Terms of Reference (TORs)

1. Introduction and Background

The Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) is the premier institution leading community-driven development in Pakistan. Established as a not-for-profit company in February 1997 under Section 42 of the Companies Ordinance 1984 (now the Companies Act 2017), PPAF is dedicated to enhancing the lives of the impoverished and fostering a more equitable and prosperous nation. Operating across 150 districts in all four provinces and regions, PPAF supports communities by improving infrastructure, energy, health, education, livelihoods, and financial access, while also enhancing resilience to disasters. It focuses on the most vulnerable and marginalised rural households, offering a wide range of financial and non-financial services. PPAF is committed to embedding its core values of social inclusion, participation, accountability, transparency, and stewardship into all its processes and programs. For more information, please visit our website at http://www.ppaf.org.pk.

PPAF is committed to fostering gender-sensitive, inclusive, and safe workplaces across its partner organisations. This commitment includes implementing comprehensive training on gender sensitisation within the workplace and assisting partners in establishing harassment committees in compliance with local laws, such as the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act. Through this initiative, PPAF aims to promote inclusive, respectful workplace environments by building organisational capacity in gender sensitivity, understanding of social norms, and legally mandated safeguarding structures.

2. Scope of Work

The individual consultant will provide technical support and deliver comprehensive capacity building sessions to foster gender-sensitive and safe workplace practices among PPAF and its partner organisations. The Consultant will guide PPAF in implementing safeguarding policies, forming and strengthening workplace harassment committees, and promoting gender equality and social inclusion. The following are the specific responsibilities for the Consultant:

2.1. Desk Review: Conduct a comprehensive review of key documents, including organisational policies, strategies, periodic performance reviews, assessments, and evaluations, to gain an in-depth understanding of PPAF programming and approaches. Identify capacity gaps in gender mainstreaming and develop an action plan for subsequent activities.

2.2. Gender and Social Norms Analysis: Conduct analyses to identify gaps in gender sensitivity, inclusion practices, and safeguarding within the workplace, focusing on social norms impacting equality, respect, and safety.

2.3. Safeguarding Policy Support: Provide technical support to partner organisations in developing and embedding safeguarding policies, ensuring alignment with best practices and respect local cultural contexts. Also guide the integration of safeguarding principles into organisational structures, offering recommendations for accountability and risk mitigation.

2.4. Training Material Development: Create culturally sensitive, participatory training materials on gender sensitivity, harassment prevention, and safeguarding. Materials will include presentations, case studies, hands-on exercises, and practical tools for policy implementation.

2.5. Training Delivery: Conduct interactive workshops for PPAF’s partner organisations and PPAF staff on topics including Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA), workplace gender equality, diversity, safeguarding policies, and harassment prevention. Also emphasise the establishment and functional the harassment committees and integrate safeguarding into organisational culture per national and provincial laws.

2.6. Advisory Services: Provide continuous support to partner organisations in establishing gender equality, safeguarding policies, and harassment committees, recommending practical strategies for a safe and inclusive workplace.

3. Methodology

The consultant will utilise various gender-sensitive and culturally appropriate methods to foster an inclusive environment, with a focus on safeguarding and anti-harassment.

• Use exercises, role-playing, and case studies to highlight the importance of gender sensitivity, safeguarding, and anti-harassment practices.
• Use slides and infographics to convey core principles of safeguarding, gender sensitivity, and harassment prevention.
• Conduct activities to reinforce key concepts and practices.
• Facilitate dialogues on gender norms and harassment to encourage participant reflection on workplace practices.

 The methodology will incorporate PPAF’s "Do No Harm" principles, emphasising cultural respect and balanced gender representation.

 4. Expected Target Group

Representatives from PPAF and its implementing partners, including managers, HR staff, and harassment committee members.

 5. Location and Timeframe

The Consultant will be based in Islamabad, with frequent travel to programme implementation sites as required. PPAF will facilitate travel and other logistical arrangements for the Consultant.

The assignment will have a duration of six (6) months. Each training session will range from 2 to 3 days, determined by the topics and the number of participants, in consultation with PPAF's HR section.

6. Key Deliverables

• Lead sessions in multiple workshops on gender sensitivity, safeguarding, and harassment prevention.
• Develop manuals, guidelines, and presentations, including safeguarding policy templates.
• Submit an assessment report to the lead section within 10 days after each session, covering a) participant list and pre/post analysis, b) assessment of training agenda, objectives and delivery, and c) participant feedback and key insights.

7. Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility criteria for the individual Consultant is given in the following:

• Masters in Gender and Development Studies, Social Sciences, Economics, Public/Business Administration and/or related field
• Minimum 5 years of work experience in gender-sensitive trainings delivery, safeguarding, and workplace harassment prevention.
• Strong knowledge of gender analysis, safeguarding, social inclusion, gender-sensitive reporting, and training design.
• Proven experience of training NGO teams with a focus on gender sensitivity and safeguarding.
• Proficient in writing quality assessment reports, assessing engagement, and providing actionable feedback.

8. Roles and Responsibilities

The following are the key responsibilities of the individual Consultant for this assignment:

Gender Analysis and Monitoring (20% level of efforts): The Consultant will assess workplace gender dynamics and identify gaps in inclusion, providing actionable recommendations to enhance organisational strategies. S/he will support the implementation of the PPAF Gender Marker to ensure gender-sensitive programming across initiatives. Additionally, the Consultant will contribute to the development and strengthening of safeguarding policies, focusing on effective risk mitigation measures to create a safer and more inclusive work environment.

Technical Support (20% level of efforts): The Consultant will guide the formation of functional harassment committees, conduct comprehensive gender audits, and provide expert advice on the development and refinement of safeguarding policies. S/he will also ensure that the implementation of safeguarding policies is both culturally sensitive and compliant with relevant legal frameworks.

Capacity Building (60% level of efforts): The Consultant will design and deliver targeted training programmes to PPAF and PO teams on PSEA, gender sensitivity, harassment prevention, and safeguarding. S/he will assist local organisations in embedding gender-sensitive and safeguarding practices into their institutional frameworks. Additionally, the Consultant will document key lessons learned and facilitate knowledge exchange to promote best practices and continuous improvement.

9. Supervision and Reporting

The consultant will report directly to PPAF’s Manager HR for this assignment. The Consultant is responsible for keeping Chief HR, Procurement and Administration informed about progress and will seek necessary approvals for all key deliverables.

The Consultant will submit assessment reports for each training session to the HR Unit, detailing key outcomes and feedback. S/he will also provide monthly progress updates, including recommendations for ongoing improvements. At the conclusion of the assignment, a final report will be delivered, assessing the impact of the training on workplace gender norms, safeguarding practices, and harassment prevention efforts.

10. Selection Method

The individual consultant will be selected in accordance with PPAF’s procurement rules and guidelines.

12. Ethical Considerations:

The Consultant is required to provide minutes of key consultation meetings along with the final versions of the implementation manual and the information package on cross-cutting themes. PPAF will retain ownership of all consultation data and information collected for this assignment. The consultant is not permitted to use or quote any data or information from the assignment without obtaining prior written permission from PPAF’s senior management.

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