Job Description

RFP- for Conducting the Gender Social Audit of the project Women4 Water(WoW)- EqualOpportunities inAccess toWater.

Introduction and context: 

Parmarth invites proposals from qualified agencies/consultants to conduct a gender social audit in 60 Gram Panchayats as part of a project aimed at assessing budget allocations for women's empowerment activities. The audit will ensure compliance with NITI Aayog guidelines,

which recommend earmarking at least 30% of the Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) budget for women’s empowerment. 

There are many types of inequalities in our society. Gender inequality happens when people are treated unfairly based on their gender. This can be seen in discrimination, unequal access to resources, and differences in roles and responsibilities for men, women, and third-gender individuals.

Our Constitution gives everyone equal rights and opportunities. To achieve equality at all levels, gender equality is also very important. International agreements like the Beijing Platform for Action, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) all focus on gender equality. 

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which should be achieved by 2030, include Goal 5: Gender Equality. Our country follows these international agreements and is working towards achieving them. 

About the project including project duration

The project Women 4 Water Welthungerhilfe (WHH) and BMZ (Germany). Along with India, it is being implemented by Parmarth in India.

Objective- Women's participation and influence in water governance and management will be strengthened, improving access to clean water and more equitable distribution of water resources for rural populations in India.

Gender Equality Audit identifies important gaps and challenges related to gender equality and suggests ways to overcome them. It also highlights key achievements in promoting gender equality.

In India, Gram Panchayats are the lowest and most important units of governance in rural areas. Women have reserved representation at all levels in these panchayats.

Gram Panchayats not only prepare annual plans for "economic development and social justice" in their areas but also monitor government programs and identify beneficiaries.

Ensuring gender equality at all levels and in all processes of Panchayats is essential for achieving gender equality in society. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has identified "creating women-friendly Panchayats" as one of the nine key themes for localizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Panchayats must consider this while preparing their Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDP).

Conducting a Gender Equality Audit in Panchayats can also help achieve this goal.

Outcome- In selected districts of Uttar Pradesh of Selected Blocks, gender equality is being integrated and institutionalized into local self-governance institutions and community water management programs.

Indicator of the Outcome-

1-After completion of the project, 80% of the elected women representatives in the target areas are empowered to actively participate in and influence decision-making processes in their Panchayat institutions.

2-By the end of the project, 17142 households will have improved access to water Supply and women will have increased participation in operations and management.

3-# of adult women being able to influence decision-making.

4-Panchayat taking the priority of the women issues.

The project has the following three outputs:

Output 1: Awarenessandunderstanding of key stakeholders willbecreated toprovideanenabling environmentfortheparticipation of women'tribals'inwater governance.

Output 2: 814 elected Panchayati Raj representatives*, 50% of whom are women, and 450 women community leaders in 3 districts have improved knowledge and leadership skills related to the advancement of women.

Output 3: 540 women workers and service providers, 180 as part of the "last mile" and 360 Jal Sahelis/Sakhis volunteers, are empowered to effectively implement and design water-related community programs at the grassroots level.

Project area details-

We are working within three 154-gram panchayats across three distinct districts: Babina in Jhansi, Rampura in Orai, and Talbehat in the Lalitpur District. The majority of the population in these areas belongs to underprivileged communities, with agriculture being their primary source of livelihood.

Our efforts are focused on improving the women's socio-economic conditions of these communities by addressing their unique challenges and needs.

Objectives of the assignment

The selected agency/consultant will be responsible for:

1 Conducting a gender social audit in 60 Gram Panchayats.

2.Supervising and monitoring the auditors.

3.Providing training to the auditors.

4.Completing comprehensive reporting of the audits.

5.Conducting gender audits in three Gram Panchayats as a demonstration with auditors.

6.Ensuring adherence to the final project timeline.

7.Conducting training sessions with auditors on data collection and communication strategies.

3.Scope of Work

The selected agency/consultant will:

1.Conduct participatory audits to assess financial and non-financial resource allocation.

2.Analyze the effectiveness of women’s empowerment activities.

3.Collect and document feedback from stakeholders, including beneficiaries and service providers.

4.Provide a detailed analysis of audit results at district and state levels.

5.Random Basis 10 field visits will be in the intervention area. Accommodation and food of the supervisor from the agency will be provided by the organization.

6.Data verification 10 to 15 percent. 

4.Parmarth will provide:

A standardized questionnaire for data collection.

Auditors for conducting the audits.

Providing training Material for the auditor.

Audit manual and relevant document.

Digital tool to collect data collection.

5-Target Area

The project is implemented in 154 selected Gram Panchayats of three blocks Like Babina (Jhansi), Talbehat(Lalitpur), Rampura(Jalaun)

Table 1: Sample Target Area at a Glance

District (State)

Sub-district/Block

Number of Village

Lalitpur (U.P)

Talbehat

20

Jalaun (U.P)

Rampura

20

Jhansi (U.P)

Babina

20

Target Groups:

Direct Target Group: 154 village water and sanitation committees, 814 elected representatives, 540 service workers, and 857 women and members of oppressed castes and tribes.

Indirect Target Group: Up to 642,857 people at the micro-level, approximately 857,142 people at the meso-level, and the entire rural population of the states of Uttar Pradesh.

Data Collection-

From One Gram Panchyat- Two FGD with PRIs members and VO and One questionnaire with a group of PRIs members.

Design Data Collection Tools

Parmarth Provide quantitative and qualitative data collection tools for all target communities.

Work closely with the assigned team at Parmarth to contextualize the data collection tools with all three types of target communities.

5. Eligibility Criteria

Interested agencies/consultants should meet the following criteria:

Proven experience in conducting gender audits, social audits, or similar evaluations.

Expertise in gender-sensitive budgeting and rural development.

Experience in working with Gram Panchayats and government agencies.

Strong analytical, reporting, and training capabilities.

6. Deliverables and Timeline

Inception Report: 21st March

Training Sessions for Auditors: Conducted before the audits – 23th March

Demonstration Audit: Completed in three Gram Panchayats – 25th to 26th March

Field Audits Data Collection: Completed in 60 Gram Panchayats – 27th March to 27th April

Draft Report Gender Social Audit- 10th May

Feedback -  15th May

Final Report: Comprehensive report with findings and recommendations – 30th May.

7. Proposal Submission Requirements

Interested agencies/consultants must submit:

1.A detailed technical proposal, including methodology and work plan.

2.Experience and qualifications relevant to the assignment.

3.Financial proposal with a detailed budget breakdown.

4.References from previous similar assignments.

8.Final report

The consultant should incorporate Parmarth and WHH’s comments within one weeks of receiving them. The Final Report pack should include:

Final report

Copies of plans, tools, consultation meeting minutes, raw data of baseline (soft copy) etc. as part of the evidence of the work, and

Any other specific agreements during the study.

9. Submission Deadline

All proposals must be submitted by 18 March to Contact Information: pssshrjhansi@gmail.com copy to kishangupta@parmarthsanstha.in . Proposals can be sent by speed post to the address- Parmarth Samaj Sevi Sansthan, Shivaji Nagar, Near by Max Hospital, Jhansi UP- 284002

Contact Number- 7762961025

10.CV with References:

Provide a CV.

Confidentiality

All documents and data acquired during the study are confidential and for the evaluation's purpose only. All deliverables and materials related to the evaluation remain the property of the contracting party.

About Company

Parmarth Samaj Sevi Sansthan is a non-governmental organization established in 2006?. The registration number of the organization is: J-668?(11-01-2006)?. The organization is operational in Uttar Pradesh, India. Parmarth Samaj Sevi Sansthan works in the area of Advocacy and Research, Dalit Welfare, Disaster Management, Education & Literacy, HIV/AIDS, Right to Information & Advocacy, Rural Development & Poverty Alleviation, Womens Development & Empowerment, etc. The NGO works towards the promotion of sustainable development.

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