The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC), in partnership with World Vision (WV), Reach A Hand Uganda (RAHU), Humanity & Inclusion (HI), and Open Capital Advisors (OCA), has secured a four-year grant from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN) to implement the PROTECT SRHR project whose major goal is to improve Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and the social wellbeing of over one million adolescents, young people, and women of reproductive age in six districts of West Nile, Uganda including  Koboko, Maracha, Terego, Nebbi, Packwach, and Yumbe. The project aims to achieve 04 long-term and 02 intermediate outcomes:

Long-term Outcomes:

 Reduced preventable maternal deathsReduced teenage pregnanciesReduced sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and child marriageReduced new HIV infections among adolescents, especially girls

Intermediate Outcomes:

  Increased access to and utilization of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and SGBV services by women, adolescents, and young people (10-24), including marginalized groups  Improved retention and completion rates of girls and boys in primary and secondary school

Background to the SASA Together Baseline Assessment. 

The PROTECT SRHR project employs a comprehensive, community-driven approach to overcoming barriers to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), with a particular emphasis on transforming harmful gender norms and preventing gender-based violence (GBV).

To achieve this, the project integrates a variety of complementary methodologies, i.e. SASA! Together for community mobilization against GBV; Girl Shine to empower adolescent girls and their caregivers through life skills and protection-focused mentorship; Engaging Men through Accountable Practices (EMAP) to promote positive masculinities and male allyship in gender equality; and inclusive SRHR programming to ensure the meaningful participation of persons with disabilities and marginalized groups.

SASA! Together is a transformative community mobilization approach designed to address the power imbalances that drive violence against women and girls. By empowering adolescents, particularly girls, young people, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups, SASA! Together strengthens their ability to claim their rights and access essential SRHR and GBV services. The methodology is structured around a phased process—Start, Awareness, Support, and Action—that stimulates critical thinking, fosters community dialogue, and activates local leadership to challenge and change harmful gender norms. Through this process, SASA! Together encourages collective action to promote gender equality, safe relationships, and the sustainable prevention of GBV. By engaging community activists, leaders, service providers, and institutions, it enhances the capacity of entire communities to respond to and prevent GBV, fostering long-lasting social change.

To ensure the successful implementation of SASA! Together, a baseline assessment will be conducted across the six project districts—Yumbe, Koboko, Terego, Maracha, Nebbi, and Pakwach. The assessment will explore existing knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and practices related to power dynamics, gender equality, and GBV within the target communities. The findings will provide critical insights for customizing SASA! Together activities and establishing a baseline for tracking progress throughout the project. Moreover, the results will guide the development of targeted interventions, community engagement strategies, and cross-sectoral coordination to strengthen GBV prevention and response efforts.

  Purpose of the consultancy

 The purpose of this consultancy is to conduct a SASA! Together baseline assessment for the PROTECT SRHR project, focusing on the six project districts: Yumbe, Koboko, Terego, Maracha, Nebbi, and Pakwach. The consultancy aims to gather critical data on the existing knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and practices surrounding power dynamics, gender equality, and gender- based violence (GBV) within the target communities. This assessment will inform the design and tailoring of the SASA! Together methodology and other complementary strategies, ensuring they are responsive to the specific needs of the communities. The results will provide a benchmark for measuring the impact of the project, guide the development of targeted interventions, and support the creation of community engagement and cross-sectoral coordination strategies aimed at preventing and responding to GBV.

Specific Objectives.

 Assess the community’s awareness of GBV and evaluate their capacity to recognize, prevent, and respond to gender-based violence (GBV) Evaluate the community's prior knowledge of the SASA! Together methodology, its relevance, and the expected outcomes of its implementation in the context of the target communities. Map existing service support structures within the communities, assessing their relevance and potential to support the successful implementation of the SASA! Together methodology.Scope of the assessment

Geographical Scope

The baseline assessment will be conducted in selected communities across the six targeted project districts—Yumbe, Koboko, Terego, Maracha, Nebbi, and Pakwach—where SASA! Together will be implemented. It will ensure representation of diverse population groups, particularly adolescents (especially girls), young people, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable or marginalized populations.

Thematic Scope

The assessment will explore several thematic areas including community knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and practices related to gender-based violence (GBV), gender equality, and power dynamics. It will also examine community perceptions and readiness for social norm transformation, levels of awareness and understanding of the SASA! Together methodology, and barriers and enablers to GBV prevention and response at the community level.

Stakeholder Engagement

Stakeholder engagement will be central to the assessment, involving a broad spectrum of actors such as community members, local leaders, community activists, youth and women’s groups, service providers (health, protection, and legal), and representatives of persons with disabilities. Their perspectives will provide critical insights into the contextual factors that may influence the implementation of SASA! Together.

Service Mapping

In addition, the assessment will include a mapping of existing GBV and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) service providers, community support structures, and referral pathways. This will help determine their alignment with the SASA! Together approach and identify opportunities for strengthening coordination and service integration to support sustainable GBV prevention and response.

Responsibility of the Consultant Develop an inception report in consultation with the PROTECT SRHR project team, clearly outlining the assessment objectives, methodology (including tools and sampling), workplan, and timelines specific to the SASA! Together baseline assessment.Recruit, train, and supervise a competent field assessment team with experience in gender, GBV, SRHR, and disability inclusion.Conduct a desk review of relevant literature, including existing SASA! Together documentation, GBV/SRHR assessments, and contextual studies from the target districts.Lead the design and implementation of primary data collection using both qualitative and quantitative methods, ensuring the participation of key stakeholders including adolescents, youth, persons with disabilities, service providers, and community leaders.Analyze and interpret data to generate evidence on community knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and practices around power, gender equality, GBV, and readiness for SASA! Together implementation.Ensure high standards of data quality, confidentiality, and ethical conduct throughout the assessment process, in line with IRC and donor requirements.Provide actionable recommendations that inform the customization of SASA! Together activities and community engagement strategies.Facilitate a validation workshop with stakeholders to present preliminary findings, gather feedback, and strengthen the relevance and utility of the final report.Maintain continuous coordination and communication with the IRC project focal point throughout the assignment.Sign and adhere to the IRC Uganda Safeguarding Policy and uphold ethical standards in all interactions with communities and stakeholders.Develop and share the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the SASA! Together baseline assessment, clearly outlining the purpose, objectives, scope, methodology, and expected deliverables. Provide the consultant with relevant background documents, existing data, project materials, and access to the SASA! Together framework and associated tools.Facilitate introductions and coordination with key stakeholders in the six target districts, including district officials, community leaders, service providers, youth groups, women’s groups, and representatives of persons with disabilities.Review and provide timely feedback on the consultant’s inception report, assessment tools, draft findings, and final report to ensure quality and alignment with project goals.Provide oversight and support throughout the assignment, including feedback on the consultant’s performance and adherence to safeguarding and ethical standards.

Approve the final study design, methodology, and data collection tools prior to field deployment

Expected Deliverables

 Inception Report

           A    detailed report outlining the assessment methodology, sampling strategy, tools, and workplan         It will also include ethical considerations and the timeline for the assessment.

  Baseline Assessment Report

           A comprehensive report that presents data analysis, key findings, and actionable recommendations on GBV, power dynamics, and SASA! Together readiness. This will inform the design and implementation of the project.

  Presentation of Key Finding

          A  PowerPoint presentation (20–30 slides) summarizing key insights, trends, and recommendations from the baseline. This will be used in workshops and dissemination meetings.

 Clean and Anonymized Datase

          A  complete dataset of collected data (both qualitative and quantitative), cleaned, anonymized, and submitted in a usable format. The dataset will be accompanied by a codebook for clarity and reference.

Stakeholder Validation Repor

          A  report summarizing feedback from the stakeholder validation workshop, including howfeedback was integrated into the final report. This will ensure alignment with community needs and stakeholder expectations Lessons Learned and Recommendations          A document capturing key lessons learned during the baseline assessment process.          It will include practical recommendations to enhance SASA! Together’s implementation and future assessments.

Data Collection Tools

          Copies of the finalized data collection tools (surveys, interview guides) used during the baseline assessment. Tools will be submitted in digital and editable formats for future reference. Assignment Duration

The consultant will be reimbursed for up to 33 working days. This includes all relevant field work, one day validation workshop, and finalization and submission of an acceptable final report of the study.

 

Standards For Professional Conduct.

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principlesoutlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct.  These areIntegrity, Service, and Accountability.  In accordance with these values,the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection fromExploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, FiscalIntegrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

 IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we value diversity at our organization. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request reasonable accommodation.

Deadline for receiving applications is June 27,2025

Minimum Qualifications:

•              Education & Experience: Master's degree in Social Sciences, Public Health, Gender Studies, or related field; at least 5 years of experience in conducting baseline assessments, research, or evaluations in GBV and SRHR.

•              Technical Expertise: Proven proficiency in qualitative and quantitative research methods, data analysis, and reporting; experience with the SASA! Together methodology or similar community mobilization approaches.

•              Context Knowledge: Strong understanding of the socio-cultural and political context of Uganda, particularly regarding GBV, SRHR, and gender equality; prior experience working in the West Nile region is a plus.

•              Stakeholder Engagement: Demonstrated ability to engage diverse stakeholders, including local communities, NGOs, government officials, and service providers; experience facilitating workshops and validation sessions.

•              Ethical Standards & Language Skills: Commitment to ethical research practices and safeguarding standards; proficiency in English, with knowledge of local languages spoken in the target districts as an advantage.

Ethical Consideration

The consultant will ensure that all activities and consultations comply with ethical standards, including confidentiality, respect for local customs, and safeguarding the rights and dignity of participants.

Standard of Professional Conduct:The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.