Terms of Reference: Combatting early marriage in BangladeshTerms of Reference:

Knowledge Management

Summary of Assignment

The main objective of the assignment is to produce a knowledge management document about Plan International’s Combatting Early Marriage in Bangladesh (CEMB) Project. The consultant is expected to use project materials and results to develop a knowledge management document that can be shared with project stakeholders, the Canadian public, the international development community and be useful to staff at Plan International, giving visibility to the impact of the project, particularly to celebrate and highlight program pathways to successes as well as lessons learned and best practices.

1. Background on the Project

The shared recognition that promoting gender equality and empowering women and girls is the most effective approach to eradicating poverty around the world brought Global Affairs Canada (GAC) together with Plan International Bangladesh (PIB) and Plan International Canada to implement the CEMB project. With an ultimate outcome of reduced vulnerability of adolescents, particularly girls, to Child, Early and Forced Marriage (CEFM) in Bhola and Jhalakathi districts in Bangladesh, the project aims to improve the lives of over 130,000 adolescents. The project is closely aligned with Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy as demonstrated by its strong focus on the empowerment of women and girls, and the realization of girl’s rights. It takes a comprehensive, rights-based, and gender transformative approach to tackling CEFM by addressing demand, supply, and accountability barriers. It is using tested modalities at the individual, household, community and institutional levels to build the agency of girls and boys in and out of school, create a supportive social environment for married and unmarried girls, and strengthen the effectiveness of institutions and governance mechanisms to prevent CEFM. 

Given the breadth of the project learnings and the wealth of data produced, the services of a consultant are required to showcase project results, learnings and best practices to be shared both internally within Plan International, and with external stakeholders.

2. Purpose of the Consultancy

In order to capture the success and challenges of the CEMB project, the consultant is expected to produce a knowledge management product that can be used to showcase the impact of the project as well as overall implementation approaches, lessons learned and best practices by combining text, photos, tables, infographics and stories of change.

The main objectives of this document are to showcase key programmatic approaches and results in addressing the root causes of gender inequality and harmful social and gender norms that perpetuate CEFM; to position Plan International as a champion in quality and effective gender transformative CEFM programming; and provide other implementers with concrete strategies and approaches to implement gender transformative, adolescent friendly CEFM programs. It will focus on key successes of, and lessons learned from the programming, describing programmatic interventions, partnerships with local organizations, government entities and community stakeholders, and profile project participants using the Project’s Theory of Change and Gender Equality Strategy as frameworks. Target audiences include internal Plan International staff, other development practitioners, Global Affairs Canada and researchers and academics.

3. Key Activities and Deliverables

Key deliverables expected of the consultant may include but are not limited to:

• Review the background documents, materials, data, media content, etc. provided by Plan International Canada to obtain a better understanding of the goals and context, with a focus on CEFM.
• Meet with relevant team members to discuss the potential approach using available content and develop a detailed work plan identifying timelines, activities and certain deliverables for the period of assignment in consultation with Plan International Canada and submit for approval.
• Synthesize project materials including data, stories of change, lessons learned, project reports and more into coherent, reader-friendly content in the form of a knowledge management piece of approximately 30 pages:
  • Project implementation approaches, best practices and lessons learned document, using the framework of the Project’s Theory of Change and Gender Equality Strategy.
• Identify and reformulate or adapt stories of change using existing content to develop engaging and compelling stories.
• Write and create content with an emphasis on strong writing, contextualize and design visual content, including text, infographics, and graphs, as well as tailor and package lessons learned and best practices to be communicated to the target audience/stakeholder.
• Supplement the human stories with high quality photos or any relevant multimedia support as appropriate.
• Develop content for infographics or posters for sharing with various stakeholders.

To ensure the delivery of the above tasks, the Consultant will:

• Liaise and ensure constant communication/coordination with focal person at Plan International Canada, regarding all aspects of the assignment;
• Submit draft and final knowledge management document for review, comments and approval to Plan International Canada as requested;
• Hold consultations with Plan International Canada and Plan International Bangladesh as requested;
• Be responsible to integrate inputs and comments from Plan International Canada and Plan International Bangladesh staff.

4. Expected Deliverables and Timeframe

Deliverable/Task	# of Days (estimated)	Tentative Deadline
Contract signed with Consultant	–	Mid-August
Meet with Plan staff to discuss deliverables and expectationsReview of project documents	3	Mid-August
Draft outline of Project Implementation approaches, best practices and lessons learned document & submit for Plan approval	2	Mid-August
Integrate feedback on document outlines	2	Late-August
Drafting of Project Implementation approaches, best practices & lessons learned document	10	Early to mid-September
Integrating feedback from Plan staff & finalization	4	End of September
Total Days	21 days

5. Qualifications and skills of Consultant

• Advanced university degree (Bachelors or Masters) in communications, public relations, linguistics, social sciences, journalism & media or other related discipline relevant to this assignment.
• At least 3-5 years of experience working to develop knowledge management and/or communications pieces in the context of International Development or similar field for INGOs.
• Excellent writing skills and ability to synthetize information and translate expert knowledge in language that can be understood by a variety of audiences, including non-expert audiences.
• Experience producing content that is related to human rights and/or gender equality or ability to integrate gender equality as a foundational theme across the content.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and ability to establish and maintain strong working relationships with different teams.
• Fluency in English is mandatory.
• Familiarity with the issues related to CEFM would be an asset.
• Ability to produce high quality work under tight timeframes.

6. Application Packages and Procedures

Qualified and interested parties are asked to submit the following to Plan International Canada, c/o [email protected]. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Please share this by end of business day (EST) August 15, 2023.

1. Letter of interest (in the form of an email)
2. Curriculum Vitae
3. Proposed product and related financial bid
4. Sample project of at least 2 previously relevant publications
5. Names and contact information of three references who can be contacted regarding relevant experience

7. Supervision/Management of Assignment

The consultant will report to the Plan International Canada Program Manager and will work closely with both the Program Manager and Technical Advisors at Plan International Canada. The consultant may be requested to attend calls with Plan International Bangladesh staff, facilitated by Plan International Canada staff.

8. Child and Youth Safeguarding

Plan International is committed to actively safeguarding children and youth from harm and ensuring children’s rights to protection are fully realized. Plan International takes seriously the commitment to promote child and youth safe practices and protect children and youth from harm, abuse, neglect and any form of exploitation as they come into contact with Plan supported interventions. In addition, Plan takes positive action to prevent child abusers from becoming involved with Plan in any way and take stringent measures against any Plan Staff and/or Associate who abuses a child. Decisions and actions in response to child and youth safeguarding concerns will be guided by the principle of ‘best interests of the child’. All consultants are required to sign Plan International’s Child and Youth Safeguarding Policy and adhere to Plan International’s Code of Conduct.

9. Gender Equality and Inclusion

Achieving gender equality, promoting gender justice, realizing girls’ rights and fostering an inclusive society are core objectives of our work as an organization dedicated to child rights and equality for girls. 

• We confront and challenge discrimination and human rights violations based on gender, including gender-based violence, and other forms of exclusion.
• We also challenge stereotyping and unequal power relations between women, men, boys, and girls to promote gender equality, girls’ rights, and inclusion.
• We foster an organizational culture that embraces and exemplifies our commitment to gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion, while supporting staff to adopt good practice, positive attitudes and principles of gender equality and inclusion.

All consultants are required to sign and adhere to Plan International’s Global Policy on Gender Equality & Inclusion.