Consultant - Gender Equity & Social Inclusion Assessment and Action Plan for Power for Food Partnership Project

1. ABOUT SNV

SNV is a global development partner rooted in the African and Asian countries where we operate. With 60 years of experience and a team of approximately 1,600 people, it is our mission to strengthen capacities and catalyze partnerships that transform the agri-food, energy, and water systems to enable sustainable and more equitable lives for all.

1. BACKGROUND

The Power for Food Partnership is a regional initiative by the IKEA Foundation, SNV, and partners to transform agri-food and energy systems across Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. Building on years of in-country collaboration and engagement—through projects that have improved agricultural livelihoods and expanded renewable energy access—the partnership seeks to move from scattered “islands of change” to coordinated, scalable impact across Eastern Africa. By aligning national programmes under a shared regional vision, Power for Food Partnership aims to tackle systemic barriers, catalyse innovation, and support communities to build sustainable, climate-resilient futures.

The Power for Food Partnership in Kenya seeks a transition toward regenerative, resilient, and inclusive agri-food systems by harnessing the power of regenerative agriculture and the productive use of renewable energy. Through this nexus approach, the programme will support the emergence of farmer-led coalitions, scale bundled RA–PURE solutions, and drive systemic transformation through coordinated policy influence, evidence generation, and strategic investment. Our collaborative model—LEARN, LINK, LEVERAGE—brings together local actors to create impact that lasts. The programme embeds a gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) strategy at its core, applying a gender-transformative lens to identify and address structural barriers faced by women, youth, persons with disabilities, and other marginalized groups. By ensuring equitable access to resources, knowledge, and markets, and fostering inclusive participation and safe consultation spaces, the programme aims to build empowered, resilient communities that actively co-create solutions within regenerative, climate-smart, and economically viable agri-food systems. GESI considerations are systematically integrated across the LEARN–LINK–LEVERAGE model to enhance impact and sustainability.

For more information on SNV, visit our website: www.snv.org

C. OBJECTIVES OF THE GESI ASSESSMENT AND ACTION PLAN

The overall objective of this assignment is to undertake a comprehensive Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) analysis of the regenerative agriculture (RA)–productive use of renewable energy (PURE) nexus under the Power for Food Partnership Kenya programme. The analysis will inform the development of a GESI Mainstreaming Action Plan (GAP) that guides the integration and monitoring of inclusive, gender-responsive approaches across all components of the programme. The assessment shall also Review the theory of change for GESI that links the RA-PURE interventions to expected social, economic, and empowerment outcomes for women, youth, and marginalized groups.

Rather than focusing on a single value chain, the assignment will explore how gender and social inclusion dynamics manifest across systems and interventions that link RA & PURE, and how these dynamics affect access, social, political and economic participation, benefit-sharing, and influence among different social groups, especially women, youth, and marginalised populations.

Specifically, the assignment seeks to: Identify, profile and characterize the status of GESI in the RE-PURE nexus in specific counties in the context of the Power for food theory of transformation.

1. Conduct a GESI analysis of the RA–PURE nexus, with a gender responsive focus, including assessments on
   1. 1. Differences, social norms, practices and attitudes affecting participation in regenerative agriculture and energy use for productive purposes.
      2. Assess the economic barriers, structural constraints, and opportunities that influence women’s, youth’s, and other potentially marginalized groups’ access to, control over, and benefits from Regenerative Agriculture (RA) and Productive Use of Renewable Energy (PURE) initiatives.
      3. Power dynamics, agency, and decision-making across households, institutions, and communities.
      4. Conduct an intersectional analysis covering widows, single mothers, youth-headed households, and ethnic minorities to capture diverse vulnerabilities
   2. Assess the enabling environment at micro, meso, and macro levels (e.g. policies, institutions, market systems) to identify GESI related gaps within RA–PURE systems and how they impacts gender and inclusion outcomes in the nexus.
   3. Identify capacity gaps and entry points for integrating GESI into stakeholder engagement, implementation models, policy advocacy, financing mechanisms, and ecosystem strengthening.
2. Develop a GESI Mainstreaming Action Plan that: maps the gaps and challenges identified in the assessment exercise to specific solutions and opportunities in the RA-PURE ecosystem. This task will:
   • Provides practical tools, guidance, and implementation pathways. Include a structured mentorship and capacity building plan for partners, including guidance on gender-responsive budgeting and integration of GESI across all pathways.
   • The action plan should guide on the application of SNV’s Minimum Standards for Mainstreaming GESI and relevant global best practices.
   • Proposes measurable GESI indicators and outcomes for inclusion in the programme’s MEL framework (including use of sex-, age, location (county & ward), and disability-disaggregated data);
   • Ensures alignment with “do no harm” principles and promotes social transformation.

The strategy will be applied across:

• Programme implementation processes (delivery, monitoring, evaluation, and learning);
• Stakeholder and partner engagement (public, private, and community-level actors);
• Participant engagement, ensuring equitable participation and benefits for women, men, youth, and vulnerable groups.

D. SCOPE OF WORK

The assignment will be carried out in two main phases:
(i) a comprehensive Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) assessment, and
(ii) development of a context-specific Gender Mainstreaming Action plan tailored to the regenerative agriculture (RA) and productive use of renewable energy (PURE) nexus.

• The consultant will be expected to apply a systems approach to analyse gender dynamics at the micro (household), meso (community/market), and macro (policy/institutional) levels while carrying out the following tasks:

1. GESI Analysis of the RA–PURE Nexus

• Conduct a desk review and field-based assessment of gender and social inclusion issues across the RA and PURE domains in selected power for food partnership counties.
• Analyse the national and sub-national gender policy frameworks, institutional structures, and programmes relevant to RA and PURE interventions, identifying opportunities, synergies, and gaps for gender-responsive implementation.
• Assess the difference in roles, access, and control over productive resources, finance, technologies, markets, and information among women, men, youth, and persons with disabilities in the RA–PURE space.
• Analyse gender-smart business models, affordability, payment mechanisms (e.g., PAYGO), after-sales services, and distribution channels for RA–PURE technologies to identify opportunities for women and youth inclusion.
• Examine existing gender norms, cultural practices, intra-household decision-making dynamics, and how these influence participation, leadership, and benefit-sharing from RA and PURE interventions.
• Identify constraints and opportunities for women’s, persons with disability and youth’s agency and voice in decision-making and policy platforms related to agri-energy systems.
• Map relevant GESI stakeholders (civil society, government, private sector, youth/women’s organizations, etc.) and Surface contextualized opportunities for collaboration, network building and resource and knowledge sharing towards transformation of the GESI landscape in respective counties.

2. Capacity Assessment

• Conduct a GESI-focused partner assessment to evaluate the capacity of implementing partners to integrate gender equality and social inclusion within the Power for Food partnership programme.
• The assessment will build on SNV’s overall Partner Assessment process, which has already been completed, and will provide a deeper analysis of GESI-specific dimensions not fully covered in the existing tool (the consultant will integrate SNV’s GESI capacity assessment tool for partners)
• The consultant may review SNV’s GESI Assessment Tool for Partners to ensure alignment but will design and apply an approach suitable for assessing GESI integration within the RA–PURE nexus.
• The partner assessment will explore:
  • Existence and strength of GESI policies and organisational commitment.
  • Integration of GESI in programmes and projects.
  • Experience in measuring GESI outcomes, including data collection, feedback mechanisms, and use of GESI tools.
  • Community engagement and accountability practices.
  • Ethical standards and safeguarding measures; and
  • External collaborations and partnerships supporting GESI initiatives.
• The consultant will analyse the findings to identify capacity gaps, good practices, and priority areas for capacity strengthening, providing tailored recommendations for each partner to enhance GESI integration across the three power for food pathways (LEARN, LINK, LEVERAGE).
• Recommend a structured mentoring/coaching plan for implementing partners to strengthen GESI capacity and improve accountability mechanisms.

3. Development of GESI Mainstreaming Action Plan

• Co-develop a practical GESI actions informed by stakeholder’s consultations and feedback and aligned with:
  • SNV’s Minimum Standards for Mainstreaming GESI.
  • Best practices in gender-transformative programming in agriculture and energy.
  • MEL frameworks requiring sex-, age-, and disability-disaggregated data and relevant gender indicators.
• Support for the strategy to be integrated across:
  • Programme delivery mechanisms.
  • Stakeholder and partner engagement.
  • Participants outreach and empowerment processes.
• Embed “do no harm” and social safeguards in all recommended approaches. Include guidance on embedding GBV referral pathways, safe consultation spaces, and tools for assessing the time-use burden of RA–PURE technologies on women and youth

4. Collaboration with Power for food partnership team

• Work closely with the power for food partnerships programme team and Pathway leads, MEL, and communications throughout the assignment.
• Facilitate consultations with selected community members, implementing partners, and stakeholders at county and national levels.
• Present preliminary findings for validation and incorporate feedback into final deliverables.
• Define baseline and endline methodologies for GESI indicators aligned with SDG 5, 7, 8, and 13, including sex-, age-, location-, and disability-disaggregated data.

5. Validation and finalisation of deliverables

• Organise and facilitate a virtual validation workshop in each of the seven power for food partnership target counties to share preliminary findings, test the relevance of proposed strategies, and gather stakeholder feedback. Participants should include representatives from local government, private sector, civil society organisations, community-based groups (especially women and youth), and power for food partnership programme partners.
• Consolidate and analyse feedback from the validation workshops and ensure that inputs are meaningfully incorporated into the final GESI Analysis Report and GESI Mainstreaming Action Plan
• Submit the final GESI Analysis Report and Mainstreaming Action plan reflecting validated insights, practical recommendations, and alignment with programme objectives and gender mainstreaming standards.

E. DELIVERABLES

The consultant will be expected to deliver the following outputs to the power for food partnership programme:

1. Inception report
   A detailed inception report with a refined methodology, tools to be used, and work plan. This report will also include a stakeholder engagement plan and draft data collection instruments. The inception report should clearly demonstrate relevance of the methodology to GESI dynamics in RA-PURE nexus.
2. GESI analysis report
   A comprehensive report presenting the findings of the gender equality and social inclusion analysis across the RA–PURE nexus. The report will address GESI dimensions under the three Power for Food partnership pathways — LEARN, LINK, and LEVERAGE — and will cover:
   • Gender roles, norms, and participation in RA and PURE;
   • Barriers and opportunities faced by women, youth, and other excluded groups in adopting RA and PURE;
   • Power dynamics and intra-household decision-making related to resource access, technology uptake, and livelihood activities;
   • Institutional and policy environment analysis highlighting gaps and opportunities for strengthening inclusion;
   • Stakeholder mapping and capacity gaps across actors engaged in RA–PURE systems;
   • Practical and actionable recommendations for enhancing GESI within the programme.

Specifically, the report should:

• Under LEARN: Examine existing evidence on the gendered adoption of RA–PURE practices, identifying opportunities, learning gaps, and knowledge needs to inform inclusive programming. (Include intersectional insights and learning gaps related to diverse groups including youth-headed households, women, and persons with disabilities)
• Under LINK: Assess the inclusivity of current networks, alliances, business models, and partnerships in reaching women, youth, and PWDs, and identify barriers faced by diverse groups in engaging in RA–PURE value chains. (Incorporate analysis of inclusive business models, distribution channels, and affordability mechanisms to enhance RA–PURE adoption)
• Under LEVERAGE: Analyse how national and county-level policy frameworks and processes such as the Kenya Climate Change Action Plan, Agriculture Sector Transformation and Growth Strategy, Energy Act, Gender Policy, etc. can be strengthened to promote GESI-responsive RA–PURE integration.

1. Capacity Needs Assessment brief
   A brief highlighting the gender mainstreaming capacity gaps among power for food partnership implementing partners, public and private stakeholders, and community actors, with tailored recommendations for capacity strengthening.
2. Draft Gender Mainstreaming Action plan
   A practical and context-specific strategy aligned with power for food partnership programme structure, including:
   • Gender-sensitive indicators and MEL integration.
   • Implementation guidance across programme components.
   • “Do no harm” principles.
   • Actionable tools and tips for mainstreaming GESI in RA and PURE programming pathways.
3. County-Level validation workshops
   A Consolidated validation and action planning process will be undertaken to ensure stakeholder ownership and learning. The consultant will facilitate:

• One joint virtual validation workshop to present and validate the GESI analysis findings with stakeholders from the seven counties, gather feedback, and integrate learning; and
• One physical Action Plan co-creation workshop bringing together key partners and stakeholders to collectively develop a GESI-responsive Action Plan.

A comprehensive workshop report will summarize stakeholder feedback, agreed modifications, and commitments to strengthen accountability, collaboration, and joint learning on GESI within the RA–PURE nexus.

1. Final GESI Analysis report and Mainstreaming Action Plan
   Final versions of both documents that incorporate feedback from the validation workshops and align with SNV’s standards for quality and inclusion. These should be professionally formatted and submitted in both editable (Word) and PDF formats.

F. QUALIFICATION FOR CONSULTANT/FIRM

The selected consultant (or consulting firm-open to Kenya nationals only) must demonstrate the following minimum capacity and experience:

• • Proven experience (minimum 7 years) in conducting gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) assessments, preferably in agriculture, energy access, or climate-resilient development programmes. Must include validated samples of recent similar work
  • Lead consultant to have expertise in gender and social inclusion in agriculture/energy systems and working in western Kenya
  • Solid understanding of regenerative agriculture and the productive use of renewable energy (PURE) in rural development contexts, particularly their nexus within Kenya.
  • A Master’s degree in Gender Studies, Development Studies, Sociology, Agricultural Economics, Renewable Energy, or other relevant social science or interdisciplinary field, with demonstrated focus on gender and social inclusion.
  • Experience in designing and implementing GESI mainstreaming strategies, tools, and training programmes for development projects.
  • Demonstrated ability to design and apply qualitative and quantitative research methods for GESI assessments, including stakeholder analysis, power mapping, and policy review.
  • Strong data analysis, synthesis, and report writing skills, with the ability to present findings in clear and actionable formats for diverse audiences.
  • Excellent facilitation /coaching skills, especially in multi-stakeholder workshops and community-based consultations, with sensitivity to cultural and gender dynamics.
  • Ability to communicate fluently in English and Kiswahili (both spoken and written).
  • Familiarity with local dialects and cultural dynamics in western Kenya is an added advantage.

G. TIMELINE AND DURATION

This contract shall be for 4 months, commencing when the Consultant signs a contract with SNV.

All deliverables and supporting documents of this assignment including the final invoice must be delivered to SNV on or before 19th May 2026.

H. APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS AND ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Technical evaluation will precede financial considerations. Interested consultants are requested to submit their proposals which should contain the following:

Technical Proposal (70%)

• Interpretation and understanding of the terms of reference,
• Capability statement demonstrating qualifications (academic and professional) and relevant experience including profile/s of the consultant/team members that will be involved (CVs to be provided as an attachment to the proposal)
• Summaries of recent   three similar assignments accomplished by the firm including recommendations from the clients. (Not more than 10 years old)
• Proposed approach/methodology for each activity and deliverable to meet objectives. clearly showing how the GESI dynamics will be captured, how they will feed into the GESI strategy development.
• Project implementation and work plan showing milestones, activities, detailed sequence, start and end dates, days necessary and required resources
• Include three reference projects related to consulting, conceptualization, designing and/or managing marketing projects, social media campaigns and public relations.
• Workplan outlining key milestones, and time schedule,
• Proposed report outlining the assignment.

Financial proposal (30%)

Must include all costs and applicable taxes. The proposed budget should be in Kenya Shillings and should have sufficient detail to allow a detailed review of the proposed costs. Therefore, the financial proposal should at least contain:

• Professional fees - Budget lines for each proposed expert with the estimated time input and daily rates.
• Indicative activity costs - Line items and unit rates for meetings, field travel transport, and accommodation, etc. 
• Proposed milestone-based schedule of payments.

I. HOW TO APPLY

SNV is an equal opportunity employer, and this position is available for filling at the earliest possible opportunity. 

Separate technical and financial proposals should be sent by email to ProcurementKenya@snv.org  and should be received by Friday, 9th January 2026 with the subject line “Proposals for Gender & Social Inclusion Analysis and Gender Mainstreaming Action Plan -Power for food partnership”. 

FULL TOR HERE

Shortlisting

 Only applicants fulfilling the above requirements will be contacted. If you do not hear from us within one month from the submission date of your application, consider your application unsuccessful.