Summary
Date Posted: Tuesday, December 03 2024, Base Salary: Not Disclosed

JOB DETAILS:
About the job
BACKGROUND
The Trade Credit Program aims to improve agricultural productivity in Uganda by guaranteeing Hubs (local agro-dealers or cooperatives) access to fertilizers on credit, ensuring a continuous supply of fertilizers to smallholder farmers. Fertilizer access is crucial for enhancing soil health, increasing crop yields, and improving the livelihoods of farmers, particularly in rural and underserved areas. Gender concerns are at the core of fertilizer use challenges, as evidence show large disparities in participation in and benefit from fertilizer supply and demand chains. Through the strategic goal of achieving gender equitable program outcomes, The African Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP) aims at reducing gender gaps in participation, decision-making, as well as access to resources and market opportunities within fertilizer supply chains in the continent.

The recent baseline data on Gender Analysis, Inclusion, Sensitivity, and Mainstreaming within the program has highlighted the following critical observations:
• Limited Participation of Women and Youth in leadership roles: Despite being the backbone of Uganda's agricultural sector, women and youth farmers have low participation rates in leadership roles in farming groups, cooperatives, and Hubs. Women are constrained by rigid gendered roles and gendered norms that render them incapable of effectively participating in governance structures within these groups.
• Gender Disparities in Resource Access: Women and youth also face challenges related to the control and ownership of land resources, and are thus constrained in access to working capital, and the consequent limited access to fertilizers and complementary inputs, which restricts their ability to adopt modern agricultural practices, leading to lower productivity and income.

Due to mobility constraints, and social norms that restrict interaction with male service providers, women also face barriers in accessing extension services compared to their male counterparts. The institutional and human capacity gaps in effectively mainstreaming gender: There is a gap in understanding gender-sensitive approaches for ensuring equal access to fertilizers and other agricultural inputs, particularly in the context of credit-based fertilizer programs.

Duties & Responsibilities
The purpose of this consultancy is to conduct a comprehensive training on gender mainstreaming for key stakeholders of the FFSAM project, which includes farmers, cooperatives, agro-dealers, extension officers, and local leaders. The training will aim to:
• Promote understanding and awareness of gender equality in agriculture.
• Equip stakeholders with practical tools to address gender disparities in farming practices.
• Strengthen gender-sensitive planning and implementation strategies for the FFSAM project.
• Support the integration of gender considerations into project activities and decision-making processes.

SCOPE OF WORK:
The consultant will be responsible for delivering a training program that includes the following:
• Brainstorming session
• Start with a brainstorming session with the participants to establish whether the findings of the baseline on gender are actually what is on the ground.
• Facilitate a discussion to elicit information on the perspectives of target groups on the specific challenges and opportunities for women and youth in food systems in relation to access to resources, access to input/output markets, and participation in decision-making processes.

2. Gender Mainstreaming Training Content
• The training content should include, but is not limited to, the following areas:
• Meaning and description of Key Concepts within the subject of gender equality
• Gender Aspects within food systems: Understanding the roles and responsibilities of men and women in Agri-input value chains; Gendered division of roles; stereotypes about appropriate roles of men and women and how these shape their participation in agri-input value chains
• Gender Equality in Decision-Making: Strategies to increase the participation of women and youth in leadership roles within farming groups, cooperatives, and HUBs.
• Gender-Sensitive Approaches that facilitate Resource Access; An understanding of gender inequalities in terms of access to land and decision-making, and the cultural practices and social norms that mediate the access and exchange of resources. Adopting approaches that aim at bridging gender gaps in access to inputs (seeds, fertilizers, tools) and finance (loans, credit
• Market Access and Income Generation: Identifying and responding to constraints that create barriers for effective participation in input/output market access for women and youth farmers.
• Policy and Legal Frameworks: Understanding the policies that create an enabling environment for the effective participation of women and youth in food systems and the importance of gender-responsive planning.
• Monitoring and Evaluation: Use of sex-disaggregated data in tracking gender equality in project implementation; as well as individual level data on the dimensions of empowerment.

3. Interactive Sessions
• Conduct group discussions, case studies, and role-playing to help participants understand gender issues and develop practical solutions.
• Facilitate brainstorming sessions to develop action plans for improving gender inclusivity within the project.

4. Post-training Evaluation and Recommendations
• Conduct an evaluation of the training's effectiveness and provide recommendations for further gender integration into the project.

Expected Outputs:
The consultant will be required to deliver the following outputs:

• Training Plan and Curriculum
A detailed training plan, including the curriculum, methodology, schedule, and materials, that will guide the gender mainstreaming training.

2. Training Report
A comprehensive report documenting:
• Training objectives and outcomes.
• List of participants and their roles.
• Key gender challenges identified and addressed during the training.
• Detailed summary of the training sessions.
• Evaluation results and feedback from participants.
• Recommendations for enhancing gender mainstreaming in the project.

3. Action Plans
Action plans developed by the stakeholders that outline how they will integrate gender-sensitive approaches into their daily activities, based on the training.

Consultant Qualifications And Experience:
The consultant should possess the following qualifications and experience:
• A minimum of a master’s degree in Gender studies, Sociology, Social protection and other related Disciplines.
• A minimum of 10 years of experience in gender mainstreaming, particularly in agricultural development projects.
• Proven experience in developing and delivering training programs on gender equality, with a focus on rural or agricultural communities.
• Strong knowledge of the socio-cultural and economic challenges faced by women and youth in agriculture in Uganda.
• Experience working with diverse stakeholders, including local farmers, cooperatives, youth groups, and government agencies.
• Ability to facilitate group discussions, workshops, and training sessions.
• Strong communication and report-writing skills.

Duration Of The Assignment:
The assignment will take approximately four days (three for the actual training & the arrival day) from the date of signing the contract, with the following tentative timeline:
• Day 1: Arrival of the participants on the venue.
• Day 2-3: Deliver the training to stakeholders.
• Day 4: Complete post-training evaluations and provide action plans.

Consultant’s Deliverables:
• Inception Report: Detailed approach and plan for the assignment, including training schedule and materials.
• Draft Training Curriculum: A comprehensive curriculum for the training.
• Final Training Report: Documenting the training, results, evaluations, and recommendations.
• Action Plans from Stakeholders: A set of gender mainstreaming action plans developed by stakeholders post-training.

Budget And Payment Terms:
The budget for the consultancy will be based on the consultant's proposed fee and travel costs. Payments will be made in instalments as follows:
• 50% upon signing of the contract and submission of the inception report.
• 50% after the completion of the training sessions and approval of the final training report and action plans.

Evaluation Criteria:
The selection of the consultant will be based on the following criteria:
Technical Competence: Demonstrated experience in gender mainstreaming and training delivery in agricultural contexts.
Relevance of Experience: Experience working with rural communities, women, and youth in Uganda.
Methodology: Innovative and participatory approach to training design and delivery.
Cost: Reasonable and competitive pricing.


Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: 120

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Job application procedure
Interested in applying for this job? Click here to submit your application now.
Interested consultants are invited to electronically submit the following documents:
• A technical proposal outlining their approach, methodology, and a work plan (Not more than 5 Pages)
• A financial proposal with a breakdown of costs.
• Curriculum Vitae (CV) highlighting relevant experience
• Sample/s of previous gender mainstreaming training reports or related work.
• Application should be submitted to; uganda@afap-partnership.org  and cc dsemakula@afap-partnership.org 
• Deadline for submission of applications: Monday 9th December 2024. Please note, only candidates who have been shortlisted will be contacted. We appreciate your interest in becoming part of the AFAP team.

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