Call for Consultants: Strengthening Gender Capacity at Speak Up Africa

Speak Up Africa is a Senegal-based, African-led organization committed to building an Africa where growth and sustainable development are driven by African citizens themselves. We gather, we enable, and we advocate. With a focus on strategic communication, policy and advocacy, we are committed to supporting African leaders and citizens to actively participate in identifying and developing solutions to our continent’s major challenges such as malaria, neglected tropical diseases, immunization, sanitation, gender equality and global health research and development.

Speak Up Africa (SUA) is committed to advancing gender equality and mainstreaming gender considerations into all aspects of its work. Gender equality is central to SUA’s mission, as it underpins effective advocacy, program implementation, and organizational growth. Recognizing that gender disparities can limit the impact of our initiatives, SUA is committed to integrating gender considerations into all aspects of our work.

To further this commitment, SUA seeks to strengthen the capacity of its staff to mainstream gender effectively across programs, policies, and financial planning. Enhancing staff knowledge and skills in gender-responsive approaches will ensure that our initiatives promote inclusive participation, address structural inequalities, and foster transformative change.

As part of the results of the gender audit conducted in 2024, this training.

This training will equip staff with practical tools and strategies to institutionalize gender mainstreaming in both programmatic and operational work. It follows a series of trainings delivered to staff on topics such as gender stereotypes and gender-based violence and is aligned with SUA’s gender capacity-building plan. The approach is informed by insights from the 2024 gender audit and contributes to the broader transformation journey supported through the Sustaining Action for Gender Equality (SAGE) program. By investing in this process, SUA continues to strengthen its organizational capacity to advance gender equality and deliver more inclusive and impactful development outcomes across Africa.

The main objective of this consultancy is to design and deliver comprehensive training for SUA staff on gender mainstreaming. The training will aim to:

• Enhance staff capacity to conduct systematic gender analysis in program design and implementation.
• Strengthen understanding and application of Gender-Responsive Budgeting (GRB).
• Provide practical guidance on integrating gender into various programmatic areas.
• Equip administrative and finance teams with the necessary tools and guidance to inform the implementation of SUA’s HR  and administrative and finance manuals, ensuring they promote operational efficiency, adherence to norms, and align with the broader purpose and needs of all staff.

The selected consultant(s) will be responsible for the following tasks:

1. Training Needs Assessment: Conduct a rapid assessment to tailor the training content to SUA’s specific needs and context.
2. Development of Training Modules: Prepare practical training materials covering:
   • Conducting gender analysis and applying mainstreaming principles.
   • Implementing gender-responsive budgeting and financial planning.
   • Establishing gender-sensitive monitoring and evaluation systems.
   • Designing and executing inclusive program strategies.
   • Introducing gender markers and applying them in project planning and reporting.
   • Developing comprehensive gender indicators for both programs and institutional contexts.
3. Delivery of Training: Facilitate interactive training sessions using participatory methods such as case studies, group discussions, and scenario-based learning.
   • Training for Programmatic and Operational Teams: Focused on integrating gender into programs and advocacy work.
   • Training for Administrative and Financial Teams: Emphasizing gender-responsive budgeting, workplace equity, and institutional policies.
4. Development of Practical Toolkits: Provide SUA staff with user-friendly toolkits and reference materials for ongoing gender integration.
5. Post-Training Support:  Develop a comprehensive learning report that outlines a detailed, actionable plan with specific actions, indicators, and milestones—to integrate key findings into SUA’s learning agenda and enhance upcoming CoP sessions in line with our organizational transformation goals.
6. Refresher Sessions: Conduct online refresher sessions to reinforce key learnings and support continued gender mainstreaming efforts.
7. Final Report: Provide a comprehensive report summarizing the training process, key insights, pre and post evaluation results and recommendations for continued gender mainstreaming at SUA.

• Advanced degree in Gender Studies, Social Sciences, Development Studies, or related fields.
• Proven experience in gender mainstreaming training, particularly in the non-profit or development sector.
• Expertise in Gender-Responsive Budgeting and institutional gender policy development.
• Strong facilitation skills with experience in participatory training methodologies.
• Demonstrated knowledge of gender dynamics in Africa, particularly within advocacy and public health sectors.
• Experience working with international organizations, NGOs, or government agencies on gender equality initiatives.
• Alignment with Speak Up Africa values: inclusion, diligence, excellence, accountability, sustainability.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in French.

Proposals will be evaluated based on:

• Technical approach and methodology (40%) : Relevance and feasibility of the proposed training plan.
• Consultant(s) qualifications and experience (30%) : Expertise in gender mainstreaming and training facilitation.
• Cost-effectiveness (20%): Reasonableness and clarity of the financial proposal.
• Past performance and references (10%): Strength of recommendations and prior work samples.