Consultant for Reviewing and Revising Gender Policy

 1. Background

SIDC (Society for Inclusion and Development in Communities and Care for All) is an NGO dedicated to supporting marginalized and vulnerable populations, including people who use and inject drugs, individuals from diverse SOGIESC, vulnerable women, people involved in commercial sex work, and others at risk of social exclusion. The organization is committed to fostering inclusion, advocacy, and rights protection, particularly through capacity-building initiatives that empower individuals to champion their communities' needs.

As gender dynamics evolve, and to ensure that its Gender Policy remains relevant, impactful, and aligned with best practices and legal frameworks, SIDC is seeking a consultant to review the existing Gender Policy and provide recommendations for revisions and enhancements. This review will ensure that the policy is comprehensive, inclusive, and responsive to current gender issues within the organization’s operational context.

2. Objective

The objective of this consultancy is to conduct a thorough review of SIDC’s current Gender Policy and recommend modifications to strengthen its effectiveness in promoting gender equality, preventing discrimination, and ensuring alignment with international and national gender-related frameworks.

3. Scope of Work

This consultancy can be done remotely, with ad-hoc meetings when necessary.

The consultant will be responsible for: 

• Policy Review: 
  • Conduct a comprehensive review of the current Gender Policy, evaluating its effectiveness, inclusivity, and alignment with national and international gender equality standards (e.g., CEDAW, SDGs, ILO conventions, etc.). 
  • Assess the implementation of the current policy within SIDC’s programs, internal operations, and workplace environment, identifying any gaps or challenges. 
  • Review gender-related policies, frameworks, and regulations relevant to the NGO's country/region of operation to ensure the policy is legally compliant and contextually relevant. 
• Stakeholder Consultations: 

• Engage with key stakeholders within the organization, including leadership, human resources, program staff, field teams, as well as beneficiaries, to gather input on the current policy’s strengths and weaknesses and perceived barriers
• Conduct interviews or focus groups with staff to assess their understanding, and implementation of the Gender Policy.
• Conduct surveys with partners to assess their perception of SIDC’s implementation of gender mainstreaming.

• Benchmarking Best Practices: 
  • Benchmark SIDC’s Gender Policy against best practices from other similar organizations (international NGOs, CSOs, etc.) to identify opportunities for improvement, focusing on intersectionality in the context of marginalized groups targeted by SIDC.
• Proposed Modifications: 
  • Based on the review findings, suggest revisions to the Gender Policy to ensure it is comprehensive, actionable, and inclusive of all genders, especially addressing intersectional issues (e.g., gender and race, gender and disability, etc.). 
  • Ensure the revised policy promotes gender mainstreaming in all of the organization’s operations and programmatic interventions. 
  • Identify how different intersections of identity (e.g., gender, race, disability, socio-economic status, sexual orientation) affect the implementation and inclusivity of the policy.
  • Provide recommendations for specific mechanisms or tools to monitor and evaluate the implementation of the revised Gender Policy. Develop a set of KPIs (key performance indicators) related to gender inclusivity and policy adherence, which can be tracked quarterly through the monitoring and reporting tool utilized by the program staff.
• Final Report: 
  • Develop a final report summarizing the findings from the review, consultations, and benchmarking, and present proposed modifications with justifications. 

4. Deliverables

The consultant is expected to deliver the following outputs: 

• Inception Report: Outline of the methodology, timeline, and key areas of focus for the review process. 
• Stakeholder Engagement Report: Summary of feedback gathered from internal and external stakeholders, including key challenges and opportunities for improvement. 
• Benchmarking Report: A comparative analysis of SIDC’s Gender Policy against best practices and frameworks from other relevant organizations. 
• Proposed Revised Gender Policy and get feedback from SIDC’s focal point, then draft a version of the revised Gender Policy, incorporating the consultant’s recommendations. 
• Final Report: A comprehensive report summarizing the review process, stakeholder feedback, benchmarking results, and the proposed policy revisions, including implementation and monitoring recommendations. 

5.Duration and Timeline

The consultancy is expected to happen during November, with the following indicative timeline: 

• 5 working days to review SIDC's current gender policy, gather stakeholders' feedback, and benchmark SIDC’s best practices and frameworks from other organizations, and finally propose a revised draft of SIDC’s gender policy.
  • Day 1: Conduct a comprehensive review of the current Gender Policy to evaluate its effectiveness, inclusivity, implementation, and alignment with national and international standards, while ensuring legal compliance and contextual relevance.
  • Day 2: Engage key stakeholders through consultations, interviews, and surveys to gather feedback on the Gender Policy's strengths, weaknesses, and implementation.
  • Day 3: Benchmark SIDC’s Gender Policy against best practices from similar organizations to identify improvements, with a focus on intersectionality and marginalized groups.
  • Day 4: Propose revisions to the Gender Policy to enhance inclusivity, address intersectional issues, promote gender mainstreaming, and recommend mechanisms for monitoring implementation through specific KPIs.
  • Day 5: Develop a final report summarizing the findings from the review, consultations, and benchmarking, and present proposed modifications with justifications. 

The exact schedule will be agreed upon with SIDC during the initial planning phase.

6. Consultant Qualifications

The consultant should possess the following qualifications: 

• Educational Background: Advanced degree in gender studies, social sciences, law, public policy, or a related field. 
• Expertise in Gender Policy: At least 5 years of experience in developing, reviewing, or advising on gender policies for NGOs, government institutions, or international organizations. 
• Knowledge of Legal Frameworks: In-depth understanding of gender equality and human rights frameworks, including CEDAW, national gender policies, and relevant ILO standards. 
• Stakeholder Engagement Skills: Demonstrated experience conducting consultations, interviews, and focus groups with a variety of stakeholders, including marginalized populations. 
• Cultural Sensitivity: Experience working in diverse cultural contexts, with an understanding of intersectionality and how gender intersects with other social factors (e.g., race, disability, socio-economic status). 
• Excellent Communication Skills: Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex ideas into actionable policy recommendations.  ​​​​​​​

7. Reporting and Accountability

The consultant will report directly to SIDC’s Executive Director and Coordinator of the ongoing project. Regular check-ins will be conducted to review progress and provide feedback on deliverables.