Rwanda: SOCIAL INCLUSION SPECIALIST

Scope of Work

Consultancy Title:Social Inclusion Specialist

Estimated LOE:34 days (4 days of travel and up to 5 weeks, six day work weeks)

Estimated Dates of Service:July-August 2015

Location of Service:Kigali with travel to the field

General Background:

Rwanda Private Sector Driven Agricultural Growth Project (PSDAG) is a five-year Feed the Future project funded by USAID and implemented by ENGILITY Corporation/IRG. The project was created in line with Government of Rwanda (GoR) targets and aims to develop a strategic partnership between the Rwandan public and private sectors to improve the conditions for investment mobilization and to create more economic opportunity for smallholder farmers through increased value chain market integration. The project’s principle objectives include:

• Assisting the Government of Rwandan (GoR) to attract and increase Private Sector Investment
• Facilitating increased private Sector Investment by Upgrading Agricultural Value Chains

Through building linkages between smallholder farmers and investors, PSDAG envisages unlocking opportunities across viable agricultural value chains in which people including women, youth and people with disabilities are included fully within project activities to improve their livelihoods and income.

USAID/Rwanda aims to move beyond a gender-neutral development approach and will proactively advance gender issues throughout its programming.

A recently drafted Gender Assessment by USAID/Rwanda identified several key constraints in advancing women empowerment, including limited financial independence, few chances to explore new economic opportunities, and limited decision-making power within the household. Women are disproportionately represented among the poorest, most marginal subsistence farming households. In fact, 82 percent of women work in agriculture compared to 61 percent for men. The Who owns agricultural lands, who controls agricultural processes, and who benefits from agriculture extension programs and marketing initiatives can greatly improve women’s leadership and economic empowerment through access to agriculture assets and control over agricultural income and other agricultural economic opportunities. At the same time, a major challenge facing Rwanda is a large youth bulge - 67% of the population is 25 years of age or younger. Without advanced levels of literacy, demonstrated vocational skills and a secondary education at a minimum, youth are largely unprepared for the formal labor market.

Finally, every effort will be made to accommodate the needs of people with disabilities in this project. According to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (PWD), a person with a disability is defined as someone who has term physical, mental, and intellectual or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society in an equal basis with others”.

Social inclusion of women, youth and people with disabilities will be incorporated across all PSDAG project activities so that the vulnerable groups benefit fully from value chain development, market facilitation and public and private partnership approaches which facilitate an inclusive business environment.

Objective

PSDAG will hire a Social Inclusion Specialist(s) to:

1. conduct a baseline of key constraints facing women, youth, and PWD separately in four value chains (maize, beans, Irish potatoes, and horticulture);
2. map key implementing partners for social inclusion;
3. prepare a project social inclusion integration plan for gender, youth, and PWD separately, including description of specific activities if applicable;
4. prepare impact assessment strategy, including recommendations for data gathering and any custom indicators;
5. conduct PSDAG feedback and social inclusion training workshop.

The baseline should be based on a desk review, key informant interviews, and field focus groups. Constraints analysed should take into account possible risks associated with utilization of Information Communication Technology (ICT) tools and other modern commercialization techniques. Recommendations should take into account feedback from PSDAG staff and partners.

Specific Tasks

1. Develop inception report that will detail work plan, initial timeline, interviewee list, report review list, draft and final report formats.
2. Conduct desk review of current status of gender, youth, and persons with disabilities in Rwanda.
3. Conduct key informant meetings with partners in Kigali.
4. Identify data gaps and prepare data collection tools and a field work plan.
5. Conduct key informant interviews and field focus group interviews for the four value chains.
6. Provide a verbal debriefing at the end of this field work to Sr. Technical Management Team.
7. Analyse the field data and compile key findings.
8. Prepare draft integration plan and specific activities descriptions, draft of description of impact assessment strategy, draft indicators, and staff workshop and agenda.
9. Conduct workshop for staff which will a) present findings from desk and field study, b) present draft integration plan and activities for feedback, and c) train staff in basics of social inclusion.
10. Prepare final report, which will summarize key findings from desk review and field research; and present integration plan, description of activities, indicators, impact assessment strategy, and any other recommendations.
11. Present final report in a Power Point presentation to Sr. Technical Management and USAID.

Timeline and Deliverables

The task should not take more than 4 to 5 weeks. Completion of the assignment within 4-5 weeks is critical to the timely implementation of the project. Applicants may propose more than one consultant as needed to complete the deliverables within this timeframe. All activities will be conducted with assistance and guidance by the PSDAG Social Inclusion Manager, reporting directly to the Deputy Chief of Party and the Chief of Party.

1. Inception Report and Desk review

Detailed work plan, initial timeline, interviewee list, report review list, draft and final report formats; Carry out comprehensive desk research; Carry out key informant interviews in Kigali; Identify data gaps and prepare data collection tools and a field work plan. One (1) week

1. Conduct Field Research

Carry out field research and interviews. Provide verbal debriefing to PSDAG teams. Up to two (2) weeks

1. Analyze data and draft initial report; Staff feedback workshop and training. Analyze data and draft an initial assessment report. Conduct staff feedback workshop and train staff in social inclusion. One week (1)- By August 7
2. Final Report and Presentation

Compile final report and conduct Power Point Presentation, incorporating feedback from staff and partners. One week (1) By August 14

Minimum Qualifications

• At least five (5) years of knowledge and proven experience conducting gender, youth, and/or PWD constraint analysis. A Master’s degree or equivalent preferred.
• Experience analysing gender/youth/PWD population in Africa and in agriculture required.
• Prior experience conducting informal baselines required.
• Familiarity with operational and M&E plans, USAID policies, strategies, project work planning and management preferred. Prior experience with USAID projects a plus.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of French is an asset.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills required.

Application Instructions

Interested and qualified applicants should submit their consultancy applications on or before 10 July 2015 through IRGAfrica.Experts@engilitycorp.com and indicate on the subject line:**APPLICATION FOR SOCIAL INCLUSION CONSULTANCY** including the following documents:

• Technical proposal briefly indicating an understanding and interpretation of the ToRs, methodology to be used in undertaking the assignment, work-plan with clear timelines for expected deliverables.
• Background of the organization he/she represents (if applicable).
• Financial proposal containing consultant’s daily rate in US Dollars Consultant(s).
• Curriculum Vitae detailing relevant experience related to the assignment and references.
• Names, addresses, telephone numbers of three professional referees and relevant documents regarding registration (if applicable).
• Completed Due Diligence Questionnaire.