Gender and Inclusive Development Assessment (GIDA) Consultant SOW USAID’s Solid Waste Reduction Program

Gender and Inclusive Development Assessment (GIDA) Consultant SOW

USAID’s Solid Waste Reduction Program

Background

Winrock International is a recognized leader in U.S. and international development, providing solutions to some of the world’s most complex social, agricultural, and environmental challenges. Inspired by its namesake Winthrop Rockefeller, Winrock’s mission is to facilitate empowerment of the disadvantaged, increase economic opportunity and sustain natural resources with core values that reflect a commitment to equity, inclusion, and collaboration. With a portfolio of more than 140 agriculture, environment, and social development projects in over 46 countries, Winrock’s combined technical expertise with entrepreneurial innovation dedicated to improving lives around the globe has a clear link to responding to the unique needs and challenges experienced by historically marginalized segments of the population.

At Winrock International, we recognize that women, men, and gender-diverse adults and children have diverse and intersecting identities that result in unique needs and capabilities. Our mission is supported through our profound awareness of the consideration of a broad range of drivers and factors that can exacerbate exclusion, including gender and gender identity, race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, disability, and religion, as well as intersectional dimensions within marginalized communities. Our programmatic approach meaningfully integrates gender and social inclusion considerations and responds to complex gender and power dynamics and increases social inclusion at multiple levels. We seek to decrease individuals’ vulnerability and strengthen their capacity to thrive. We believe that all people can be powerful agents of resilience – whether it be at the household level or at the community level – and we are committed to supporting this transformative potential to build more resilient communities.

We strive for a world where all people are safe from harm, where their voices are equally heard and valued, and where they have equitable access and time to devote to education, to their livelihoods, and to their communities. Winrock commits to addressing gender equity, racial equity, and social inclusion across our programming to the greatest extent possible to deliver transformative practices, systemic change, and inclusive decision-making. Our goal is to create and foster equitable opportunities for all people to overcome barriers, contribute to their communities’ development and realize their full rights and potential.

Project Description

The Dominican Republic, one of the highest plastic waste generators in the Caribbean, lacks basic systems for municipal waste collection and disposal and has very low rates of recycling. As a result, up to 90% of plastic waste is at risk of entering waterways and reaching the ocean. Plastic is the most persistent and harmful solid pollutant in marine ecosystems, disrupting critical biogeochemical cycles.

In support of the Dominican Republic’s (DR) efforts to address solid waste management challenges in municipalities in the northwest and northern coastal region, USAID is investing in the five-year (March 2024-March 2029) Solid Waste Reduction Program (SWR) to reduce waste in communities and municipalities, leading to cleaner oceans in the DR.

SWR will implement three inter-related objectives across the provinces of Dajabón, Monte Cristi, Puerto Plata, and Espaillat: 1) build capacity and strengthen governance at the national and municipal levels to implement best SWM practices, 2) increase community adoption of sustainable SWM practices, and 3) establish/expand circular economy models in collaboration with the private sector.

USAID’s Solid Waste Reduction (SWR) project will reduce waste in communities and municipalities, leading to cleaner oceans in the Dominican Republic. SWR will achieve this by supporting municipalities to effectively manage, reduce, recycle and dispose of waste and by facilitating changes in the behavior of households, communities and private companies in the handling and treatment of waste. SWR will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from waste and reduce the risks of waste entering the ocean.

The project works in the provinces of Dajabón, Monte Cristi, Puerto Plata and Espaillat, and provides policy support at the national level.

Purpose of the Consultancy

The GIDA Assessment consultant will be responsible for designing and leading the implementation of an intersectional gender and inclusion assessment of the USAID’s Solid Waste Reduction project. The overall purpose of the consultancy is to evaluate the intended and unintended impacts of the project’s GESI activities on project participants as well as the contribution of GESI activities to the achievement of the project’s intended objectives and results. The assessment will also surface emerging good practices relating to the promotion of GESI in Solid Waste Management. The assessment will also identify potential shifts in participation, access and control, and decision making resulting from the project’s GESI interventions.

The consultant will apply an intersectionality lens to the research to identify any unique GESI outcomes among women and gender-diverse adults and children considering age, gender identity, ethnicity, tribal affiliation, indigeneity, class, ability, language, and/or other context-relevant social identities. The consultancy will pay special attention to informal and base recyclers.

Overall Methodology

The consultant will endeavour to apply a methodology that is inductive, participatory, community driven, and one that centres and values community knowledge and challenges social hierarchies.

The assessment will be informed by secondary data sources, and primary data collected via qualitative methods including Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews (KIIs) with project participants, key stakeholders, and implementing partners. Assessment questions will be articulated around the project’s objectives and expected results. Specific areas of inquiry will include participation, access and control, and decision-making.

Learning questions

USAID SWR Project identified learning questions that are oriented toward the strategy and the potential users of learning for adaptative programming. These learning questions will influence the overall effectiveness of the project and ongoing strategies that will help inform project implementation and will address specific strategic approaches and help validate or test the Theory of Change. The questions below are not a limited list but a guide about the expected approach.

• What factors improve informal waste workers’ livelihoods?
• What factors promote or hinder the integration of migrant Haitian waste workers?
• What factors allow policy development processes to be more inclusive of women, youth, and persons with disabilities?

Key Consultant Activities

The consultant will be responsible for the design and implementation of a GIDA assessment, including:

• Data collection plan development
• Analysis framework development
• Primary data collection tools development
• Respondent sampling
• Training of data collectors
• Data transcription
• Data entry
• Data analysis
• Report writing

******The data collection plan should include 5-12 FGDs per population type identified, and 5-12 KIIs.

Activities & Deliverables

Activities

Deliverables

Estimated #of days (LOE)

Design a primary data collection plan and framework articulated around the project’s objectives and expected results, and including specific inquiry into issues of participation, access and control, and decision-making.

• Data collection plan

• Analysis framework

1.5

Design primary data collection tools (including piloting tools).

• Final, piloted FGD and KII guides
  

5

Complete respondent sampling.

• Final sampling plan

.5

Work with the project team to coordinate KIIs and FGDs (including seeking appropriate approvals for organizing FGDs with community members, contacting key informants etc.).

• FGDs and KIIs have been scheduled

5

Design and conduct the training of data collectors ensuring they are equipped to administer the GESI tools and facilitate FGDs and KIIs in a manner that is gender and inclusion responsive.

• Training agenda and final participant list.

• FGD and KII schedule

2

Lead data collection and quality control.

• Daily debriefs with data collectors around GESI data.

10

Lead the qualitative data analysis process, including developing analysis parameters, reviewing FGD and KII guides, conducting data entry and analysis.

• Analysis parameters for data entry have been developed.

• FGD and KII transcripts have been reviewed.

• Data entry and analysis have been completed.

20

Facilitate a half day data validation workshop with the project team, project partners and community representatives to share preliminary findings and receive feedback. At least 3 (Dajabón, Montecristi,Puerto Plata)

• Facilitation of a half day preliminary GESI data validation workshop.

2

Write a 5–10-page assessment report summarizing key findings, lessons learned and emerging good practices.

• Final data sets

• Final 5–10-page assessment report

• The annexes must include:

• Methodology used

• instruments

• photographs

• attendance lists

• all documentation generated for this consultancy

3

Total consultancy days

49

LOE: Level of Effort (in days)

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The consultant will maintain frequent communication with the project’s COP to seek feedback on the methodology, tools and analysis.

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*All GIDA analysis outputs shall be in English. Draft and final documents are to be submitted by email to the USAID Solid Waste Reduction Project Chief of Party, Deputy Chief of Party and MEL Director; and to Winrock International’s Senior GESI Technical Lead. *

Estimated period of performance

November 18, 2024 – Marzo 31, 2025

Geographic Coverage of the Overall GIDA Analysis

The assessment will be conducted in National District, Dajabón, Montecristi, Puerto Plata and Espaillat in the Dominican Republic.

Required Skills and Experiences

• Strong demonstrated qualitative data collection and analysis skills
• Experience conducting GESI analysis and/or assessments and/or audits
• Familiarity with intersectionality approaches
• Demonstrated experience applying participatory, community-based research methods
• Knowledge of Solid Waste Management issues in Dominican Republic particularly as they relate to gender and other context-relevant social identities in Dominican Republic
• Excellent writing, communication and presentation skills
• Excellent organizational skills
• Ability to meet deadlines

Application deadline: October 18,2024.

Winrock is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all people and value diversity and inclusiveness. Winrock recruits, employs, trains, promotes, and compensates regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, or any other basis protected by law.

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  At Winrock we have a clear mission: Empower the disadvantaged, increase economic opportunity, and sustain natural resources through unwavering dedication to accountability, equity, integrity and transformation.
  
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  Winrock knows that its success comes from the hard work and steadfast dedication of its diverse workforce. Winrock remains committed to maintaining diversity, inclusion and equity across the entire organization.