Consultancy: Formative Research for Khutlo Project (Lesotho) – Sonke Gender Justice

July 20, 2023

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Terms of Reference

Formative Research for Khutlo Project (Lesotho)

Deadline for submissions: 08^th August 2023

Terms of Reference Summary

Project Overview

The Civil Society and Media-Strengthened Together and Advancing in New Directions (CSM- STAND) consortium members, Pact and Sonke Gender Justice (Sonke), aim to reduce stigma, discrimination, and violence against women, girls, and LGBTQI+ communities in Lesotho through the Khutlo project. The project will build the capacity of civil society organizations to advocate for LGBTQI+ rights as well as provide quality and inclusive GBV prevention, mitigation, and response services.

Purpose of this Consultancy

The main purpose of the consultancy is to conduct formative research that will inform the project planning processes and performance measurement. The formative research aims to collect and analyse preliminary information related to LGBTQI+ policies and rights, attitudes and experiences, and prevention, mitigation, and response services in Lesotho.

The objective of the formative research is to:

Establish and identify drivers of Gender-based Violence (GBV).
Map community-based networks and establish local GBV resources.
Gather relevant data for key project indicators to depict the actual situation in the project areas and to create a benchmark for evaluating the project measuring results and impact throughout the project period.
Assess the assumptions in the project’s Theory of Change (ToC).
To better understand the magnitude, barriers, and facilitators of violence against LGBTQI+ people, and cishet women and girls.
Inform the development of key program Social Behavior Change (SBC) materials.
Identify any potential challenges or barriers to success that may need to be addressed before implementing the program or intervention.

Schedule:

The estimated duration of the formative research is 10 weeks, starting 10 August 2023 and ending 20 October 2023 when the final draft report will be submitted. Within the first week of the consultancy, the consultant is expected to produce an Inception Report, including a detailed work plan and methodology. The consultant is expected to convey the main findings and recommendations in a meeting with Sonke and partner staff, and review and provide recommendations to program material before finalization of the report. The final report should be in a format that can be published on the organization’s website and include a summary infographic.

Budget: ZAR 250 000

How to apply

Should you wish to apply, please send five separate documents to Nombulelo Mazwi by COB 08 August 2023. If selected, induction will start on 10 August 2023.

Email: [email protected]

Brief 1-1.5-page cover letter citing your relevant expertise for the consultancy.
Detailed CV including examples of similar evaluations completed (4 pages maximum)
Quotation
Short proposal including work plan and budget.
Example of similar work completed.

Full Terms of Reference

1. Background and context

1.1 Background and Context of the Project

Gender-based violence (GBV), including sexual violence and intimate partner violence (IPV), against LGBTQI+ people and cishet women and girls, has long been a pervasive human rights issue in Lesotho. Dominant patriarchal and heteronormative beliefs and practices, rigid gender roles, conservative religious attitudes, and a current restrictive legal and policy framework lie at the root of GBV. This takes place against a backdrop of long-standing economic and social development challenges, with more than 75% of the population either poor or vulnerable to poverty.

According to Pan African ILGA (2016) “State-sponsored homophobia report”, while there has been significant progress in advocacy by LGBTQI+ persons in Lesotho, the country still has significant cases of homophobia, GBV, and stigma and discrimination. These cases are perpetuated by the factors below:

Legal Context: Homosexuality is criminalized in Lesotho under Section 187 (5) of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act (Act No. 9 of 1981) criminalises same-sex conduct, specifically sodomy, between men and allows for arrest without warrant. Although these laws are rarely enforced, they contribute to a culture of stigma and discrimination against LGBTQI+ individuals.
Societal Attitudes: Lesotho has a predominantly conservative and religious society, which can result in the marginalization and invisibility of LGBTQI+ people. Negative attitudes, social stigma, and discrimination have led to higher risks of violence and harassment.
Lack of Protections: Lesotho has no specific legal protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The absence of legal protections exacerbates the vulnerability of LGBTQI+ individuals to various forms of violence, including GBV. For example, the Children Protection and Welfare Act (Act No.7 of 2011) only allows married couples to adopt a child jointly, while same-sex couples are not allowed to adopt a child.
Underreporting and Fear of Disclosure: Due to the negative social attitudes and fear of repercussions, incidents of GBV against LGBTQI+ individuals often go unreported. Victims may fear revealing their LGBTQI+ identity to authorities or service providers and therefore may not seek help or support.
Limited Support Services: LGBTQI+ individuals in Lesotho face challenges in accessing support services such as counselling, safe spaces, or shelters. The lack of LGBTQI+-inclusive services further hinders the availability of appropriate support for survivors of GBV.

Research to date has focused on defining the extent of GBV against cishet women and girls, leaving data on violence against LGBTQI+ people insufficient. However, there is anecdotal evidence to suggest that the incidence of GBV/IPV against LGBTQI+ people is high. Stigma and discrimination against LGBTQI+ people are widespread, contributing to peer and family rejection, reduced access to opportunities, and power inequities disproportionately impacting LGBTQI+ people.

According to the Lesotho Stigma Index, discriminatory attitudes, and behaviour toward LGBTQI+ people among healthcare, police, and other protective service providers continue to be widespread. Such discrimination, including denial of services, ill-treatment, and verbal harassment, undermines effective service provision by weakening community trust, reducing reporting cases of violence by LGBTQI+ GBV survivors, and challenging providers’ ability to effectively meet the needs of citizens.

The absence of support services, coupled with the frequent lack of family support, compounds the chronic violence against LGBTQI+ people, including those in abusive relationships. Some in the LGBTQI+ community, such as gay and bisexual men, have better access to privileges due to their gender; others, especially transgender persons, cishet women and girls, and LGBTQI+ persons with disabilities, often face additional barriers or hardships.

The Khutlo project aims to:

To increase civil society coordination and capacities to apply behavioral science principles that engage and empower communities to reduce GBV against LGBTQI+ people and cishet women and girls.
To strengthen the Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS) to provide inclusive, high-quality GBV mitigation and response services.
To address and shift social and gender beliefs and norms underscoring the deeply patriarchal nature of social relations that continue to encourage GBV against LGBTQI+ people and cishet women and girls.

1.2 Description of the project

Organization	Sonke Gender Justice
Title of the project	USAID/Lesotho Khutlo Project
Project duration	April 2023 – April 2025
Geographical areas	Lesotho
Districts	Maseru, Leribe and Mokhotlong
Project Goal	To reduce stigma, discrimination, and violence against cishet women, girls, and LGBTQI+ communities
Main objectives of the project	Objective 1: To increase the coordination and capacity of civil society to apply behavioral science principles that engage and empower communities to reduce GBV against cishet women and girls in LGBTQI+ communities and all people of diverse SOGIESC.Objective 2: To improve the capacity of Global Fund COVID-19 Response Mechanism sub-recipients to provide inclusive high-quality GBV response services in Lesotho.
Description of targeted primary and secondary stakeholders.	Women, girls, LGBTQI+ communities, CSOs, Lesotho Mounted Police ServiceMedia organizations, traditional and faith-based leaders, and duty bearers.
Purpose of the Formative Research	The objective of the formative research is to gather relevant data for key project indicators to depict the actual situation in the project areas to create a benchmark for evaluating the project and informing programming.

2. Purpose of the evaluation

The purpose of the formative research is to assess relevant information to inform the project planning processes and performance measurement. The formative research aims to collect and analyse preliminary information related to LGBTQI+ policies and rights, attitudes and experiences, and prevention, mitigation, and response services in Lesotho.

The objective of the Formative research is to:

Establish and identify drivers of Gender-based Violence (GBV).
Map community-based networks and establish local GBV resources.
Gather relevant data for key project indicators to depict the actual situation in the project areas and to create a benchmark for evaluating the project measuring results and impact throughout the project period.
Assess the assumptions in the project’s Theory of Change (ToC).
To better understand the magnitude, barriers, and facilitators of violence against LGBTQI+ people, and cishet women and girls.
Inform the development of key program Social Behavior Change (SBC) materials.
Identify any potential challenges or barriers to success that may need to be addressed before implementing the program or intervention.

Research Scope

2.1 Scope of research

Time Frame

This formative research will take place between 10 August 2023 and ending 30 September 2023 when the final draft report will be due.

Geographical coverage

The formative research will be undertaken in Lesotho in Maseru, Leribe, and Mokhotlong districts.

Target Groups

This research will target communities, civil society organisations, the Lesotho Council of NGOs, LGBTQI+ people, Cishet Women and Girls, Duty Bearers, Lesotho Mounted Police Service, and traditional and faith leaders.

Research design and methodology

2.2 Proposed data collection methods and analysis

Qualitative data collection methods should be used through a combination of surveys, focus group discussions/interviews, key informant interviews, desk studies (reviewing project documents, annual progress reports, and other relevant documentation), and additional required primary data collection. Data collection tools should be developed by making use of the project monitoring and evaluation framework, with questions linked to the outcome and (if applicable) output indicators. Online data collection is preferred, evaluators can make use of tools such as Google Forms or Survey Monkey for quantitative data collection. Qualitative data collection can take place via telephone, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Skype, etc. All qualitative data must be recorded and transcribed accordingly to ensure data quality. Data analysis should be conducted on Atlas Ti, Dedoose or any other relevant software. Additional follow-up data collection should take place to fill in any knowledge gaps and further validate findings.

Data sources

Both primary and secondary data sources should be used, the proposed data sources include but should not be limited to:

Desk review on institutional policies and relevant project documents such as the concept note and M&E framework.
Quantitative data is to be collected through a survey representative of the target populations and key stakeholders.
Qualitative data is to be collected through focus groups group discussions and/or key informant interviews.

2.3 Proposed sampling methods

The proposed sampling methods that can be used for the purpose of this research can include purposive sampling or Snowballing or Random sampling

Purposive sampling: the methods enable the selection of participants based on specific criteria that align with the research objectives. This can be useful when targeting certain subgroups or individuals with unique perspectives.
Snowball sampling: Snowballing will enable the researcher to select participants who meet the research criteria and ask them to refer others who might be suitable for the study. This method can be useful for reaching populations that are difficult to access directly.
Random sampling: this will enable the researcher to select participants randomly from the target population and can help ensure representativeness and minimize bias.

The sampling will apply to primary data collection as Secondary data will be conducted based on documents collected.

3. Research ethics

In preparing the proposal the evaluator/s must put in place specific safeguards and protocols to protect the safety (both physical and psychological) of respondents and those collecting the data as well as to prevent harm. Members of the evaluation team should understand and be sensitive to the political, socio-economic, historical, and cultural context across sites where data collection occurs and ensure the rights of the individual are protected and participation in the evaluation does not result in further violation of their rights.

The evaluator/s must have a plan in place to:

Protect the rights of respondents, including privacy and confidentiality in line with the POPI Act, 2013 or Lesotho Data Protection Act, 2013 provisions.
Elaborate on how informed consent will be obtained and ensure that the names of individuals consulted during data collection will not be made public.
If the project involves children (under 18 years old) the evaluator/s must consider additional risks and the need for parental consent.
The researcher /s must have previously received training in collecting sensitive information or understand data collection and apply the principles of safeguarding in data collection.
Data collection tools must be designed in a way that is culturally appropriate and do not create distress for respondents.
Data collection visits should be organized at the appropriate time and place to minimize risk to respondents.
The interviewer or data collector must be able to provide information on how individuals in situations of risk can seek support (referrals to organizations that can provide counseling support, for example)
Evaluators must adhere to the Protection of Personal Information Act 2013 (POPI Act) or Lesotho Data Protection Act, 2013 and ensure that the confidentiality of individuals and data collection is preserved.

4. Key deliverables of the evaluator and timeframe

No.	Deliverable	Deadline	Role of Sonke Gender Justice
1	Research and complete Inception Report. The report will include the proposed research and data collection methodology.	By 20 August 2023	Sonke will review the draft inception report (Proposed research Methodology, sampling and data collection, analysis, and draft questions) and provide feedback to the researcher/s.
2	Draft formative report + key findings presentation and Programme Curriculum review and input	By 28 September 2023	Sonke and Pact will review and provide feedback to the researcher/s on the draft report (preliminary findings, recommendations, draft baseline data etc..
3	Final draft formative research report including infographic	By 20 October 2023	Sonke will approve the final report and note this a completed activity.

5. Research Team composition

Roles and responsibilities

The lead and co-lead researcher will be responsible for undertaking the research from start to finish and for managing the research team under the supervision of the Research Monitoring Evaluation and Learning Unit Manager from Sonke Gender Justice for the data collection and analysis, as well as report drafting and finalization in English.

Required Competencies

Team lead and co-lead:

Research and Evaluation experience of at least 10 years in conducting external evaluations, with mixed-methods evaluation skills and flexibility in using non-traditional and innovative evaluation methods.
Experience with program design and theory of change, gender-responsive evaluation, participatory approaches, and stakeholder engagement.
Experience in collecting and analysing quantitative and qualitative data as well as data visualization.
In-depth knowledge of Gender Equity and Social Inclusion
A strong commitment to delivering timely and high-quality results, i.e., credible evaluation and a report that can be used.
A strong team leadership and management track record, as well as interpersonal and communication skills to help ensure that the evaluation is understood and used.

Good communication skills and ability to communicate with various stakeholders and to express concisely and clearly ideas and concepts.
Regional/Country experience and knowledge
Language proficiency: fluency in English.
Local Basotho consultancies companies are recommended to apply

6. Management Arrangements for the research

The overall Research will be managed by Sonke’s Research Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (RMEL) unit. Evaluators will liaise with the Sonke RMEL unit and program staff for relevant project documentation and clarification, and assistance in liaising and connecting with relevant stakeholders and primary and secondary beneficiaries. The Sonke RMEL unit will also set up feedback/check-in sessions to discuss any further support or clarification required.

7. Budget

The total budget for the evaluation is R250 000 which includes all travel costs for the evaluation team.