TERMS OF REFERENCE for Consultancy to Conduct a ‘Gender Landscape Analysis of WASH programmes in Somaliland’

ACTIONAID INTERNATIONAL SOMALILAND   TERMS OF REFERENCE

CONTRACT MODALITY: Individual Consultancy (open to International and National consultants)

DURATION OF CONTRACT   4 months

Purpose of Assignment

The purpose of this consultancy is to undertake a comprehensive gender landscape analysis of the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) sector in the four focus districts of Erigavo, Aynabo, El Afweyn and Burao in Somaliland. The analysis will identify gender-related gaps, power dynamics, inequalities, barriers, opportunities, and systemic issues affecting WASH access, governance, participation, and outcomes. It will generate practical, evidence-based recommendations and tools to strengthen gender- transformative and inclusive WASH programming across the programme cycle.

To ensure analytical rigour and comparability, the analysis will be structured around UNICEF’s nine WASH GALA transformative principles: (1) Transforming Ourselves; (2) Transforming WASH Organisations; (3) Transforming WASH Systems; (4) Transforming WASH Services; (5) Transforming Safety; (6) Transforming Engagement of Men and Boys; (7) Transforming Agency of Women and Girls; (8) Transforming Partnerships; and (9) Transforming Data. Together these principles examine how gender dynamics shape WASH access, decision-making, safety, and outcomes — from individual attitudes and organisational practice through to systems, services, and gender-disaggregated data

Specific objectives

1. Use UNICEF’s global gender WASH landscape assessment package to carry out an assessment in the four districts in Somaliland.

2. Assess gender and gender dynamics shaping WASH access, participation, leadership, and decision making in the project target districts.

3.    Analyze how gender norms, roles, and inequalities affect WASH service delivery, management, and sustainability, including in fragile contexts associated with recurrent climate induced disasters and clan induced conflicts.

4.  Identify gaps in WASH policies, systems, strategies, and programmes in Somaliland related to gender equality and assess how current frameworks support or hinder objectives.

5.  Assess protection and GBV-related risks linked to WASH access and facilities and propose mitigation measures.

6.  Provide actionable recommendations, guidance, and practical tools to integrate gender equality across design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and accountability.

7.  Adapt, translate, and contextualize the global WASH GALA data collection tools — including key informant interview and focus group discussion guides, participatory activity guides, and consent/assent forms — into Somali and locally relevant terms, and pilot them before full deployment.

8. Lead the WASH GALA scoring exercise, applying the assessment’s scoring framework to generate principle-level scores grounded in the evidence gathered, in collaboration with ActionAid and partners.

9. Support the co-development of a gender- WASH action plan for the ASWA programme and strengthen the capacity of UNICEF and partner staff to apply gender-equitable approaches, translating findings into concrete, time-bound commitments

Scope of Work:

The assessment will be conducted in the four districts in Somaliland. It will engage:

·         Government relevant Line Ministries, Departments and Agencies

·         WASH actors (UN, NGOs, CSOs), private sector/service providers

·         Community members and leaders (women, men, adolescent girls/boys, children)

·         Women’s groups, youth groups, minority groups, IDPs and displacement-hosting communities

·         Persons with disabilities and organizations of persons with disabilities

·         WASH committees and institutional governance structures

·         School and Health facility staff/management committees and patients/caregivers. All respondent groups must be disaggregated by sex, age, and disability.

The consultant will be responsible for successfully completing the following tasks under this assignment:

Task 1: Inception and design

·       Conduct a desk review of relevant policies, frameworks, project documents, and prior studies.

·       Map stakeholders and respondent groups to ensure inclusive representation.

·       Hold inception meetings with ActionAid Somaliland and WASH Cluster partners to confirm expectations and contextual dynamics.

·       Submit an inception report including refined methodology and analytical framework; sampling plan; tools; workplan/timeline; ethics and safeguarding measures.

·       Review all global WASH GALA tools and guidance thoroughly before commencing fieldwork and identify priority knowledge gaps for the assessment to address.

·         Complete the WASH GALA Stakeholder Mapping Template across all nine principles, paying particular attention to women’s organisations, disability networks, and community-based groups that may be under-represented in formal WASH stakeholder lists.

·         Complete the WASH GALA Directory of Referral Organisations for all field locations before data collection begins, verifying that listed services are operational and accepting referrals.

Education: Master’s Degree in Gender Studies, Sociology, Development Studies, WASH, or related fields

Work Experience:

ü  Minimum 10 years of consulting/professional experience on gender in development programmes.

ü  At least 5–7 years of experience conducting gender analyses / assessments in development and/or humanitarian contexts.

ü  Demonstrable experience with WASH programming, including conducting gender responsive WASH assessments.

ü  Proven experience conducting field research in fragile, complex, or conflict-affected environments, including Somaliland.

ü  Strong track record in coordinating and managing fieldwork teams, including recruitment/training of enumerators/facilitators, quality assurance, and safeguarding oversight.

ü  Strong understanding of:

ü  Gender equality and intersectionality (e.g., how gender interacts with clan/minority status, disability, age, displacement, livelihoods, etc.).

ü  WAS H-related gender dynamics (e.g., decision- making power, menstrual health and hygiene, safety/GBV risks, access and control of resources, time burden, facilities accessibility).

ü   Do No Harm principles, conflict sensitivity, and ethical research practices (including informed consent, confidentiality, safeguarding, and referral pathways where relevant).

ü  Demonstrated ability to design and implement robust qualitative research using participatory and empowering methods (e.g., FGDs, KIIs, safety mapping, mobility mapping, daily activity clocks, participatory ranking).

ü  Excellent skills in qualitative data collection and analysis, including mixed-methods triangulation and synthesis into actionable recommendations

ü  Strong communication, analytical, facilitation, and presentation skills, with the ability to engage diverse stakeholders (communities, local authorities, implementing partners, donors)

ü  Excellent report-writing skills (clear structure, evidence- based findings, practical recommendations, and accessible visuals where needed).

ü  Ability to work effectively in multi-cultural teams and with local partners.

ü  Strong organizational skills, with the ability to meet deadlines, manage multiple tasks, and work with minimal supervision, including remote coordination with dispersed teams

ü  Strong contextual knowledge of Somaliland’s gender, political, social, and conflict landscape, including local norms, power dynamics, and access constraints.

ü  Practical understanding of operating safely and ethically in fragile/conflict-affected settings.

Language requirements: Fluency in English (spoken and written) is required as well as Somali language (and other relevant local languages for the project context)

TENURE OF THE ASSIGNMENT: The consultancy will be for a period of 60 days over 4 months non-continuous.

Application Process

Interested consultants are asked to provide a written proposal (max. 5 pages), including the proposed methodology, time schedule, financial offer. The CV of the consultant may be submitted as a separate document and should only contain relevant experience, not exceeding 5 pages. Submission deadline: 6th July 2026, to these emails [email protected]. Questions can be submitted to the email – [email protected].