[hepr-vn] Helvetas Looking for a national consultant to conduct gender assessment [Tien Giang and Ben Tre]

[Vern Weitzel]

Subject: 	Looking for a national consultant to conduct gender assessment
Date: 	Mon, 27 Jul 2009 20:12:43 -0700 (PDT)
From: 	vo van phong <vovanphong at yahoo.com>

We are, Helvetas Vietnam (www.helvetas.org <http://www.helvetas.org/>)
are recruiting a qualified consultant to conduct gender assessment in
Vietnam Mekong Delta provinces of Tien Giang and Ben Tre as specifed in
the attached ToR. Therefore, please help us to circulate this
information on the networks.

Best regards,

______________________
VO VAN PHONG
Senior Program Officer
Eco-Cocoa Program
Helvetas Vietnam

Swiss association for international cooperation
Quarter 6, Linh Trung Ward, Thu Duc District, Hochiminh City, Vietnam
Tel +84 8 3724 5527 Fax +84 8 3724 5525
www.helvetas.org.vn


Terms of Reference

Gender study in Eco Cacao (organic and fair trade) in Vietnam

DRAFT

1.	Introduction

Helvetas, a Swiss Association for International Cooperation, has
started a five-year programme to develop Organic and Fair-Trade Cocoa
in Vietnam. The program aims to increase the living standard of the
rural population in the southern regions of Vietnam via improved
social, economic and environmental conditions related to agriculture.
This project will be coordinated by Helvetas and implemented by three
project partners: the Nong Lam University, Ben Tre Province’s
Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) and Tien Giang
Province’s Department of Science and Technology (DOST). The primary
target groups for the project are the small-scale farmers in the two
selected provinces. At least 2000 farmers will directly benefit from
the project through their participation in the training organized by
the project and via involvement in the farmer networks to be developed
by the project and supported to obtain organic and fair-trade
certification. If successful, the project will have the ability to
reach some 10,000 additional farmers in a follow up phase.

As many other development organizations, Helvetas has its own gender
strategy to mainstream gender issues into its development activities,
and accordingly gender issues have been incorporated in the program
activities to ensure both technical and social success of the program.
This is based on the reality that with regard to gender equity,
Vietnam is one of the more advanced countries with appropriate
policies and the Law on Gender Equality to ensure equal rights of men
and women (Vietnam country gender assessment 2006); however, southern
region women participate less in public events than men and the
project will therefore make a special effort to ensure that women will
participate in the project, not only as participant but also as
farmer-trainer and group facilitator (Program document).

For gender mainstreaming, there are a number of gender mainstreaming
guidelines developed and applied by development projects in Vietnam;
however, effective gender strategy in one area may not be effectively
applied in other areas. This is because of the fact that the division
of labour between women and men in agricultural and non-agricultural
production is different from localities to localities due to different
socio-economic and cultural contexts. According to first assessments
made by Helvetas Vietnam, women are less represented as men in Cocoa
clubs in the 2 program provinces (Program document). In addition,
according to MARD/Goletti study, men are more responsible of Cocoa
farming than women. However, this type of information is still too
limited for us to devise an effective gender mainstreaming plan for
the eco cocoa program. In other words, for ensuring technical and
social success of the program in promoting organic cocoa in the target
areas, gender issues in agricultural and non-agricultural production
should be better understood in order to design and implement gender
mainstreaming program activities effectively.

For that reason, the program has decided to conduct this study in
order to better understand the roles of men and women respectively in
agricultural and non agricultural activities, income source and
distribution, housework and also the decision making process in the
Cocoa/Coconut planting households, and accordingly propose gender
mainstreaming recommendations and follow-ups.

2.	Objective of the study

This study aims at making a first gender disaggregated assessment of
the division of labor in the current Cocoa and Coconut mixed
cultivation households in the Mekong river delta region and providing
previsions on the division of labor in the case of a conversion to
organic and fair trade cultivation and marketing. The study is also to
analyze the challenges and the opportunities for women to be more
represented in trainings and farmers’ organizations and accordingly
propose approaches and strategies to improve the representation of
women.

3.	Expected Results

•	The division of labour between women and men in the different
tasks of agricultural and non-agricultural activities (mixed
cocoa/coconut farming and marketing, animal husbandry and housework)
is assessed.

•	Seasonal daily time employment (rainy and dry seasons) is
analysed in a gender disaggregated way

•	Gender disaggregated presentations of the typical seasonal
calendar in the cocoa/coconut mixed cultivation farms are made

•	The roles of men and women in decision making processes in cocoa
farming households is analyzed in a gender disaggregated manner

•	Gender disaggregated assets and income distribution of cocoa
farming households are assessed

•	Additional challenges related to water and sanitation in cocoa
farming households are assessed

•	Recommendations for improving women representation in both
training and eco cacao farmers organisations are provided using SWOT
analysis approaches

4.	Specific aspects of the study and the report

•	Conduct gender context analysis

•	Develop study methods and corresponding survey questionnaires
(eg. semi structured individual interviews and group discussions)

•	Discuss with the Eco Cacao team and with the provincial project
partners the contents and the methods of the survey and propose a plan
on how to conduct survey

•	Conduct the survey (60 households in four districts, two
districts per provinces: 15 in each district: 10 for group interview
and 5 for individual interview; interviewees include cocoa growers and
collectors/fermenters)

•	Analyze results and represent the findings in a visual way using
the formatted report

•	Present the findings to the interviewees and local partners for
comments and

•	Integrate if necessary feedback in final report

•	Provide recommendations to mainstream gender findings in the Eco
cacao activities

•	Propose a gender mainstreaming monitoring plan through the M&E of
the program (gender indicators)

5.	Composition of the study team

The team is composed of following experts:

Consultants:

•	One national gender specialist as team leader

Resource persons:

•	Program manager and officers of the Eco-cacao program (in Hanoi
and HCMC)

•	Two persons from the provincial cocoa development boards of Ben
Tre and Tien Giang Provinces, one each

•	Local part-timers

6.	Time frame

No. of Days	Activity

1	Prepare methodologies, questionnaires and schedule of the study

1	Discuss the methodologies, questionnaires and schedule with
Helvetas staff and revise them if needed

2	Discuss the survey with provinces and prepare an action plan for
the survey

1	Finalize the survey and the action plan

8	Conduct the survey

5	Analyse results and prepare a draft report

1	Present the draft and discuss with Helvetas staff and revise
where relevant

2	Present the revised draft to provincial partners

1	Complete and submit the final report, taking into account the
feedback from local partners

22 days in total

7.	Reporting

The team leader is responsible for the report. He/she has to deliver
timely the report following the format provided by Helvetas Vietnam.
The report shall be written in English, processed electronically and
submitted to Helvetas Vietnam. Helvetas Vietnam will translate the
report into Vietnamese language.

8.	Required qualifications of the consultant

The consultant is expected to have:

•	Substantial experience in gender issues and assessment in Vietnam
in general and in agricultural production in particular;

•	Capacity to analyze complex issues, draw relevant conclusions and
produce a comprehensive technical report;

•	Very good facilitation skills; and ability to speak and write
English properly.

•	Experience in working with farmers in Mekong Delta will be an
advantage

Interested candidates should send their CVs, indicating relevant
working experience in gender assessments to one of the following
persons:

1.	Ms Tran Thi Trieu at tran.trieu at helvetas.org

2.	Ms Nguyen Lam Giang at lam.giang at helvetas.org

3.	Mr Vo Van Phong at vo.phong at helvetas.org



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