Develop a Gender, Youth & Social Inclusion Strategy for a Kenyan Nonprofit

USAID-Funded Farmer-to-Farmer Access to Finance Program

Develop a Gender, Youth & Social Inclusion Strategy for a Kenyan Nonprofit

Description of the Program:

Improving Economies for Stronger Communities (IESC) serves as the lead implementer for the Farmer-to-Farmer Access to Finance Program (F2F A2F) to address deficits in the financial ecosystem hindering investment and growth in agriculture for individual farmers, as well as micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises through the delivery of volunteer technical assistance. IESC has designed a thematic F2F program to generate sustainable, broad-based economic growth and create jobs in the agricultural sector with a special focus on assistance to women and youth. Focusing on Kenya, Tanzania, and Liberia, the F2F A2F Program will work with local partner organizations and volunteer hosts to field pro bono experts from the U.S. agriculture, corporate, and banking sectors to address systemic capacity constraints for farmers and lenders in each targeted country and unlock finance for improved agricultural production leading to utilization of agricultural technologies and increased sales and incomes.

Problem Statement:

F2F A2F Program in Kenya has partnered with a Kenyan nonprofit organization that supports small holder farmers and Agri SMEs to increase productivity, income, and competitive job creation. It pursues this goal through capacity building which includes skills development, technical support, business advisory, and financial and market linkages. The organization wants to formulate an evidence-based gender and social inclusion strategy to better support women, youth, and other marginalized groups. Specifically, the strategy will include gender and social inclusion as a cross-cutting issue in the organization’s strategic implementation plan, including programs, policies, practices, systems, staffing, culture, and resources, to deliver on the organization’s commitment to addressing gender inequality and social exclusion. The process will involve integrating human rights approaches through a thorough analysis of existing frameworks, stakeholder perspectives, and cross-cutting issues.

Therefore, F2F A2F is recruiting a U.S. citizen or permanent resident volunteer gender expert to work alongside the nonprofit leadership and staff to develop a gender, youth, and social inclusion (GESI) strategy and action plan.

Objectives of the Assignment:

1. Map local and national stakeholder groups for future engagement, and for inclusion in the GESI analysis.
2. Conduct a GESI analysis in the project areas to identify key challenges and opportunities.
3. Develop a GESI strategy and action plan

Deliverables:

1. Gender, youth and social inclusion strategy and action plan
2. A GESI monitoring and evaluation framework
3. Trip report
4. PowerPoint presentation for debriefing purposes

Additional Travel Information:

• Volunteer experts are expected to bring their own laptop for use on assignment
• Flights, ground transportation and hotels will be booked and paid for directly by IESC
• Volunteer experts will be provided a smartphone with a local sim card for use during the assignment
• F2F A2F assignments are very engaging and a full-time commitment while in-country. Any tourism or other personal activities in-country must be conducted after the assignment is completed.
• Travel and lodging conditions may vary depending on the location of the assignment. Volunteer assignments may require extended travel via taxi to remote locations or stays in rural areas with fewer amenities. IESC can provide more information about travel and lodging during the volunteer onboarding process.

Volunteer Outreach:

USAID and IESC encourage all F2F A2F volunteers to participate in public outreach. An important objective of the program is to increase awareness of Americans’ good work in developing countries. Volunteers should select at least one outreach activity from the list below, to be completed within one month of return to the US:

• Write an entry for the IESC website.
• Post a photo, video, or text related to the F2F A2F assignment on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, personal website or other social media site, and send a link to IESC staff.
• Send a press release to a local newspaper in the volunteer’s hometown. (IESC can provide a template)
• Write something for an alumni or professional association newsletter, or other publication. (IESC can help as needed).
• Give a presentation about the F2F A2F assignment to colleagues, students, religious group, rotary club, etc.
• Send an email about F2F A2F to friends, family, or colleagues.

Requested Expertise of Volunteer Expert:

• A postgraduate university degree in social or natural sciences or other relevant discipline, preferably with a specialization in gender and social inclusion
• A minimum of 5 years’ practical experience in the field of gender equality and gender mainstreaming
• Formal training in gender analysis and gender planning and demonstrated expertise in mainstreaming gender in projects and programs
• Some understanding of the gender context in Sub Saharan Africa, and experience working with government institutions and international or non-governmental organizations
• Familiarity with gender analysis tools and methodologies
• Strong communication skills, and ability to liaise with various stakeholders, including government officials.
• Understanding of development / poverty alleviation issues, including issues relating to gender equity, youth, and other marginalized groups
• Excellent writing and reporting skills and proficiency in English
• All F2F A2F volunteer experts must be US citizens or permanent residents

Please reach out to IESC's Volunteer Engagement Associate, Rachel Hyman, with any questions- rhyman@iesc.org