Consultant - A360 Northern Nigeria Gender Assessment at Population Services International (PSI)

Job ID: 2019-2891
Location: Abuja, Nigeria

Background
Co-Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and the Children’s Investment Fund foundation (CIFF), Adolescents 360 (A360) is an adolescent reproductive health project being implemented by PSI across Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Nigeria. A360 involved a unique 18 month design period, specific to each country, using an interdisciplinary approach (HCD, anthropology, social marketing, developmental science) to develop programs to increase adolescent contraceptive uptake and reduce unplanned teen pregnancy.

In Nigeria PSI is working through partner Society for Family Health (SFH) to implement A360. PSI and SFH have developed and are taking to scale two programs in Nigeria, one in Southern Nigeria targeting unmarried girls, and one in Northern Nigeria targeting married girls.

The Northern Nigeria program, “Matasa Matan Arewa” (MMA), reaches married girls aged 15-19 and their husbands through maternal and child health and skills building classes as entry points to engage in contraceptive counseling. Currently MMA is only being implemented in 3 sites (2 in the state of Kaduna, and 1 in the state of Nassarawa) but with a view to scale to at least 30 to build a proof concept.

Description
PSI is looking for an experienced independent Gender Consultant (ideally already based in Nigeria) to help us better understand the gender landscape in Northern Nigeria and to assess our MMA program design to from a gender perspective and identify strengths and opportunities to become more gender transformative as we scale up.

The Services
The Contractor must provide the following Services:

• Familiarize themselves with key program components of A360’s MMA program in Northern Nigeria through review of key program documents.
• Review recent literature that specifically address the issue of gender and inclusion as well as AYSRH in Northern Nigeria, with a view to abstracting a set of key principles, lessons and practices that are relevant to the implementation of A360’s MMA program in Northern Nigeria. This literature review will inform the tool design and focus of the assessment.
• In collaboration with SFH and A360 teams, plan and facilitate a gender assessment of A360’s MMA program
• Develop a workplan laying out key elements and timeline for the assessment – including procedures for thematic analysis of data
• Based on results from literature review, develop FGD and KIII discussion tools, validated as necessary A360/SFH/beneficiaries
• Work with PSI and SFH to plan field trip for data collection and secure necessary approvals (including internal PSI IRB approval)
• Conduct a field trip to key A360 MMA sites within the Kaduna and Nassarawa states with SFH personnel to conduct focus group discussions and key informant interviews. Consultant will be expected to lead the thematic analysis of data based on notes and recollections from each day of data collection.
• Immediately following data collection period, conduct workshop with SFH staff to disseminate and validate preliminary findings as well as to build capacity in critical examination of gender norms and dynamics as it relates to A360’s program implementation.
• Based on findings from the above-mentioned literature review and field trip for data collection, prepare a draft report which includes findings and recommendations from thematic analysis.
• Submit a final report and slide deck.

Deliverables
The Contractor must provide PSI a Northern Nigeria MMA Gender Assessment Report outlining findings and recommendations to support greater gender awareness in the implementation of MMA and gender equality in program outcomes, which includes the following:

• Summary of findings from literature review, including key principles, lessons and practices relevant to A360’s work in Northern Nigeria
• Analysis of key themes drawn from FGDs and KIIs related to how MMA interacts with gender norms, practices and dynamics in Kaduna and Nasarawa
• Key recommendations for A360/SFH regarding how to address potentially gender exploitative program elements (if any identified) and suggested best practices to implement to promote gender equality within MMA’s implementation.
• An annex containing a full copy of notes taken during data collection
• A draft report should be submitted to PSI for comment in advance of the final report.
• Final report to be share with slide deck summary showing high level analysis and recommendations
• An oral presentation of the Final report to the PSI/A360 and SFH teams

All reports must:

• Be provided in accordance with the requirements of the TOR;
• Be accurate and not misleading in any respect;
• Be prepared as directed by PSI;
• Be provided in the format and on the media approved or requested by PSI;
• Be reviewed by PSI to ensure they are fit for purpose, technically sound, and specifically address the requirements;
• Be provided at the time specified

Requirments

• Extensive experience in gender issues in Nigeria,
• Strong technical competencies in applied qualitative research techniques and data analysis, including significant training in anthropological or ethnographic research;
• Seven (7) years of experience evaluating and/or implementing gender projects of similar scope in Nigeria or other countries in Africa;
• Expertise with qualitative data collection instruments (for key informant interviews, focus group discussions, etc.);
• Professional oral and written communication skills in English is required. Additional proficiency in Hausa is preferred.
• Ability and willingness to travel in Northern Nigeria.