Antecedentes

The food security situation in South Sudan has deteriorated significantly since conflict broke out in December 2013. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) released in February 2017 found nearly 5 million people in South Sudan severely food insecure; an increase of around 3 million as compared with the previous year. This included 100,000 people facing famine conditions in Unity State. While a scale up of humanitarian assistance in Unity State has pulled back these 100,000 people from famine, the food security situation remains dire, according to the IPC update published in June 2017. Over 5.5 million people faced severe food insecurity in May and an estimated 6 million people are likely to be severely food insecurity between June and July. The number of people facing emergency levels of hunger - one step below famine - is 1.7 million - up from 1 million in February, indicating an overall worsening situation with the peak of the lean season still ahead. Increasingly, households in other parts of the country who used to be food secure are finding it difficult to meet their basic food needs.

WFP Resilience Programmes

FFA

Although insecurity prevails in many parts of South Sudan, there are clear pockets of stability where resilience building and livelihoods activities are essential to strengthen local communities and farmers’ capacities. In these areas, WFP is implementing food assistance for assets (FFA) activities to meet immediate food needs while helping households develop resilience against future shocks and stresses. The combination of conditional food assistance and asset creation helps food insecure communities to shift away from reliance on humanitarian assistance to achieve more sustainable food security. In 2017, WFP aims to assist around 473,000 people through FFA, including 240,000 women and girls, in Abyei, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Warrap, Lakes and Western Equatoria States. Households are engaged in asset creation activities including community access road rehabilitation, school and clinic construction, and vegetable gardening, and crop production.

P4P

Through Purchase for Progress (P4P), WFP aims to increase production, improve post-harvest handing and strengthen collective marketing thus linking male and female smallholder farmers to viable markets (including to WFP) for their crop surpluses. P4P’s efforts in South Sudan compliment the Government's commitment to investments in agriculture. In 2017, WFP is working with more than 10,000 small holder farmers – nearly half of which are women - in the Equatorias region. WFP plans to procure over 1,000 metric tonnes (mt) of locally produced maize and sorghum from small holder farmer groups this year.

FFE

WFP’s Food for Education (FFE) programme is implemented across South Sudan to reduce short term hunger among primary school children. FFE creates a positive incentive and contributes towards higher school enrolment, better retention and completion of schooling while promoting gender equality. This year, the programme targets 300,000 children in highly food insecure communities, with low enrolments as well as poor educational outcomes.

Combined, FFA, P4P and FFE programmes form WFP’s resilience strategy for South Sudan. This broad range of support, including asset creation, safety nets, and sustainable livelihoods programmes, help to assist communities with recovery and increase their resilience to future shocks. At the same time, WFP’s resilience activities help food insecure households meet their immediate food needs. 

Deberes y responsabilidades

OBJECTIVE OF THE CONSULTANCY

The objectives of this consultancy are to review the gender components of the resilience (see note below) activities implemented by WFP South Sudan and to ensure gender is mainstreamed throughout the project cycles. The consultant will be responsible for identifying the lessons learned and best practices from FFA and P4P activities conducted so far and identify areas to enhance gender mainstreaming and empowerment of women. Specifically, the consultant will:

  • Collect and analyze secondary data (to be provided by WFP) and other sources related to FFA and P4P activities in order to establish a baseline for gender indicators based on the progress of activities;
  • Review whether the different needs, interests and responsibilities of women and men have been considered throughout the program cycle; and develop strategies to encourage gender equity in project activities;
  • Examine gender gaps and women or men’s specific concerns including gender based violence, violence against women, women’s rights, ownership of, and access to productive resources including land, illiteracy etc. as they relate to FFA and P4P;
  • Develop strategies and tools for the design and implementation of training to enhance women’s empowerment working through project management committees (PMC) or women’s groups;
  • Draw out lessons learned and good practices from project activities in integrating gender and capturing women’s views on the various WFP resilience initiatives;
  • Review the transformative potential of FFA and P4P activities towards gender equality and women’s empowerment;
  • Identify actionable recommendations and strategies for gender responsive asset creation and livelihood activities through FFA and P4P;
  •  Identify good practices to better draw out meaningful female participation and promote voices of women and other vulnerable groups in Project Management Committees (i.e. boma project management committee) and other decision making/project planning bodies.

ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES 

  • Conducting interviews with WFP staff, partners and community leaders in Juba and other locations where FFA and P4P projects are carried out;
  • Conducting focus group discussion with project participants (including women and men);
  • Reviewing context specific reports on FFA, P4P and gender.

Note:Although FFE forms part of WFP’s resilience strategy in South Sudan, the gender considerations are unique to the programme and are, therefore, excluded from the scope of this consultancy. 

SUPERVISION AND TIMELINE:

Deliverables

  1. An initial report (inception report) detailing a plan of action;
  2. Review of existing programmes and strategies and development of actionable recommendations to enhance gender mainstreaming, which addresses any gender, protection or accountability concerns, emanating from the project;
  3. A final report to be submitted within 3 weeks of the end of the consultancy period.

Competencias

Competencies:

  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills;
  • Excellent analytical, report writing and editing skills;
  • Fully computer literate;
  • Ability to work under minimum supervision to meet short deadlines;
  • Commitment and drive to achieve challenging goals, and problem solving attitude;
  • Ability to identify client needs and deliver them promptly and accurately.

Habilidades y experiencia requeridas

Educational Qualifications:

A master’s degree in a relevant social sciences field such as sociology, gender studies, economics or other related field. 

Experience and qualifications:

  • Minimum 5 years of professional experience in conducting social research and gender analysis;
  • Demonstrated strong understanding of gender equality and women’s empowerment issues in South Sudan;
  • Strong understanding of gender concepts and demonstrated experience in applying gender tools and conceptual frameworks;
  • A demonstrated ability (through previous similar assignments) to analyse, compile and synthesize information in coherent and succinct formats;
  • Experience in gender mainstreaming within resilience and livelihoods programmes;
  • Previous experience in writing comprehensive reports aimed at an audience that includes policy-makers.

Language requirements: Proficiency in written and spoken English.

Budget: 

The total budget for this activity is up to a maximum US$ 10,000.00. As part of the inception report, a budget breakdown for the contract is required.

Timeline:

The consultant will be employed for 8 weeks starting immediately, during which an inception report and review of existing programmes and strategies will be required. A final report detailing actionable recommendations to enhance gender mainstreaming will be required within three weeks of the end of contract. 

Contract Administration:

The contract will be administered by UN Women. The consultant will work closely with UN Women and WFP team in Juba.