PRACTICAL ACTION
ABOUT US
We are an international development organisation putting ingenious ideas to work so people in poverty can change their world.
We help people find solutions to some of the world’s toughest problems. Challenges made worse by catastrophic climate change and persistent gender inequality. We work with communities to develop ingenious, lasting and locally owned solutions for agriculture, water and waste management, climate resilience and clean energy. And we share what works with others, so answers that start small can grow big.
We’re a global change-making group. The group consists of a UK registered charity with community projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America, an independent development publishing company and a technical consulting service. We combine these specialisms to multiply our impact and help shape a world that works better for everyone.
OUR AIMS
We help people find solutions to some of the world’s toughest problems, made worse by catastrophic climate change and persistent gender inequality. Our aims are to:
•Make agriculture work better for smallholder farmers, many of them women, so they can adapt to climate change and achieve a good standard of living.
•Help more people harness the transformational effects of clean affordable energy and reduce avoidable deaths caused by smoke from indoor stoves and fires.
•Make cities in poorer countries cleaner, healthier places to live and work.
•Build disaster resilience into the lives of people threatened by hazards – reducing the risk of hazards and minimizing their impact on lives and livelihoods.
PRACTICAL ACTION IN KENYA
In Kenya, Practical Action has a long history of addressing systemic barriers that prevent people from accessing energy that transforms their lives, helping communities and government make cities healthier and safer, making agriculture and markets work better for small holder farmers and supporting communities and government to become more resilient.
We use a mix of programming with communities and consultancy services with shapers of policy and practice to achieve our aims.
ABOUT THE ROLE
Background and Purpose of the assignment:
About Regen Organics
Regen Organics is purposed with the mission of building a prosperous, climate-smart agriculture sector through a circular economy approach that helps cities manage their organic waste. The core business of Regen Organics is providing affordable, green inputs for smallholder farmers to transition to regenerative agriculture to build climate resilience. The Material Recovery Facility model positioned by this project in Kakamega is of key strategic interest by potentially providing a low-cost feedstock for our organic fertilizer production.
Circular Economy for Household Organic Waste (CE4HOW) project
Practical Action is implementing a four- and half-year project in Kakamega County. The Circular Economy for Household Organic Waste (CE4HOW) in Kenya aims to create a commercially viable, circular economy model for household organic waste that reduces greenhouse gas emissions, improves household waste services and transforms the lives of informal waste workers. The CE4HOW is being implemented through a partnership of Practical Action and Regen Organics in Kakamega County.
The social and environmental objectives of the project will be achieved through the development of the business case of the commercial partner, Sanergy Inc., working through it’s subsidiary in Kenya, Regen Organics (Regen Organics). Regen Organics has constructed a new waste recycling plant in Kakamega County, to produce organic fertilizer. This location gives it access to a large market of smallholder farmers in Western Kenya, who will benefit from a product that improves soil structure, moisture retention and nutrients and increases yields. The feedstock for the recycling plant will largely come from agricultural waste. However, the business case this project seeks to develop is the inclusion of household organic waste from Kakamega town. The benefits for Regen Organics are the additional social and environmental benefits, which they also aim to monetise through carbon credits.
Regen Organics will add value to a waste stream that currently has no value and is a financial drain on municipal resources. Regen Organics will inject finances into the waste economy by paying Waste Aggregation Centres for supplying household organic waste. Waste collectors in turn will offer household waste collection services at a lower price, provided households separate their waste. We will work with and expand existing informal groups providing this service.
Target beneficiaries
The project target groups and beneficiaries are as follows:
1.210 people (at least 30% women) already working in the informal waste sector, or who get new jobs in the sector through the CE4HOW project. This includes 140 collectors, 30 people at the Aggregation Centres and 40 people at Regen Organics factory. In addition, 500 people will have new jobs or improved incomes through selling Regen Organics products.
2.Approximately 15,000 households will receive waste collection services by the end of the project.
3.10,000 smallholder farmers in Kakamega County (at least 40% women).
4.The project will also build awareness among Kakamega County policy makers and officials within the government and regulatory agencies.
Objective of assignment
The purpose of this consultancy is to conduct GESI analysis for Household Organic Waste (CE4HOW) project in Kakamega County and support the project in mainstreaming GESI and capacity building actions in the waste management sector.
The GESI Analysis seeks to investigate how the status of women and men affect their ability to participate in waste and waste management in Kakamega County in relation to the project objectives. The barriers and issues identified will be addressed directly through an elaborate planning process with all stakeholders and challenged through the project to achieve progress towards gender equality and social inclusion within the waste management sector, and especially within the project areas. The findings will be used to develop the project’s learning agenda, guide and inform the strengthening of the GESI Action Plan and ensure that GESI transformative approaches are mainstreamed in project implementation.
Specific objectives:
1.To understand the root causes of gender and social inequalities in Kakamega County and their effect on circular economies as guided by the project’s Theory of Change (ToC).
2.To understand the nexus of power dynamics in household relations, barriers to participation and decision-making processes in waste management guided by the project theory of change ToC in circular economies in Kakamega county.
3.To support the mainstreaming of gender transformation across CE4HOW project based on analysis findings.
4.To facilitate an effective GESI approach into the project’s Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) frameworks, project workplan, budget and key project interventions, including the development of project policy influencing approaches considering the gender marker toolkit.
5.To support the design and development of effective GESI capacity building initiatives for CE4HOW project participants, staff, partners, and the Kakamega County government.
Methodology
The consultants should employ an appropriate mix of qualitative and quantitative methods to gather and analyse data/information, in order to diversify perspective to the mid-term review, and to promote participation of different groups of stakeholders. Final detailed survey methodology will be developed in consultation with Practical Action. This survey encompasses primary data based on the project framework and its indicators. Consultant team must propose a methodology and plan for this survey which will be approved by the Practical Action Impact and Influence team. Data triangulation is required to ensure the credibility and accuracy of data/ information gathered through various tools which may also include photovoice, transect walks, qualitative counterfactual etc.
The methods proposed to undertake this survey must be of sound technical quality, rigorous and robust and based on scientific principles, be gender transformative and should resonate well with the proposed survey design. Practical Action team in discussions with the consultant will agree on the tools and best data collection process. The consultant and Practical Action will harmonize their understanding of the tools and administration in the inception meeting before administration of the questionnaires by the survey team.
Guiding questions
The GESI analysis will be framed around the following five key questions:
1.What are the practical gender needs of women, men, youth and other marginalized groups to be addressed to ensure inclusive and meaningful participation in the circular economy i.e.
•What barriers do women and men face in their attempt to access and control resources, assets, income, social networks, public and private services, employment, technology, and information in the circular economy.
•What is the interplay of these barriers in Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) and what are the possible prevention and response interventions in circular economy for household organic waste management.
•How do these barriers impact on the meaningful participation of women and men in the identified areas.
•How do gender roles, responsibilities and use of time prevent or facilitate meaningful participation of the women and men in labour market and in particular, in waste management activities.
•What risks and hazards are the waste management workers susceptible to? Is there evidence that shows differentiated impacts on women, men and/or other minority groups.
•What safety measures can the project initiate to accelerate or spur equitable and meaningful participation of women, men and other marginalized groups in circular economy for household organic waste management.
2.What are the strategic gender needs of women, men, and other marginalized groups that need to be addressed to ensure inclusive and meaningful participation in circular economies? i.e.
•How do existing patterns of power and decision-making in the waste management sector influence the ability of women, men and youth to decide, influence, and exercise control over material, human and financial resources in the family, community, and county related to the circular economy.
3.What are the specific needs and barriers faced by people living with disabilities and other marginalized groups that needs to be addressed for them to fully participate in the circular opportunities in Kakamega County.
•Conduct an inclusive data comprising of Age, Sex, diversity specific mainstreaming gender concerns for the inclusion of persons with disabilities in circular economies opportunities
4.Taking an intersectionality lens, what other marginalization dynamics exist and are critical to the engagement of women, men and other marginalized groups in division of labour, health safety concerns and resource access in the circular economy in Kakamega County.
5.How favorable is the enabling environment towards inclusive and gender transformative circular economy in Kakamega County i.e.
•Do relevant waste management laws, policies, and institutional practices contain clauses that enhance participation of women and men, and other marginalized groups in the waste collection and management value chains and can enable them to assume leadership roles in governance structures like cooperatives and organized mixed and single sex groups and access support provided by the CE4HOW project.
•Do relevant waste management laws, policies, and institutional practices contain implicit or explicit gender and disability biases that may affect the ability of women, men and other marginalized groups to participate in or assume leadership roles, and access the support provided by the CE4HOW project.
•How do existing gender norms and cultural beliefs in Kakamega County influence meaningful participation of women and men, and other marginalized groups in the circular economy.
•What are the existing structures to support women, men and people with disabilities to access resources, services and other benefits within the waste management sector.
•Do women play prominent leadership roles within the waste management sector? If not, what are the barriers to their participation in leadership? What roles do men play in the sector.
•Apart from policies and laws, how committed to gender equality in the circular economy sector is the current government perceived to be.
•How might the existing or proposed policies differently impact the various groups in waste management sector? How can the project ensure that the potential negative impacts on women, youth and other marginalized groups are identified and mitigated for the CE4HOW Project.
Expected deliverables.
1.Inception report highlighting the following:
•Approach of the study.
•Work plan with detailed framework of activities.
•Methodological Approach
•Analysis framework
•Proposed content outline for the report and schedule.
•Data collection tools
•Limitation of assessment
2.Draft GESI report responding to the objectives of the study.
3.Final GESI Analysis Report summarizing the main findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
4.A power point slide deck summarizing the main findings, conclusions and recommendations from report presented to internal the Kakamega County government stakeholders, Regen Organics, Practical Action and participants of the study.
5.Presentation of finding in a validation workshop.
6.Delivery of cleaned as well as raw dataset (Excel), final tools, list of key informants, qualitative data transcripts.
Administrative and logistical support
1.The Consultants will report to the Project Manager with technical oversight by the GESI Advisor and Impact and Influence team.
2.The project team will provide day to day support during the assignment to support the actualization of this assignment within stipulated timelines. Practical Action will also provide all necessary program documents required.
3.The consultants on the other hand will:
•Recruit and train research assistants (if necessary)
•Pay research assistants based on reasonable market rates.
•Facilitate field travel for the research team.
Requirements of the consultant
This GESI analysis should be undertaken by with a range of skills and experience to deliver an insightful study for the project. The team should be experienced in gender sensitive data collection techniques. It is expected that the consultant will have the following qualifications and experience:
•Postgraduate university degree in Social or Natural Sciences or other relevant discipline, preferably with a specialization in GESI and project cycle management.
•Minimum of five years of relevant professional work experience in gender analysis, mainstreaming capacity need assessment, training, mentoring
•Proven knowledge of the circular economy in Kenya and legal context including knowledge of gender related policies, and human rights issues as well as livelihood challenges especially for women.
•Thorough understanding of the GESI context and experience working with government institutions and international or non-governmental organizations supporting gender and development work in the specific area of intervention.
Education
Team members comprising market systems development practitioners, Environmental Science, WASH experts, policy and gender experts who possess more than 10+ of experience with Masters’ and above level education, lead consultant with PhD level.
Timelines
This consultancy will take place in the months of September and October 2024 within a period of 30 days and final report submitted at the end of 31st October 2024. Final work plan duration shall be agreed with the selected consultant before signing of the agreement.
Terms of Engagement
Payment for the study shall be done in three tranches as indicated below.
•Tranche 1 (50% of the total cost): Upon submission of the inception report
•Tranche 2 (20% of the total cost): submission and acceptance of the of 1st draft of the report
•Tranche 3 (30% of the total cost): submission and acceptance of the final report
Note that the payment will be done subject to the consulting entity meeting quality and timely delivery of stated tasks.
A detailed TOR can be accessed on our website- https://practicalaction.org/careers/vacancies/consultancy-gender-and-social-inclusion-analysis-for-household-organic-waste-ce4how-project/
How to apply
Interested consulting entities that have capacity to deliver this TOR are invited to submit a complete proposal to recruitment@practicalaction.or.kewith subject line “Gender and Social Inclusion Analysis for Household Organic Waste (CE4HOW) project” to reach Practical Action on or before 20th September 2024.
Guidelines for Submission
Interested Consultants or firms are requested to submit.
- A technical proposal detailing interpretation of the TOR, proposed methodology including sampling framework, work schedule etc.
- A capability statement demonstrating how the consultants meet the required qualifications and competencies.
- Copies of all relevant Curriculum Vitae (CVs). Only CVs for the specific individuals that will form the proposed survey team should be included; two references (including one from your last client).
- Detailed financial proposal in Kenyan Shillings: If the team consists of several members, the professional fees should not just be a daily rate, but it should be based on clearly shown time allocation by each member of the team to the various activities.
- Evidence of experience in similar work
Award criteria
The evaluation of the quotations will be based on the best value for money, weighing up technical quality (the methodology and the CV of the consultant) and price of the quotation.
Additional Information
Practical Action is an equal opportunities employer, and we encourage applications from under-represented groups. We stay committed to cultivating an inclusive and diverse working environment and believe that people from different backgrounds or cultures give us different perspectives, and the more perspectives we have, the more successful we will be. By building a culture where everyone feels heard, respected and valued we give everyone working with us the opportunity to achieve their full potential.
Practical Action is committed to safeguarding and protecting children and vulnerable adults and as such candidates will be subject to pre-employment checks.
Note: Practical Action reserves the right to accept or reject any application.