Consultant for Gender and Language Education for Ethnic Students’ Empowerment Project on Gender and Disability Inclusion Needs Assessment/ Universal Design Adaptation for Toilets

Organisational context

ChildFund in Laos (CFL) is the representative office of ChildFund Australia – an independent international development organisation that works to reduce poverty for children in developing communities.

ChildFund Australia is a member of the ChildFund Alliance – a global network of 12 organisations which assists almost 23 million children and their families in 70 countries. ChildFund Australia is a registered charity, a member of the Australian Council for International Development, and fully accredited by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade which manages the Australian Government’s overseas aid program.

ChildFund began working in Laos in 2010 and works in partnership to create community and systems change which enables vulnerable children and young people, in all their diversity, to assert and realise their rights. Projects are implemented in the capital of Vientiane, as well as Huaphanh and Xiengkhouang Province, some of the country’s poorest regions with significantly high unexploded ordnance contamination.

With a focus on upholding child rights and improving access to quality education, ChildFund in Laos also prioritises projects which focus on child nutrition, sexual reproductive health and rights, media literacy and job readiness.

1. Background

CFL, in partnership with Ministry of Education and Sport Services (MoES) have been working hard for a decade to improve the education accessibility and quality for Lao students and its community, especially in Huaphanh Province. Currently, ChildFund Laos receives the financial supports from Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) through ChildFund Korea to further support the Government of Laos (GoL) to achieve its vision as stated in the 2030 vison statement that “all Lao population equally and equitably have access to quality education”.

The 3-year KOICA funded project called “Gender and Language Education for Ethnic Students’ Empowerment (GLEESE)” started in April 2021 and will end by December 2023. The project goal aims for all girls and boys in Sopbao and Xamneua District, Huaphanh Provice to complete equitable lower secondary education. The project have targeted 10 schools and implemented partially in 20 villages of Xam Neua and Sopbao districts, Huaphanh Province at the Lower Secondary Education, in the field of gender, infrastructure improvement/renovation, and teaching-learning outcome improvement. The project has been working closely with MoES at the central level, Provincial Education Support Services and District Education and Sports Bureau at the ground level, with the technical supports from local Non-Profit Association.

The goals, the three outcomes and the performance indicators of the project are as follow:

Project Goal:

All girls and boys in Sopbao and Xamneua District, Huaphanh Province complete equitable lower secondary education.

Outcome 1:

Girls and boys have improved school facilities that are child-friendly and gender sensitive.

• Output 1.1: School facilities are constructed and renovated in a child-friendly and gender-sensitive manner.
• Output 1.2: School leaders and Village Education Development Committee (VEDC) members are trained on school facilities management.

Outcome 2:

Girls and boys are empowered in making choices about their education through awareness of gender equality.

• Output 2.1: Government partners are engaged in project learnings on gender and other topics
• Output 2.2: Teachers and community volunteers are trained on life skills curriculum
• Output 2.3: Girls and boys receive training on life skills and gender topics through gender sensitisation clubs
• Output 2.4: Communities and families participate in awareness-raising session on gender and girls’ education

Outcome 3:

Girls and boys have improved learning outcomes in Lao language reading and writing.

• Output 3.1: Teachers receive training for supporting ethnic students who are Lao language learners
• Output 3.2: Weekly Lao literacy classes, including creative writing activities, are hosted
• Output 3.3: Libraries are constructed and equipped with reading materials

3.     Purpose & Objectives

CFL is looking to formally engage with consultant to complete the gender and disability needs assessment/ Universal Design Adaptation for Toilets.

The purpose of the disability needs assessment is to evaluate the existing toilets in 4 schools to assess whether they meet the standards required by MoES as well as standards of gender responsiveness and universal design. In addition, some schools may also need support to meet the standards for WASH facilities. CFL is targeting consultant(s) who have demonstrated knowledge around universal design principles for toilets, as part of CFL’s commitment to support disability mainstreaming across programming, as well as responding to different gender needs regarding toilet use. Any prior experience in supporting disability or inclusion adaptation in public spaces, including schools will be highly regarded by CFL.

4. Scope of Work

The project requires a needs assessment to ensure the following objectives are met:

• 4 schools toilet construction needs are identified.
• the final construction plan meets the building standards expected by the Ministry of Education and Sports, as well as universal design principles to make the toilets accessible to all, regardless of gender or disability.

Based on the needs analysis, the consultant is expected to:

• provide recommendations on the required work for each school.
• provide the final design and construction plans to enable the project staffs to execute.
• Compare the MoES construction standards against universal design standards and provide the recommendations to

Selection Criteria for Consultant

Core Competencies:

• Commitment to ChildFund Australia’s values, vision and mission;
• Teamwork;
• Communication;
• Accountability and integrity; and
• Adaptability and flexibility.

Essential Qualifications and Experience:

• • University degree in Gender, Development, Social Sciences, or related disciplines.
  • Demonstrated experience in conducting gender analyses preferably in the education sector.
  • Minimum 5 years’ experience working on gender, community development and social inclusion projects in Lao PDR.
  • Demonstrated experience working in a multi-cultural environment with high-level cross-cultural skills and understanding especially with ethnic minorities.
  • Excellent written communication skills in English.
  • Fluent in both Lao and English to be able to read and speak in both languages.

NOTE: The financial proposal should specify a total lump sum amount and a breakdown of a daily professional fee and communication costs etc. Applications without a financial proposal will be regarded as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.

APPLICATIONS SHOULD ONLY CONTAIN A CURRENT CV AND A COVER LETTER IN ENGLISH ADDRESSING THE CRITERIA OUTLINED FOR THE POST AND FINANCIAL PROPOSAL.

ChildFund in Laos does not require interested candidates to submit copies of certificates, ID cards or any other information.

ChildFund in Laos is an equal opportunity employer and encourages people from all backgrounds, abilities, and identities to apply for any vacancies. ChlidFund in Laos has a strict child protection policy and background checks will be undertaken prior to any offer of employment.  All candidates should submit two professional referees including their current or most recent employer.

Please kindly refer to the full ToR here: https://childfundaustralia-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/cflonedrive_childfund_org_la/EWc5dDbZ7R5JooLSzGQuHpMBZZd2-kWDRwlbpngdFIjJRw?e=gtHCTr;

Please submit your application via https://teamchildfund.bamboohr.com/careers/345; before 4:30 pm on 24th April 2023