Gender and Economic Policy Reform specialist

Terms of Reference

 Gender and Economic Policy Reform specialist

Integrating Gender into Lebanese Institutions (IGLI)

Background:

Oxfam in Lebanon (OiL) has been delivering programmes and creating impact in Lebanon since its inception in 1993. With three offices in Beirut, Zahle and Tripoli and programmes all across the country, Oxfam in Lebanon is active in the sectors of Inclusive Economic Development, Humanitarian Response and Resilience, and Good Governance, with Gender Justice as well as Climate Justice a cross-cutting priority. In addition, its Policy, Advocacy, and Influencing work is based on programme evidence, continuous political economy analyses, and tackles key issues related to poverty and rights in its engagement with external and internal stakeholders.

In Lebanon, the combined effects of years-long economic crises, the COVID-19 pandemic, the Port of Beirut explosion, and a dysfunctional government have eroded the economic and business environment, leading to the closure of numerous businesses including MSMEs, exacerbating unemployment and poverty.

The Spring 2021 Lebanon Economic Monitor[1] found that Lebanon’s economic and financial crisis ranks among the worst economic crises globally since the mid-nineteenth century.

In addition to the notable lack in policies, when they do exist, there is an evident absence of gender mainstreaming within these policies and reform initiatives. Amid this turmoil, it is essential to recognize that the impacts of economic instability are disproportionately borne by women. Women in Lebanon face significant barriers to economic participation, ranging from unequal access to employment opportunities and financial services to limited representation in decision-making processes.

Objective of the consultancy

To address these challenges, and under the GAC funded project titled “Integrating Gender into Lebanese Institutions (IGLI)”, and with support and coordination with UNDP, OiL is aiming to establish a Feminist Socio-Economic Working Group (FSEWG), which seeks to bring forward and push for economic reforms that will not only support in revitalizing Lebanon's economy but also aims to dismantle the structural impediments that hinder gender equality. By promoting gender responsive and transformative economic reforms, enhancing access to education and skills training, and fostering an enabling environment for women entrepreneurship, this initiative aims to address the root causes of gender disparities in economic outcomes. The aim is to collaborate closely with women economic experts, government institutions, and think-tanks to ensure a multi-stakeholder approach that fosters inclusivity and accountability. By integrating gender-responsive policies into economic reform efforts, OiL and UNDP aspire to create a more equitable and resilient Lebanon where women play a central role in driving sustainable economic recovery and growth.

To this end,  OiL is seeking to recruit a Gender and Policy Reform Specialist who will lead on a participatory gender analysis to inform policy reforms focused on two socio-economic areas prioritized by the FSEWG, before producing and validating a brief on each policy priority with focus on reform in each of the two policy areas.

Expected Tasks

The consultant is expected to:

• Complete a mapping of Policy Documents : Building on Oxfam’s knowledge and research repository that involves research of feminist practices at the level of CSOs, local movements and state institutions, the specialist will conduct a comprehensive review of existing policy documents related to the economic priorities selected by the FSEWG. The expert, and in collaboration with the FSEWG and OiL, will identify key policy documents subject for gender analysis.
• Design and Facilitation of two participatory workshops: Based on the findings of the mapping, the expert will design two two-full day workshops for the FSEWG members to facilitate participatory gender analysis of the selected policy documents with policy reform prioritization. One workshop will be conducted for each selected priority area (OiL will be responsible for the costs related to the workshops such as venue, cateringetc.). The list of documents including the mapping report and other materials shall be shared with the members before the workshops, alongside the specialist’s notes and guidance on specific elements and policy measures to be analyzed from a gender perspective. During the two workshops, the specialist shall present the documents and the highlighted policy areas and invite participants to discuss and review them with the aim of extracting their gender differentiated impact. The specialist, with the aid of OiL and the FSEWG, will draft identified priority policy reform measures and formulate relevant recommendations based on the discussions in the workshops. The recommendations will be shared and validated by the participants in the workshops.
• Policy Brief Development: The specialist will synthesize workshop findings and recommendations into two concise and accessible 4–5-page policy briefs, one for each priority area. These documents will articulate the context, gender analysis methodology and findings, recommendations, and actionable reform areas across the two economic priorities and will be subject to a round of feedback from OiL. The Policy briefs will be used to lobby and advocate policy-makers and governmental officials for access to more inclusive, fair, and gender-transformative economic policies.
• Brief Validation: The specialist will roll out a collaborative review process with FSEWG members to refine and validate the policy briefs, ensuring they accurately represent collective insights and recommendations. The expert will share the briefs with the WG members and ask them for feedback within a week. After receiving the feedback on the two different priority area briefs, the expert will incorporate the comments and produce a final version. The final version will be presented and discussed in a meeting of the FSEWG after which the expert will include any remaining changes and finalize the documents.
• Final Report: The expert is to produce a final report summarizing the work under this consultancy and documenting the methodology applied, process, findings and recommendations. The expert is to expect two rounds of feedback on the final report.

Timeline and expected number of days

The consultant is expected to provide the deliverables within a period of 3 months spanning August 2024 and October 2024 with the expected number of days expected per task as follows:

Task

Expected Number of Days

Expected Start Date

Policy Document Mapping

10

12-Aug

Design and Facilitation of two participatory workshops

10

26-Aug

Policy Brief Development

15

02-Sept

Validation of Policy Briefs with FSEWG

8

23-Sept

Final Report on gender analysis and briefs

7

30-Sept

Total

50 Days

Consultant qualifications:

This consultancy should be led by a person (or persons/company) with:

• Prior experience in gender work in Lebanon
• Experience in designing and facilitating workshops
• Prior experience working on economic policy reform in Lebanon
• Experience in feminist participatory research
• Excellent communications skills in English and Arabic
• A familiarity or direct experience in feminist economics is preferred
• Flexibility and ability to take initiative
• Availability to start immediately

Payment and instructions for interested consultants:

Payment will be done in three instalments. Details and schedule to be discussed at contract stage.

Note that payment will be made based on deliverables (not based on actual expenses incurred by the consultant). No receipts will be requested from the consultant towards the end of the contract.

CODES OF BEHAVIOUR:

The process will be directed by Oxfam’s guidelines for the ethical conduct of evaluations and research, guiding the team of consultants through careful consideration of the key ethical implications at every stage of the harvest. These guidelines are available at this link: http://policy-practice.oxfam.org.uk/publications/undertaking-research-with-ethics-253032

SHARING AND USING FINDINGS:

The final report will be shared internally with Oxfam staff and affiliates. The briefs will be shared externally with UNDP and GAC and other relevant actors and organizations. The findings will be used to produce an advocacy plan for the recommended reforms aimed at governmental and non-governmental stakeholders.

DISCLOSURE:

Although free to discuss with the authorities on anything relevant to the assignment, under the terms of reference, the consultant is not authorized to make any commitments on behalf of Oxfam. All data collected as part of this consultancy belongs to Oxfam and public dissemination of the data and findings and recommendations can only be done with the written consent of the Oxfam.

SCORING CRITERIA:

Bids from interested consultants will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

1. Technical:

a.   Meeting Required Specifications

b.   Value for money

c.   Reliability of supply

d.   Availability and delivery

e.   Supplier Performance

2. Financial offer and the total budget presented

EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (EOI):

Oxfam invites EOI from individuals, groups and companies with the experience and skills described above. The EOI must include:

1. A CV for the consultant/company
2. A maximum 2-page document outlining previous gender and/or Economic Policy Reforms work (along with an explanation of the purpose of the work, who the contracting authority was)
3. A short document outlining the proposed methodology and workplan
4. A sample report
5. A one-page budget of the offer, covering all major anticipated costs (see section above on what costs should be included in the offer)

Please submit the EOI and other documents by June 30^th, 2024 at the latest, to [email protected] with “Gender and Economic Policy Reform specialist” in the subject line.

All questions or clarifications of a technical nature are to be sent to  [email protected]