Environmental Peacebuilding Association

Mali: Consultant, National Expert Specializing in Gender

Mar 7, 2021 | UNDP
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The Mopti region has attracted considerable attention in recent years from government and international actors engaged in the development and stability of the country. Since 2015, this region has become a hotbed of insecurity where the jihadist threat, military operations, inter-community violence and conflicts between herders and farmers converge. As the State does not demonstrate effective authority and does not exercise a monopoly of force in this region, chronic insecurity reigns there and compromises the prospects for peace, socio-economic development and respect for the Rule of law. Violence between pastoralist and farming communities in the Mopti region is mainly due to competition for land and water resources. Land is needed to maintain economic livelihoods amid climate change, changing demographics, outside ideological influences, an ongoing jihadist insurgency, and political manipulation by local elites. Rising tensions between farmers and pastoralists exacerbate a fragile security environment in central Mali.

It is urgent to articulate immediate recovery interventions and long-term sustainable development in accordance with the Strategic Framework for Economic Recovery and Sustainable Development (CREDD 2019-2023) of the Government of Mali for the sustainable management of natural resources, the strengthening of the resilience of communities and vulnerable groups, the consolidation of peace and social cohesion to cope with external shocks.

Faced with land degradation and the negative impacts of climate change on the ecosystem, conflicts in the Mopti region are aggravated by competition for natural resources between farmers and pastoralists, weak governance, the fragility of State, inequality and widespread insecurity with the emergence of self-defense militias.

Historically, in the Mopti region, conflicts between farmers and pastoralists are traditionally resolved by local customary mechanisms and traditional agreements (Djowro) for the management of pastures (bourgouttières) and agricultural land. Increasingly, however, the system for regulating access to pasture has collapsed or traditional authorities are restricting access. There is currently an acute competition between groups of pastoralists and between pastoralists, rice farmers and fishermen. As pastoralism conditions have deteriorated in the surrounding areas (on the plateaus and in the dry areas of the Seeno, Gurma and Mema rivers), pastoralists are now more numerous to move to the interior delta during the dry season which cannot no longer bear it.

In order to reverse the degradation of natural resources, the deterioration of traditional management mechanisms and to mitigate the effects of climate change, inter-community conflicts and violent extremism, the government of Mali, with the help of its partners, the UNDP and the GEF, propose to develop a project on the sustainable management of natural resources (land, water, fish, pastures), reconstruction and strengthening of livelihoods for the consolidation of peace and social cohesion.

It is within this framework (PPG), the UNDP is looking for a national consultant (NC) to assist an international consultant (IC) in supporting the Government of Mali to prepare a project document (ProDoc) in order to access funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), through UNDP.

Main Objectives of the Mission

The objective for the gender specialist is to support the PPG team leader to integrate an approach ensuring gender equality in the activities of the project "Climate security and sustainable management of natural resources in the central regions of Mali for the consolidation of peace ”.

Duties and Responsibilities

Description of responsibilities / Scope of work:

The gender specialist will ensure the integration of gender issues in project formulation, including barriers, activities, objectives and risks. The specialist's contribution should include an analysis of the current situation, an action plan with target indicators and expected results that would facilitate the promotion of gender equality. This consultant will have expertise in gender mainstreaming and in working with local communities. He / she will work under the direction of the PPG team leader and with the support of the national consultants.

Deliverables:

Inception report and strategy with methodology and updated timeline 30% 3 days
Gender analysis, gender mainstreaming plan and budget; 40% 14 days
Report of contributions to the review of social and environmental safeguards (SESP) and to the project document and annexes 30% 8 days
Total: 100% 25 days

Contribute to the inception report and support the presentation and discussion during the inception workshop

Preparatory Technical Studies and Reviews: Provide inputs and support required analyzes / studies as agreed with the PPG Team Leader, including:
Support gender-related action points, including regarding the assessment of risks identified in the UNDP Social and Environmental Review Procedure (SESP) at the FIP stage, to ensure that they are fully addressed. account during project formulation; where appropriate, support updating of the SESP throughout the formulation phase on issues related to empowerment and gender equality;
Prepare the gender analysis in the context of Mali, and more particularly in the Mopti zone, affected by the conflict. This analysis will be carried out in consultation with the expert in indigenous populations and local communities as well as the expert in safeguards in order to coordinate the results;
Guide the analysis work and stakeholder consultations of the formulation team, in order to take into account the gender dimension and ensure that they are complete and exhaustive;
Ensure that gender considerations are fully integrated in documents submitted to the GEF;
Support the completion of any additional studies deemed necessary for the preparation of ProDoc and all other final products, under the direction of the PPG team leader and the backup expert.

Support the formulation of the project document and mandatory and project-specific annexes: Provide contributions from the perspective of adaptation to climate change and support the development of final deliverables of the PPG, as agreed with the Head of PPG team.

Work with the PPG team leader to ensure that relevant findings on gender mainstreaming and stakeholder needs are meaningfully incorporated into the project strategy, theory of change and framework results, and that its implementation is properly monitored;
Provide general information on the impacts of conflicts on women in the Mopti region and on the increased vulnerability resulting from insecurity;
Participate in consultations, workshops and meetings;
Contribute to the preparation of the SESP by working in close collaboration with the other consultants;
Prepare the action plan and budget for gender mainstreaming by identifying appropriate project interventions to ensure gender mainstreaming, including on project demonstration sites;
Using the results of the gender analysis, provide inputs to the project's results framework and theory of change; ensure that gender considerations are integrated into the project's theory of change;
Contribute to the development of the stakeholder engagement plan for the implementation of the project to ensure that it takes into account the gender dimension;
Support the preparation of agreements on project management modalities and ensure that the gender dimension and guarantees are duly integrated into these modalities;
Review and verify the proposed results and indicators based on the information gathered during the PPG phase and, if necessary, propose revisions to strengthen the gender dimension.

Validation workshop:

Technically contribute to the validation workshop; and
Support any necessary post-workshop revisions, if applicable.

Monitoring / reporting requirements:

The national consultant:

will work with a team of international and national consultants and under the guidance of the international consultant - PPG team leader
Engage regularly with Supervisor, other team members and UNDP Country Office via email and Zoom / Teams / Skype as needed
is bound by the duties of neutrality, confidentiality and reserve implied by his position as a consultant to UNDP.
The deliverables will be approved by UNDP Mali.

Administrative arrangements:

The national consultant will provide his workstation (laptop, Internet, telephone, scanner / printer, etc.) The national consultant will be based at home, with missions in Mopti; Travel expenses and any DSA incurred will be reimbursed by UNDP Mali.

Country / Place of employment: Mali, Bamako, Mopti and Ségou
Planned travel locations (if applicable): Bamako, Mopti and Ségou
Duration of the assignment / or end date (if applicable): 25 days until October 2021
Project name: The development of the UNDP-GEF project document, PPG "Climate security and sustainable management of natural resources in the central regions of Mali for the consolidation of peace"

Competencies

The national consultant must demonstrate proven capacities in terms of facilitation, teamwork and great adaptability. He will also have to:

Demonstrates integrity by shaping the values and ethical standards of the United Nations;
Promote the vision, mission and strategic objectives of UNDP;
Demonstrates sensitivity and adaptability in matters of culture, gender, religion, race, nationality and age;
Treat all people fairly without favoritism;
Ability to work independently with minimal supervision as well as to work collaboratively with a team;
Ability to respond to customer requests constructively;
Excellent proposal writing skills;
Have a spirit of initiative;
Be open and have a great listening capacity;
Have the ability to work in a team and in a multicultural environment;
Development and operational efficiency;
Ability to support the identification, formulation, implementation of development programs and projects;
Ability to communicate with government departments and civil society, local authorities and other actors in the field;
Excellent writing, synthesis and communication skills;

Required Skills and Experience

Training:

Master's degree or higher degree in a relevant field, such as studies on gender, gender and development, women and the environment, sociology, environment, sustainable development or a closely related field;

Languages:

Fluency in fluent French is essential as well as excellent writing, synthesis and communication skills

Professional experience :

At least 5 years of relevant professional experience in the field of gender policy and gender mainstreaming, on links between sustainable development, social issues and gender issues and including in development and / or project management, monitoring and evaluation, carrying out participatory analyzes on gender equality; experience in collecting and formulating indicators and sex-disaggregated data and preparing gender-sensitive analyzes of projects; development of action plans on gender equality;
In-depth knowledge and past experience in Mali and the Mopti region or conflict zones are required;
Experience working with local authorities, civil society, and other actors is required.
Experience in facilitating meetings of gender-sensitive stakeholders is highly desirable;
Demonstrated knowledge of UNDP and GEF procedures for managing gender issues is an asset;

· Experience working with local authorities, civil society, and other actors is required.

Mali: Consultant, National Expert Specializing in Gender

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