Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1696587514359.pdf (Vanuatu)
Annex 08 Terms of Reference Project: VAN : Energy Access Project (VEAP) Expertise: Senior Gender and Development Analyst Source: National Consultant Objective and Purpose of the Assignment: The assignment will involve leading Gender Action Plan (GAP) implementation, and collecting and strengthening evidence-based knowledge, with the goal to improve the capacity of the project to respond to the needs of differently positioned women and men in VEAP beneficiary households and communities.
The consultant will carry out consultations, needs assessments, findings, and provide investigate gender gaps, analyse surveys and recommendations on the implementation of the GAP activities.

research, Project Background: The project will help reduce Vanuatu’s dependence on imported fossil fuel through renewable energy generation, and it will increase access to electricity for remote communities and vulnerable households by extending the transmission and distribution networks.
The project scope includes: (i) the construction of the 400kW Brenwei Hydropower Plant (BHP) and associated infrastructure (Output 1 – contracted January 2020 with completion in February 2022)1; (ii) distribution grid extensions in Espiritu Santo and Malekula to benefit an estimated 1,050 households (Output 2); and (iii) training for newly- connected households on options for electricity-based income generation, electricity safety, and budget management (Output 3).
The project is being implemented over 6 years and will close on 29 March 2024.

Availability and access to cheap and reliable energy affects the efficiency and effectiveness of social service delivery as well as the development and management of economic resources to provide income generating opportunities.
While lack of access to power affects all men, women and children, its impact disproportionately affects women as they are responsible for livelihoods, as well as carrying primary responsibility for the socio-economic wellbeing of traditionally manage households and are households and communities.

Women disadvantaged by the lack of cheap and easy access to power for lighting, cooking, household management and engaging in livelihood activities.
Gender and project preparation background: An initial gender assessment at the program preparation phase provided inputs for the GAP.

The assessment concluded that gender equality in Vanuatu compared to other pacific countries remains low.

It recognized that various aspects of gender biased norms and socio- cultural stereotyping in the country lead to women being disadvantaged.
These are often manifested in the areas of governance, decision making, education, health, employment, household roles , and access to basic social services, income and development benefits.

Such covert discrimination often results in marginalization and at times gender based violence.
Certain roles and responsibilities, stereotypes and socio-cultural expectations have continued to limit women’s roles and participation in decision making in the household, community, society, development projects and governance.

1 including (a) 2 km of access roads, (b) 21 km transmission line (20 kilovolts), (c) intake structure, (d) 1.0 km headrace canal, (e) 190-meter steel penstock, and (f) powerhouse.
As the primary stakeholder, women must be provided appropriate roles and opportunities to participate in the Project and for socio-economic empowerment.

In Vanuatu especially in rural areas, women’s participation and involvement in development and programme planning has been limited/minimal.
There is growing international recognition that in order to optimize limited resources and bring about more effective results, efforts and responsibilities must be shared, stereotypes on traditional gender roles must be shed, glass ceilings must be shattered, and investments in and a determined focus on gender equity is required to bring about change.
The Gender Action Plan (GAP) was formulated to provide measures to enhance project benefits for women, and in doing so ensure the sustainability of the project assets.

The GAP identified the role of women in the project design, implementation, operation, and maintenance.

The GAP will help explore opportunities in participation and decision making in Project related activities to enable women to initiate key roles.
Gender action and sensitisation will be harnessed to bring about understanding of the role that women play at the household, community and society and recognition that these roles should not be subservient to those of men.

The GAP will work on balanced and equitable gender representation in community- based organizations and government project implementation units.
Women leaders and community based women’s organizations will be included to take the lead in the planning and implementation of the enhanced awareness campaign on appropriate energy usage in the household and community and the ways to optimize its use for livelihoods, income generation and safety.
Scope of Work: The task involves the development of a gender study to collect gender-disaggregated data to fill gaps in information and facilitate monitoring at sites on gender division of roles, women’s time poverty, household and community decision-making, potential income generating and livelihood activities, needs, access to resources, services and infrastructure, anti-Sexual Exploitation Abuse and Harassment (SEAH) and gender -based violence, etc.
The study is expected to fill gender knowledge gaps through methods such as gender focus group discussions, semi-structured interviews, key interviews, surveys and participatory methods (community/poverty mapping, transects, etc.)
to address specific gender-related issues and questions as they relate the project as listed below, including systematic gender analysis of the findings: Identify all villages and communities directly impacted by the project facilities;   Carry out a literature review of pre-existing gender and socio-cultural studies of similar projects at or near the existing sites.
 Prepare a full description of indigenous people’s groups and/ or clans in each village including estimation of the size of population by self-identified groups (disaggregated by gender, age, class, marital status, etc.

; identify households headed by women, elderly, differently abled persons, poor and vulnerable households, etc.
); Identify and analyse differences in gender relations in each group and/ or clan in terms of gender equality, livelihoods, division of household labour, decision-making, access to resources (land, property, development services, etc.

), and community roles and responsibilities;   Detail how each village is different in terms of gender roles, gender differences in decision-making, tasks, income generation, control of household expenditures, employment and resource ownership, etc.
Identify relevant gender differences among groups and/or clans;  Carry out gender consultations and needs assessments of energy, livelihoods, households, communities, etc., as well as any potential resistance from gender- focused project activities ;   Collect data and provide descriptions of gender diversity of each site, including the identification of women-headed and vulnerable households, and its implications for project activities; Identify differences across sites in terms of women’s access to development services training and skills such as education, health, market, development, extension services, agricultural inputs procurement, climate adaptation;  Describe gender differences in key-positions in local governance, village institutions, justice, employment,  public service establishments, private sector and justice related services; Identify differences in social and gender differentiated power by groups and/ or clans, and provide details;  Analyse gender livelihoods, land use, agricultural and natural resource practices on project or adjacent land, and identify potential impacts that the project may have on such practices;  Carry out analysis of gender-based violence and gender safety issues in each community, with analysis regarding differences across communities including underlying reasons and coping mechanisms.
Collect data to document GBV cases in the last year; identify gendered access to GBV resolution, justice and grievance mechanisms;  Gender review of energy in institutions terms of gender inclusion/balance, empowerment, practices, policies, and approaches (i.e.

women’s career development, capacity development, attraction/retention, institutional mechanisms, leadership trainings, mentoring, training, leadership skills, etc.
); Identify potential for women’s involvement in the operation and maintenance of energy sector assets; Identify actions needed to empower and support rural women to take up jobs in the energy sector;    Through gender-based community consultations, interviews, etc., identify potential gendered project impacts (intended and unintended) from the supply of electricity on women, households and communities in the project areas;  Carry out a gender needs assessment in relation to market stalls, potential income generating activities, and livelihoods in the project’s area of influence;  Carry out training opportunities assessment for local and government counterpart women which would enable them to pursue employment in O&M of energy sector infrastructure.
Based on the gender assessment, recommend:  Realistic targets for women’s employment in Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM), engineering, construction, maintenance and management activities across the full range of energy sector assets;  Ways to improve gender equality and empowerment in the energy sector;  Strategies and project entry points whereby benefits from the provision of electricity  are accessed by and positively impact and benefit women; Identify women’s opportunities for : livelihoods, income development (market stands, income generation; tourism, handicrafts, etc); access to development services enabled by access to power (i.e.
health services, or logistics cold chains, etc); involvement in project consultations on design features (i.e.

identify key community leaders, women’s groups, etc), and trainings and other opportunities.

 Other gender entry points identified at project commencement.
Detailed Tasks and/or Expected Outputs: (i) Prepare a gender communications outreach plan detailing activities to be completed throughout the project cycle, with clear roles and responsibilities for each of the GAP activities (ii) Coordinate and support VPMU and international consultant in the overall implementation and monitoring of the GAP for VEAP and compliance to ADB gender requirements, including undertaking field visits to monitor GAP progress and coordinating with the VPMU, lead GAP performance measure updates for the Quarterly Progress Reports, and update contractors and community advisory committees in implementing the gender activities under the project; Carry out gender consultations, needs assessment, community mapping and other participatory methods; Ensure the collection of gender-disaggregated data relevant to VEAP (iv) (v) Work closely and provide support to the international gender consultant and (iii) (vi) work in collaboration with her/him; Support international consultant in reviewing quality and update data, sources, and content of the initial gender analysis prepared during the PPTA; developing a conceptual framework for gender analysis, methodology and approach for gender analysis of energy institutions, etc.
; Inputs into design and carrying out baseline gender issues surveys and interview guides in communities in the project influence area.

Conduct data collection through consultation and participatory planning methods and identify other / extraneous issues relevant to the range of identified gender issues.
; (vii) Collect and review relevant Vanuatu literature to fill gaps in the gender assessment findings; (x) (ix) (viii) Carry out gender assessments at all project sites to assess gender-specific issues in communities impacted by the Project; support international consultant in undertaking gender analysis to assess the impact of the proposed project; and provide support in writing case studies for each project site; Support the contractor and community advisory committees and institutions to conduct gender inclusive participatory community consultations with local women and men (in separate groups) to meet/exceed targets for women’s participation as part of the overall implementation of the stakeholder communication plan and in consultation with the VPMU; Support international consultant in undertaking systematic gender analysis of preliminary and supplemental data collected and findings and write report; provide recommendations to align with GAP, SDGs, national development priorities, ADB’s Strategy 2030 and gender transformative approaches; Provide support in training and assistance on consultation and public participation methods, including methods to increase the participation of women and other vulnerable groups.
Support international consultant and VPMU in organizing gender trainings, workshops and events for the VPMU and DOE and relevant Contractor staff; (xiii) Ensure relevant gender issues documentation is updated to reflect changes in gender policies or compliance to the Design and Monitoring Framework (DMF) of VEAP.

(xii) (xi) (xiv) Support international consultant and VPMU in organizing and attending relevant stakeholders’ meeting relating to gender issues.
Ensure to capture discussions, issues and concerns in minutes of the meetings and provide brief report utilizing the required ADB format for all meetings/consultations; (xv) Support international consultant in writing a knowledge product on gender and energy in Vanuatu; (xvi) Assist in monitoring gender elements of project implementation (i.e.

assessment, construction, master plan, trainings, policies, etc.)

with the view to identifying any unanticipated risks and/or sensitive gender impacts.
If such risks and/or impacts eventuate, adjust, adapt, and/or develop project activities to implement appropriate mitigation measures by amending the GAP.
Minimum Qualification Requirements The consultant will have experience in gender analysis of social, economic, governance and environment issues in the Pacific; expertise in gender qualitative and quantitative research and analytical skills; excellent consultation and participatory skills to carry out discussions with governments, collaborating partners, and civil society groups; and excellent coordination, writing and communication skills with a proven experience in gender and development in the Pacific.
Degree in anthropology, sociology, gender studies, development studies or other related social science field required; Previous experience working in donor-funded project; experience in gender analysis infrastructure related institutions is preferred.

An advanced degree and post-graduate fieldwork, gender analytical and writing skills is required.
Minimum General Experience 3 Years’ experience Minimum Specific Experience (relevant to 1 Year’s assignment experience) Deliverables The expected deliverables under this assessment are listed in Table 1.
Table 1 : Schedule of Deliverables Deliverable Written case studies accompanied by photographs and videos to document gender relations and equality issues in project areas Draft Report (the Gender Study) Oral presentation by consultant Final report (the Gender Study) Support International Gender Specialist preparation of draft gender guidance note (or policy brief of blog) on gender equality in the energy sector in Vanuatu Final gender guidance note on gender equality in the Vanuatu energy sector (for review by PARD gender team) Regular GAP monitoring reports Organization of trainings, consultations and impact studies Draft training report Final training report Place of work Timeline 6 weeks after completion of field studies 12 weeks after all data submission is complete 2 weeks after delivery of draft report 4 weeks after submission of draft report that incorporates comments on the previous draft 4 weeks after submission of final report 4 weeks after integration of comments on previous draft Quarterly As per GAP 2 weeks after trainings or event 3 weeks after trainings or event Gender assessment will be conducted in the project affected villages.
A separate assessment will be undertaken for each village.