Local Expert in Gender Equality 

Proposed Assignment Local Expert in Gender Equality 

Activity Name Translate APLA’s Gender Mainstreaming Approach into an Action Plan.

Background of the Country Programme and expected results

The Association of Palestinian Local Authorities- APLA in partnership with The Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG) is implementing (Area "C" Resilience Development Initiative) – ARD Project. The project is co-financed largely by the European Union which aims at enhancing Palestinian Local Authorities contribution to governance and development processes in Area C, and partially funded by IDEAL- Palestine Programme, which is funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs office in Palestine. 

ARD project aims at strengthening the institutional and operational capacities of APLA to enable it to better advocate for and lobby on issues related to Area C on behalf of its members (Local Authorities) LAs.

Context for current Terms of Reference

Culture and social practices in Palestine determine different gender roles for men and women, but also define different needs that should be taken into consideration. Similarly, these factors tend to hinder women from accessing and benefiting from available resources. APLA’s policies should be defined to ensure that different needs are considered and that they are empowering both men and women. The output of APLA’s Gender Quality Action Plan should create the right conditions for women to have a more equal access to the decision-making process at the local level.

The Palestinian Government’s policies in the National Policy(NPA) Agenda had been assessed in terms of their impact on women and girls and the ways in which they advance principles of gender equality. At the local level, APLA will work on gender mainstreaming practices to provide tools to ensure that the principles of gender equality are integrated into its policy, legislative drafting and related planning and budgeting processes.

The National Policies and Policy Interventions under National Priority 7 of the NPA, state clearly the importance of Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment. And to remove barriers that prevent the full participation of women in community and economic development and public life. The National Policy 9, assures to institutionalize gender mainstreaming in policy-making, planning and budgeting. Because of the importance of this point, the Action Plan should take into consideration the importance of achieving gender equality in attaining sustainable economic growth, equality in decision making and reducing inequalities. 

Palestinian municipalities can create better conditions for economic growth and generate more employment opportunities, through more effective, gender sensitive and responsive services. Additionally, Palestinian municipalities should make sure that decision-making processes at the local level are more inclusive, gender sensitive and transparent, and must work to remove barriers that prevent the full participation of women in community and economic development and public life in LGUs.

Enhancing gender equality within APLA and LGUs is a cross-cutting specific objective in APLA’s strategic plan. 

NB: APLAs Gender Mainstreaming Action Plan to be implemented within the timeframe of APLA Mid-term Strategic Plan. 

Aim of this assignment

Is to have a local Gender Expert to translate APLA’s Gender Mainstreaming Concept Note into an Action Plan.  

Activities to be performed

In realization of the aim of the assignment, the expert shall perform the following activities:

• Develop gender mainstreaming action plan with well-defined KPIs assumptions, risks and clear time-frame.
• Provide high quality expertise and guidance on effective ways to mainstream gender within LG policies, plans and work procedures.
• Provide high quality expertise and guidance on effective ways to mainstream gender within LAs researches, studies and policy papers. 
• Review APLA’s strategic plan and assure the integration of gender equality strategies and policies.
• Review of APLA’s overall budget and assure the integration of gender equality strategies and policies.
• Review APLA’s Communication Guideline and promote and spearhead the Lobbying and Advocacy work of the organization focusing on gender.

• Set up directions to help APLA in the search for other financing, and providing management with analysis of the potential and relevant funding opportunities in relation to gender equality.

Outputs (expected deliverables)

The Expert shall produce gender mainstreaming action plan with well-defined KPIs, assumptions, risks matrix and clear time-frame.

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Minimum Qualifications

The Expert should have the following minimum requirements:

• A Master degree in relevant education at academic level, preferably in gender and development related fields.
• Substantial knowledge about gender issues in Palestine and familiarity with innovative approaches to address gender problems and to promote gender equality.
• Demonstrable recent and substantial work experience (at least 5 years) with gender equality and women’s rights programs in local government sector.
• Experience from working with human rights-based approach.
• Excellent reporting and communication skills.
• Very good experience on capacity building and good facilitation skills.
• Analytical thinking skills.
• Excellent written and spoken command of English and Arabic language.

Approximate number of working days and planning

The allocated level of effort to perform the aforementioned activities is Five (5) working days in total.

The local expert will submit their time sheets and invoices using the VNG templates and formats.

Note: Holidays and vacation, and days of illness are not considered as working days. Holidays are the national official holidays.

Period of the assignment

The assignment will be implemented during the period starts on 21st of June 2020 and ends on 18th of July 2020. 

Place of the assignment

APLA’s Office, 10 Jabra Al-Anqar Street- 2nd Floor- Safad Building- Al-Masion- Ramallah- Palestine, P.C: 6022969. 

Reporting requirements

In addition to the aforementioned deliverables, and, the Expert shall submit:

• Final report.

Routing of the reporting occurs according to the following guidelines:

1. The expert will work in close collaboration with the ARD Project Manager to ensure alignment of the activities.
2. The expert will ensure that a proper level of information prior to, during and after the activity is provided to ARD Project Manager.
3. The expert will report directly to the Project Manager at VNG.

Contact details of the Project coordinator

Experts are requested to submit their application form that consists of: cover letter, proposed work plan with timelines for deliverables, CV indicating three previous supervisors, technical and financial offer by COB Sunday, 4 June 2020.

Please indicate your ability, availability and daily rate to undertake the ToR above.

Applications to be sent to:

Resources (background information):