SOW.docx

Gender and Social Inclusion Ghana

STATEMENT OF WORK

A. Introduction

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is a U.S. Government corporation whose mission is to provide assistance that will support economic growth and poverty reduction in carefully selected developing countries that demonstrate a commitment to just and democratic governance, economic freedom, and investments in their citizenry. For more information on the MCC please visit www.mcc.gov.

MCC recognizes that gender inequality can be a significant constraint to economic growth and poverty reduction. MCC’s Gender Policy, Gender Integration Guidelines and operational guidance ensure that gender will be considered in the selection of eligible countries and integrated into the development and design of Compact programs, the assessment and implementation of projects by the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), the monitoring of program results, and the evaluation of program impacts. MCC’s Gender Milestones and Operational Procedures strengthen and concretize the requirements of the Gender Policy and contribute to the MCC’s and the Country Core Team’s ability to ensure gender integration in projects that may be funded.

MCC seeks to recruit a consultant to support in gender and social integration into projects implementation, monitoring and evaluation as well as in the Ghana II Compact closeout. https://www.mida.gov.gh/pages/view/43/MCA_CompactII-0.pdf.

Compact Background

Ghana became eligible to develop its second Compact in 2012. Based on analysis of the obstacles to economic growth (Constraints Analysis) three key constraints to economic growth were identified: (i) insufficient and unreliable power, (ii) lack of access to credit, and (iii) insecure land use rights. The Government of Ghana (GoG) selected the power sector as the area of focus for its second compact. In 2014, MCC and GoG, have agreed to an extensive power sector development program that consists of 4 projects:

1. The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) Financial and Operational Turnaround Project (EFOT. The Project pursues a two-pronged approach -strengthening the governance and management of ECG (currently known as the Power Distribution Service (PDS) by bringing in an acceptable ECG private sector provider through a form of Private Sector Participation (PSP) coupled with infrastructure and foundational investments designed to reduce technical, commercial and collection losses and improved service quality. The Project’s activities include (i) Private Sector Participation, (ii) Modernizing Utility Operations Activity, which includes the Institutionalizing Gender Responsiveness to support gender audit, gender policy, institutional capacity building, internship and mentoring program, (iii) Reduction in Commercial Losses and Improvement of Revenue Collection Rates Activity, (iv) Technical Loss Reduction Activity, and (v) Outage Reduction Activity.

2. Regulatory Strengthening and Capacity Building Project: The Project consists of two activities – capacity building of sector performance monitoring capabilities to ensure better reporting and tariff review, focused on the process of ratemaking and the structure of tariff.

3. Access Project: The objective of the Access Project is to improve access to reliable electricity among Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in selected Markets and Economic Enclaves in urban and peri-urban areas ECG/PDS service areas.

4. Energy Efficiency and Demand Side Management Project: Energy efficiency and demand side management policies and investments represent a cost-effective means to bridge this gap, serving, in effect as sources of supply. The project has four activities (i) Development and Enforcement of Standards and Labels Activity and (ii) Improve Energy Auditing Activity, (iii) Education and Public Information Activity and (iv) Demand Side Management and Infrastructure Activity.

B. Scope

The Department of Compact Operations (DCO), Sector Operations Division (SO) is seeking to recruit a gender and social inclusion specialist to provide to support MCC in its oversight and technical support role in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Ghana Compact Projects; oversight in the implementation, monitoring and periodical updating of MiDA Social and Gender Integration Plan (SGIP) and support in preparing the GSI Compact Closeout report.

The consultant shall report to the Gender and Social Inclusion Lead on MCC Ghana Country Team. He/she works closely with MCC GSI lead on the Compact and MCC’s Regional Country Management (RCM) and coordinates with Ghana GSI and project teams of MiDA.

C. Country

Ghana and any other eligible MCC countries

D. Tasks and Deliverables

Tasks Overarching Tasks

The selected consultant shall be expected to provide a range of implementation oversight support to the MCC Gender and Social Inclusion team. Tasks under the purview of the consultant will include but are not limited to:

· Review project specific implementation documents, including but not limited to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Terms of Reference (TORs) (e.g. environmental and social impact assessment implementation plants, environmental and social management plans (ESPM), resettlement action plans, (RAPS), HIV/AIDS risk management plans, human trafficking risk mitigation plans, health and safety plans and other management strategies including the prevention of child labor), gender assessments, feasibility studies, and gender integration plans for projects

· Utilize these existing gender and social analyses produced by MCC and MCA GSI and Environment and Social Protection (ESP) teams to assess and assist the MCA/GSI team in the successful implementation of activities under the compact projects described above using catered tools and activities

· Work collaboratively with MiDA counterparts to identify and assess any new or anticipated GSI-specific Compact implementation challenges

· Conduct desk reviews and analytical studies to address any knowledge gaps related to supporting the MiDA/GSI and project teams.

· Develop and facilitate the adoption of participatory process for all activities conducted by MiDA during the Compact implementation phase

· Support MIDA staff in the proper understanding and reporting of performance monitoring and evaluation indicators and plans, and assist in the development of parallel indicators to evaluate the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) risk mitigation plan

· Assist MCC GSI staff in monitoring and compliance with the Gender and Social Integration Plan (SGIP) for Ghana, in line with the Gender Integration Guidelines and Operational Procedures. As needed conduct a review of SGIP implementation, monitoring progress and oversee its revision as needed.

· Accompany MCC and MIDA staff and/or travel to project areas as necessary to conduct the above and additional tasks during the ongoing Compact implementation phase

· Prepare a draft of GSI’s Compact Closeout Report that captures achievements in specific quantifiable manner and present projects’ impact on women and marginalized groups in general and on women’s economic empowerment in particular and present lessons learned.

· Support in the preparation of outreach and educational materials in the form of articles on best practices, results, benefits and others as needed.

Specific Tasks

1. Institutionalizing Gender Responsiveness Sub-Activity under Modernizing Utilities Operations Activity of the ECG Project.

Coordinate with MCC and MiDA in the planning and timely implementation of tasks of this activity that has two components:

Internship and mentoring program

· Support in oversight of the implementation of the internship and mentoring program in line with agreed up plans and schedules

· Oversight and technical assistance support in the orientation sessions of interns and employers and prepare brief reports

· In collaboration with MiDA conduct regular monitoring field visits to internship sight and review progress through interactions with interns and supervisors

· Participate at mentoring workshops and prepare brief reports

· Serve as a resource person at internship and mentoring workshops

· Prepare short briefings and reports with accurate data on progress and challenges of the program.

Gender auditing, gender policy and institutional capacity building to implement policy at ECG/PDS.

· Support in oversight of the effective implementation of this component in accordance with the plan in a timely fashion.

· Support in oversight on approval of the PDS Gender Policy by its management

· Support in oversight and technical support on the implementation of the PDS’s Gender Action Plan to be implemented by MiDA.

· Support in oversight and support for the finalization of PDS’s Gender Action Plan that will be funded and implemented by PDS.

· Support the organization of annual meetings for women employees associations of PDS and serve as a resource person.

· Prepare briefings and reports with accurate data as needed by MCC and MiDA

· Support reviewing documents and provide technical inputs; prepare articles and write-ups as requested on implementation progress of the sub activity, attend workshops and trainings and serve as a resource person and prepare reports as required, do field visits to sites of internship;

· Support the development of MiDA’s Sustainability Plan for sustaining the internship and mentoring program beyond the Compact Closeout in September 2021 with the support of other partners.

2. Access Project implementation in 8 to 10 markets and economic enclaves in Accra and Tamale:

· Participate in project-related meetings, review implementation plans and notes; technical documents and provided comments and conduct project field visits and reporting as needed in particular on the (i) Customer Outreach and Community Engagement sub-activity

· Support in oversight and technical assistance in assessment, design and implementation of the Productive Uses of Electricity (PUE) intervention of the Access Project including reviewing, technical documents and reports; conducting field visits, conducting some case study assessments as needed and preparing and submitting reports on progress and challenges.

· Provide technical analysis on optimal way of supporting MSMEs to use electricity for productive purposes (beyond lighting);

· Support in organizing workshops and conferences as needed and coordinating tasks with key stakeholders

· Prepare short articles and write-ups as requested.

· Conduct field visits to project sites in Accra and Tamale, review progress, consult with potential project beneficiaries and provide progress report.

3. Energy Efficiency and Demand Side Management and Strengthening Regulatory and Capacity Building Projects

· Support oversight and technical support in Gender and Social Integration into the implementation, monitoring and evaluation and close out of Energy Efficiency and Demand Side Management and Strengthening Regulatory and Capacity Building Project.

4. SGIP Implementation and Monitoring

· Support in oversight and technical assistance of the implementation and monitoring of the Social and Gender Integration Plan (SGIP), review progress and challenges periodically and update as needed.

· Review the approved SGIP, the report and recommendations prepared by MCC consultant and propose a mechanism (system) for better monitoring progress periodically until compact close out in September 2021.

· Support in oversight of compliance with MCC’s Counter Trafficking in Person Policy including monitoring field visits in project/infrastructure sites and report;

· Draft summarized reports periodically on the progress and challenges faced in implementing SGIP Deliverables

· Trip reports;

· Ad hoc reports, as requested by MCC GSI

· Facilitation of trainings, Power Point Presentations, workshops, and participatory group processes

· Contributions to technical documents, as requested by MCC GSI

· Compact Closeout Reports

E. Period and Place of Performance

All work shall be completed between the dates of the award through a two year period of performance.

The estimated level of effort is estimated at up to 1,000 hours per year for a total amount of 2,000 hours with 5 trips per year. MCC anticipates this level of effort but does not guarantee this level of effort as it may increase or decrease.

The consultant shall work from his/her home office, MCC RCM Ghana or MiDA Ghana.

F. Time and Reporting

All formal communication with MCC, including reports, will be submitted to the Contracting Officer Technical Representative (COR), Program Manager (PM), and other designated MCC personnel. The COR/PM for this requirement will be identified via separate correspondence.

The COR/PM will have technical responsibility for monitoring the contractor’s performance. The COR/PM will review and evaluate the contractor’s performance, and also will coordinate any communications with relevant counterparts and other donor agencies and organizations.

Any changes in the terms of the ToR will be made in writing and approved by the Contracting Officer. No representation of the COR/PM shall serve as a basis for an alteration in the general scope of this ToR or of the terms and conditions of the ToR unless confirmed in writing by the Contracting Officer. The contractor must communicate with the Contracting Officer on all matters that pertain to the Contract terms. Proceeding with the work without proper contractual coverage could result in nonpayment for that work.

G. Evaluation Criteria

· Master’s Degree in sociology, anthropology, international development/affairs, economics, public policy or relevant field in social science.

· Minimum 8 years of experience developing and/or working with strategies, approaches, and tools for gender integration and social inclusion in large-scale international development programs.

· Working knowledge of the literature on poverty reduction, gender equality and social inclusion in international development

· Demonstrated ability and experience in project implementation in a complex environment and gender and social integration into project implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

· Demonstrated work experience in implementing projects, activities and interventions to address gender equality or other social inequalities issues in the energy sector as related to improving productivity and income of small enterprises including women owned enterprises.

· Experience implementing social and gender action plans, environmental and social management plans (ESMP’s), resettlement action plans (RAP’s), Counter Trafficking in Persons (CTIP) plans, and/or other risk mitigation plans.

· Experience in providing substantial input into social and gender assessment in policy analysis, research, program design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.

· Experience developing gender indicators and periodic data collection for performance monitoring and evaluation.

· Demonstrated capacity to work collaboratively in multicultural teams

· Strong communication and writing skills.

· Previous experience working in Ghana required.

· Fluency in written and oral in English is required.