Call for Consultant – Rapid Assessment on Community Outreach Pathways for Women’s Protection Services (Updated)

ABOUT ABAAD

ABAAD – Resource Center for Gender Equality is a UN ECOSOC–accredited organization that aims to achieve gender equality as an essential condition to sustainable social and economic development in the MENA region. ABAAD advocates for the development and implementation of policies and laws that enhance women’s effective participation, through a rights-based approach that brings tangible change to gender justice. With the purpose of ending gender-based violence (GBV), ABAAD adopts a holistic care approach to provide protection and support services to GBV survivors/right holders during times of peace, war, and crises since 2011.

OVERALL GOAL OF THIS ASSIGNMENT

ABAAD is seeking to recruit an experienced consultant/researcher to conduct a qualitative rapid assessment aimed at identifying the most effective ways to reach women at the community level with information about protection and related services.
The study will be designed to answer the central question:

“How would women prefer to receive information about services related to their protection?”

The assessment will capture perspectives from women across all Lebanese governorates and their major Cazas, including adolescent girls, youth, university students, adult women from different socio-economic backgrounds, women with disabilities, and other marginalized groups. The aim is to provide a nuanced understanding of the communication preferences and barriers faced by women with varied life experiences.

Data collection will not only identify the channels through which women most frequently access information (such as community networks, schools, health centers, digital platforms, social media, religious/community leaders, etc.), but will also explore women’s perceptions of trust, confidentiality, accessibility, and cultural sensitivity in relation to these channels.

The findings will directly inform the design of practical, user-friendly, and culturally appropriate outreach materials (e.g., brochures, posters, coasters, community letters, digital campaigns) tailored to women’s stated preferences. These outputs will strengthen ABAAD’s capacity to reach women effectively at the community level, ensuring that awareness efforts on protection services are demand-driven, inclusive, and reflective of women’s own voices and priorities.

KEY ACTIVITIES

The selected consultant will be required to:
- Develop a qualitative research methodology aligned with the study objectives.

• Design qualitative tools including FGD guides and KII guides.
• Conduct 4 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) per governorate, ensuring coverage of all major Cazas and representation of diverse profiles.
• Conduct Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) in each governorate with:
  • CSOs
  • NGOs
  • Local actors working in women’s protection and response
• Ensure data quality, ethical standards, and safeguarding throughout the process.
• Analyze qualitative data using thematic analysis.
• Draft and present a final assessment report with actionable findings.
• Provide recommendations for developing communication materials adapted to the findings.

DELIVERABLES

1. Inception Report, including:

• methodology
• sampling plan (FGDs + KIIs)
• qualitative research tools

2. Summary notes of all FGDs and KIIs
3. Thematic analysis report including key findings
4. Validation meeting with ABAAD to review preliminary results
5. Final Report (Arabic and English), including:

• analysis of findings
• recommendations on effective outreach pathways
• annexes (tools, lists of participants, methodology notes)

- Deliverables are expected to be delivered by end of January 2026.

QUALIFICATIONS

- Advanced university degree in social sciences, public health, gender studies, or related fields.
- At least 7 years of proven experience in quantitative research and large-scale survey implementation.
- Demonstrated expertise in gender and protection issues, preferably in Lebanon or the MENA region.
- Strong experience in sampling design, survey implementation, and statistical data analysis.
- Excellent analytical, report-writing, and communication skills.
- Proven ability to work sensitively with diverse populations, including women and persons with disabilities.
- Fluency in English and Arabic (spoken and written).