Gender, Conflict and Nutrition Analysis Consultants at Save the Children Nigeria

Save the Children is the leading independent organization for children in need, with programs in over 120 countries. We save children’s lives. We fight for their rights. We help them fulfil their potential. Save the Children is working in Nigeria because one in five children in Nigeria dies before their fifth birthday. About 40% of children miss out on school and have to work to survive while nearly 2 million children have lost one or both parents to an AIDS-related disease.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Gender, Conflict and Nutrition Analysis Consultant

Job ID: 200004C3
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Employee Status: Fixed Term

Introduction

• Save the Children International (SC) is a leading International Organization working in over 120 countries. Since its establishment in 1919, Save the Children has continued to work with the overall aim of improving the lives of children through Education, Nutrition, WASH, Food Security and Livelihood Economic and Household Strengthening, as well as emergency aid in cases of natural disasters and conflicts.
• Save the Children has been working in Nigeria since 2001. The early focus was on getting children actively involved in shaping the decisions that affect their lives. Today, SCI is working in 20 states focusing on child survival, education and protecting children in both development and humanitarian contexts. The humanitarian response started in 2014 with Save the Children among one of the first responders to the conflict.
• Save the Children has been working in Borno Since 2014 as one of the first agencies to bring relief to children and families affected by the humanitarian crisis. We have been providing life-saving interventions in the areas of Child Protection, Nutrition, Education WASH, Food Security and Livelihood, and Education. The ongoing conflict in the North East continues to increase population displacements, poor sanitation, hygiene, poor access to safe water supplies, restrict income-generating opportunities, limit trade flows and increase protection concerns.

Background

• A gender assessment is an objective analysis of the differences in the conditions, needs, participation rates, access to resources and development, control of assets, decision-making powers, protection issues etc. between girls/women and boys/men in their assigned gender roles and how this has been impacted by the crises.
• It is important to understand these differences in order to ensure that SCI humanitarian response programme tackles gender inequalities and discrimination where needed and benefit equally girls, women, boys and men. SCI humanitarian response programme believes that gender should not be a barrier to beneficiaries benefiting from its programme initiatives.
• The Gender, conflict and nutrition analysis will provide an understanding whether and why gender inequalities persist in the Communities where SCI Nigeria Humanitarian Programmes are implemented and in the IHA project communities in JERE and Konduga LGA, how it intersects with root causes and sustaining factors of the conflict as well as current nutrition practices and other inequalities.
• It will also inform the impacts on access to humanitarian and development efforts as well as an understanding of SCI’s commitment and capacity to work on gender issues and programming.
• The gender, conflict and nutrition analysis will then serve as a key input to programme design, giving a clear indication of the most appropriate responses, to be considered in designing relevant programmes that will meet the needs of more people in/of our target groups taking into context the location-specific issues.

Description of Assignment:

• The objective of the gender, conflict and nutrition analysis is to generate data to better inform and provide IHA, Canada/Nigeria Humanitarian response programme with essential information for planning and increase understanding of project activities.
• The gender, conflict and nutrition analysis will provide the evidence to validate gender and conflict sensitivity action plans for the project implementation and possible adaptive programming.
• The gender, conflict and nutrition analysis will assess the shifts in gender roles, decision-making structures, protection risks and needs, as well as gendered needs, capacities and barriers related to nutrition in relation to the ongoing conflict in Borno state.

Specific Objectives:
The specific objectives of the analysis are:

• Identify the difference between roles and responsibilities, access to and control over assets, resources and opportunities for girls, boys, women and men.
• Identify the discriminatory gender and social norms, practices and barriers to nutrition practices in the project target local government areas.
• Identify the difference in needs, constraints, concerns and capacities of girls, boys, women and men related to nutrition activities in the project target local government areas.
• Provide information on gendered access to decision making, in reference to family nutrition, health and nutrition services.
• Generate findings on the restrictive/ promotive gender stereotypes in the community  as well as safety and protection issues in the  community  and other external factors such as community-based safety mitigations that influence nutrition practices
• Develop and provide sound technical recommendations that will strengthen community-based SGBV prevention mechanism and response services, as well as child protection mechanisms and malnutrition cases.
• Develop specific recommendations on strategies that will ensure gender transformation and responsive programming in the project intervention; support improved nutritional outcomes among girls and boys; and ensure that the most vulnerable, especially women and girls, are not left out in project implementation
• Identify how nutrition outcomes for girls and boys under five years of age have been shaped and changed by conflict and inter-communal tensions in the zones of intervention, and if these changes have contributed to further conflict/tension
• Produce a profile and analysis of conflict and inter-communal tensions in the zones of intervention by examining the following:
  • Origins of conflict and inter-communal tensions
  • Key stakeholders involved, and their typology, interests, resources, allies, methods, leadership
  • Sustaining factors (ie political, economic, social, technological, legal, environmental factors) of conflict/tension
  • Analysis of the interplay between Save the Children’s activities and the sustaining factors of the conflict
  • Enduring drivers of social cohesion (or ‘connectors’)
  • Most likely developments in the near and medium-term
  • Triggers of change
• Produce a conflict-sensitivity action plan, which includes the following:
  • Recommendations for mitigation measures recommended to be undertaken by  Save the Children to counteract any negative impacts of Save the Children’s humanitarian action in the zones of intervention
  • Recommendations for optimization measures to be undertaken by Save the Children to reinforce drivers of cohesion within the zones of intervention
• Provide information on the why we get more SAM admissions for boys than girls and to find out if there’s any reason why more boys can be malnourished

Approach and Methodology:

• This research will be carried out by a consultant with a very good understanding of the northern part of Nigeria and strong Gender Equality knowledge and background.
• The process will be consultative and based on principles of participation, the methods for gathering the required information for the gender, conflict and nutrition analysis may include secondary and primary data sources.

Secondary data / Desk review:

• A review of documents pertaining to the humanitarian situation, particularly root causes and sustaining factors of the ongoing conflict in Borno state and their intersection with current nutrition outcomes amongst girls and boys under 5, and barriers to nutrition
• A review of local laws, policies and strategies related to the target groups or the work of SCI Nigeria.
• Mapping of existing documents and existing data on gender equality that are relevant to this research. A review of the existing SCI policies such as the SCI Gender equality policy, the SCI gender equality & program guidance tool kit, the SCI Child Safeguarding policy, etc.

Primary source data/field research:

• Interview, focus group, key informant interviews, or questionnaires using survey link with relevant stakeholders (Government agency, INGOs, NGO, community leaders, religious leader, community structures (CPC and CNMs), foster parent, pregnant and lactating mothers, women, girls, boys and men from the selected communities, in line with appropriate COVID-19 guidelines and protocols
• Use of participatory techniques for all data collection from communities in line with appropriate COVID-19 guidelines and protocols. Participatory data collection should ensure meaningful participation of women, girls, boys and men, upholding Do No Harm principles. Consideration should be given to deploying a gender-balanced enumerator team
• Observations and any additional data collection techniques and analysis to be determined by the researcher/consultant (should be elaborated in the consultant proposal). The process will be consultative and based on principles of participation.

Deliverables:
Timeframe and Period:

Activities: Number of Days

• Desk reviews – 2
• Submission of the inception report – 2
• Development of tools – 2
• Training of enumerators – 4
• Data collection – 10
• Data analysis and submission of the first draft report – 5
• Presentation and submission of the final report – 3
• Total number of days – 28

All reports should include the table of content, initial findings, methodology and process of collecting data, any difficulties encountered or expected in addition to the work. Inception report must include detailed methodologies (including sampling methods), data collection methods and analysis. The final report must contain:

• A robust strategy on how to adapt the program to address gender inequalities, particularly those related to nutritional outcomes, that are identified, and specific measures to address them
• A profile and analysis of conflict and inter-communal tensions in the zones of intervention
• A conflict-sensitivity action plan which outlines measures that must be taken to ensure that the Do No Harm principle is upheld and that the program does not exacerbate or contribute to divisions and tensions within and between communities; as well as strategies for contributing to social cohesion
• Identify specific gender equality objectives that will be achieved through the program
• Provide adequate monitoring and data tracking methodology, including collection and analysis of sex and age disaggregated data.

Qualifications and Skills

• Postgraduate university degree or equivalent with relevant work experience in development studies, social development, gender studies or equivalent;
• Strong writing and communication skills- working proficiency in English language mandatory; strong knowledge of local language is preferred.

General Professional Experience:

• A minimum of five years’ experience in social development and gender analysis;
• Specific experience and expertise on gender analysis, gender mainstreaming and women’s participation, particularly in conflict-affected contexts;
• Extensive experience working on national gender policies in developing countries;
• Experience of working in the Nigeria is essential, other field experience being desirable;
• Organizational development and capacity building experience;
• Knowledge of international/regional agreements and initiatives on gender (UN, CEDAW, Beijing, etc.);
• Demonstrated experience in program related to the following sectors such as , Protection,  Nutrition, women empowerment, health.
• Computer literacy (minimum MS Word, Excel, MIS).

Languages:

• Fluency in English is essential. Knowledge of local language is an added advantage.

Child Safeguarding:

• Level 3: The post holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.

The Organisation:

• We employ approximately 25,000 people across the globe and work on the ground in over 100 countries to help children affected by crises, or those that need better health care, education and child protection. We also campaign and advocate at the highest levels to realize the right of children and to ensure their voices are heard.

We are working towards three breakthroughs in how the world treats children by 2030:

• No child dies from preventable causes before their 5th birthday
• All children learn from a quality basic education and that,
• Violence against children is no longer tolerated:
  • We know that great people make a great organization and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children. We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive workplace where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.
  • Save the Children is committed to ensuring that all our personnel and programmes are absolutely safe for children.
  • We undertake rigorous procedures to ensure that only people suitable to work with children are allowed to join our organization and all candidates will, therefore, be subject to this scrutiny.
  • We need to keep children safe so our selection process reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Application Closing Date
15th August, 2020.