Lead Research Consultant-CARE

JOB DESCRIPTION

Collective Action to Realise Equality (CARE): Feminist Movement Building in Zimbabwe
Feminist Participatory Action Research (FPAR) – Terms of Reference (ToR) for Lead Research Consultant

1. Background

The CARE project

Two vibrant women’s rights organisations in Zimbabwe are implementing a Care project with support from Womankind. The aim of the CARE project is to support the strengthening of the women’s movement in Zimbabwe, making it more accountable to and inclusive of the women it seeks to serve, and increasing the collective leadership, voice and agency of these diverse women by working with women leaders in formal and informal decision-making structures, and women in communities.

To achieve this, CARE seeks to achieve three interrelated outcomes:

• The women’s movement in Zimbabwe is more accountable to a diverse range of women and girls, and better equipped to collectively demand change and hold power holders to account.
• Women elected and those aspiring to formal leadership office have strengthened capacity through gaining skills and knowledge, to better lead, influence and be accountable to women.
• Women at community level have increased collective power to organise, influence and demand change.

Taken together, the aim and outcomes of the project seek a critical shift in the ‘power within’ Zimbabwean women to take action and have ‘power with’ other Zimbabwean women collectively in movements in order to influence narratives and institutional power held with politicians, government officials and traditional leaders.

Adapted Feminist Participatory Action Research (FPAR) – Aims and objectives

The CARE project would like to commission a research on three critical areas using an adapted Feminist Participatory Action Research (FPAR) approach which supports marginalised women to demand their rights and bring about structural change. These three areas are:

• How are women in Zimbabwe individually and collectively demanding accountability in the advent of COVID 19?
• How are women in Zimbabwe adapting in the face of COVID 19 to ensure that there is momentum in the women’s work and agenda?
• How can women collectively organise to bring about 50/50 Parliament and Local Government within the proposed legal reforms?

2. Specific Objectives

• To document strategies and interventions which women in Zimbabwe are utilising in demanding accountability in the face of COVID at different levels and the ways in which women are organising for change in this current crisis.
• To explore, develop and document strategies for the achievement of 50/50 in Parliament and Local Government.

3. Scope of this research

The research will be conducted in three provinces of Zimbabwe which are Midlands, Matabeleland and Mashonaland West provinces.

4. Methodology:

The research is expected to follow an adapted Feminist Participatory Action Research (FPAR) approach, including the recruitment of 12 data collectors from the target community. It is anticipated that the research will focus on qualitative data collected through Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), but this can be decided or adapted by the research team as part of the participatory process.

5. Expected deliverables:

The main expected deliverable will be

• A comprehensive report responding to the research questions and any other research findings.
• A summary topline summary report
• A simplified PowerPoint presentation of the findings to be presented at the launch event by the consultant.

6. Timeframe

The research and write up of findings will take place between January to August 2022. Data collection in the 3 research areas is expected to be conducted consecutively and the final research report must be delivered no later than mid- August 2022. The consultancy is anticipated to require a total of 48 days of the lead research consultant /team’s time over the project period.

7. Expressions of Interest

We are seeking to recruit a local lead research consultant with a presence in Zimbabwe to coordinate and lead this research, including research design, methodology and tool development, recruiting data collectors, training the research team, supporting the sensitization meetings and the recruitment of participants. The consultant(s) will lead a research team composed of two internal Researchers, 8 Research Assistants, and 12 data collectors. These members of the research team will not form part of the consultancy and will be engaged internally.

The consultant must meet the following criteria:

• Previous experience of Participatory Action Research Approaches
• At least 6 years’ experience in research work and a clear understanding of FPAR, a feminist approach and women’s issues.
• An understanding of intersectionality in the women’s movement, including inclusion of women with disabilities, in rural areas and women experiencing other forms of marginalisation
• An Advanced Degree in Gender, Development Studies, Law or any Social Science discipline

Interested applicants should send an expression of interest supported by the following:

• CV with at least 2 traceable references
• Financial and Technical proposal, demonstrating understanding of the assignment and proposed approach.
• Samples of previous writings, articles or published reports