Consultancy – Gender Expert, CFYE Kenya

Project Overview and Role:

The Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE) is a 7-year and €134 million programme funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that aims to create a prosperous future for 230,000 young women and men in the Middle East, North Africa, Sahel & West Africa, and Horn of Africa regions. The Fund will be supporting initiatives in 12 focus countries that will offer youth, in particular young women, opportunities for work that is demand-driven and productive, offering a stable income and safe working conditions, and that is contributing to their personal development and social protection.
The portfolio of projects is selected from business cases that were proposed by private sector, civil society, and knowledge institutions. Each business case has outlined scalable solutions for creating more and better jobs and income generating opportunities for youth. Solutions in particular focus on an integrated approach that addresses the shortcomings on the demand side (jobs) and supply side (skills) and bridging the mismatch between these two in the labour market.

Assignment Overview:

A selection of CFYE implementing partners (IP/s) need targeted and contextualized support to attain their gender targets as they create jobs for youth, with at least 50% being for women. The support is needed for IPs across the sectors in the Kenya portfolio but especially in predominantly male dominated sectors like construction, digital sector including gig jobs, waste sector in specific stages of the value chain.
A selection of the CFYE implementing partners have participated in a gender sprint and targeted follow ups are required in effectively rolling out their actions to improve their gender targets.  This TA will also help identify other barriers (specific to the sector mentioned), and whether those have also been expressly targeted in the IP action plans.
The expert will work with CFYE to advise and accompany the workplan implementation for implementing partners to attain gender targets and establish learnings for the fund.  This will also be a great way to test and validate some of the CFYE Gender Tools.
The expert will report to CFYE’s Country Lead in Kenya and work together with other relevant staff including the Social Impact TA rep for Kenya and the Gender experts at CFYE headquarters level.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities: 

The main objective of this assignment is to:

1) Preparatory Actions:
– Review the Youth Impact Growth Matrix scores on Gender-Inclusive Practice (building block 10) and gender performance  indicators from QPRs (Quarterly performance Reviews).
– Review the CFYE Gender Tools including Diagnostic & Gender Action Plan, in coordination with the Gender Advisor of the  CFYE. Make Country Specific Adaptations to the tools where necessary.
– In direct collaboration with the Kenya Country Team, develop a workplan including the cross-section of IPs to work with.
– Compile & share monthly assignment progress reports clearly indicating the SMART indicators achieved. 

2) Country-Level Actions:
a) Country-Portfolio Level Actions:
– Organize a Gender Business Clinic and meet with selected IPs and female employees to understand gender challenges.
– Interact with potential female employees to understand stereotypes, biases, motivations, and challenges in specific job  sectors. In collaboration with CFYE Youth Advisory Pool. This will be done in other sectors, considering the Waste sector will be  covered through the upcoming Youth led research in the waste sector.
– Build capacity of Kenya Country team & IPs on CFYE Gender Tools as a follow-up to the Gender Design Sprint
– Participate in learning sessions on Gender across the several countries/portfolios where CFYE is active. 

b) IP-Specific Actions:
– Conduct gender analysis at different organizational levels (understand existing barriers, and other barriers not documented  by the IP against their current action plans) and document best practices. View existing documents, policies, workplans,  training tools & methodologies IP already has in place through a Gender lens.
– Provide advisory support in consultative meetings with IPs leadership to promote gender inclusiveness and meaningful youth  participation (especially women) participation in project implementation and towards targets.
– Conduct CFYE Gender Diagnostics and Develop/or advise on the contextualized Gender Actions Plans to offer customized  solutions and coaching for improved recruitment, retention, inclusive policies, and organizational culture transformation.
– Provide mentoring activities to the IP to facilitate implementing the Gender Action Plan (including Gender smart  interventions). 

Deliverables:

1) Country Portfolio-Level Deliverables:
– Gender learning on key insights, including successful approaches, best practices, tools that work and case studies in the  different sectors.
– Workplan with monthly progress on achieved indicators.
– CFYE Gender Diagnostic & Gender Action Plan reviewed and adapted to country context (where needed)
– Recorded community of practice (COPs) /Business clinics facilitated by the gender expert, to be recorded as a resource for  other IPs. 
2) IP-Specific Deliverables:
– Gender Analysis of selected IP’s.
– Developed tested and proven recommendations on embedding Gender for IPs in specific sectors and Gender Action Plans.
– Documented Gender progress of selected IPs. 

Level of Effort and Reporting:
Up to 67 days over a period of 8 months (9th January 2024 – 30th August 2024). The assignment will start in or by January 2024.

Required Qualifications:

– Extensive experience with corporate social responsibility, gender policies, implementation and advisory, gender economic empowerment, Gender inclusion in Kenya.
– Experience and demonstrated result in integrations of gender in programming in the Private Sector.
– A demonstrated understanding of issues and challenges related to gender in male dominated sectors i.e., construction, digital sector, waste, agriculture, and creative sectors.
– Ability to work independently as well as take an advisory role with multiple stakeholders in a time-pressured environment.
– Cross cultural awareness and ability to work with diverse partners.
– Good understanding of developing training modules and facilitation.
– Experience in conducting gender analysis and ability to implement existing CFYE gender analysis tools.
– Experience in supporting partners develop and follow through gender action plans.
– Experience with mentoring, setting up workshops or learning events on gender.
– Good understanding of gender issues in the Kenyan context.

Core Competencies:

The selected organization/consultant should demonstrate that it possesses the following core competencies:
– Affinity with, and mindset of, a gender expert
– Strong interpersonal skills
– Great communication skills
– Ability to work independently.
– Business Analytical skills
– Strong writing and visual skills to (co-) deliver the agreed upon deliverables.

How to Apply:

Apply on the website by sending a cover letter explaining how you match the role. Attach your CV which should not be more than 3 pages. Kindly note that we are reviewing the applications on a rolling basis.

Deadline: 24 November, 2023

About Palladium

Palladium is a global leader in the design, development and delivery of Positive Impact – the intentional creation of enduring social and economic value.

We work with foundations, investors, governments, corporations, communities and civil society to formulate strategies and implement solutions that generate lasting social, environmental and financial benefits. For the past 50 years, we have been making Positive Impact possible. With a team of more than 2,500 employees operating in 90 plus countries and a global network of more than 35,000 technical experts, Palladium has improved – and is committed to continuing to improve – economies, societies and most importantly, people’s lives.

Palladium is a child-safe organisation, and screens applicants for suitability to work with children. We also provide equal employment to all participants and employees without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, veteran or marital status.