Specific Objectives of the Gendered Conflict Mapping and Political Economy Analysis.

• Undertake a Political Economy Analysis in the target counties with a focus on how current local power structures, economic interests, institutional roles and socio cultural & religious dynamics have impacted on conflicts. Act! will need this understanding in order to: (i) Assess the overall potential for conflicts in the target counties (ii) Ensure interventions are contextually appropriate by aligning with local political and economic realities (iii) Manage and mitigate potential risks.
• Assess and map the key conflict dynamics, including possible drivers’/root causes to conflicts. The analysis should also explore how gender dynamics (roles, identities, and inequalities) influence the causes, and impact on conflict, as well as the participation of men, and women in peacebuilding and conflict resolution.
• Review using a gendered Lens, existing and past peace building and conflict management strategies focusing on what has worked, not worked well proposing how P2P programming can contribute to filling the gaps.
• Determine the existence of county policies or legislations that address structural issues and support sustainable conflict management, checking their status, operation ability and their extent to address conflicts arising from structural concerns.
• Map networks established under ECCES and other programs and determine status of peace agreements signed under previous People to People arrangements in the target counties.
• Determine status of custom indicators as established in the Monitoring Evaluation and Learning plan for P2P and EPP work.

Proposed Approach 

The approach will involve among others desk research and field visits/research. The draft Report will also gain from the input of stakeholders at the validation workshop.  The detailed approach will be as follows:

• Desk Review: The consultant will undertake literature review of the previous PEAs, conflict analysis and risk and mapping assessments reports that have been carried out by Act! and other actors, and program and evaluation reports. Any gaps identified especially regarding drivers to conflicts will inform the field research.
• Field Research: The Consultant will visit all P2P and EPP focus intervention counties and use digital tools/technology to engage and collect data in non-project focus counties. Data will be collected from, but not limited to, government institutions and officials, CSOs, development partners, community leaders, women, and youth. The Consultant will be required to enlist program sub-grants CSOs as part of assessment team, as data collectors and key informants with an aim to strengthen their capacity in research and evidence generation.
• Validation workshop: The consultant will produce a draft report with summary PowerPoint slides and present it to stakeholders in a validation meeting and the feedback used to finalize the report.
• Development of a policy brief: The consultant will develop a policy brief highlighting policy issues for consideration in sustainable conflict management in the counties of focus.