Consultancy to Contextualize Gender Mainstreaming in the Chimanimani context in the Nature + Program

Background of the organization
Towards Sustainable Use of Resources Organization (TSURO) Trust) is a Community-based
Organization that was formed in the year 2000 to strengthen the capacity of rural
communities in Chimanimani district and to empower rural communities to engage in
sustainable agriculture and natural resource management. TSURO Trust uses bottom-up,
holistic, multi-sectoral, and socially inclusive approaches to reach out to marginalized
members of society. The organization has current presence in 3 districts of Manicaland
province, Zimbabwe: Chimanimani, Chipinge, and Buhera. TSURO focuses on four major
areas of intervention: Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resources Management
(SANRM), Public Environmental Health (PEH), Livelihoods/ Economic strengthening (ES), and
Community Capacity Development and Organizational Development. TSURO is currently
implementing the Nature Positive Food Systems (Nature+) project in Chimanimani region
focusing on the Nemakonde landscape of Chimanimani district. This project works very
closely with Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Mozambique who are also
implementing the Nature+ project in the buffer zone of Chimanimani national park, in
Sussundenga district, in Mozambique.

Background of the Consultancy  
The Nature-Positive Food Systems for Climate Change Adaptation in East and Southern
Africa (in short: ‘Nature+’) program will foster nature-positive food systems for enhanced
climate change adaptation. The Nature+ program will scale up nature-based solutions (NBS),
promote climate-resilient livelihoods based on the sustainable use of biodiversity, and
improve landscape governance systems, especially for women, girls, and other vulnerable
groups. To increase the capacity to adapt to future climate change impacts and enhance
ecosystem management, partners will also work to increase the decision-making and
leadership of women and other marginalized groups in community and landscape
governance systems. Implemented by ten local partners, nine Foodgrains Bank member
agencies, and three technical support partners, the Nature+ program has funding support
from Global Affairs Canada for operations until March 31, 2026. This program will target a
representative set of Afromontane and sub-Afromontane landscapes across sub-Saharan
Africa: buffer zones surrounding the Chimanimani National Park in Mozambique and
Zimbabwe; four separate landscapes in Ethiopia (the Dinik watershed in Ginir woreda; the
Anjeb river basin in Goncha siso Enese and Enarj Enawuga woredas; Komto mountain in
Wayu Tuka woreda; and the Solkuwa mountain watershed in Humbo woreda) and four
contiguous areas in one landscape surrounding the Athi River in Kitui and Makueni counties
in Kenya.    

The project outcomes are:

• Improved low carbon, climate resilient economies in rural areas of Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe for enhanced well-being of communities, especially women, girls, and other vulnerable groups.
• Enhanced climate resilient livelihoods in targeted landscapes, based on the sustainable use of biodiversity, especially for women, girls, and other vulnerable groups.  
• Increased decision-making and leadership of women and other vulnerable people in community and landscape level governance systems for improved biodiversity and climate change adaptation  

Scope and Purpose of Consultancy  
Nature Plus is seeking the services of a qualified consultant or consulting firm to support
program and partner staff in contextualizing and integrating gender mainstreaming in the
implementation and reporting of the Nature+ Program. This will be done through the
delivery of a multi-day training in the Gender Action Learning Systems (GALS) approach,
coupled with the facilitation of a one-day learning session that captures the strategies and
stories of change that individual partner agencies have seen thus far in their efforts to
empower women in community leadership and to address household level gender
inequalities in the Nature+ Program. The GALS training will support partner agencies in
implementing a tailor-made approach that align the GALS principles with project –level
efforts to address local climate challenges.

Objectives of the consultancy 

 
Overall Objective  
To train Nature+ staff, partner staff on the use of GALS (Gender Action Learning
Systems) in the implementation of the Nature+ program and to support Nature+ in
capturing the gender strategies and changes that have happened for women and other
vulnerable groups thus far.

Specific Objectives  

• To equip participants with the knowledge and skills needed to integrate gender considerations into Nature+ program effectively to enhance participants ability to implement gender-responsive strategies that promote equality and empowerment.
• To develop participants skills in integrating gender perspectives into project implementation and evaluation and also to use GALS tools technique to assess gender dynamics and identify gender specific needs and opportunities for program participants.
• In consultation with the CFGB Nature+ M&E Manager, Africa develop tools for reporting and monitoring and evaluation that will enable tracking progress and impact of gender methodologies especially GALS training on gender equality and sustainability in the communities Nature+ is engaging.  

Deliverables/Outputs  

The trainers shall deliver the following:   

• Training curriculum: Contextualize gender curriculums especially those using participatory approaches and especially the one using GALS principles, focusing on gender equality, gender transformation, and sustainable practices in nature positive food systems.  
• Workshop Resources: Prepare and share training resources, which may include presentations and handouts, schedules, online materials, and schedules for practical activities in the field that support interactive learning.
• Action Plans: Deliver the training to the participants in person for the required period. Prepare and share a training report at the end of the training and share customized action plans detailing specific steps for implementing the learned practices in their specific communities.  
• Monitoring and Evaluation: in consultation with gender and protection specialist and the Nature+ M&E Manager, Africa, develop a monitoring, reporting and evaluation framework with tools and indicators that will assess the impact of the GALS training on gender equality and gender transformation in the communities practicing nature-positive food systems.   

Duration of Assignment  
The facilitator should be available for the assignment starting from October 2024.
  
Application requirement  
The facilitator should have experience in building capacity in GALS (Gender Action Learning
Systems) and applying Gender Transformative Approaches, with an advanced degree in
Social Sciences/Gender/ Agriculture, or related field. Experience working with M&E in
climate change, livelihoods and/ or agriculture projects is an added advantage.  
The Consultant/facilitator will be evaluated based on the technical portion of the proposal
and financial capacity/demands. The key factors that will be considered will include but not
limited to the academic qualifications of the team, previous work experience,
methodological/technical aspects of carrying out the study and technical expertise in
related areas and financial aspects.  
  

The consultant should provide the following:  

• A technical proposal detailing understanding of the task, proposed methodologies of the consultancy, expected activities and deliverables (must be submitted in PDF format).   
• Financial proposal submitted in United States Dollars (subsistence, meals, accommodation, transport and all logistics costs incurred by the consultant and their team during the assignment shall be covered by TSURO Trust)   
• A detailed work plan for the activity to be carried out as per the proposed contract  
• Detailed CVs of all professionals(s) who will work on the Consultancy Assignment.  
• A Certificate of Incorporation/Business Registration if applying as a firm.  
• A valid tax compliance certificate if applying as a firm.
• At least three references from their previous clients and the full contact details of the referees.  

NB: The firm/individual consultant shall not be sanctioned or blacklisted by any government
or institution.   
Application procedure  
Please send in a short but detailed technical and cost proposal with an itemized budget and
the proposed timeframe in response to the above scope and intended deliverables to
banhwaadelin@gmail.com; cc smwacheza@foodgrainsbank.ca
; clusweti@foodgrainsbank.ca ; mashingaidzeo@yahoo.com ; kudzaip03@gmail.com
The email submission should have “Application for GALS Consultancy” as the subject line of
your email response latest by 30/09/2024 1700hrs