Terms Of References

Capacity Strengthening Session On Gender Transformative Approach For Vi Agroforestry Staff And Partners

1.1 About Vi Agroforestry

Vi Agroforestry is a Swedish development organisation dedicated to enhancing the livelihoods of smallholder farmer families through agroforestry and sustainable agricultural land management (SALM). With a history spanning over 40 years, the organisation has been actively engaged in the East Africa region, particularly around the Lake Victoria Basin in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda. Currently, Vi Agroforestry operates in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, with its headquarters situated in Stockholm, Sweden. Over the past decade, the organisation has positively impacted over 2.8 million people and facilitated the planting of more than 156 million trees.

The cornerstone of Vi Agroforestry’s initiatives is sustainable agriculture and agroforestry—the practice of cultivating trees alongside crops and livestock. This approach not only increases access to food but also provides sustainable energy sources and boosts income. Furthermore, sustainable agriculture plays a vital role in mitigating and protecting against the adverse impacts of climate change.

Vi Agroforestry firmly believes that functioning ecosystems are essential for securing food supplies, fostering economic development, and sustaining democratic systems. Recognising the relationship between poverty and increasing pressure on natural resources, the organisation emphasises the inseparable link between environmental protection, sustainable land resource utilisation, and improved agricultural production. This interconnected approach aims to enhance food and income security while combating climate change, aligning with the organisation’s overarching mission.

1.2  ASILI-B Programme 

Vi Agroforestry is implementing a five-year programme 2023-2027, known as Agroforestry for Sustainable Livelihoods and Biodiversity (ASILI-B) which focuses on five key areas: (a) strengthening farmer organizations, (b) promoting sustainable agriculture and resilient livelihoods, (c) building climate resilience, (d) enhancing food security, and (e) advocating for positive change. The overall objective of this programme is to ‘improve smallholder farmer family’s food and nutrition security, sustainable livelihoods, gender equality, and resilience while enhancing biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation’.

1.3 Gender Transformative Approach Training 

The ASILI-B programme places a strong emphasis on the involvement of various stakeholders— including women, men, female youths, male youths, girls, and boys—in the interventions carried out under the partnership. Specifically, ASILI-B aims to promote gender equity and avoid exacerbating existing inequalities. Partner proposals and annual plans must incorporate gender analysis to ensure that interventions are designed with gender considerations in mind.

In this context, Vi Agroforestry is seeking a consultant to facilitate a capacity-strengthening training on gender transformative approaches for its staff and partners. This training will enhance the staff’s ability to conduct gender analysis for both the organisation and the communities they serve. It will also focus on integrating gender transformative approaches into programme implementation plans and strengthening knowledge of the Household Road Map

(HRM) approach. The HRM is one of the tools Vi Agroforestry uses to address social and cultural norms that hinder the advancement of women and youth at the household level.

2 Expected deliverables. 

The gender training aims to strengthen the capacity of Vi Agroforestry staff and partner organisations to effectively integrate gender considerations into ASILI-B programme implementation.

The specific expected deliverables are:

1. Identify Skills and Knowledge Gaps: Assess the skills and knowledge gaps in Gender Transformative Approaches and the use of the Household Road Map (HRM) among Vi Agroforestry staff and partner staff.
2. Facilitate Gender Training: Conduct gender training for Vi Agroforestry staff using a hybrid training style to accommodate participants from different offices. Provide inperson training for partner staff based on identified knowledge gaps, with a focus on transforming social norms, attitudes, and behaviours at individual, household, and community levels, as well as addressing discriminatory sections/articles in local laws.
3. Provide Hands-On Support: Offer practical support to nine partners in conducting gender analysis for their projects.
4. Develop a Training Toolkit: Create a simple training toolkit to guide content and capacity-building plans.
5. Prepare a Comprehensive Report: Compile a comprehensive report detailing the outcomes and insights from the assignment.

3 Work plan and schedule

The gender capacity strengthening for Vi Agroforestry staff and partners, development of a simple training toolkit, hands-on support for partners in conducting gender analysis, and production of a comprehensive report will be completed over a total of 30 calendar days. The assignment is scheduled to commence on 1st October 2024 and conclude on 30th October 2024.

4.Required Qualifications and Competencies

Interested individuals or firms should possess the following qualifications and competencies: a) Academic Qualifications:

• Master’s degree or higher in a relevant field, preferably in Gender Studies, Public Administration, Sociology, or other relevant social sciences.

1. Experience:
   • At least ten (10) years of experience in mainstreaming gender in the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of projects and programmes.
   • At least five (5) years of experience in environment/agriculture-related programmes, specifically in implementing gender mainstreaming strategies.
   • A minimum of five (5) years of consultancy experience with a proven track record of delivering high-quality work within specified timelines.
2. Functional Competencies:
   • Deep knowledge and understanding of gender mainstreaming in programme implementation.
   • Excellent understanding of gender equality issues, including empowerment of women, youth, boys, and girls.
   • Extensive experience in conducting training/workshops for organisations.
   • Strong interpersonal communication skills, including experience in facilitating trainings/workshops and presentations.

5.Declaration of Relationships

Please describe any business or personal relationships that you, your organisation, or your employees may have with Vi Agroforestry.

1.6 How to Apply and Selection Criteria Applications should include the following:

• A letter of interest addressed to the Country Manager.
• A technical proposal detailing the interpretation of the Terms of Reference (ToR) and a detailed proposed methodology.
• A CV of the consultant (and team members, if applicable) or a profile of the consultancy firm, highlighting previous relevant experience and the capacity of staff to be engaged.
• A detailed financial proposal in Tanzanian Shillings (TZS), indicating the cost required for the work.

The contract will be awarded based on the most favourable bid, evaluated both technically and financially

Bids will be assessed according to the following award criteria and weighting:

Submissions should be sent through email to tanzania@viagroforestry.org.

With the Subject heading: Capacity Strengthening Session on Gender Transformative Approach for Vi Agroforestry Staff and Partners

The deadline for submissions is 17:00 hours East African Time (EAT) on August 21^st, 2024.