Baseline Capacity Assessment Consultant - Beirut, Lebanon

About the project

Project’s name: Partners for Justice

Project’s length: 27 Months

Project’s geographical scope: Lebanon (North Lebanon, Beirut, Mount-Lebanon, Bekaa and South)

Project’s Objectives:

Empowering men and boys to positively engage, with women, as allies and champions of gender equality and prevention of violence against women and girls.

Promote a shift in communities’ attitudes in target areas around the permissibility of, and assumptions related to violence against women and girls.

Understanding the background:

Despite the various efforts made in Lebanon to achieve gender equality and end violence against women and girls (VAWG), the situation remains troubling. In 2018, Lebanon ranked 140th out of 149 countries in the world on the World Economic Forum’s global gender gap index and ranked 14th among the 19 MENA countries. Patriarchal social structures and practices limit women’s access to economic resources, political and leadership positions, and foster their discrimination in public policy. They also contribute to high levels of VAWG in the Lebanese society: one third of women in Lebanon have been victims of intimate partner violence, and one in four women is subject to some form of sexual assault. Although Lebanon has joined international instruments supporting women’s rights, such as the Beijing Declaration and Platform of Action in 1995 and the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW-1981) in 1997, comprehensive laws and policies addressing VAWG are still missing. For example, the long-awaited law on domestic violence passed by the government in 2014 was heavily criticized by human rights groups since it did not criminalize marital rape. Additionally, matters of marriage, divorce, and custody are governed by religious courts laws and family religious laws, containing deeply discriminatory clauses against women.

Addressing these gaps in national and local level policy remains challenging, mainly due to persistent social patriarchal structures and norms in the Lebanese society, as well as communities’ lack of awareness on women’s rights. Many Lebanese are confronted with masculinities that produce attitudes and behaviors sustaining gender inequality, violence, and discrimination. Based on these negative social constructs of masculinity, boys and girls grow up with a notion of male superiority and power, and uphold these structures throughout their life. To protect their hegemonic power, many men police women and girls in public and private spaces - often justifying it as their role as “protector” and “controller” of women. At the same time, men face a variety of challenges in living up to these ideals of manhood, which often causes frustration. For example, many women in Lebanon have taken on the role of the family provider today because their male partners are unable to do so. The financial constraints combined with the fear of a loss of power, which would affect their honor and authority, can often cause men’s negative behavior towards women, children, and other women members of their community. Another facet of the prevalent culture of VAWG is a lack of information and awareness about, as well as taboo surrounding gender-based violence. Many women are hesitant to report VAWG due to their limited knowledge about legal frameworks, their economic dependence, dearth of family support, and the perception of domestic violence as a “private matter”. While some women seek the help of the community, many more do not speak out due to a fear of negative consequences, exacerbating their vulnerability and feelings of humiliation. A high acceptance of VAWG in private and public spheres - due to witnessing violence throughout their life - also creates a barrier for men and boys who want to speak out against VAWG, as they are constantly forced to adopt and perpetuate patriarchal values.

To break the cycle of VAWG and promote gender equality, men and boys must be provided with a safe space where they can deconstruct masculinities and be educated about the consequences of VAWG, empowered to speak out when they witness it, provided with new role models, and encouraged to become allies and champions for gender equality. ABAAD-Resource Center for Gender Equality’s (ABAAD) MenEngage report shows that providing men with a safe space to discuss masculinities and reflect on their relationships and behaviors leads to a shift in their attitudes towards gender roles, and a higher commitment to preventing VAWG. In addition, another powerful tool to change people’s attitudes are traditional and innovative media: portraying new definitions and examples of masculinities and increasing awareness about VAWG are impactful measures in shifting people’s attitudes and behaviors. Within this context and building on our experience in Lebanon and lessons learned, Search and ABAAD will work together to change men’s and women’s, boys’ and girls’ attitudes towards masculinities, and address the root causes of VAWG in public and private spheres.

2. Objectives of the evaluation

Objectives of the evaluation:

The Project objective is; To reduce violence against women and girls in Lebanon, Search and ABAAD will leverage their experience to redefine and shape men’s and women’s, boys’ and girls’ attitudes around VAWG and to create opportunities for men and boys to become allies in ending violence against women. The first part of this project will focus on selecting 10 youth-led civil society organizations (2 from each area of focus), 10 media actors and training 30 youth representatives (3 from each organization) on exploring and analyzing narratives of masculinity in their contextual settings, and will provide men and boys with a safe space to reflect on their own behaviors. Selected representatives from youth-led civil society organizations will then carry out research in the target geographies to identify local-level barriers to positive masculinities and gender equality as well as to identify characteristics of alternative masculinities the project seeks to encourage. Afterwards, the series of working sessions with youth and media actors, the youth-led research on gender and masculinity, and the knowledge sharing opportunities will feed into the design of a national awareness and advocacy campaign that is relevant to Lebanon rural and urban contexts.

The Baseline Objectives are:

Provide benchmark information for measuring project outcomes based on the project logframe particularly in the following thematic areas:

Engaging Men

Gender Equality, Masculinity and Violence Against Women and Girls

Research Practices

Role of Media in Social Change

Assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of the targeted communities towards gender equality, masculinity and VAWG

Scope of the evaluation:

The assessment will provide quantitative and qualitative information, sex-age disaggregated data, and analysis on stakeholders and target communities in the five targeted areas as per the following:

Socio-cultural context: host community, refugees, adolescents, youth, adults, tribal groups, stateless individuals, etc.

Socio-economic context: employment, income, education background, access to services, etc.

In addition, the study will provide baseline information on:

Stakeholders and community perception, attitudes and beliefs, particularly of men and boys, around gender equality, masculinity and violence against women and girls;

Youth-led organizations representatives capacity’ in raising awareness around gender equality, masculinity and prevention of violence against women and girls in their communities;

Youth-led organizations representatives’ capacity in research practices;

Youth-led organizations representatives’ capacity to develop a national media campaign.

Methodology:

The baseline assessment will be proposed to apply both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods in North Lebanon, Mount Lebanon, Beirut, Bekaa and South.

The data will be collected through Key informants interviews and FGDs in the targeted communities, and individual capacity assessments with the Youth-led organizations representatives.  The consultant will advise on the method to select informants and members of the community. The tools proposed should be easy, context sensitive, include open-ended questions, ensure the Do No Harm principle and participatory.

Timeframe:

Task                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Number of working days needed

Develop baseline capacity assessment tools covering the required scope of work as well as brief field work implementation plan                                                         3

Draft and submit the Inception report including the desk review, provisional stakeholder analysis and proposed tools                                                                               3

Conduct primary data collection in targeted project locations                                                                                                                                                                                                15 

Present preliminary findings to Search                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                3

Draft baseline report and submit to Search                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        5

Incorporate comments and submit final draft version                                                                                                                                                                                                                 5

Expected results and deliverables:

An inception report (draft and final) that will propose a detailed step-by-step methodology and work plan including a list of stakeholders to be met, initial analysis based on desk review and tools

A Draft report for review by Search staff

A Final report (35 pages max in length, excluding appendices) that consists of -amongst other things- the following elements;

Executive summary

Table of contents

Research findings and conclusions with associated data presented in line with the agreed tools and questions

Recommendation for decision making

Appendices which include detailed research instruments, list of interviewees, evaluator biography

A powerpoint presentation of the report

The data bases

A short summary report (4-5 pages) meant to be shared with audiences outside Search

In addition to these outputs, the consultant will provide full and oral feedback to Search’s key stakeholders via a debriefing of the field mission at the end of it at Search’s office in Beirut.

Requirements of consultant:

Proficiency in English and Arabic;

More than 5 years of experience in project evaluation or the equivalent in DM&E expertise, including collecting data in interviews, surveys and focus groups;

Expertise in gender analysis, gender mainstreaming and women’s participation;

Experience in working with international organizations;

Experience conducting large-scale quantitative surveys;

Evaluation methods and data collection skills;

Solid communication skills, cultural awareness and sensitivity;

Demonstrated ability to write high quality, methodologically sound and analytical papers in English;

Ability to work with people from various social and professional backgrounds and at all levels, (high-level officials to community leaders…);

Knowledgeable of local governance (municipalities) context;

Experience in social stability and peace-building in rural areas would be an asset.

The consultant is required to respect the following Ethical Principles:

Comprehensive and systematic inquiry: Consultant should make the most of the existing information and full range of stakeholders available at the time of the review. Consultant should conduct systematic, data-based inquiries. He or she should communicate his or her methods and approaches accurately and in sufficient detail to allow others to understand, interpret and critique his or her work. He or she should make clear the limitations of the review and its results.

Competence: Consultant should possess the abilities and skills and experience appropriate to undertake the tasks proposed and should practice within the limits of his or her professional training and competence.

Honesty and integrity: Consultant should be transparent with the contractor/constituent about: any conflict of interest, any change made in the negotiated project plan and the reasons why those changes were made, any risk that certain procedures or activities produce misleading review information.

Respect for people: Consultant respect the security, dignity and self-worth of the respondents, program participants. Consultant has the responsibility to be sensitive to and respect differences amongst participants in culture, religion, gender, disability, age and ethnicity.

Applications:

Interested consultants /consulting firms are requested to submit the following documents:

1) Personal C.V.(s) or company profile. 

3) Proposed methodology and work plan (based on the ToR requirements).

3) Technical and financial offer.

Please submit your application before March 25, 2020.