Gender Analysis Akkar

1. Background Information on Plan International

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organization that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion, and discrimination. And it is girls who are most affected. Working together with children, young people, our supporters, and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children. We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. And we enable children to prepare for – and respond to – crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national, and global levels using outreach, experience, and knowledge.

 

We have been building powerful partnerships for children for over 75 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries.

 

Read more about Plan International's Global Strategy: 200 Million Reasons at https://plan-international.org/strategy

 

About the commissioning office

 

Plan International Lebanon (PIL) has had an operational office in Beirut since 2017 and received its registration in October 2019. Across the country, we work in partnership with local, national, and international organizations to strengthen capacities and address the needs of Lebanese and refugee children in Lebanon. With a focus on adolescent girls and young women, PIL implements projects in the sectors of child protection (CP) and Gender-based violence (GBV), Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), Education, Youth economic empowerment, and participation. The organization also promotes gender equality by addressing the root causes of discrimination against girls and young women.

 

2. Background/Context

 

Lebanon is currently facing a complex crisis encompassing economic, political, and humanitarian dimensions, profoundly impacting its society and stability. With a significant influx of refugees and internally displaced citizens, the country is experiencing heightened poverty rates, particularly among vulnerable populations. The youth, in particular, face many challenges including limited access to education, employable skills, and job opportunities, leading to a high unemployment rate. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), crucial for the country's economy, are also struggling due to decreased sales and limited access to financing. Additionally, many youth and especially girls and young women face stigma due to the existing social, cultural and gendered norms. To address these issues, the proposed project by PIL and Akkarouna aims to improve access to skills-based work opportunities and locally produced reusable sanitary pads for 200 vulnerable adolescent girls and young women in the Akkar region by the end of the project. Focusing on the acquisition of vocational skills, including entrepreneurship as well as life skills for at least 70% of the 200 young women involved through training and linking at least 150 participants with internship and salaried employment opportunities, and on challenging harmful social norms around menstruation, SRHR and gender equality through access to information and community mobilization on period poverty.

 

The intervention aims to address durable solutions for period poverty in Lebanon and for the dire economic situation of girls and young women in Akkar region, in addition to challenging social and gendered norms around menstruation focusing on livelihood support and gender equality. The project integrates elements to promote women's economic empowerment, gender equality, and advocacy at the local and community level. It aligns with national, regional, and global response plans, including the new Lebanon Response Plan (LRP) and European donors' priorities. Adopting a Humanitarian Development nexus approach, the project will coordinate with local authorities and stakeholders to address root causes of period poverty and gender inequalities. The intervention follows a gender-transformative approach to address discriminatory norms and empower women both economically and socially.

 

3.  Description & Objectives

 

Purpose

 

As part of the implementation of a livelihood and Period poverty related project funded by the French Development Agency, Plan International Lebanon and its partner, Akkarouna, aims to conduct a gender analysis in Akkar region, with the aim of:

• Understanding and exploring gender norms, gender roles and responsibilities that shape women and men’s participation in economic and social activities
• Patterns of time use, family responsibility, and decision-making processes at the household and community levels that support or hinder the economic empowerment and environment for girls and women in the targeted areas → leading to the identification of key gender gaps and needs with a specific focus on livelihoods and sexual and reproductive rights particularly menstruation and its associated stigmas;
• Highlight systemic barriers to women’s access to livelihoods, financial resources, and markets.
• Assess disparities in access to SRHR information and services, with a specific focus on menstruation-related challenges
• Examine intersectional vulnerabilities: understand how factors like age, marital status, disability, and socio-economic background intersect with gender to impact access to resources and opportunities
• Evaluate the role of men and boys in supporting or perpetuating harmful practices and norms
• Based on gender analysis, develop a set of recommendations that identifies ways of ensuring women economic empowerment in the targeted areas from a gender transformative lens; in addition to ways for challenging harmful practices around sexual and reproductive health, namely menstruation.

 

Methodology/ Questions

 

The study participants will be between the ages of 12 and 49, females and males, and of the following nationalities: Lebanese, Syrian refugees and Palestinian refugees, where applicable. We are restricting our study population to women in reproductive age in the aim of formulating a clearer understanding of their concerns and hinders from attending economic empowerment and access to SRHR information and services, namely menstruation, in addition to better understanding the effects of social norms and its linkage to stigmatization of this target population in the public sphere; in the area of Akkar governorate, specifically Al-Mehamra, Bebnine, Berkayel, Halba, Borj Al Arab, Miniara and Arqa, and others as deemed necessary.

 

Key informant interviews (KIIs) will be conducted with selected informed individuals, in specific: UN and INGOs representatives (including members in inter-agency working groups, livelihood & social stability and SRHR SWG), health workers (namely involved in SRHR), social workers, local actors such as heads of community-based organizations or active committees working with young women and women. These key informants will provide their insight on the issue given their field experience with the population of interest.

 

Data collection Methods 

Data will be gathered through Key Informant interviews (KIIs), focus group discussions (FGD) following consent and assent and other participatory tools that can be used to guide discussions with youth like problem analysis tree, community mapping etc. Potential participants who do not mind discussing their concerns in a group setting will be invited to attend an FGD and will be informed of the venue in which the meeting will take place, as well as the date and time. The goal of conducting the FGDs is to capture the general and shared concerns and hinders of adolescent and women participants information and services available to them. The findings will be triangulated by comparing the information learned during the FGDs with the insight of field experts provided through KIIs and secondary data.  

 

Interview guides 

For this assessment, the consultant will prepare interview guides, with different questions for participants in FGDs and KIIs. The guides will be developed based on PIL’s guidelines and following Plan’s Gender, Age and Inclusion Analytical Framework and will consider the participant’s educational levels and ages. The topics in these guides will cover: access to SRHR services, income generating opportunities, decision-making on household and community levels, role in the community and possible ways for effective engagement, recommendations to programming, and others (incl. the stigmatization related to menstruation and the effect of the taboo on mental health, discrimination, etc.

 

Recruitment and Sampling Methods 

Purposive sampling strategy will be adopted to recruit participants through Plan’s partners in the six study locations, as their centers host adolescents and young adults through community activities or educational or health services. Selection criteria will be set and Plan Lebanon will facilitate the contact between selected consultant and partners to proceed with selection and scheduling data collection.  

 

Partners will support in setting the logistics and informing eligible individuals of the details of the assessment. Interested individuals will then be recruited by the assessment team and allocated to their respective group.  

Interviewing diverse groups of participants will help to collect a wide range of information from different points of views and build themes. Therefore, a minimum of 36 FGDs will be conducted with adolescents and young adults divided by age, gender, and location (inclusive of all nationalities). The groups will be categorized into three age brackets: 18-24, 25-30 and 31-49 noting that the principle of theoretical saturation will guide any additional data collection if needed. 

 

As for KIIs, we will conduct 1 interview per location with each of the following informants: high school educator or school principal, head of CBO working with adolescents and young adults, medical professional working with adolescents and young adults, and if possible a local authority member. Key informants will be identified with the help of our community partners as well, and will be recruited directly by the study team. 

 

Data Analysis 

KIIs and FGDs will be audio recorded and transcribed verbatim in the original language (Arabic). Data collection, transcription, and preliminary qualitative analysis will be carried out concurrently. The process will continue until saturation is reached and a complete picture is obtained. 

 

Dissemination of findings 

Findings of this assessment will be disseminated in community meetings, conferences, and in the form of reports shared through PIL’s global network. The results of this assessment are important to informing the design of PIL’s long term interventions in Lebanese Akkar governate. 

 

Ethical Considerations

Plan International is committed to ensuring that the rights of those participating in data collection or analysis are respected and protected, by Plan International Framework for Ethical MER and our Global Policy on Safeguarding Children and Young People. All applicants should include details in their proposal on how they will ensure ethics and child safeguarding in the data collection process. Specifically, the consultant or film shall explain how appropriate, safe, and non-discriminatory participation of all stakeholders will be ensured and how special attention will be paid to the needs of children and other vulnerable groups. The consultant or firm shall also explain how the confidentiality and anonymity of participants will be guaranteed.

Additionally, as per Plan International’s guidelines, Ethical approbation should be requested to our headquarters (Global Hub) once the tools are developed and before any data collection (please account for that in your timeline).

Additionally, all parties involved in the data collection will receive an induction on Plan International’s Child Safeguarding policy, Gender and Inclusion policy, CP/GBV safe identification and referral pathways, and Non-Staff Code of Conduct.

 

4.  Deliverables and Timeline  

Key Deliverables

1. Inception Report

The consultant should submit an Inception Report, which clearly defines the methodology, such as clear outlines for the focus group discussions, KII questions, and research timeline with specific deadlines for each deliverable. The inception report should also clearly explain the sampling methodology and a clear and logical number for the FGDs and KIIs. The inception report including the data collection tools need formal approval from PIL before initiating the data collection phase.

 

1. Comprehensive Gender Analysis report

The report should include:

• • Cover page (PIL will provide a sample cover sheet for reference).
  • Table of contents, list of acronyms, abbreviations, and list of tables and charts.
  • Background information and context analysis presented per key criteria with a brief description.
  • Methodology with a clear explanation of sampling and limitations, participants’ selection, and data analysis approach.
  • Research findings, and analysis, with associated data presented in the form of quotes from participants. The findings can include subsections for each emerging theme.
  • Conclusion and Recommendations: The final report should be submitted electronically in an MS – Word document. The consultant is responsible for English editing and proofreading the final report which should be well formatted. The report will be credited to the consultant and potentially placed in the public domain at the decision of Plan International.

 

1. Executive summary of key findings (1 pager)

 

Note: Handwritten and electronic transcripts of FGDs and KIIs, and photographs taken during the assessment should be submitted to Plan. Furthermore, all information generated during the assessment will be the sole property of the Plan and is subject to submission to Plan, along with the final report, before the end of the contract.

• Consider the following in a table of Deliverables:

 

Deliverable

Format

Length

Due

Detail

Inception report

World

10-15 Pages

Ten days

English

Draft 1 of Gender Analysis report

 

Reports, World,

 

up to 30 pages

 

Two weeks

 

English

Final Workshop Presentation and Executive summary

Tools, World, excel, power point

8-12 pages

Two weeks

English

Final draft of the Gender analysis report

 

PDF, World

30 – 40 pages

One week

English

Report

 

 

 

 

 

Note: If there is a change or additional deliverables during the contract period, an addendum to the contract must be agreed upon and signed.  The change/additional deliverables must be in line with the initial scope of the project.

 

Timeline

Week 1-2: Inception Phase

Week 2-3: Tool Development and Planning

Week 3-4: Field Study

Week 4-5: Data Analysis and validation

Week 5-6: Reporting and Presentation

Week 6-7: Finalization and Dissemination

 

Consider the following in a table of Timelines

 

Activity

 

Days of Work

Responsible

Individuals Involved

Posting

 

 

Interviews and background check and contracting

 

 

Inception Phase/Call

 

Tool Development and Planning

 

Field Study

 

 

Data Analysis

 

 

Reporting and Presentation

 

Finalization and Dissemination

 

10 working days

 

 

7 working days

 

 

 

 

4 working days

 

 

5 working days

 

 

 

10 working days

 

5 working days

 

 

5 working days

 

 

4 working days

Operations

 

 

Operations

 

 

 

 

Consultant

 

 

Consultant

 

 

 

Consultant

 

Consultant

 

 

Consultant

 

 

Consultant

MERL, Gender & inclusion Specialist, PM, Head of Program

 

MERL, Gender & inclusion Specialist, PM, Head of Program

 

 

 

MERL, Gender & inclusion Specialist, PM, Head of Program

 

MERL, Gender & inclusion Specialist, PM, Head of Program

 

 

MERL, Gender & inclusion Specialist, PM, Head of Program

 

MERL, Gender & inclusion Specialist, PM, Head of Program

 

MERL, Gender & inclusion Specialist, PM, Head of Program

 

MERL, Gender & inclusion Specialist, PM, Head of Program

 

 

5.  Budget

 

Due to the Procurement process and regulations, it is not possible to share the actual budget, however, include as much detail as possible in the timeline and deliverables – where possible including the estimated number of days. Note: It is better to make payments due on approval of key milestones by Plan International, as opposed to on submission of key milestones by consultants. This gives Plan International the ability to withhold payments until they are satisfied with the output.

 

At this point you should also outline additional details including who is responsible for: Travel costs, insurance, and other expenses must be covered by the consultant

 

Withholding taxes are applicable in the event where the consultant fails to provide Plan International with an invoice including the Ministry of Finance number (MOF) related to the profession documented with copy of the MOF certificate. The Service provider shall apply the withholding tax at applicable rates pursuant to the Lebanese Laws and Regulations

 

Table of Payment Schedule

 

Milestone

Detail

Amount to be Paid (%)

Expected Timeframe

Acceptance

 

 

 

Submission of final report

Approval from PIL Team

 

 

Approval from PIL Team

50%

 

 

 

50%

Upon Agreement Signature

 

 

Upon submission of Final report approved by PIL

 

6.   Expected qualifications of Consultant

The Consultant/Consulting firm should have the following competencies and qualifications:

 

• Minimum 7 years of experience undertaking assessments, gender analysis, baseline studies, and evaluation studies in Lebanon and similar contexts.
• Minimum Master’s Degree in social studies, Public Health International Development, Gender Studies, or any other related field
• Background and experience in gender and inclusion, protection, livelihood , SRHR , and youth programming.
• Demonstrated experience facilitating research with participatory methods and tools, particularly with adolescents and young people
• 5 years of experience in field-level data collection and qualitative research in similar types of studies.
• Competency in managing, organizing, and interpreting qualitative data and information
• Capabilities to work in Arabic and English languages
• Experience working with vulnerable groups, including children with disabilities
• Relevant experiences in the response to humanitarian crises, preferably in the areas of livelihood, protection, SRHR gender, and inclusion.
• Good data analysis and analytical report writing skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in Arabic and English.
• Ability to communicate effectively with a range of different stakeholders
• Availability to work in the project areas, i.e. Akkar, for the duration of the data collection.

 

Roles and Responsibilities

The consultant will be responsible for leading the exercise in terms of the development of methodology and tools, organizing data collection, analysis, and report writing. Throughout the process, Plan Lebanon team will provide technical guidelines and review deliverables in addition to facilitating contact between the consultant and Akkarouna in the targeted locations for data collection purposes. A more detailed division of roles will be communicated upon the initiation of the assessment.

 

7. Contact 

Should you need further information, please contact Lebanon.Procurement@plan-international.org

8. List of documents to be submitted with the Request for Proposal (RFP)

 

Interested applicants should provide a proposal covering the following aspects:

• Detailed response to the TOR
• Proposed methodology
• Ethics and child safeguarding approach, including any identified risks and associated mitigation strategies
• Proposed timelines
• CVs
• Example of previous work
• Detailed budget, including daily fee rates, expenses, etc.
• “Statement of integrity, Eligibility and Environmental and Social Responsibility” (in Annex) duly signed when submitting your proposal
•  

 

10. Evaluation of offers

 

Shortlisted suppliers may be invited to discuss their proposals in more detail at Plan’s discretion.

 

Plan International, at its sole discretion, will select the successful supplier.

 

Plan International shall be free to:

• Accept the whole, or part only, of any submission
• Accept none of the proposals
• Republish this Request for Quotations

 

Plan International reserves the right to keep confidential the circumstances that have been considered for the selection of the offers.

 

Part of the evaluation process may include a presentation from the supplier.

 

Value for money is very important to Plan International, as every additional £ saved is money that we can use on our humanitarian and development work throughout the world.

 

Plan International may award multiple contracts and all contracts will be non-exclusive.

 

11. Contract & Payment terms

 

Please note that, if successful, Plan International’s standard terms of payment are 30 days after the end of the month of receipt of the invoice, or after acceptance of the Goods/Services/Works, if later.

(Include Consultants Contract Terms and Conditions) – Annex

 

 

12. Plan International’s Ethical & Environmental Statement

The supplier should establish environmental standards and good practices that follow the principles of ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems, and in particular to ensure compliance with environmental legislation

13. Selection Criteria

 

 

Consider the following Table as an example:

 

Evaluation

Criteria

Scoring Weight

Technical Proposal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Financial Proposal

Specific Experience of the Consultant(s) relevant to the assignment.

 

Adequacy of the proposed methodology to the ToR

 

Consultant(s) qualification & Competence

 

 

20%

 

 

 

40%

 

 

20%

 

 

20%