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Background
The Regenerative Seascapes for People, Climate, and Nature (ReSea) project is a multi-country initiative implemented across Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar, and Comoros. The project aims to regenerate coastal and marine ecosystems, strengthen climate resilience, promote inclusive governance, and advance sustainable blue economy opportunities for coastal communities through gender-responsive and nature-based approaches.
Supported financially by Global Affairs Canada and led regionally by Mission Inclusion in partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), ReSea is implemented in partnership with local women’s rights organizations, civil society groups, community networks, research institutions, and government agencies. In Kenya, the project is implemented in Kilifi County, where GROOTS Kenya serves as the Feminist Organization partner responsible for strengthening Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI), fostering community leadership, gender responsive Nature Based Solutions, and supporting women-led climate and marine governance.
ReSea adopts an integrated programming model that includes:
Gender-responsive and inclusive governance of marine and coastal resources
Nature-based solutions (NbS) such as mangrove restoration. Women and youth-led blue economy entrepreneurship incubation
Strengthening of community structures, including BMUs, CFAs, and grassroots movement-building
Climate risk awareness and adaptation support
This approach recognizes that women and youth are not only disproportionately affected by climate and environmental degradation but are also central to sustainable restoration and economic transformation in coastal landscapes.
Local Context and Need for Policy Analysis
Across Kilifi, communities depend heavily on marine ecosystems for fishing, mangrove restoration, eco-tourism, marine litter management, and small-scale trade. However, evidence gathered through capacity needs assessment, outcome harvesting, and Key Informant Interviews under the ReSea project highlights widespread challenges, including:
Increased climate variability has prolonged droughts, ocean warming, and unpredictable rainfall
Declining fish stocks and degradation of marine habitats
Barriers to accessing fishing licenses, equipment, markets, and climate information
Dominance of male-controlled value chains and exploitative practices (e.g., “sex-for-fish”)
Restrictive cultural and religious norms limit women’s mobility and participation
Weak enforcement of environmental and fisheries policies
Low representation of women and youth in marine governance structures
Despite the existence of multiple policy frameworks governing fisheries, the blue economy, environmental management, and climate resilience, these frameworks often lack gender responsiveness, intersectionality, and community-grounded implementation.
The ReSea project, therefore, requires a comprehensive, actionable, gender-responsive policy analysis to guide programming, capacity strengthening, and advocacy across local and national stakeholders.
2. Purpose of the Assignment
The purpose of this consultancy is to conduct a gender-responsive, intersectional, and inclusive policy analysis of the environmental management, climate change adaptation, and blue economy sectors in Kenya—specifically focusing on Kilifi.
The analysis will inform ReSea’s advocacy, training, governance strengthening, and entrepreneurship support to ensure women, youth, and marginalized communities can effectively participate in, benefit from, and shape sustainable coastal and marine development.
3. Scope of Work
The consultant will undertake the following core tasks:
A. Policy Mapping & Review
Identify, compile, and analyze existing policies, legal frameworks, strategies, and regulations relevant to:
Marine and coastal resource governance
Fisheries management (including BMU Regulations and Fisheries Act)
Marine conservation (MPAs, LMMAs)
Environmental protection and natural resource management
Climate change adaptation and resilience
Blue economy development
Gender equality, youth empowerment, and social inclusion
Outputs:
Annotated inventory of policies reviewed
A matrix showing mandates, gaps, overlaps, and relevance to women, youth, Persons with disabilities, marginalized, and indigenous coastal communities.
B. GESI Responsiveness Assessment
Assess the degree to which these policy frameworks:
Recognize the differential vulnerabilities of women, youth, and marginalized groups
Address barriers to resource access, licensing, benefit sharing, decision-making, ownership, and markets
Consider unpaid care work, safety concerns, GBV risks, and social norms
Support equitable participation in governance structures at both local and national levels, such as BMUs and CFAs
Respond to climate impacts documented through ReSea community consultations
Integrate intersectionality, gender-disaggregated data, or GBA+ principles
C. Structural & Institutional Barriers Analysis
Identify broader structural, institutional, and policy-level barriers that sit outside individual and organizational capacities and shape the enabling environment for gender-responsive, inclusive, and climate-resilient blue economy governance:
Regulatory barriers: licensing complexity, enforcement inconsistencies
Economic barriers: lack of capital, credit restrictions (including Islamic finance constraints), equipment scarcity
Social/cultural barriers: gender norms restricting women’s mobility and roles
Institutional barriers: elite capture, weak accountability, limited public participation
Climate-related constraints: declining fish stocks, rising temperatures, extreme weather
Market barriers: dealer-controlled value chains, lack of cold storage, limited access to markets, and value addition
D. Recommendations for Strengthening Policies and Systems
Develop specific, actionable recommendations to:
Improve gender and youth responsiveness in national and county policies
Strengthen inclusive governance mechanisms (BMUs, CFAs, ward committees)
Simplify regulations and increase transparency in licensing and marine access
Support women and youth-led climate-smart blue economy enterprises
Enhance coordination among government actors, CSOs, and communities
Integrate climate adaptation into livelihood and marine governance frameworks
Build enabling environments for equitable benefit-sharing
Recommendations should be practical, implementable, and linked to clear actors (county government, national ministries, ReSea partners).
4. Methodology
The consultant will use a combination of:
Policy and legislative desk review
Key Informant Interviews with government, MPAs, LMMAs, civil society, private sector, and community user groups.
Virtual or in-person stakeholder consultations in Kilifi
Application of GBA+, feminist, and intersectional frameworks
Comparative analysis with regional and global best practices
All methodologies must be gender-responsive, culturally appropriate, and ethically sound.
5. Deliverables
Inception Report
Policy Mapping Matrix
Draft Policy Analysis Report
Actionable Recommendations & Advocacy Framework
Stakeholder Validation Workshop
Final Policy Analysis Report (with executive summary, infographics, and annexes)
6. Duration of the Assignment
The consultancy will run for a maximum of 25 days, inclusive of analysis, validation, and revisions.
7. Required Qualifications
Advanced degree in public policy, gender studies, environmental governance, marine science, or related fields
Minimum 7 years of experience in policy research, gender analysis, or blue economy governance
Proven expertise in intersectional GESI integration
Experience working with coastal communities in Kenya or similar contexts
Strong analytical and technical writing skills
Ability to produce high-quality, practical recommendations
How to apply
Applicants are required to submit a technical proposal outlining the methodology, work-plan and timelines and a financial proposal indicating the proposed fees to [email protected] by 20th February 2026.