CALL FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

CALL FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

 (Individual Consulting Service)

Reference No BF-WAHO-BF-391306-CS-INDV

Sahel Women’s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend Regional Project (SWEDD)

JOB TITLE: SOCIAL SAFEGUARD/PROTECTION SPECIALIST WITH KNOWLEDGE OF GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

Introduction

The West African Health Organisation (WAHO) is the health institution of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), with a mandate to ensure the attainment of the highest possible level of health and protection of the health of the people of the ECOWAS region.

One of its major themes is maternal and child health, and it has therefore prioritized alongside world leaders the need to ensure a region where every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. In a world where fundamental human rights are under threat, it is necessary to have ethical and principled staff who embody these regional and international standards, and who will defend them courageously and with conviction.

The World Bank has awarded a grant to ECOWAS for the implementation and support to country implementation of the Sahel Women's Empowerment and Demographic Dividend Project (SWEDD), which currently involves thirteen countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Congo, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, The Gambia and Togo). The main objective of the project is to enhance the empowerment of women and adolescent girls and their access to quality reproductive, child and maternal health services in selected areas of the participating countries, including the territory of the beneficiaries, and to improve regional knowledge generation and sharing as well as regional capacity and coordination, thereby achieving the broader objectives of triggering the demographic dividend (i.e. economic gains) and reducing gender inequalities in the Sahel Region.

The project has three (3) components, as follow: 1) Improving regional demand for reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health and nutrition (RMNCAHN) and increasing the empowerment of women and adolescents; 2) Strengthening regional capacity and availability of RMNCHN commodities and skilled health workers; 3) Fostering commitment and capacity for policy development and project implementation.

Ensuring that measures and mechanisms are put in place to protect the welfare, rights and interests of communities and individuals likely to be affected by the SWEDD Project, that activities are carried out in a responsible and sustainable manner while minimizing negative social impacts, providing technical services that support youth and gender activities, following the Environmental and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP) of the SWEDD+ Project with regard to:      among other responsibilities, Gender-based Violence (GBV), WAHO seeks to recruit a dynamic and qualified Social Safeguard/Protection Specialist with knowledge of gender mainstreaming and Gender -based Violence (GBV).

Main Purpose of the Assignment

The Social Safeguard/protection Specialist with knowledge of GBV sought will put in place measures and mechanisms to protect the welfare, rights and interests of communities and individuals (internal to WAHO and external) who may be affected by the project. The specialist will use his/her knowledge of social protection, gender studies, gender equality and the promotion of gender equity to provide strategic, technical and programmatic support to the SWEDD project in WAHO's regional interventions in the area of girls' and women's empowerment and the demographic dividend ensuring that the project is conducted in an accountable and sustainable manner.      Regional policies and programmes take into account gender equality and would be able to address and combat gender-based violence, as well as minimize the negative social impacts of the project.

Duties and Responsibilities             

The Social Safeguard/Protection Specialist with knowledge of gender-based violence will work under the direct supervision of the SWEDD Project Coordinator at WAHO in an efficient and cost-effective manner through interaction with the project management team.

The general tasks of the Social Safeguard/Protection Specialist with knowledge of gender-based violence in the project include:

·         Social impact assessment, stakeholder engagement: concerns, and ensure their participation in decision-making processes; Policy and compliance: Ensure that projects comply with relevant social protection laws, regulations and international standards; Risk mitigation and management: Develop and implement strategies to mitigate negative social impacts and risks associated with the project; Capacity building: Provide training and support to project staff and stakeholders on social safeguard issues and best practices; Conflict resolution: Resolve conflicts and disputes that may arise between project promoters and affected communities. Documentation and record keeping: Keep accurate records of all activities and interactions related to social safeguards;

·         Policy analysis and development, including gender analysis, development of legal frameworks and development of policy briefs;

·         Guiding research approaches, data production, methods, network development;

·         Technical assistance: programme design, selection of priority issues, budget planning, target groups and coverage, and their integration in terms of results, indicators and programme intervention modalities;

·         Institutional development and capacity building for gender mainstreaming;

·         Monitoring, evaluation and reporting: Regular monitoring of the project's environmental, social, health and safety (ESHS) performance, including but not limited to the implementation of the Environmental and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP), the status of the preparation and implementation of the ESHS environmental and social safeguard instruments required under the ESCP, stakeholder engagement activities and the functioning of the complaints mechanism, including cases of sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment (SEA/SH) and child abuse.

The specific duties of the Social Safeguard/Protection Specialist within the project will include:

·         Support WAHO in achieving the requirements of the WAHO World Bank Environmental and Social Safeguards (ES&S) Standards, including but not limited to:

o   Prepare and submit to the Organisation regular monitoring reports on the environmental, social, health and safety (ESHS) performance of the project, including but not limited to:

1.      the implementation of the Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP),

2.      the status of the preparation and implementation of E&S instruments required under the ESCP, stakeholder engagement activities and the operation of the complaints mechanism, including cases of sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment (SEA/SH) and child abuse.

·         Provide technical support to the World Bank project team in WAHO in the areas of social protection, gender-based violence and gender mainstreaming activities;

o   strengthening legal frameworks - the applicability of the regional guide and directive on sexual and reproductive health and rights;

o   providing the necessary support to the SWEDD project in WAHO to discourage female genital mutilation (FGM) in countries where the prevalence of FGM is high.

·         Carry out any other tasks assigned by WAHO management in relation to gender mainstreaming and gender-based violence.

Qualifications, experience and skills required:

The Social Safeguard/Protection Specialist with knowledge of gender-based violence in the PMU must meet the qualifications defined below:

·         EDUCATION/TRAINING

ü  Hold at least a Master's degree (BAC+5) or any other degree deemed equivalent in the humanities or social sciences (sociology, anthropology, socio-anthropology, public health, development studies), development studies, public policy or other related fields with a social vocation.

ü  Knowledge of gender-based violence, social work, gender studies, feminist studies, human rights, law, cultural studies, international development or any other field directly related to gender will be an asset.

·         Experience

ü  At least 5 years' professional experience at increasingly senior levels in the substantive technical field (social protection, gender-based violence, promotion of gender equality or equivalent field), including at least two years at international level ;

ü  A thorough understanding of the gender equality context in the region and in the countries, as well as experience of working with government-owned institutions and international or non-governmental organisations supporting gender equality and development are desirable;

ü  Good knowledge of social protection and gender analysis tools and methodologies in the specific area of intervention would be an asset;

ü  Solid technical knowledge in the science and application of social and behavioural change in the field of health services, family planning, youth and gender issues;

ü  Experience in project management and sub-Saharan Africa is required.

ü  Proven ability to produce demonstrable results;

ü  Ability to work in a team and in a multidisciplinary, complex and multi-country programme environment.

·         Languages:

ü  Knowledge of one of the 3 official ECOWAS languages (English, French and Portuguese) is required. Knowledge of a second language (French) would be an advantage.

ü  The Social Safeguard/Protection Specialist with knowledge of GBV will work specifically for the SWEDD Project but will support all other World Bank projects in WAHO as well as any other relevant tasks assigned by WAHO management.

Eligibility, dossier to be provided and selection procedures

WAHO now invites eligible, qualified individuals to express their interest in providing the afore-mentioned services. They must provide information indicating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to carry out the services (letter of expression of interest clearly indicating the position, a recent Curriculum Vitae, dated, signed and highlighting the academic certificates, training, experience in Gender, including the name of projects/employers, skills and aptitudes of the candidate for the assignment, and copies of academic certificates, attestations or certificates of work or services rendered).

The desired individual consultant will be selected in accordance with the procedures for the selection of individual consultants set forth in the Procurement Rules for Borrowers Seeking Investment Project Finance (IPF) of the World Bank, Fifth Edition, September 2023, available at www.worldbank.org/procurement/standarddocuments

Evaluation criteria for expressions of interest:

Duration, place of employment and nature of function

This is a WAHO consultant position supported by donor funds. The duration of the position is one (01) year, subject to an initial probationary period of three months, and may be renewable subject to project funds availability. An attractive consolidated remuneration will be paid. The Social Safeguard/Protection Specialist with knowledge of gender-based violence in the Project Management Unit will be based at WAHO headquarters in Bobo-Dioulasso, BURKINA FASO, but will travel within the ECOWAS region as required.

Information, deadline and address for submission of applications

Further information can be obtained during working hours, Monday to Friday, from 08:00 to 16:00 at: procurement@diffusion.wahooas.org

Interested persons may access the Terms of Reference and Call for Expression of Interest on the WAHO website at the following address: https://data.wahooas.org/tenders/tenders/list

Interested and qualified individual consultants should express their interest by submitting their detailed CV and relevant documents to: https://data.wahooas.org/tenders/tenders/list

The deadline for receipt of expressions of interest is 17 January 2024 at 12:00 GMT.

Neither WAHO nor The World Bank shall bear any costs or expenses incurred by the individual Consultant in connection with the preparation or submission of the EOI.

Dr. Melchior Athanase Joël C. AISSI

Director General