Gender Equality Advisor- Iraq At Cowater International

TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR)

Gender Equality (GE) Advisory Services – Iraq

The Middle East Field Support Services Project (ME-FSSP)

KEY INFORMATION

Job Title:

Gender Equality Advisor – Iraq

Position/ Contract Type:

Long Term Consultancy

Duration of Initial Contract:

12 months, starting ASAP (up to a total of 60 days)

Position Location:

Iraq

Language Required:

Arabic and English

1. SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT

Launched in December 2021 and implemented by Cowater International, the Middle East Support Services Project (ME-FSSP) will primarily support the development and humanitarian objectives of Canada’s Middle East Strategy by providing administrative, financial, procurement, and logistical services in Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon and the region.

The Middle East Field Support Services (ME-FSS) will also support the regional development programming for the Government of Canada through the provision of technical specialists in gender equality, governance and human rights, and environment and climate action

2. BACKGROUND

In February 2016, the Government of Canada released a new comprehensive, whole-of-government strategy to respond to the ongoing crises in Iraq and Syria and their impact on the region, including on Jordan and Lebanon. Under the strategy for engagement in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Syria (2016-17 to 2018-19), also known as the Middle East Strategy, Canada committed up to CAD 270 million in development assistance to increase access to basic services, enhance employment and green economic growth and strengthen governance, and up to CAD 840 million in humanitarian assistance to meet the urgent basic needs of those most affected by the crises, including refugees.

On June 9, 2017, Canada launched its Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP), which targets gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. The Feminist International Assistance Policy recognizes that supporting gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls is the best way to build a more peaceful, inclusive, and prosperous world. To do this, it supports targeted investments, partnerships, and innovation and advocacy efforts with the greatest potential to close gender gaps and improve everyone’s chance for success. For more information on FIAP, please visit https://www.international.gc.ca/world-monde/issues_development-enjeux_developpement/priorities-priorites/policy-politique.aspx?lang=eng.

3. OBJECTIVE

The objective of the consultancy is to provide technical support to GAC’s Iraq programs in the area of Gender Equality in order to ensure effective and resource-efficient programming, the integration of Gender Equality concerns in program/projects with the ultimate goal of contributing to better development results Iraq. This includes supporting the consistent integration of gender equality as a cross-cutting theme.

4. DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES AND DELIVERABLES

Description of services

The Advisor must provide technical advice and support in the area of Gender Equality in Iraq, based on an online Tracking Table, which is updated regularly and any additional services requested by GAC’s Technical Authority (TA). Service Requisitions will outline expected results, timelines, and deliverables related to the services requested by the TA.

The provision of technical advice and support includes, but is not limited to, the following:

1. Technical Support to GAC:

• Review GAC Iraq development, and to a lesser extent, humanitarian assistance program documents requiring gender analysis and integration of Gender Equality measures and provide written analysis and advice on best practices and approaches to achieving results, potential risks, issues, constraints, opportunities, lessons learned, and possible synergies with other programs and sectors.
• Support GAC Iraq programming teams in the review and development of project proposals in the different thematic areas of programming, providing advice on the quality of gender analysis and integration of gender equality sustainability into all planning documents including Logic Model, Performance Management Framework, Risk Registry, and budget, using results-based management and monitoring frameworks.
• Provide advice to GAC Iraq programming teams on opportunities, needs and entry points for action on gender equality issues, including on possible cooperation with other donors.
• Provide technical assistance to incoming missions from Canada, if required. Provide written and oral briefings and accompany visiting GAC staff, Canadian Government officials and consultants on field trips and meetings. Prepare meetings notes and field visit reports and make recommendations about any needed corrective measures.
• Review and provide written analysis on emerging gender equality issues and challenges in Iraq, as well as on Gender Equality policies, strategies and planning documents, outlining linkages with GAC’s policy framework and country program priorities.
• Attend donor and technical group discussions on gender equality as a resource person, contributing to knowledge-building/sharing and policy dialogue.
• Provide advice to GAC Iraq programming teams on gender equality issues to be raised in policy dialogue and advocacy with government, other donors, civil society organizations and private sector.

1. Quality Assurance:

Support the application of and compliance with local sector and thematic regulatory and policy frameworks; contribute to various levels of program and project reporting, monitoring and evaluation; and support and foster policy and program coherence within Iraq. This includes:

• Provide technical support and advice related to the monitoring and evaluation of projects and program implementation in terms of approaches, resources and contributions to gender equality results and addressing gender equality considerations. This may encompass advising on indicators, reviewing project implementation plans, annual work plans, progress and evaluation reports, participation in project monitoring and mid-term review missions as a resource person, meeting with implementing partners and carrying out field visits.
• Review Gender Equality program and project documents and advise on the quality and integrity of information and on compliance with country and/or regional regulatory and policy framework.
• Provide guidance to GAC projects’ implementing partners and Executing Agencies on GAC and programming countries’ Gender Equality policy, legal and administrative requirements.
• Contribute to the preparation of the Gender Equality Annex of the Annual Country Report and other products and reports highlighting GAC’s contributions to gender equality results in Iraq.
• Participate and contribute to regional discussions on policies and program coherence related to Gender Equality.

1. Knowledge Management:

Contribute local perspective and lessons learned to broader GAC knowledge pool and recipient country partners, and help maintain/provide in-depth knowledge of recipient country partners and Gender Equality networks. This includes:

• Help identify, and maintain a roster of, local gender equality expertise and services (private sector and organizations), if and when needed.
• Develop training material related to gender equality and deliver presentations and training.
• Research, collect, analyze, update and exchange country and region-specific Gender Equality information and perspective with GAC field staff, HQ officers, including relevant Gender Equality Specialists and recipient country partners as relevant.
• Collect and analyze information from gender equality programs and/or gender equality integrated programs implemented by local governments, GAC, other donors and organizations, including identification of best practices, new approaches and lessons learned (operational and developmental) related to Gender Equality to achieve better results in gender equality programming.
• Participate and share key programming achievements and challenges related to gender equality with the wider gender equality network.

1. Local Systems:

• Maintain ongoing communications with HQ and Regional GE specialist(s) as appropriate.
• Coordinate and consolidate local information flow to and from region and HQ.
• Collaborate, when appropriate, in the provision of technical advice, analysis and support to the program; and keep abreast of activities in the wider Gender Equality community of practice.
• Assess the capacity of local organizations and institutions implementing gender equality initiatives to achieve meaningful results, and identify potential partners with appropriate gender equality programming capacity.

5. SCOPE OF WORK

• Reviewing and commenting on project progress reports, annual work plans, implementation plans and other documentation, as requested.
• Assisting in the assessment of project proposals including assessing the quality and relevance of gender analysis, strategies and approaches integrated to address identified gender equality gaps, issues and considerations, inclusion of gender equality results, gender-sensitive indicators, sex-disaggregated base-line data and sex-disaggregated targets.
• Provision of technical advice on gender equality issues in relation to planning and implementation of GAC program/projects, as requested. Participating in relevant missions and events, as required.
• Assisting in the identification of appropriate gender equality baseline indicators for new projects. Assisting in missions to monitor the performance of GAC program/projects and other initiatives in Iraq as requested.
• Identification of synergies or complementarities within the existing and planned programming portfolio of GAC for the purposes of achieving program-level development results and GAC GE objectives, and providing strategic recommendations for the overall alignment of GAC existing and planned programming in Iraq.
• Provision of research, analytical work and reports on gender equality issues relevant to GAC Development Program in Iraq as requested.
• Representing GAC at various events, preparing reports, and occasional translation from Arabic to English as requested.
• Leading the development and dissemination of specific material and analytical tools for use by GAC and its partners, as requested.

6. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Advisor:

The Advisor is responsible to deliver the services described in section 4 of this TOR according to the agreed timelines, expected results, and deliverables outlined in the Service Requisitions, and any additional services as requested by the Technical Authority. The Advisor will provide technical support and advice to GAC’s programming teams in the area of Gender Equality. The Advisor must work in close collaboration with the field staff and GAC HQ’s programming teams and assigned HQ Specialists, and whenever necessary with other consultants (including the experts on environment and education).

The Technical Authority (TA):

The TA, identified by GAC Iraq is responsible for:

• The provision of service requisitions to the Advisor, including the approval of the Advisor’s assigned work and deliverables.
• Reporting to GAC on the completion of services and deliverables against the approved tasking as set out in the online Tracking Table and Service Requisition forms. A detailed reporting schedule will be agreed upon and attached to the contract.

ME-FSSP team:

• Managing the competitive process of identifying and hiring the Advisor, including signing the contract.
• Communicating/disseminating key documents related to GAC policies, programming approaches and processes, regulatory or reporting requirements
• Delivering initial and periodic information sessions and ‘updates’ on GAC’s policies, programming approaches processes and, regulatory or other reporting requirements for Gender Equality relevant programming.
• Review and approve payments based on the invoices and timesheets submitted by the Advisor.

7. REPORTING/ DELIVERABLES

The Consultant is expected to work in close cooperation with GAC in Iraq to produce the deliverables as follows:

• The Advisor reports directly to ME-FSSP (Project Manager) who has full responsibility for the administration of the contract, including the approval of timesheets and invoices. Technical assignments including the Tracking Table, Service Requisitions and deliverables, evaluation of the quality of services and deliverables against the Tracking Table, etc. are approved by GAC’s TA in Iraq. Deliverables include, but are not limited to:
• Financial reporting which consists of a detailed monthly invoice, covering the Advisor’s fees for the services rendered during the previous month indicating the date, the day and the number of hours worked for each day as well as any necessary and reasonable expenses incurred during the previous month, including all original receipts in support of the expenses claimed.
• Research or analytical narrative reports, as requested by GAC.

8. LOCATION, TIMELINES AND ESTIMATED LEVEL OF EFFORTS

The advisor is preferred to be located in Iraq. The Advisor must be ready to travel to different locations in Iraq to support GAC’s development and, to a lesser extent, humanitarian assistance programs’ planning and monitoring activities and to meet with partners. The ME-FSSP PM must approve all travel prior to the travel.

The basis for payment and payment schedule will be based on a fixed-time rate contract.

The level of effort is estimated at up to 60 days depending on the needs and activities of the program. No activities/tasks should be undertaken without GAC Iraq TA’s approval.

9. ADMINISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENTS

• The Advisor will report to the Cowater/ FSSP PM in Amman.
• The contract will be signed between Cowater International/ME-FSSP and the selected candidate.
• Work will be performed out of the Advisor’s own office and locations identified by GAC Iraq, and the Advisor will be responsible for providing all required overhead, including maintaining internet access and an email account.
• The Advisor will be expected to use their own workspace, equipment and materials (office space is not provided).
• The Advisor will be paid according to the agreed-upon daily rate based on the level of effort reflected in the monthly financial report and requisition forms. Activities and services rendered should be in line with the Tracking Table (or requisition forms) agreed and approved by the TA.

10. EXPERIENCE

To be considered for the role, it is important that the Advisor have experience across the full project cycle, specifically experience applying Gender Equality principles in development projects in the ME region.

Additional experience:

• Minimum 5 years of experience assessing project proposals, including assessing the quality and relevance of gender analysis and the inclusion of gender equality results, gender-sensitive indicators, sex-disaggregated baseline data and targets. (Extra points will be awarded for experience assessing GAC projects);
• Minimum 5 years of experience providing Gender Equality project monitoring and evaluation services;
• Minimum 5 years of experience providing advice to donors on Gender Equality policies;
• Experience conducting or writing gender-based analyses of projects or programs.
• Experience providing Gender Equality knowledge-building activities (training, coaching, mentoring) to development programs.

11. EDUCATION

A minimum university degree in gender equality studies or a related discipline (Examples: women’s studies, policy and administration, international development/relations, political science, human rights, sociology).