Recruitment of a short-term consultant to conduct an assessment and develop a project design for The Carter Center’s Women Environmental Rights Defenders work in Africa
(Africa-based)
I. About The Carter Center
The Carter Center is a 501(c)(3), not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization founded in 1982 in Atlanta, GA, by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, in partnership with Emory University. The Center has helped to improve millions of lives in more than 80 countries by waging peace, fighting disease, and building hope. The Carter Center is guided by a fundamental commitment to human rights and the alleviation of human suffering. It seeks to prevent and resolve conflicts, enhance freedom and democracy, and improve health.
The Carter Center collaborates with other organizations, public and private, in carrying out its mission around the world. Current information about the Center’s many programs and activities are available at The Carter Center.
II. Summary
The Carter Center (TCC) seeks an expert consultant (or team of consultants) in climate and environmental justice, with specific knowledge and understanding of community-based solutions to resilience, to undertake a scoping assessment for a new project we hope to implement in Africa. The project will be a multi-year engagement with local individuals and organizations engaged in climate and environmental justice issues. Emphasis and priority will be given to women-led initiatives. TCC seeks to improve the capacity of women environmental rights defenders to combat the adverse effects of climate change and enhance environmental justice and equality through networking, capacity building, leadership development, and increasing resilience in several countries in Africa. The total timeline for the evaluation is estimated to be 8 to 10 weeks.
III. Background
The Carter Center, through the work of President and Mrs. Carter, has long upheld the belief that people can improve their lives when provided with the necessary skills, knowledge, and access to resources. In his seminal 2014 book on women’s rights, “A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power,” President Jimmy Carter proclaimed that “the world’s discrimination and violence against women and girls is the most serious, pervasive, and ignored violation of basic human rights.” The book serves as an important wake-up call to the pervasive abuse of women and girls around the world, highlighting severe violations, including strangulation, genital cutting, child marriage, and the deprivation of equal opportunity for women even in wealthier nations.
It is increasingly recognized that environmental degradation and climate change disproportionately affect women – killing more women than men, especially in regions with low levels of gender equality. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has stressed that women, especially those in poverty, face high risks and experience a greater impact of climate change (Sorensen et al., 2018). Lack of land ownership and access to financial resources makes them further vulnerable to negative changes in the environment. Additionally, climate change is seen as a risk multiplier, resulting in more women being exposed to high rates of physical, sexual, and domestic abuse following a natural disaster (Sorensen et al., 2018).
Given that women and girls are intricately linked to the climate crisis, The Carter Center plans to design and implement a support program for Women Environmental Rights Defenders in Senegal, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Ghana, and Nigeria.
Project Goal: To effectively engage existing women human rights defenders in select African contexts to participate in climate action in their communities through strengthening capacity and increasing resilience, resources, and protection.
Outcome 1: Increased knowledge and understanding of the challenges faced by women human rights defenders in Africa.
Outcome 2: Increased resilience in front-line communities by partnering with women human rights defenders on locally based climate solutions, in collaboration with indigenous CSOs.
Outcome 3: Highlight the plight of and improve the mental health of women human rights defenders in partnership with well-being partners.
Outcome 4: Build solidarity among women human rights defenders by mobilizing stakeholders to amplify their voices as they take the lead on protecting and safeguarding the environment and climate.
IV. Objective
Under the supervision of the Human Rights Program Director and in coordination with the Human Rights Senior Program Associate, the consultant will be responsible for assisting in the scoping assessment and design of a program addressing the needs and challenges of Women Environmental Rights Defenders operating in several locations including (to be finalized) Senegal, DRC, Zambia, Ghana, and Nigeria. Final selection of countries will be made following and in consultation with the consultant.
V. Evaluation methodology and criteria
The consultant will collaborate closely with TCC Human Rights Program and other resources and experts as appropriate to develop the assessment schedule and final assessment questionnaire. The consultant will be required to travel to several countries and meet with relevant community, government, and development partner stakeholders to inform the program’s design. Sample stakeholders and questions are included below, but a final list will be determined between the selected consultant(s) and TCC.
Relevance
TCC seeks an expert to collaborate on the design of a multi-year program aimed at increasing Women Environmental Rights Defenders’ ability to lead in the fight against climate change and to identify localized solutions that can eventually be scaled.
Initial Countries for consideration and justification:
1. Democratic Republic of Congo: TCC has a long-standing presence and experience in the extractive industries in DRC. We have a large operation in-country. We are in the process of creating a Climate and Environmental Justice strategy for DRC.
2. Zambia: Home to one of the world’s largest copper belts with similar challenges as neighboring DRC. TCC has long wanted to expand our extractive industries work into Zambia, where we also have an office.
3. Ghana and Nigeria: TCC has previously worked successfully through religious organizations on several human rights issues in these two countries. Both of these countries have significant climate and environmental risks.
4. Senegal: TCC has a partner based in Senegal, where they have access to many communities available for consultation and piloting approaches.
Assessment components:
1. Scoping and stakeholder mapping:
· The consultant will collaborate as needed to identify relevant communities that have indicated climate and environmental justice are priorities for them as potential partner/program sites.
· A stakeholder map containing key actors, influencers, allies, spoilers, and potential partners, with a focus on women-led initiatives.
· The stakeholder map will also include a desk review of other development partners in the Climate and Environmental Justice sector currently supporting women human rights defenders in Africa with a clear gap analysis of geographies and/or intervention areas.
· A set of recommendations to inform the program design for engaging and integrating the groups into a cohesive program through training, networking, and leadership development.
2. Survey of women environmental rights defenders in target communities.
· The consultant will develop a survey to determine the challenges, needs, risks, and opportunities facing women human rights defenders.
· Based on the survey analysis, the consultant will include recommendations for specific areas on which to focus the training curriculum to be developed for the program.
· The consultant will work closely with other relevant experts to document the challenges, problems, needs, and opportunities identified by the communities.
3. Considerations to include in the report:
· Impact: TCC seeks to identify the challenges and opportunities for the proposed intervention. These effects may be direct or indirect, intended or unintended. TCC wants to identify how the program can contribute, or not, to changes in how women environmental rights defenders in Africa, including on potential cross-cutting issues of gender, anti-corruption, power relations, youth, transparency, and accountability.
· Sustainability: Sustainability is concerned with measuring whether the benefits of an activity are likely to continue after donor funding has been withdrawn.
· Localization: TCC is committed to supporting indigenous groups and leadership, the consultant should focus on identifying these resources.
· Complementarity: The program recommendations and design should be complementary and not duplicative to existing interventions.
I. Deliverables and Timeframes
The LOE for this assignment is 45 working days over 60 days starting upon contract signing, as follows. Specific dates will be included in the consultant contract based on the start date:
Deliverable
LOE
Due date (business days after the contract is signed)
Detailed work plan including bibliography and approach to desk review and a list of external interviews with a tentative timeline for completion
2 day
7 days
Interview guide for external stakeholders
1 day
10 days
Report template/structure outlining the structure for the report prior to drafting the final product.
2 day
12 days
Conduct community interviews
20 days
40 days
Final report not to exceed 40 pages report incorporating:
1. Regional trends/challenges and current programs in the climate sector around women environmental rights defenders, including gaps.
2. Specific programmatic opportunities for The Carter Center in the women and climate sector (including funding opportunities).
10 days
50 days
Based on the assessment, draft a prospective work plan for HRP’s future engagement with women environmental rights defenders.
4 days
During days 51 – 54 days
Present the final deliverable to the Carter Center (Human Rights Program and other) leadership and facilitate a conversation on developing proposed programming options.
3 days
During days 55 – 57 days
Incorporate any feedback/suggestions from leadership into the report.
3 days
During days 58 – 60 days
II. Qualifications/Competencies
· The consultant must be based in Africa and have worked in this sector on the continent for an extended period. Preference will be given to African applicants, in particular women.
· Advanced degree in environmental studies, environmental law, women’s studies, human rights, or related field.
· At least 5 years (10 years preferred) of relevant work experience at the intersection of climate change/climate justice and development, human rights, and women’s economic empowerment; relevant work and/or transferable experience in fundraising for non-profit organizations.
· Ability and willingness to travel to the field.
· Able to work independently and as part of a team.
· Regional languages such as French, Wolof, Swahili, will be considered a distinct advantage and asset.
· Strong relationships and regional networks, including relevant work experience with government and NGOs, including with relevant donors and implementers in the field of climate.
· Proven track record as an impactful program design consultant with examples of reports and strong references.
· Strong analytical and writing skills with proven skills in policy recommendations and problem identification and solving.
III. Selection Criteria
Interested applicants should submit a technical proposal that combines all of the below into one document:
· A CV or resume which should be no more than THREE pages, in English.
· TWO-page proposal outlining how their experience satisfies the requirements and will result in the successful achievement of the aims of this consultancy, including consultancy fee expectations.
· No more than TEN pages of sample(s) of their own, unedited previous work. Samples of relevant work include reports, strategic plans, and funding proposals. Samples should clearly indicate the applicant’s role in designing, delivering, and drafting the product.
Incomplete applications and applications that do not meet the requirements will not be considered.
Interested applicants should submit their applications to hrphiring@cartercenter.org by April 20, 2024.
The Carter Center is a 501(c)(3), not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization founded in 1982 in Atlanta, GA, by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, in partnership with Emory University. The Center has helped to improve millions of lives in more than 80 countries by waging peace, fighting disease, and building hope. The Carter Center is guided by a fundamental commitment to human rights and the alleviation of human suffering. It seeks to prevent and resolve conflicts, enhance freedom and democracy, and improve health.
The Carter Center collaborates with other organizations, public and private, in carrying out its mission around the world. Current information about the Center’s many programs and activities are available at The Carter Center.
