Consultant - Gender Analysis at Creative Associates International

Program Description

• Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development and in close partnership with federal partners and select Nigeria States (designated as legacy [Bauchi and Sokoto], launching and technical assistance), the five-year Leveraging Education Assistance Resources in Nigeria (LEARN) project will support sustainable improvements in reading outcomes for first and second grade pupils.
• The goal of LEARN is to strengthen and scale early grade reading (EGR) best practice by ensuring that standards-based, context-appropriate assessment, materials, training, and administrative supports needed to improve literacy skills for P1-2 pupils are embedded within the federal policy, funding, and monitoring frameworks, and state and local authorities have the implementation protocols, capacity, and resources to carry out and sustain standards-based, data-driven EGR reform.
• The project objective is to instill ownership in and build capacity of school-community, local, state, and federal systems to establish a base for adequate, consistent data-driven funding, monitoring and performance that increase the equity, inclusion, and wellbeing necessary to achieve sustained EGR gains.
• LEARN will therefore be building on lessons learned from prior Nigeria reading programs to introduce a flexible, cost- efficient EGR intervention model that can be tailored to state contexts.

Position Summary

• Creative Associates seeks a gender and inclusion consultant who will provide technical support to the LEARN to Read project by designing and conducting a gender analysis towards the development of a project specific gender action plan.
• The action plan will ensure gender mainstreaming in all the aspects of the program, and implementation of gender and inclusion-specific actions.
• The consultant will work closely with project Senior GESI Advisor and coordinate with technical leads across multiple LEARN to Read components.

Reporting & Supervision:

• The Gender Analysis Consultant reports to the Chief of Party.

Primary Responsibilities
Primary responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

• Conduct a comprehensive gender and inclusion literature desk review.
• Develop framework for conducting Gender Analysis (GA) – should consider aligning the framework to the “Six Domains of Gender Analysis” developed by the USAID’s Interagency Gender Working Group.
• Prepare a concept note and plan of activities.
• Design of GA methodology and instruments.
• Conduct e-meetings via conference/video call with the in-country project team and other coordinating consultants to brief and align duties prior to GA data collection.
• Analyze findings of GA and synthesize a full written report that includes both desk research and research findings.
• Develop Power Point presentation that summarizes findings from the GA report.
• Coordinate with the project Senior GESI Advisor to the lead on and assist team members with designing gender action plan for activities and the project as a whole.
• Other tasks as assigned.

Result / Deliverable (Total LOE - 39 days (100%)

• Milestone plan and notional calendar prior to start of assessment (1 day)
• Gender and Inclusion literature desk review report (3 days)
• Gender Analysis (GA) framework & methodology, and instruments (3 days)
• Data collection (14 days)
• Oral presentation upon completion of field work and delivery of annotated outline for report (5 days)
• Draft GESI report (5 days)
• Final GESI Report (3 days)
• GESI Action Plan and final document (5 days).

Required Skills & Qualifications

• Master's Degree in Social Studies, Gender Studies, Inclusive Education, International Development, or a related field- human rights (or, alternately, a Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field and 8 additional years of relevant experience).
• Demonstrated extensive technical experience in designing and implementing gender and inclusion activities in education and intersectionality, with both theoretical and practical background in GESI and skilled in GESI analysis and methodologies.
• Knowledge of accountability, protection, women and children’s rights frameworks and best practices;
• Proven ability to work productively with a variety of stakeholders to run participatory processes and meet tight deadlines with an emphasis on producing quality products.
• Strong analytical and research skills.
• Experience with USAID-funded programs preferred.
• Have a good grasp of issues related to marginalized groups’ participation in education.
• Excellent capacity building skills, with demonstrated experience in effective training, coaching and facilitation.
• Experience in one or more of the following sectors desired: community mobilization/participation, civil society strengthening, etc.
• Previous work experience with international donors/NGOs, preferably USAID.
• Previous work experience in research methodologies and project monitoring and evaluation.
• Previous experience working in Sub-Saharan Africa, preferably Nigeria.
• Fluency in English Language.

Skills & Abilities:

• Demonstrate a commitment to and promote an environment of equity and inclusion at all levels.
• Take initiative and be able to manage a complex activities with minimal supervision.
• Good organization skills and ability to maintain and foster relationships with teams and implementing partners.
• Excellent communication and facilitation skills, patience and a willingness to spend time translating the needs of communities into strong development projects.
• Capacity to understand and analyze national, regional, and local political contexts
• Ability to work under short deadlines and efficiently handle multiple tasks.
• Attention to detail and the ability to function well in a team.