TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR) FOR CONDUCTING A GENDER AUDIT FOR SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES IN SOMALIA full-time

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TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR)
FOR CONDUCTING A GENDER AUDIT FOR SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGES IN SOMALIA

Background
Overview of SOS Children’s Villages in Somalia
SOS Children’s Villages in Somalia (SOS CV Somalia) is the national member association of SOS Children’s Villages International, a global federation present in over 130 countries and territories. The organization’s work is grounded in a single conviction: every child deserves to grow up in a safe, caring family environment. In Somalia, SOS CV Somalia has been operational for four decades, running integrated programs across child protection, alternative care, family strengthening, education, health, and youth empowerment primarily in South-Central Somalia and Puntland, with locations in Mogadishu, Baidoa, Kismayo, and Jowhar, and an increasingly active presence in additional districts through humanitarian and development partnerships.

Over the years, SOS CV Somalia has expanded its programming across multiple sectors and geographic areas, delivering an integrated portfolio that spans child protection, alternative and family-based care, family strengthening, youth empowerment, education, health, and emergency response. This growth has increased program-management complexity and heightened expectations from a diversifying donor base, making it essential for the organization to strengthen its internal systems, including gender, diversity, and inclusion (GDI), to ensure consistent and equitable practice across all areas of its work.

Rationale for Gender Audit
SOS Children’s Villages International’s commitment to Gender Equality (GE) is anchored in the Gender Equality Policy (GEP) endorsed by the International Senate in October 2014. The policy, piloted in four National Associations (Uruguay, Vietnam, Malawi, and Kenya) and one IOR (East and Southern Africa), articulates the organization’s approach to integrating a gender equality perspective across its work. A revised Gender Equality Policy, aligned with contemporary conceptual developments and discourse on gender equality, is currently under development, reflecting the organization’s ongoing commitment to strengthening and updating its gender equality framework.

Over the past decade, SOS Somalia’s operations have expanded significantly, including a growing humanitarian portfolio that has increased the scale and complexity of its programming. Against this backdrop, a gender audit is essential to provide a clear, evidence-based snapshot of how SOS Somalia is practically translating its gender equality commitments into action. The audit will identify gaps, good practices, and areas for improvement across programs and operations, ensuring gender equality principles are not only articulated in policy but effectively mainstreamed in day-to-day practice, strengthening accountability and informing the organization’s broader efforts to align with the forthcoming updated Gender Equality Policy.

Objectives of Gender Audit
The overall purpose of the gender audit is to assess how effectively SOS Children’s Villages Somalia is operationalizing the SOS Federation Gender Equality Policy (GEP) and mainstreaming gender equality across its institutional operations and programs. Specifically, the audit aims to:

Assess institutional and programmatic performance – Identify strengths, weaknesses, challenges, and opportunities in the implementation of the Gender Equality Policy and the status of gender transformative programming and operations across SOS CV Somalia’s programmes
Identify capacity gaps – Determine where additional skills, training, awareness-building, and resources are needed to strengthen gender transformative approaches.
Inform a gender action plan – Generate evidence-based findings and recommendations that will guide the development of a gender action plan to effectively mainstream gender equality across SOS CV Somalia as an institution and throughout its programs.
Guide methodology development – Provide a basis for the Consultant to design audit tools and methodology informed by their professional expertise and grounded in the Gender Equality Policy and with n Intersectional approach.Specific Objectives of the Gender Audit
To assess the extent to which a gender perspective is integrated into SOS CV Somalia’s policies, strategies, program documents, budgets, and decision-making processes.
To assess how SOS CV Somalia (the national office and select programme locations) is operationalizing its commitment to gender equality, in line with the SOS CV Gender Equality Policy and relevant national strategy, across its programming, organizational values, and practices.
To identify existing internal practices, policies, and support systems for gender transformative programming and operations within SOS CV Somalia and assess their effectiveness.
To assess the technical capacity and understanding of staff to integrate and mainstream gender equality, document good practices, identify gaps, and build organizational ownership of gender responsiveness.
To assess the level of political will and identify institutional barriers affecting the integration of a gender equality perspective within programming and the institution as a whole.
To establish a baseline on gender transformative programming and operations and gender-related data to support continuous assessment and monitoring within SOS CV Somalia.
To identify current challenges, gaps, and areas of concern related to gender mainstreaming.
To develop practical recommendations and a gender action plan addressing identified gaps and challenges, including suggested improvements and innovations to strengthen implementation of the Gender Equality Policy and gender-responsive programs.
Scope and Methodology
The Gender Audit will cover the gender mainstreaming of SOS CV Somalia to provide a baseline for progress on gender transformative programming and operations, inform the development of a gender mainstreaming strategy and Gender Action Plan for SOS CV, guide the work of SOS CV on Gender Mainstreaming and beyond, and validate the usefulness of the existing gender checklist specific to the programming context. The gender equality audit process needs to be participatory, consider intersectionality and work closely with program staff and participants. The process should consider objective SADD data, staff and community perceptions, knowledge and practice on integrating and mainstreaming gender equality.

The participatory gender audit will focus on the following issues:

Leadership and decision-making;
Staff capacity;
Gender mainstreaming in program and policy;
Tools and resources;
Planning and budgeting for gender mainstreaming and building capacity;
Monitoring and evaluation; and
Organizational culture, such as workplace issues including sexual harassment.
The key components of the methodology will be:

Staff individual self-assessment;
An extensive desk review (involving a gender working group);
Semi-structured interviews with staff gender officers and all hierarchical levels;
Semi-structured interviews with partner staff; SOS Mothers, Youth, Children in AC and FS;
A collective participatory audit workshop; and
A participatory feedback session (involving the gender working group).
The gender audit and analysis will cover the National Office and the programs in the locations. Travel will be required to the selected locations.

The consultant will work closely with the National Director, the Deputy Director, the Human Resources and Organization Development Manager, the National Gender Equality Officer, the Institutional Partnership Development Manager, and the Fund Development and Communications Manager, as well as the Gender Global Advisor where needed.

Timeline and Work Plan
The gender audit and analysis will be undertaken over 2 months, starting on 10th October 2026.

Key Deliverables
Under the overall guidance of SOS CV’s National Program Director and national gender officer, the qualified consultant will undertake the following duties and responsibilities:

It is expected that the Consultant will produce the following deliverables:

Conduct a Gender Audit for SOS CV Somalia with the main objective of providing the institution with key recommendations for gender-sensitive and responsive policies and regulations, which involves:

Work plan for undertaking the gender audit.
Holding one or more meetings with SOS CVs to introduce the Participatory Gender Audit methodology, objectives, and process to obtain their consent while ensuring the highest level of commitment towards achieving gender equality in their organization.
Desk reviews of the following documents: internal policies and regulations, strategic plans, HR policies and regulations, administrative and financial rules and regulations, and all related literature including organization strategies, research papers, assessments, programs, services, reports, practices, personnel, etc.
Conducting interviews/focus group discussions with the SOS CV program teams, Senior Management, and staff.
Identifying gender gaps in specific areas of the organization and proposing recommendations for amendments/improvement/initiatives.
Supporting SOS CV in developing the Gender Action Plan based on identified gender gaps.
Presenting the results of the review and main recommendations/proposed amendments to the organization, for discussion and review separately.
Preparing and presenting a final report in English for the organization’s approval, which can be developed into a gender strategy and action plan for the organization.
Preparing for and facilitating a launch event for the results of the gender audit and recommendations, upon the approval of the Senior Management and in close collaboration with the Global Gender Advisor and PSAs.
Producing the final gender audit report indicating the gender issues with clear strategies and recommendations.
Required Skills and Experience
The Consultant must have the following qualifications:

The lead consultant must have a Master’s in gender studies, social sciences, development studies, or any related development fields.
Significant experience in conducting gender audits for civil society organizations, public institutions, or development partners of at least 6 years.
10 years of experience in working on women’s development and gender issues.
Extensive experience working in disability inclusion or leaving no one behind.
Work experience in Somalia and East Africa.
Strong facilitation skills and hands-on experience of working in participatory ways with staff.
Good report writing skills are essential.
Ability to present challenging findings from the participatory gender audit and analysis with actionable propositions to move forward.
Excellent command of oral and written English and Somalia Lan.
Application Procedure
Interested and qualified (individual or institutional) consultants are invited to submit their proposal(s) comprising the following:

Technical and financial proposals (single document in Word or PDF format), including but not limited to:

Consultants’ understanding of the assignment and context.
Approach to the assignment.
Methodology and work plan for performing the assignment.
Deliverables.
Work plan.
Key staff biodata.
A detailed description of the experience of previously conducted similar assignments and capacity to undertake the assignment.
Recent CV including experience in similar assignments and the lead person, plus three professional references including previous clients.
Financial proposal showing clearly the budgeted cost for the work to be conducted by the consultant under the scope of work above.
Participatory Gender Audit certificates or completion certification in similar assignments.
Payment Terms
Payment shall be made in two installments upon satisfactory completion of deliverables: the first installment will be 40% and will be paid upon approval of the technical inception report, followed by a second installment of 60%, which will be paid only upon successful completion of the assignment.

Application Process
Interested consultants or firms should submit the following documents by 10th October 2026 to procurement@sossomalia.org:

Technical proposal outlining methodology, understanding of assignment, and detailed work plan.
Financial proposal with detailed cost breakdown.
Updated CV(s) demonstrating relevant gender experience
Proven sample of similar gender audit work for reputable humanitarian and development partners
How to apply
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Child Safeguarding Policy

SOS Children’s Villages Somalia is committed to ensuring that all activities, including consultancies, are guided by the principle of “Do No Harm” and uphold the highest standards of child safeguarding.

The consultant must comply fully with SOS CV Somalia’s safeguarding policies.

The consultant will be required to:

Sign and adhere to the SOS Children’s Villages Child Safeguarding Policy before commencement of work.
Ensure that all interactions with staff and stakeholders are conducted in line with safeguarding principles.
Avoid any direct or indirect interaction with children unless explicitly authorized and properly supervised with safeguarding measures in place.
Maintain confidentiality, dignity, and respect in all professional interactions.
Understand that breaches of safeguarding principles will result in immediate termination of the contract.
Ethical Considerations
The consultancy shall adhere to internationally accepted ethical standards, including confidentiality, integrity, non-discrimination, and respect for cultural norms.

The principle of “Do No Harm” shall guide all aspects of the assignment, ensuring that no individual or group is negatively affected by this work,

Confidentiality and Copyright
All data, materials, and outputs developed under this consultancy remain the sole property of SOS Children’s Villages Somalia.

The consultant shall:

Maintain strict confidentiality during and after the assignment.
Not share, reproduce, or distribute any materials without prior written consent from SOS Children’s Villages Somalia.
Ensure all intellectual property rights are retained by the organization.