Terms of Reference 

Title :  Capacity Building Training for Women Potential Leaders in Local Government
Project : Partnerships for Municipal Innovation – Women in Local Leadership (PMI-WILL)
Purpose of Assignment   : The assignment has two (2) core purposes:

• Develop a capacity building guide for potential elected/serving leaders at local government level.
• Based on the guide in (a) above, design and deliver a (2) day training targeting women potential leaders.

Position :  Consultant to the Local Government Association of Zambia
Number of Positions  : 1
Language  : English
Period/Duration : Six (6) days
Reporting to  :  Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Specialist (within FCM) who is assisted by the National project Coordinator (within LGAZ)

1.     Background
The Local Government Association of Zambia (LGAZ) in collaboration with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) has, since April 2021, been implementing the Partnerships for Municipal Innovation – Women in Local Leadership (PMI-WILL) project with financial support from the Canadian government. PMI-WILL is a 6-year ( 2021-2027) project designed to enhance the enjoyment of rights for women and girls in Benin, Cambodia, Ghana, Sri Lanka, and Zambia. To achieve this goal, the project is applying a two-pronged approach centered on the following intermediate outcomes:

a)    Increased participation of women, particularly those from marginalised groups, as leaders and decision-makers in local governance;

b)    Strengthened capacities of local authorities in planning and delivery of inclusive, gender-responsive services.

While Zambia has a record of multi-party democracy, free elections, and peaceful transitions of political power, the country is lagging on achieving women’s equal and effective participation in political leadership at  all levels. Despite constituting slightly more than half (51%) of Zambia’s 19.6 million population and more than half (53.4%) of total registered voters, women have been significantly underrepresented in elected decision-making positions since the introduction of multi-party democratic politics in 1991. The proportion of women elected leaders in local government level is currently as low as 7.9% (155 out of 1,974 positions). This represents a marginal decrease  from  8% in 2021.

Based on the 2021 Africa Barometer for women’s political participation in local government, Zambia ranks 35th of 41 countries.  A comparative analysis of Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) countries shows that Zambia is lagging behind Namibia, South Africa, Lesotho, Tanzania, Congo, Mauritius, and Mozambique which have more than 20% female representation in local government’s political leadership. At global level, the country ranks 119th of 146 countries in the 2023 Global Gender Gap Report.

Research has revealed that increased participation of women in local government contributes to increased responsiveness to the specific needs of women and other marginalised groups and greater investment in social programs leading to poverty reduction. It is for this reason that Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5.5 calls for women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision making in political, economic, and public life. As the level of government closest to the people, local authorities need both women and leaders, including those from marginalized groups such as persons with disabilities, to participate equitably in decision-making as elected leaders, senior administrators, and community members.

To bring about increased participation of women in elected leadership, LGAZ through the PMI-WILL project is working to improve the capacities of women to run for local elected office and actively participate in leadership and decision-making processes. In addition, the Association will continue to conduct capacity building programmes targeting serving Councillors. This is being undertaken through peer-to-peer learning with women leaders from Canada and other four project partner countries.

2.     Objective of Assignment
LGAZ intends to develop and deliver a flagship capacity building training targeting eligible women interested in running for local elected office.  The Association, therefore, seeks to engage a local consultant (firm or individual) to lead the development of a guide for women potential women elected leaders and based on this guide, design and deliver an initial two-day training targeting 60 women. This will be in-person training aimed at equipping potential leaders with the necessary skills and competences they would require before, during and after the local government elections. The consultant will work together with the project’s Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Specialist and LGAZ staff.

3.     Scope of Work
The Consultant will:

i.          Review an existing guide for potential elected women leaders and localize it to the Zambian context. The guide highlights key themes focused on skills and competences that women potential leaders require to be successful before, during and after the local government elections. The themes will include political communications (public speaking, techniques for pre-campaign and actual electoral campaigns, and effective use of social media) as well as voter and resource mobilisation.

ii.          Finalise the guide upon receipt of contributions from FCM, Canadian municipal leaders and LGAZ.

iii.         Based on the guide developed in (ii), design and deliver a 2-day training workshop targeting 60 participants.

iv.         Create and undertake pre-training and post-training assessments to systematically assess the effectiveness of the training in meeting the knowledge needs of participants.

v.         Provide a training report that includes recommendations on the appropriate follow-up capacity building efforts.

4.     Key Deliverables
The main deliverables and duration of the assignment are:

i.          A final version of a guide for women potential leaders.

ii.          PowerPoint Presentations based on the guide.

iii.          A compilation of other appropriate training materials.

iv.          Delivery of a two-day training workshop targeting selected 60 participants.

v.          A training report (which includes pre and post training assessment results)

Duration of the Assignment = 6 working days

5.     Financial Requirements

Applicants are required to indicate only their daily consultancy fee inclusive of Withholding Tax (in local currency) and the number of days (duration) anticipated to complete the assignment. Please note that logistics related to the assignment, including printing, travel and accommodation expenses do not need to be charged as these are covered by the project.

6.     PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

This assignment is suited for individuals or a team of consultants who possess the following experience and expertise:

i.          A relevant tertiary qualification.

ii.          Demonstrated experience in developing learning materials and facilitating training using participatory and adult learning approaches.

iii.          Knowledgeable of women’s rights, gender equality and social inclusion within the context of political participation and local governance.

iv.          A good understanding of thematic areas related to political communications, campaign strategies, and advocacy is an added advantage.

v.          Conversant with Zambia’s political landscape.

7.     EVALUATION CRITERIA

Candidates will be evaluated based on the technical and financial criteria that systematically combines the following aspects:

i.          Professional qualification of a lead consultant (25 points);

ii.          Demonstrated professional experience (45 points);

iii.          A tentative workplan and approach (15 points);

iv.          Daily consultancy fee in local currency (15 points)

8.     PROPOSAL CONTENTS 

Applicants are required to submit a proposal (of not more than 5 pages excluding CVs) highlighting the following:

i.          Relevant professional work experience.

ii.          A list of relevant professional assignments.

iii.          A tentative workplan and approach.

iv.          Anticipated daily consultancy fee, withholding tax inclusive.

v.          List of people who will work on the assignment (if working as a team) with their CVs.

9.     SUBMISSION 

Proposals should be addressed to the:

National Project Coordinator,

Partnerships for Municipal Innovation – Women in Local Leadership,

Local Government Association of Zambia, Lusaka.

and submitted in PDF format by e-mail to:

info@lgazambia.org.zm  & copy stanley.chanda@lgazambia.org.zm  by Close of Business on Thursday, 9th November 2023.

Please indicate “Women Potential Leaders” in the email subject line. Only successful applicants will be contacted.

The ToRs can be downloaded by following this link.