REOI – INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT TO CONDUCT APRM STUDY ON THE NEXUS BETWEEN GOVERNANCE, GENDER AND PEACEBUILDING IN NORTHERN AFRICA

AFRICAN PEER REVIEW MECHANISM

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST: FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT TO CONDUCT APRM STUDY ON THE NEXUS BETWEEN GOVERNANCE, GENDER AND PEACEBUILDING IN NORTHERN AFRICA

Procurement Number: APRM/003/SIDA/ GGP/ /2020

Assignment:               Governance, Gender and Peacebuilding in Northern Africa

Reporting Division:      Country Review Coordination

Duration of Project:      1 month

INTRODUCTION

The African Peer Review Mechanism has received financing from the Swedish International Developed Agency (SIDA), and intends to apply part of the agreed amount for this grant as payments towards for Individual Consultant to conduct APRM Study on the Nexus between Governance, Gender and Peacebuilding in Northern Africa .

DESCRIPTION OF THE ASSIGNMENMT

Gender equality is described globally as a basic and fundamental human right. It is globally admitted that gender equality leads to sustainable socio-economic development, peace and stability. Importantly gender equality has been considered by key Continental and Global Frameworks – African Union Agenda 2063 and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Agenda 2030 such as Aspiration 6 that deals with ‘An Africa whose development is people driven, relying on the potential offered by African people, especially its women and youth, and caring for children’ and Goal 5 which is about ‘achieving gender equality and empower all women and girls’.

The African Union commitment to gender equality is further reflected through the establishment of various African  Declarations and Protocols such as the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, the Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa (SDGEA), the AU Gender Policy among others, aim at guiding the process of gender mainstreaming and women empowerment, supported by the AU Gender Action Plan. All these instruments and others were developed for the purpose of influencing policies, procedures and practices which should be leading to accelerating the achievement of gender equality, gender justice, non-discrimination and fundamental human rights in Africa (AU Gender Policy, 2009).

However, despite having the above-mentioned Instruments/ Frameworks on gender promotion, there are challenges that still prevent the full actualization of gender equality on the continent.  The AU Gender Strategy emphasizes on the gaps between what is referred to as normative frameworks consisting of different Agendas, policies, standards and codes on Gender; and their implementation.

The APRM has been elevated by the AU to become an Autonomous Organ to monitor and evaluate governance in Africa. It has been mandated to monitor the implementation of the AU key priority strategy- agenda 2063 and the Global Agenda 2030 known as the SDGs, by the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and government in 2017. Using its diagnostic tools, the APRM can make an invaluable contribution to promoting gender equality that both Agendas call for. Country reviews conducted by the APRM within participating Member States have been highlighting gender inequalities as a cross-cutting issue. The promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women is ultimately important to good governance, democracy, respect for human rights, justice and rule of law which are all highlighted in AU Agenda 2063 and UNSDGs Agenda 2030. Hence, the pursuit of gender equality in all spheres of governance justifies the involvement of the APRM in unearthing challenges that hamper gender mainstreaming and women empowerment on the African Continent in a bid to encourage member states to adopt policies that enhance gender equality and women emancipation.

TERMS OF REFERENCE

1)Background

Gender is one of the key cross-cutting issues of the four thematic areas of the APRM. The imperative to give gender equality mainstreaming due consideration as both a process and outcome of governance, is underpinned by key Continental Instruments such as the Constitutive Act of the African Union, the Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality, the Maputo Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa and Agenda 2063. These instruments are binding on the structures, mechanisms, processes and programmes of the African Union, including the APRM.

Described as “Africa’s unique and innovative approach to governance”, the APRM implements its mandate by fostering the adoption of policies, standards and practices that lead to political stability, high economic growth, sustainable and inclusive socio-economic development, as well as accelerated regional and continental economic integration, through sharing of experiences and reinforcement of successful and best practices. It has been designed to fill serious gaps within governance on the continent.

The Mechanism’s Methodology and process present to member states an opportunity to identify their key governance challenges by creating a platform for wide consultations between country stakeholders, i.e. the State and the society as a whole, to debate on the possible remedies that would lead to improved governance. Worth mentioning is the country self-assessment report (CSAR) which is the report produced by the country in preparation to the country review conducted by the APRM. Both types of reports have been instrumental in identifying key governance challenges across the four thematic areas and gender inequality and lack of policies geared to empowering women have taken prominence under each governance thematic area.

As the Continental Body, AU has declared 2020 the year of “silencing the guns: creating conducive conditions for Africa’s development” at the time of maturity for the African’s decade of the African women, the Beijing Declaration turning 25 as well as the Maputo Protocol turning 18 years of age since its establishment. With its core and expanded mandate of promoting good governance, and monitoring the implementation of the AU Agenda, the APRM’s work fits well in contributing to the creation of that conducive environment by conducting research studies within Member States and providing tools that will facilitate countries to gauge the performance of their national governance at different levels.

Accordingly, gender equality is the cornerstone for good and inclusive governance and good governance is key to deliver gender equality. The AU theme of silencing the guns will be achieved by including men and women of the African Continent equally. Women are the most vulnerable during violent conflicts and are the most forgotten during any post-conflict and post reconstruction processes their countries undertake. Women’s involvement in peacebuilding has to be documented to serve as a best practice and a good lesson for the benefit of member states and the continent as a whole.

The Study Report on “Governance, Gender and Peacebuilding: Strengthening the Nexus” conducted by the APRM in 2019 fed into these key discourses on the status of gender equality on the continent. Its evidence-based analyses provided valuable insights and sought to promote a better understanding of how the APRM can serve as a critical vehicle for monitoring and promoting gender equality in relation to governance and particularly in peacebuilding and conflict prevention in Africa, however the Study did not cover extensively North Africa. In this regard, the APRM is seeking an independent Consultant to develop a complementary study focusing on key governance, gender and peacebuilding challenges as well as best practises from North Africa that could further substantiate the initial study and fill in the gap.

 2)Objectives of the Study

The objectives of the study will be the following:

1. To provide a comprehensive review of substantive aspects of gender issues and best practices in North Africa, particularly regarding peace and security, in respective country review reports as well as NPoAs, where applicable.
2. To deliver valuable insights on the status of gender in the context of governance, peace and security; from 2016 to 2020, in North Africa, noting that 2020 is both the year of maturity for APRM strategic plan and a landmark for AU and the implementation of the sets of policies, standards and codes on Gender; Peace and Security;
3. To provide updated situational analyses of the gender issues of reviewed North African countries in view of the Annual Progress Reports and other information sources;
4. To review the achievements of North African member states in enhancing gender equality in Africa;
5. To identify overarching gender issues that constrain progress in gender equality and women’s empowerment in North African countries that have undergone review;
6. To highlight the follow-up steps taken based on the NPoAs- including legislative, programmatic, financial allocation aimed at achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment;
7. To develop a clear understanding of APRM’s role in monitoring and promoting gender equality, Governance and Peacebuilding for security and sustainable solutions to forced displacement in Africa.
8. To generate recommendations to optimise the potential of APRM as a governance tool for gender equality, peace and security for countries from North Africa already reviewed, countries in the review process and those that may be reviewed in the future.

3)Scope of Work

Consultant shall provide consulting service over the period of 1 month from commencement of the assignment. The consultation service will focus primarily on the development of a Complementary Study report on the nexus between Governance, Gender and Peacebuilding focusing on North Africa. The consultant will also be requested to assist with enriching APRM database of Gender expert from North Africa.

4)Deliverables

A comprehensive analytical, peer reviewed and validated Study report on governance, gender and peacebuilding in North Africa. The report should address all the outlined objectives of the study indicated under item III above.

5)Timeframe

The Consultant will be assigned for a period of three months (1 month) starting from the date of the signing of the contract with APRM.

6)Selection Process

There will be two-step selection process consisting of a submission and an interview. The selection will be done based on the following evaluation criteria,

Evaluation criteria are as follows:

7)Mode of Payment

8)Reporting

The consultant will work closely with the Project manager of the APRM project on gender. The Report shall be submitted to the Project Coordinator.

9)Reservations and Confidentiality

APRM reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/output is incomplete, not delivered, or for failure to meet deadlines. In the event of the producer ending the contract prior to delivering all agreed upon products, a portion of the payments shall be returned to the APRM.

The consultant undertakes to maintain confidentiality on all information that is not the public domain and shall not be involved in another assignment that represents a conflict of interest to the prevailing assignment. The Consultant shall undertake to refrain from promoting any political or religious beliefs in the documentary movie which is the subject of this contract.

10)Clarification

Clarification can only be sought through Email: [email protected] during working hours- Monday to Friday time 8.00a.m hrs to 5.00 pm hours local time

MODE OF APPLICATION/ SUBMISSION

The Consultant shall the required documents in line with the minimum requirements as well as a Technical Proposal clearly marked ‘Technical Proposal for REOI: APRM/003/SIDA/ GGP/ /2020 (FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT TO CONDUCT APRM STUDY ON THE NEXUS BETWEEN GOVERNANCE, GENDER AND PEACEBUILDING IN NORTHERN AFRICA

This should include a financial proposal indicating how much they would fee for the consultancy service in USD).

All submissions MUST be through Email: [email protected] or delivered to the APRM Continental Secretariat offices on or before 4^th May 2020 at 11.00hrs local time. Eligible women are encouraged to apply. The REOI shall be opened immediately after the closing date and time.

All applications in writing should be accompanied by up-to-date Certified Curriculum Vitae and supporting documents (Note: do not send originals) with the names and addresses of three referees, one of which should be the last consultancy and addressed to:

Project Coordinator

African Peer Review Mechanism

Private Bag XO8, Halfway House

Physical Address: 230 15th Road, 1st Floor,

Randjespark, Midrand, 1685,

South Africa

Tel: +27 11 256 3401

Email: [email protected]