safeguarding policy, safe identification and referral and Non-Staff Code of Conduct.

1. Key Deliverables 

1. Within ten days from signing the contract, the consultant submits an Inception Report that includes: a) detailed work plan; and b) detailed presentation of methodology. Continuation from this point is subject to Plan International's approval of proposed work plan and methodology.
2. Within 15 days from signing the contract, the consultant submits tools for desk study, FGD, KIIs, Surveys and all other research and study activities presented under the methodology. The inception report and the data collection tools need formal approval from Plan International before initiating the data collection phase.
3. A draft context analysis report to be submitted within 10 days of the completion of the data collection phase for review and comments from Plan Lebanon. The review and feedback of the report could be more than one round depending on the quality of the report and the extent to which the comments and suggestions from first round have been incorporated.

• A final context analysis to be submitted after incorporating the comments of Plan International. The report should be written in English, 75-100 pages excluding annexes, consisting of:
• Cover page, Plan will provide sample cover sheet for reference
• Table of contents, list of acronyms, abbreviations and list of tables and charts.
• Executive summary of key findings and recommendations – 3-4 pages.
• Background information and context analysis presented per key criteria with a brief description
• Context analysis methodology with clear explanation of sampling and limitations, KIIs, participants’ selection and data analysis approach.
• Research findings, analysis, with associated data presented, where appropriate in clear graphs or charts. The findings can include subsections for each research criteria.
• Conclusion and Recommendations.
• The recommendations should be framed according to each section of project.
• Appendices should include raw and clean collected data, detailed description of the methodology with research instruments, list of interviewees and consent forms, tools, list of key documents.

The report should be submitted electronically in a MS – Word document. The consultant is responsible for English editing and proofreading of the final report which should be well formatted. The report will be credited to the evaluator and potentially placed in the public domain at the decision of Plan International.

All handwritten and electronic transcripts of surveys, FGDs and KIIs, photographs and consent forms taken during the assessment and any equipment received from Plan for the purpose of the study should be submitted to Plan. Furthermore, all information generated during the context analysis will be the sole property of Plan and is subject to submission to Plan, along with the final report, prior to the end of the contract.

1. Timeline

• Recruitment and selection process deadline: January 31^st, 2020
• Deadline for submitting the work plan and methodology: February 10^th
• Deadline for finalising the inception report, including detailed methodology, desk review and data collection tools: February 15^th, 2020
• Deadline for finalising data collection: March 2^nd, 2020
• Deadline for the draft report: March 12^th, 2020
• Deadline for the final deliverables (after integration of Plan’s feedback): March 31^st, 2020

1. Budget

The consultant should submit the total budget in the proposal with detailed breakdown including applicable government taxes.

1. Required Qualifications

The Consultant/Consulting firm (preferred to be a firm or a team of consultants) should have the following competencies and qualifications:

• Minimum Master’s Degree in Social Studies, International Development or any other related field
• Demonstrated expertise in carrying out context analyses and assessments focusing on gender equality, gender-based violence and sexual and reproductive health and rights.
• Demonstrated experience of leading research with participatory methods and tools, particularly with children and young people
• Competency in managing, organizing and interpreting qualitative data and information
• Capabilities to work in Arabic and English languages
• Experience working with vulnerable groups, including children and refugees.

• Ability to communicate effectively to a range of different stakeholders
• Excellent writing and presentation skills.
• Experience in conducting research to inform project design.
• Adherence to Plan International’s Child Safeguarding Policy, Code of Conduct, and Prevention of Sexual Abuse & Exploitation (PSEA); Child Protection Minimum Standards; IASC guidelines on GBV, Gender, and MHPSS; and other relevant humanitarian standards and policies.

1. Contact

Should you need further information, please contact [email protected]

Interested applicants should provide a proposal covering the following aspects:

• Detailed response to the TOR
• Proposed methodology
• Ethics and child safeguarding approaches, including any identified risks and associated mitigation strategies
• Proposed timelines
• CVs
• Example of previous work
• Detailed budget, including daily fee rates, expenses, etc.

Please send your proposal, as one PDF document with the above mentioned points, to Plan International Lebanon ([email protected]) by January 26, 2020 referencing “Context Analysis – Gender Equality and Civil Society”.