Community One Health Empowerment in Rwanda and Senegal (COHERS) At Veterinarians Without Borders Canada

1. Overview

Veterinarians without Borders/ Vétérinaires sans frontières – Canada (VWB/VSF) is a charitable, humanitarian organization whose mission is to work for, and with, those in need to foster the health of animals, people, and the environments that sustain us. More information about the organization can be found at www.vetswithoutborders.ca.

We work in Africa and Asia to improve the living conditions community members, particularly in rural populations, through improving veterinary and agricultural services, sustainable animal production, training, value chain development and sustainable natural resource management.

Additionally, we support remote Northern Canadian communities to improve animal health through temporary spay and neuter clinics, reduce the spread of rabies, and work to create the conditions for long-term, community-led sustainable animal health services.

Community One Health Empowerment in Rwanda and Senegal

Community One Health Empowerment in Rwanda and Senegal (COHERS) will empower communities, especially women and girls, to improve health outcomes through application of One Health (OH) to prevent, detect, and respond to prevalent zoonoses, building on the sectoral and local expertise of VWB, the Center for One Health at University of Global Health Equity (UGHE), WaterAid Canada, Agronomes et Vétérinaires Sans Frontières (AVSF) and our local partners. COHERS targets 50 villages in Rwanda’s Nyamagabe District and 60 villages and 2 urban centres in Kedougou and Velingara Departments in Senegal’s Upper Casmance.

The COHERS Project will improve health outcomes in rural communities, and especially among marginalized women and girls, by applying a One Health (OH) approach to preventing and responding to zoonotic diseases in Rwanda and Senegal. The Project will increase the application of OH at the community level and improve healthy behaviours related to human-animal-environment interactions. This includes increasing the capacity of OH actors to improve local cross-sectoral coordination, referral and reporting of zoonoses, and increasing access to needed resources for zoonoses control, including vaccines, testing supplies and treatments. The Project will also support the development of climate-resilient water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure for prevention and control of zoonoses.

The Project will reach 159,676 beneficiaries in rural communities in Rwanda and Senegal. This includes 66,385 people (51.8% F) in Nyamagabe District, Rwanda (51.8% female), and 93,291 people (49% female) in Kedougou and Velingara departments, Senegal.

Focus will be placed on farming households engaged in animal husbandry activities and will prioritize the most marginalized women, including those with lower levels of education, those most dependent on land/animal-based livelihoods, women-headed households, and those most directly vulnerable to/impacted by cysticercosis/taeniasis (Rwanda) and anthrax (Senegal) in underserved rural communities.

VWB/VSF is presently seeking a Gender Consultant to launch the beginning of the Project Implementation Plan (PIP) of the COHERS Project. The successful candidate will work with Agronomes et Vétérinaires Sans Frontières (AVSF) project staff and VBW to complete the project’s gender assessment. The aim of the Gender Consultant is to establish sustainable mechanisms in collaboration with our local partner in Senegal, AVSF. Mentoring and coaching local staff, where applicable, is requested.

2. Context and Project Rationale

Summary of the Logic Model

ULTIMATE OUTCOME

Improved community health and equitable One Health empowerment for poor, marginalised, women and girls in rural areas with high prevalence of zoonotic diseases

INTERMEDIATE OUTCOMES

Increased community application of gender-responsive One Health approaches to prevent, detect, and respond to transmission of zoonotic diseases with a significant public health impact locally

Improved gender-responsive healthy community level behaviours and practices of safe human-animal-environment interactions, especially among women and girls

Increased integration of evidence-based best practices into planning and decision-making for application of OH at community level

IMMEDIATE OUTCOMES

Strengthened capacity of OHTs, especially females, for gender-responsive one health approach to prevent, detect, and respond to prevalent zoonotic diseases

Improved local coordination, referral, and reporting networks within and between OHTs at the community and regional levels

Increased access to resources needed to prevent, detect, and respond (WASH, screening, vaccines, medications for humans and animals)

Strengthened capacity within rural communities, especially women and girls, to prevent transmission of prevalent zoonotic diseases, especially among women and girls

Strengthened capacity within rural communities, especially women and girls, to detect and report incidence of prevalent zoonotic diseases, especially among women and girls (in animals and humans)

Strengthened capacity within rural communities, especially women and girls, to respond to incidence of prevalent zoonotic diseases, especially among women and girls

Strengthened understanding of effective gender-responsive approaches to OH application in marginalized rural communities to prevent, detect and respond to zoonotic diseases

3. Location of the Evaluation

The gender assessment will be carried out in projects’ targeted areas as part of the collaboration with AVSF in Kedougou and Velingara departments, Senegal.

4. Period and Duration of the Consultancy

The assignment is expected to commence July 31 and completed August 18, 2023. The final gender assessment and recommended Action Plan would need to be completed and submitted to VWB/VSF HQ on the last day of the assignment (August 18, 2023).

5. Objectives

The main objective is to conduct gender assessments with each partner organization and major project communities in Senegal. Following these assessments, the consultant will utilize findings to recommend a Gender Equality Action Plan aligning to COHERS project objectives.

6. Responsibilities and tasks

As part of the Project Implementation Plan (PIP) of the GAC funded project for ‘COHERS’, the Gender Consultant will support our local partners AVSF to conduct a participatory gender equality assessments of the organization project communities. Further details are described below:

6.1. Research and preparation

• Contact local partner AVSF for general briefing and initial response framework;
• Review all the guidelines from the COHERS project and ensure the activities planned by the local partners corresponds to the communities needs in terms of gender equality and are gender-sensitive;
• Prepare key gender background notes for local partners: include known gender features of the population and guidance on gender issues in this type of context (e.g. different physical needs & capabilities to access aid, gendered roles & responsibilities in the communities, security & exploitation);
• Establish key internal and external contacts with understanding of the social/gender dynamics and trends in the communities where the local partners work, local leaders and organizations/networks known to promote the interests of women.

6.2. Development of necessary tools

• Create tools to collect data for the gender assessment and to monitor project progress;

6.3. Gender Assessment

• Community gender analysis: To work with partner staff at the community level to identify barriers to gender equality facing small-scale farmers;
• In collaboration with local partners and the VWB/VSF local coordinator, support the collection and analysis of sex disaggregated data (quantitative and qualitative) as well as streamlining the needs assessment, collection and analysis so that it can be more effective in meeting beneficiary needs;
• To analyse the organizational and community level gender context and provide other technical supports to build knowledge and skills relating to gender equality;

7. Methodology

The consultant will be expected to propose the most appropriate consultative and participatory approaches for this assignment following initial consultations with VWB/VSF’s Head of Programs, M&E and Gender Advisor and local partners.

8. Output of the Assignment

The consultant is expected to provide a Gender Assessment that addresses the objectives and topics described in the paragraphs above, giving special attention to the overall data analysis and recommendations for the project ensure gender equitable activity design, risks identification and mitigation as well as monitoring progress. The consultant will complement the assessment with visual images from the training sessions in the communities, field assessment tools (focus groups, interviews etc), working sessions with the local partners, and any other visuals and materials that visually illustrate gender equality issues.

9. Qualifications and Experience of the Gender Consultant

Education

• A university degree in a related field (political science, international development, women’s studies)
• Relevant post-graduate degree and formal training in gender considered an asset

Experience

• A minimum of five years (5) experience in program management/program development in an international development/humanitarian organization;
• A minimum of three (3) years international development experience in the Global South, especially in Senegal is required;
• A strong understanding of women’s rights is required, as well as demonstrated experience incorporating gender and feminist approaches into the design, monitoring, learning, and evaluation of programs;
• Experience in applying participatory methods and tools, including the promotion of gender equality, good governance, and environmental sustainability;
• Strong knowledge and experience in conducting gender assessment and gender Action Plan in a developing country context;
• Knowledge of multi-stakeholder program development processes including coordination and learning;
• Knowledge of training tools and methods and proven experience delivering training on gender responsive programs. Experience in coaching and mentoring in rural and agricultural communities is considered an asset.

Skills

• Ability to communicate ideas in a culturally-sensitive manner and conducive to their practical application;
• Robust conceptual and analytical skills.
• Excellent time management skills, with an ability to deliver high-quality outputs on time.
• General finance, administration, information management and telecommunication skills and proficiency in information technology/ computer skills.
• Ability to prioritize, organize, work independently, and take initiative
• Excellent public speaking skills
• Curious, enthusiastic and willing to innovate and adapt
• Fluency in English and French is a must