Consultant- Produce Pictorial book and flip chart

Oxfam in Nepal

Oxfam has been working in Nepal since the early 1980s undertaking various development initiatives addressing the poverty and injustice faced by women and other socially and economically excluded groups. The level of Oxfam's engagement increased substantially after restoration of democracy in 1990 as it became easier for civil society to work in the new political environment. Over the years, Oxfam has worked in partnership with local civil society organisations and the government to promote rural livelihoods, and vulnerable communities' resilience to climatic shocks and disasters. It has also significantly contributed to empowering community people, especially women, to; negotiate with people in power, influence decision making processes, claim rights and essential services to which they are entitled, demand accountability on the part of duty bearers and engage larger masses in advocacy efforts. Oxfam also worked closely with UNHCR in providing assistance to Bhutanese refugees during the 1990s. Oxfam and its long term programme partners believe that the underlying structural causes and drivers of poverty must be addressed if improvements in peoples's lives are to be broad and lasting. Poverty is not one-dimensional; nor is it purely local in its causes and solutions. Therefore, Oxfam's work addresses not only material and technical change, but also the related economic, social, institutional and policy changes which are necessary to end poverty and achieve development and wellbeing. The Oxfam Nepal Vision is: The people of Nepal are empowered and work together to attain a life of dignity with justice and equal rights for all. The Overall Nepal Programme Goal is: to improve the well being of vulnerable people through strengthening their participation in development and governance processes and reducing poverty and suffering.

Details / requirements:

 

Terms of Reference for

Development and designing pictorial book and flip chart

Women’s Leadership Programme in Nepal

1.       BACKGROUND

 The value of gender inequality index of Nepal in 2013 is 0.485, with the country ranking 102nd out of 186 countries (HDI Report 2013). Social and cultural norms and practices have restricted the role of women in the public sphere, resulting in gender inequality and limited realization of women’s rights. The underlying beliefs that maintain these norms are deep-seated. The denial of women’s basic human rights is a major cause of poverty in Nepal. However, gender relations have seen some gradual change. More women are entering the job markets and engaging in public affairs making their male counterparts share some of the roles traditionally assigned to women. Women’s roles outside the households are being gradually accepted by society. Society generally wants women to fulfil both their traditional and changed roles instead of easily accepting changes to gender roles. Despite their increased presence in public sphere, women are struggling to make them heard and influence changes as they are not easily given space in decisions.

The Government is committed to Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discriminations against Women and the Beijing Platform for Action and is modifying national laws and policies to be consistent with these international commitments. The Interim Constitution of Nepal has enshrined women’s right to freedom from violence and discrimination mandating protection, empowerment and advancement of women’s interests and has guaranteed 33 percent representation at all levels of government and public institutions. Institutionalisation of an inclusive, democratic and progressive local governance system is currently at the centre of Nepal’s national aspirations to bring good governance and development interventions to the people.  However, despite the favourable environment Nepal's governance sector is characterized by a lack of timely, transparent, participatory and accountable planning and budgeting.

Development planning and budget allocation processes in practice are highly centralised, and lack transparency. Governance is dominated by local elites and politicians, while resources are often inefficiently used due to poor planning and corruption. The women, especially from Dalit and ethnic groups are not aware of legal and institutional arrangements and consequently do not participate as envisioned. However, when the participation of women in decision making at community level in a meaningful way has been supported they have shown impressive results. The previous Raising Her Voice (RHV) project supported 1,997 marginalised women to claim their space in local governance and influence their decisions to the benefit of women and the community at large. This was found to have improved management of community forests, local education, water, sanitation and health services in 82 villages, with more public money, better spent and officials more respectful of and responsive to women’s demands.

It is at the Village Development Committee (VDC) level that poor and marginalised women have the greatest potential to play a leadership role in promoting local governance that directly will improve the lives of the poorest. As the local bodies are currently devoid of elected representatives transparency and accountability towards the people has come under big question. The Village Development Plan and Budget Formulation Guidelines of the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development have clearly spelt out a 14-step participatory planning process, which calls for meaningful participation of community people including women in the local planning and budgeting processes.

2. RATIONALE

Against this background Oxfam in Nepal, as part of a global programme Raising Her Voice (RHV) Project implemented in 17 countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa with the grant support of DFID from August 2008 to September 2013. Nepal implemented the project for three years. After 2011 when the RHV funding for Nepal was over, Oxfam Nepal implemented small scale project in the same RHV communities to give continuity to poor and marginalised women leaders' initiatives to improve gender relations and local governance system in six VDCs of Surkhet and Dailekh districts.

Despite the seemingly positive political and institutional context as described in the above section Nepal has a history of poor implementation of centrally developed policies and plans. There has been some gradual shift in gender role in the homes and public, increase in  poor and marginalised women’s knowledge and skill  and subsequently their participation in decision making processes. However there is still the need to focus on the following key areas to further deepen and consolidate the achievements in the area of women’s leadership:

  • Tailored support for  further increasing women’s  knowledge, awareness, confidence and self-esteem; 
  • Strengthening women’s leadership role and influence in decisions, and enable  them to claim and advance their rights, and exercise their citizenship;
  • Improving power relations in the homes and community by engaging spouses and in-laws  of the women’s group members and other men and women in the community;
  • Improving practice of working together with allies and networks at different levels and strengthening national level policy advocacy demanding  implementation of policy provisions  related to women’s right to influence governance;
  • Equipping community level monitoring committees of women with necessary skills to effectively negotiate the process of following-up and holding decision-makers to account using findings from their work.

Therefore Oxfam in Nepal developed a new project based on the learning of RHV project to make participation and influence of poor and marginalised women in decision making more effective  by giving an impetus to shifting gender relations in the household and public domains, hence this ToR for development of production of pictorial print material.

 3. PROJECT BRIEF

The primary focus of the project will be on 1) empowerment of poor and marginalised women; 2) engaging men and in-laws in addressing gender issues, and 3) development of linkages at various levels of women’s groups and networks at local to national level advocacy forums to create a strong and broad base for shared learning, knowledge, solidarity and collective action. 4) The project will also create space for collaboration between right holders and duty bearers to build an environment of collaboration and cooperation; and focus on evidence-based advocacy generating evidence and good models, and using them as lobby and advocacy tools.

The project is to be implemented over three years from 1 April 2014 to March 2017, covering 10 VDCs of Surkhet and Makawanpur districts, and Kathmandu, especially for national level policy advocacy. It will be implemented in partnership with Women’s Association for Marginalized Women (WAM), Surkhet, Women Skill Creation Centre (WOSCC) and PRERANA: Support Group for Participatory Development, Lalitpur.

Overall Impact:Improved local governance and gender relations in 10 VDCs of Surkhet and Makawanpur districts of Nepal

Project Outcome:Increased influence of poor and marginalised women in decision-making in 40 community level governance structures including the VDC level planning process and improved gender relation in 70 % of the families of women directly supported by this project in 10 VDCs of Nepal.

Output 1: Increased participation of 1,980 poor and marginalised women in decision-making in their homes and local governance in 10 VDCs of Surkhet and Makawanpur districts of Nepal

Output 2: 1,980 poor and marginalised women have capacity to hold power holders to account for ensuring their right to equal participation in decision-making at household and public domains.

Output 3: 1,350 men actively support the poor and marginalised women’s efforts towards improving gender relations in the homes and community.

Output 4: 1,980 Poor and marginalised women directly supported by this project have increased understanding of gender equality, local governance processes and their roles and responsibilities as active citizens.

4. OBJECTIVES

 To develop and production of pictorial book and flip chart for Women Leadership Programme (WLP) 

5. SCOPE OF WORK

The Consultancy organisation will be lead and involved the highly competent and professional team to develop/design and produce pictorial book and flip chart based on consultation with partner project staff and representative of women and men of project area of Surkhet and Manawanpur districts.

The tasks especially focus on:

Pictorial book and flip chart will cover

  • how patriarchal socialisation process leads family relations (including in-laws) and its impact
  • highlight positive part of changes on life of girls/women and boys/men its gap
  • work load of women in family because of their traditional role (household chores, care work, community/professional work)
  • challenges for those women and men who try to change their gender role within and outside of house
  • how power relations affect on life of women and men including girls and boys (e.g. inherent property right, citizenship right etc)
  • sharing workload, ideas, decisions which promote mutual respect/trust between spouse and among in-laws/family which promotes equal relationship and ending VAW 

6. OUTPUT

The Consultancy organisation will submit following documents: 

  •  Submission of final copy of multi coloured electronic copy in ready to print version. The document will be approximately 56 pages (30 pages with picture/comic -30 pages and content including cover-26 pages)
  • Submission of final copy of multi coloured electronic copy for ready to print 'flip chart book for men engagement'. The document will be with approximately 24 pages (picture/illustration-12 pages and content-12 pages)

7. METHODOLOGY 

The Consultancy organisation may use a variety of methods, including collection and analysis of primary and secondary data, both quantitative and qualitative, to draw findings and conclusions. The task also demands field visits and interactions with community women and men and related stakeholders.

Basically, the following methods will be used for the development and production of the print materials

  •  A highly competent and professional team will be involved
  • Review of the project document and relevant reference to understand the need
  • Prepare content outline in close consultation with Oxfam team
  • Illustrate/design picture/comic in line with final content outline
  • Produce final draft document as consultation with Oxfam team and partner staff
  • Finalisation of the documents incorporating feedback and comments of Oxfam and partners
  • Submission of the final output 

8. PROPOSAL FROM CONSULTANT

The Consultancy organisation will submit a brief technical and financial proposal to Oxfam Nepal. The technical proposal should include methodology, work and process plan and an updated organisational profile of the proposed Consultant(s) including the financial proposal. The assignment is expected to involve two months.

The technical proposal will be scrutinised based on the following criteria:

  • Adequate grasp of concepts and issues related to the project
  • Soundness of methodology
  • Past experience from similar fields/tasks  

11. KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS REQUIRED

  • Sound knowledge of the socio-political context of Nepal
  • Proven experience of producing print material to the highest standard
  • Sound knowledge of women rights and gender relations in private and public sphere
  • Prove gender analysis skills to shifting gender relations in the household and public domains
  • Consultant should have a VAT registration certificate 

12. TEAM

 The consultancy organisation will lead the process and get support from technical support of highly professional(s) as per need to complete the tasks.

13. TIMELINE

 The duration of the consultancy will be almost two months including consultation with project partner staff and pre-test. The detail timeline will be finalized in consultation with our program team.

 

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Applications for the above positions can be sent by 05th July 2015 via mail to recruitment_nepal@oxfam.org.uk or G.P.O. Box 2500.    

Overview

Category Consulting & Professional Services
Openings 1
Experience Please check details below.
Education Please check details below.
Posted Date 26 Jun, 2015
Apply Before 05 Jul, 2015
City Lalitpur