Terms of Reference

Development of Gender Continuum Tools and designing and delivering a capacity building workshop for WaterAid staff.

About WaterAid

WaterAid is an international not-for-profit, determined to make clean water, decent toilets, and good hygiene normal for everyone, everywhere within a generation. We have been working with government and non-governmental partners to ensure that these essential services are available to poor and marginalized communities, especially women, persons with disabilities, and vulnerable groups.

WaterAid employs a public health and climate adaptation approach to addressing current water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) service requirements and sustaining them for the future. Hygiene behaviour change, menstrual hygiene, rural and urban sanitation and safe water systems, WASH in institutions (healthcare facilities, schools, public places) and nature-based solutions for water conservation, groundwater recharge and waste-water treatment are some of the interventions used for achieving our objectives. We also work with sector partners to support and influence the behavioural, institutional and policy mechanisms for accelerating progress toward achieving safe and sustainable WASH access for the poor and marginalized communities. For more information, please visit (www.wateraid.org)

Background

Sustainable and safe WASH are essential foundations for human health . Adequate WASH services improve public health and significantly lower the morbidity burden. Access to improved WASH services can prevent up to 36.4% of underweight cases in Punjab alone correlated to bacterial and diarrheal infections. Improved water sources reduce diarrhoea morbidity by 21% and washing hands at critical times can reduce the number of diarrhoea cases by 35%. Progress in childhood mortality indicators presents positive outcomes.

WASH related health indicators and the situation of WASH in healthcare facilities (HCFs) are generally lacking in Pakistan. The link between poor WASH conditions/ services, low health status, and increased health expenditure impacting their economic status is not understood at the community level. This places additional burden on the marginalised groups, especially women in part due the extra burden it places on them to care for those who are sick from poor wash and hygiene.

Furthermore, the impacts of climate change are likely to worsen this situation as increased flooding causes further contamination of water sources, damages sanitation facilities, and water scarcity reduces its availability for hygiene purposes. Women and girls bear the brunt of this burden, particularly due to their gendered role in household water provision, hygiene and as carers; and their specific WASH-related needs including those related to menstrual, maternal and child health.

Gender equality and social inclusion is one of the key pillars of the programme approaches outlined in Country Programme Strategy (2023-2028) of WaterAid Pakistan. Mainstreaming gender equality and social inclusion in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) programs is essential for promoting sustainable and inclusive development. Gender dynamics play a critical role in access to WASH services, with women and girls disproportionately impacted by a lack of access to these services and currently least likely to have voice in planning or decision making about these same services.

WaterAid has adopted a Gender Equality Continuum to help support more effective integrations of gender equality dimensions in our work. We also want to support more effective inclusion of gender equality at all stages if programme/ project design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation in order to ensure that WASH programs are responsive to the needs of all community members, particularly women and vulnerable groups.

WaterAid intends to hire a consultant to support the integration of a Gender Equality into all stages of its programmes. The consultant will support WA Pakistan more clearly utilise and embed the gender equality continuum and other gender-responsive frameworks into its work; ensure WASH interventions align with global best practices in gender equality and social inclusion (GESI); and enhance the understanding of the program and project teams to prioritize the integration of gender equality during the design, implementation,  monitoring, evaluation and reporting  of new programs and projects, including through a capacity-building workshop.

Purpose of the assignment

The primary objective of this consultancy is to ensure that WASH projects designed and implemented by WaterAid incorporate a gender equality continuum approach. This includes:

• Conducting a gender analysis and mapping exercise in relation to Gender Equality Continuum.
• Developing tools and approaches to support WA Pakistan to effectively embed the Gender Equality Continuum or other relevant frameworks into its approach and throughout the programme cycle.
• Building capacities of key staff members in applying Gender Equality tools and approaches.

Scope of Work

The consultant/firm will:

Develop Tools for Contextualizing and Applying Gender Equality Continuum in all Stages Programme Cycle

• Conduct a comprehensive gender analysis of existing programme and project design, implementation, and M&E tools, identifying gaps and opportunities for integrating gender equality continuum.
• Conduct brainstorming/consultative meetings with key staff members (Programme Design, Implementation and M&E departments) identifying areas and indicators that would best support staff to contextualizing and integrating of Gender Equality Continuum and/ or other consistent approaches to gender equality mainstreaming.
• Develop tools and checklist, if necessary, for /integration of Gender Equality more rigorously across the Programme Cycle.

Design and Conduct Capacity Building Workshop

• Design and conduct training workshop(s) for capacitating staff to have enhanced understanding of Gender Equality Continuum and are able to apply contextualized indicators and tools in different stages of the programme/project cycle.

Methodology:

The consultant will conduct desk review and consultative meetings with key staff in developing contextualized indicators and tools for application and integration of Gender Equality Continuum and other tools as well as to design and conduct capacity building workshop for WaterAid’s staff.

Documents Review: Review WaterAid’s programme and project plans, Gender Equality Guidance Document of WaterAid as well as tools for designing, implementing and M&E of projects.

Consultative Meetings with the Key Staff: Conduct consultative meetings to understand needs, requirements to develop contextualized indicators and tools for application and integration of Gender Equality Continuum.

Capacity Building Training: Design and conduct training of WaterAid staff for contextualizing and applying Gender Equality Continuum and other tools to embed gender equality in different stages of programme/project cycle.

 Deliverables:

1. Inception Report: Outline the methodology, process, and work plan for the assignment.
2. Development of contextualized indicators and tools for application and integration of Gender Equality (including the Continuum) in all stages of WaterAid’s programme cycle.
3. Capacity building workshop for WaterAid’s staff for application and integration of Gender Equality (and the Continuum).

Final Report: A consolidated report that elaborates the methodology and process of developing contextualized indicators and tools for Gender Equality Continuum as well as tools for application and integration of Gender Equality Continuum. The report should also include the proceedings and action plan of capacity building workshop with WaterAid Staff.

Supervision

Head of Programme Strategy and Policy WaterAid will be the focal point for this assignment.

Duration of assignment

WaterAid intends to receive the services of a selected consultant with total level of efforts of 12 working days spreading over 2 months commencing from the agreement signing date.

Evaluation criteria

Each candidate shall submit technical and financial proposals in two separate sealed envelopes. Technical offers will first be evaluated according to the “Evaluation criteria” below and the technical qualification threshold point is “70”.

a.                                   Technical Evaluation criteria

b.                                  Financial offer

For financial offer, each deliverable must be included in the financial offer. All deliverables MUST be completed within the assignment duration.

Standard Contract Terms & Conditions

WaterAid practices the following terms and conditions stated below:

• Intellectual Property Rights in all documents/information/ other materials prior to the date of execution of an agreement pursuant to this bid shall vest in the Party to which such document/information/materials belong. 
• All Intellectual Property provided by WaterAid Pakistan to the Consultant for performing the obligations under the agreement with WaterAid shall remain the exclusive property of WaterAid Pakistan.
• Any reports produced/data collected, or any other Intellectual Property generated by the Consultant pursuant to or under the agreement with WaterAid shall be the exclusive property of WaterAid Pakistan.
• The vendor assumes all responsibility for complying with local legal codes as they apply to an Agreement and work performed there under. In addition, the vendor shall be liable to pay all applicable taxes and fees as required by the laws of government of Pakistan. WaterAid will deduct Income Tax and VAT at source as per Govt. rules.
• The vendor shall not without first obtaining the consent in writing of WaterAid, permit any of its duties or obligations made under the Agreement to be performed or carried out by any other person or reassign his/her interest in the Agreement.
• The vendor shall not hold WaterAid liable for any accident or misadventure befalling them whilst on duty or pursuing activities to fulfil the Agreement.
• WaterAid reserves the right to accept and reject any proposal without assigning any verbal and or written rationale whatsoever.