Background & Context
Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.
The Gender and Youth Activity (GAYA) is an Associate Award under the IDEAL project, funded by USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), with Save the Children as the prime and Mercy Corps as the sub-awardee. GAYA works to improve the quality and impact of emergency and non-emergency food security and resilience activities by addressing the barriers and challenges implementing partners (IPs) face when integrating gender and youth within their work. Mercy Corps and Save the Children started work on this five-year award in late August 2021.
GAYA has two intermediate results:
- IR1: BHA IP staff demonstrate improved application of gender and youth resources and research from peer learning activities.
- IR2: BHA IP staff demonstrate improved application of gender and youth analyses.
GAYA’s current activities include:
- Nourishing Inclusion:The blog series offers a platform for a diverse group of food security IPs to share their experiences and learning around gender and youth integration.
- Regional BHA Emergency Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Workshops: GAYA facilitated sessions on gender and youth topics in MEL at two regional emergency program workshops.
- Cultivate Fellowship: GAYA offers this capacity-strengthening opportunity for field-based emergency and resilience food security activity (RFSA) implementers who are interested in using qualitative methods to increase gender and youth inclusion. Over three months, members participate in both an in-person workshop, online meetings, and independent work to develop innovative solutions to increase gender and youth inclusion in their programs.
- Refine and Implement (R&I) Year Engagement: GAYA tailors in-person and online workshops to support the development, implementation, and integration of gender and youth research into RFSA program design and implementation.
- Small Grants Program (SGP): GAYA oversees three small grants on gender and youth topics, including youth labor market assessment, identifying and tailoring emergency programs based on the needs of young people, and capacity strengthening on gender and youth topics in MEL for African organizations.
- *Stakeholder Consultations (SHCs):*GAYA convenes annual SHCs with IPs and BHA, when available, to brainstorm solutions to key challenges in gender and youth integration in RFSAs.
This Statement of Work (SoW) provides the framework for a joint midcycle learning exercise and the program’s annual survey (IP Survey) for a consultant. The purpose of the midcycle learning exercise is to assess the relevance, coherence, effectiveness, and sustainability of the GAYA Activity. The midcycle learning exercise will inform the readiness of GAYA to execute its intermediate results during the end of Year 3 and all of Years 4 and 5 of the award and will provide concrete solutions for any proposed adaptations recommended. The purpose of the IP Survey is to collect routine, annual data to assess the gender and youth integration knowledge, attitudes, and practices of IPs and several of GAYA’s annual quantitative indicators. The midcycle learning exercise and IP Survey are being combined this year to reduce stakeholder fatigue, as there is overlap in the stakeholder groups. They are, however, two distinct assignments with discrete deliverables for each.
Objectives and Scope of Assignment
The primary purpose of the midcycle learning exercise is to take stock of GAYA’s workstreams implemented to-date and ensure that they are relevant to and effective for GAYA stakeholders. The midcycle learning exercise will:
- Inform activity leadership on the effectiveness of GAYA’s efforts to date to improve gender and youth integration.
- Provide recommendations for the GAYA team structure and programming to better meet the needs of the food security implementing community. Specifically, determine if the GAYA Activity is appropriately structured to best influence stakeholders (IPs, other stakeholders, and BHA) to achieve its workstream goals (see section above).
The midcycle learning exercise should be focused on strategic and participatory reflection on completed activities and the current Year 3 Work Plan to inform and improve the quality, reach, and breadth of GAYA’s programming through the Life of Award (LOA).
The secondary purpose of this consultancy is to share useful, collected data back with the IPs themselves by building upon existing interactive web-hosted dashboards.
Midcycle Learning Exercise
RELEVANCE
Assess the degree to which GAYA’s functional and organizational design enables the activity to meet its goal and purposes.
- Specifically, is GAYA’s strategic direction and programming around its work streams appropriate to meet BHA and IP needs in Year 4 and Year 5?
Assess the extent that GAYA fills a necessary gap in implementing partner organizations?
COHERENCE
Assess the degree to which GAYA is fit for purpose and fits into the system as a whole, specifically:
- Are GAYA staffing and workstreams appropriately structured to support the goal of improving the quality and impact of emergency and non-emergency food security and resilience activities by addressing the barriers and challenges IPs face when integrating gender and youth within their work?
- Is GAYA’s current size and structure appropriate to meet the continuing IP and BHA needs and to achieve its purposes and goal? The structure includes the functional teams within GAYA as well as the working relationships with its Associate Awards, IPs, BHA, and other stakeholders.
- To what extent does GAYA fit within the larger food security and resilience support ecosystem, and which linkages are most tied to the success of GAYA’s interventions?
- To what extent does GAYA fit within the larger emergency food security support ecosystem, and which linkages are most tied to the success of GAYA’s interventions?
EFFECTIVENESS
Assess if the GAYA activity is being implemented effectively. Identify barriers the activity encountered and assess if the activity adapted appropriately. Specifically:
- What is working and what is not working, and why? Are GAYA’s internal processes and ways of working effectively achieving their desired outputs and outcomes?
- What changes can be made to strengthen and enhance GAYA’s performance through the LOA?
- To what extent has the GAYA activity been successful in achieving its stated objectives/outcomes and meeting its reporting targets?
- To what extent are GAYA’s reporting indicators in the most recent Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Plan appropriate? Is the internal monitoring system sufficient to capture and report on progress towards indicators?
SUSTAINABILITY
Assess the GAYA’s current preparedness for the activity’s completion. The consultant will have access to GAYA’s current thinking on sustainability. The consultant will examine which activities will not (or should not) be sustained, which ones will (and can) be sustained, and if any are somewhere in the middle (partial sustainability)? Specifically:
- Building off of GAYA’s current thinking of the sustainability of activities, which activities, improvements, changes, or learnings will continue after the end of activity support? What additional supports are required?
- Have GAYA IP stakeholders begun to establish their own capacity to do capacity strengthening?
IP Survey
In addition to the research questions, this consultancy aims to measure the following relevant performance indicators (as outlined in GAYA’s M&E Plan):
- Percentage of respondents applying GAYA-promoted behaviors following participation in GAYA activities.
- Percentage of respondents participating in GAYA activities reporting use of gender and youth resources and research.
- Percentage of respondents participating in GAYA gender and youth analysis/assessment capacity strengthening, reporting improved application of gender and youth analyses.
- Percentage of GAYA activity participants who self-identify as “implementing staff” with favorable attitudes towards using gender and youth analysis/assessment findings or MEL data to inform or adapt IP program design.
- Percentage reporting that GAYA activities are accessible.
- Percentage of participants reporting that their learning needs relevant to the GAYA activity were met.
GAYA anticipates that the measurement of these quantitative indicators—through the IP survey—will yield valuable insights for some of GAYA’s “effectiveness” research questions and will be further triangulated/explored through qualitative data collection outside of the IP survey.
GAYA also anticipates that the qualitative components of this research would measure GAYA’s qualitative performance indicator: Programs reached by GAYA with increased program changes or adaptations as a result of gender and youth analysis/assessment findings or monitoring, evaluation, and learning data.
Design and Methods
The methodology will employ a mixed-method approach, combining quantitative and qualitative methods to capture a comprehensive understanding of the GAYA program’s effectiveness, relevance, and sustainability.
This will include a detailed review of existing sources of GAYA data, primary quantitative research through the IP survey, and primary qualitative research with GAYA participants and stakeholders. The Evaluation Team will propose a detailed methodology aligned with GAYA’s M&E Plan and share this with GAYA for approval before data collection.
It is expected the consultant will first conduct a desk review and interview GAYA leadership to inform the final methodology. Findings from the desk review will inform the methods and tools utilized for primary quantitative and qualitative data collection.
The mid-term evaluation is expected to primarily utilize qualitative methods, although using secondary quantitative data may be helpful for some lines of inquiry. GAYA will provide the evaluation team with full access to monitoring data and activity documentation. A detailed evaluation protocol will then be developed by the evaluators.
IP Survey
As with past GAYA IP surveys, this survey will measure the gender and youth knowledge, attitudes, and practices of IPs via an opt-in online survey distributed to IPs via email.
Importantly, the IP Survey has historically provided a means by which GAYA could share IP Survey data with respondents via dashboards. These PowerBI dashboards currently incorporate disaggregated data in an easy-to-use format, hosted on the FSN website. It is expected that the consultant will build from these existing dashboards by adding a new round of data collection (Y3 IP Survey) and, ideally, by improving the functionality and accessibility of the dashboards. The existing dashboards will incorporate:
- Organizational key performance indicators to allow organizations that generate sufficient responses to measure their own key questions.
- A “real-time” dashboard linked at the end of the survey, which individuals could click to see the aggregated responses to date.
- A summary dashboard through which implementers could view and filter global IP results.
- Customized organizational dashboards for participants from organizations who submitted a sufficient number of responses.
The consultant will be responsible for translating and verifying translations for the survey tool into French, Spanish, Arabic, and Russian and/or Ukrainian. Bidders should assume translation and verification in the same languages.
SAMPLING
The sampling approach for both the quantitative and qualitative components of this SOW will be discussed and agreed upon between the selected consultant and GAYA during the inception phase of this consultancy.
Two important data collection activities will continue in line with previously collected data:
- Quantitative – IP Survey: As GAYA’s primary participants are BHA IPs, and the true size of this population is difficult to estimate, GAYA’s approach to sampling for prior IP surveys has emphasized including respondents from a variety of regions, types of roles, and types of programs. As a result, this voluntary sample is non-random and non-representative. There are no specific sampling criteria as the survey is designed to be open to anyone who receives the link.
- As with past surveys, GAYA will direct email the survey link to over 1,500 unique individuals – representing a diversity of BHA-funded countries, types of programs (RFSA and emergency), GAYA participants/non-participants, and staff types. GAYA will also share the survey via the FSN and LinkedIn to approximately 2,000 subscribers. Finally, GAYA anticipates sharing the survey link with BHA for forwarding to priority survey countries.
- Qualitative –Cultivate Fellowship (cohort two) ex-post assessment interviews: GAYA anticipates that this would involve reviewing the GAYA-authored ex post report (from cohort one), adapting the two sets of interview tools (one fellow-facing and one leadership-facing), and then using those tools to evaluate the second Cultivate Fellowship cohort in August 2024 (a total of 14 interviews). Interview respondents would be purposively selected to maximize the diversity of program type, gender, and position.
In addition to prior data collection activities, GAYA anticipates that this consultancy would deploy qualitative methods to engage other GAYA stakeholders (potentially including GAYA team members, BHA, IDEAL and Associate Awards, and IPs). GAYA suggests a purposive sampling approach to gather rich and diverse perspectives, considering factors such as frequency/depth of GAYA participation, role, region, and program type.
DISAGGREGATION
Disaggregation categories for both qualitative and quantitative data should include: position type (program leadership, gender or youth technical expert, other implementation staff), level, gender, age, language used in survey or FGD, region of program implementation, type of IP program (emergency or RFSA), role, and number of GAYA activities in which they participate(d).
OTHER METHODOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS
The selected consultant will be asked to provide a data analysis plan and propose design considerations related to validity and reliability, triangulation, data cleaning, ethical considerations, and informed consent. In addition, GAYA notes the following key considerations:
- Study population: GAYA understands IP staff to include the following: headquarters staff, regional hub staff, country staff, field implementation staff, sub-awardee or partner staff, and local organization staff, inclusive of entry, mid, and senior-level professionals across regions and geographies, and across both BHA emergency and RFSA programming. IPs also include technical experts, program directors/managers/chiefs of party, gender experts, youth experts, and field officers. The study population also potentially includes GAYA team members, BHA, IDEAL, and Associate Awards. Additional categories of IPs may be identified by the consultant or through conversations with the consultant, GAYA, and BHA.
- Shifting power through research: Every effort should be made by the consultant to employ non-extractive, decolonized data collection methods—in essence, to shift power from GAYA and the consultant to IPs themselves. The dashboards described above have historically been the primary example of this non-extractive commitment in action.
EXISTING PROGRAM INFORMATION SOURCES
Relevant sources of information to learn about the program and determine its outcomes and impact include:
- YR 1, YR 2, and YR 3 Work Plans
- YR 1 and YR2 MEL plans
- YR 1 and YR 2 IP survey reports, disaggregated data tables, dashboards, and data collection tools
- YR 1, YR2, and YR3 Semi-Annual and Annual Reports, including Indicator Performance Tracking Tables
- Ex-post evaluation interview tools, data, and analysis report for Cultivate fellowship cohort 1
- Stakeholder Consultation event report
- GAYA-developed resources, including the evidence brief, action planning template, gender and youth core competencies, nourishing inclusion blog posts, and step-by-step guidance
- List of GAYA-behaviors
- GAYA learning agenda
- All of these information sources will be included in the desk review performed by the selected consultant through research.
- The GAYA Application
- Original GAYA RFA
Consultant Deliverables
The outline below suggests tentative timeframes, activities, and outputs—and is subject to further review and revision by the selected consultant.
- Scoping and desk review: April – May 2024
- Combined: inception report and data analysis plan
- IP Survey: quantitative survey protocol and draft data dashboards
- Midcycle learning exercise: qualitative data collection tools and a report on the results of the desk review
- Survey questionnaire revision and translation: May 2024
- IP survey: translated drafts of the survey questionnaire in Excel and Ona
- Survey real-time analysis and qualitative data collection: June – August 2024
- Combined: validation workshop with GAYA and BHA
- IP survey: disaggregated data tables and revised data dashboards
- Midcycle learning exercise: qualitative transcripts and coding
- Review, feedback, finalization and communicating out: August – September 2024
- Combined: 15-page report and summary slide deck
- IP survey: updated organizational and global data sharing dashboards, updated Performance Indicator Reference Sheets (PIRS), and DDL codebook
- Midcycle learning exercise: 2–3 program case studies
Deliverable Requirements
GAYA/BHA-facing deliverables should be copy-edited, clearly written, branded, and marked. GAYA will provide the report template and branding/marking guidance.
GAYA/BHA-facing deliverables include:
- Inception Report – including a detailed methodology for data collection, a finalized work plan, a data analysis plan, as well as the following annexes:
- Quantitative survey protocol,
- Qualitative data collection tools,
- Draft data dashboards, and
- Report on the results of the desk review.
- Translated drafts of survey questionnaires in excel and Ona.
- Facilitated workshop with GAYA and BHA to validate findings and recommendations.
- Final report – This report should focus on consolidating key findings and actionable recommendations from collected quantitative and qualitative data, and build upon previously existing resources. The success of this report is related to its usefulness and ability to triangulate key findings from multiple sources and should not exceed 15 pages. The report should include a 2–3 page executive summary that can function as a standalone document, and based on the conclusions the consultant will develop the summary slide deck, which will be the publishable output from this document. This report will include the following annexes:
- Disaggregated data tables (in Excel) showing comparisons between YR1, YR2, and YR3 IP survey results for each question and disaggregation type. These tables can build on existing tables from the YR1 and YR2 surveys.
- Qualitative transcripts and coding.
- Updated Performance Indicator Reference Sheets (PIRS) – to include revisions to GAYA indicators measured through the IP survey.
- Codebook for submission to the USAID Development Data Library (DDL) per guidance.
IP-facing deliverables will be published externally and thus need to meet 508-compliance standards, in addition to being copy-edited, clearly written, branded, and marked. GAYA will share 508-compliance guidance with the selected consultant.
IP-facing deliverables include:
- Summary slide deck with major findings and recommendations from the research, based on the above-described report.
- Updated real time, organizational, and global data sharing dashboards – Expanding upon existing real time (1), organizational (max 10) and global (1) data sharing dashboards with bullet point findings and suggestions for data use. Previous iterations of these dashboards will be shared with the consultant.
- 2-3 program case studies – investigating three to five specific program success stories or challenges in detail to understand their context and contributing factors. These should be 1-2 page case studies focused on how IPs’ work has been impacted by GAYA.
The GAYA team will be available to:
- Provide feedback on all deliverables.
- Provide report template and guidance on branding and compliance.
- Guide communications with external stakeholders.
- Support linkages with BHA and assist with engaging BHA where feedback, guidance, and approvals are required.
- Provide required information for connecting with external stakeholders for the survey.
- Develop one-page guidance on how IPs can use the survey results—specifically how to conduct a sensemaking process for IPs to take forward at their organization and team levels.
- Facilitate an action planning workshop, based on findings, with the IP community.
Timeframe / Schedule
The anticipated length of this consultancy is from approximately April 1 – September 30, 2024. GAYA anticipates this consultancy will take approximately 80 working days total over 5 months. The consultant will charge Mercy Corps for the days used, not the estimated level of effort.
The consultant will report to the GAYA Activity Director.
Required Experience & Skills
- 5-10 years experience in a relevant technical field
- Experience as lead evaluator conducting research and evaluation for international humanitarian or development learning projects, especially those supported by USAID/BHA.
- Extensive experience with both quantitative and qualitative research, and/or mixed methods research methodologies, including survey design, implementation, and analysis.
- Experience with research or evaluations focusing on gender, youth, and/or global learning activities.
- Prior experience working in human-centered design and social behavior change principles is preferred.
- Strong proficiency in data analysis and statistical software.
- Experience with qualitative data analysis methods, including coding and thematic analysis.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
- Experience with ethical considerations and informed consent in research.
- Understanding of power dynamics and the importance of shifting power through research.
- Experience with knowledge management and communicating complex findings to diverse audiences.
GAYA is flexible to team composition, roles, and responsibilities arrangements proposed by the consultant, the selected consultant is expected to meet the required experience and skills mentioned in this scope of work (above). The consultant team should have expertise in all the areas mentioned above and be able to assemble additional support for translation and facilitation in different languages if needed.
Proposal Requirements
Total proposal must be less than 10 pages, excluding annexes/attachments.
Proposal must include the following:
- Description of the individual and or firm and their relevant experience
- Proposed approach (not a full methodology)
- Proposed team structure
- Budget (including a breakdown of expected LOE and cost per deliverable)
Annexes/attachments should include:
- CVs of all team members
- Two samples of previous work demonstrating a range of methodologies.
Proposals will be accepted on a rolling basis through March 29, 2024
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.
We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening, and evolving to become more diverse, equitable, and inclusive than we are today.
Equal Employment Opportunity
We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.
Safeguarding & Ethics
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our stakeholders and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring, and evaluation of our field projects. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs, and Mercy Corps’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.