International Business Development

Toolkit for Integrating Gender Equality and Social Inclusion

Toolkit Contents
Tool 1: FHI 360 Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Standards Capture Checklist....................................3
Tool 2: Funder Requirements and Recommendations on Gender Equality and Social Inclusion.................5
Tool 3: Sample FHI 360 Gender Capability Statements by Sector..............................................................11
Tool 4: FHI 360 Proposal Checklist for GESI Integration............................................................................19
Tool 5: Sample Results Frameworks with Strong Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Elements............21
Tool 6: Sample Gender Integration Reference Guide................................................................................23
Tool 7: Sample Gender Budget Line Items within a Proposal....................................................................29
Tool 8: How to Budget for an Optimal Gender Analysis............................................................................30
Tool 9: Sample FHI 360 Gender Strategy within a Proposal.......................................................................31
Tool 10: Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Integrated Recruitment Tools...........................................32
Tool 11: Partner Pre-award Assessment Tool – GESI Supplemental..........................................................38
Tool 12: FHI 360 Project Start-up Checklist – GESI Supplemental.............................................................39
Tool 13: Available FHI 360 Expertise and Services on Gender Equality and Social Inclusion.....................47
Tool 14: Guide to Integrating GESI into Proposal Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Plans........48
Tool 15: FHI 360 BD RASCI Chart with GESI Expertise................................................................................51

VERSION 3 – March 29, 2018 Page 1 of 53

 9

Tool 1: FHI 360 Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Standards
Capture Checklist

[Insert Name of Solicitation in Forecast]

Task Responsible* Comments Complete
Ask Gender Director to assign a gender or GESI
expert to help gather intelligence on the client’s
☐
GESI requirements, goals and reporting
structures.
Solicit ideas from GESI expert on potential CSOs,
women’s networks, disability groups, male
☐
engagement organizations, youth enterprises
that could be engaged at capture.
Review illustrative Gender Capability
Statements on the GESI SharePoint Site and ask
☐
GESI expert for an updated or specialized
version for capture.
Ask assigned GESI expert if he or she can
provide a rapid gender desk review and key ☐
capture questions.
Incorporate the answers to GESI capture
questions into trip reports, and any additional
☐
info gained on GESI-based constraints or
opportunities.
Ask GESI expert in the competition analysis to
identify GESI strengths and gaps of competitors
☐
and potential places to ghost the competition.
Engage GESI expert to identify GESI elements in
the SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses,
☐
opportunities and threats) and mitigation
strategies.
Identify subawardees and resource partners to
help integrate GESI standards that are led by
under-represented groups (women, LGBTQIA, ☐
persons with disabilities) and have a good GESI
track record.
Collaborate with GESI expert to identify key
positions that should have GESI
skills/experience or commitment (needed GESI
☐
skills for a Gender Specialist, experience and
commitment for a COP).
Identify potential sources for recruitment to ☐
help generate diverse candidates (such as
disability network job boards, women’s
Page 2 of 53
vocational schools).
Ask the GESI expert to give input on job
descriptions and interview questions. Engage
him or her in interviews or weighing in on final ☐
candidates when appropriate.
Review GESI Integrated Staffing Guidelines on
pg. 14 of the BD GESI Guidelines. ☐
Invite GESI expert to participate in win theme
and win strategy development. ☐
Ask GESI expert to participate in design
meetings and provide technical ideas for GESI
integration within activities, trainings, MEL ☐
plans.

Page 3 of 53
 Tool 2: Funder Requirements and Recommendations
on Gender Equality and Social Inclusion

U.S. Government

USAID

USAID has several GESI-related policies, strategies and guidelines in place. The Gender Equality and
Female Empowerment policy sets a strong gender integration mandate for the agency. The ADS 205
guidelines on its implementation also include policy directives and required procedures for both USAID
staff and its implementing partners. Below are additional documents.

Gender Equality and Female Empowerment

 USAID Gender Equality and Female Empowerment Policy , 2012

 USAID ADS Chapter 205: Integrating Gender Equality and Female Empowerment in USAID’s
Program Cycle, Updated 2017
 USAID Implementation Plan for the U.S. National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security ,
2016
 USAID Evaluation of Implementation of the U.S. Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-
based Violence, 2015

Social Inclusion

 USAID Counter-Trafficking in Persons’ Policy , 2012

 USAID Youth in Development Policy, 2012
 USAID Vision for Ending Child Marriage & Meeting the Needs of Married Children , 2012
 USAID LGBT Vision for Action
 USAID Vision for Ending Extreme Poverty, 2016
 USAID Disability Policy, 1997
 USAID ADS Chapter 303: Supporting USAID’s Disability Policy in Contracts, Grants, and
Cooperative Agreements, Updated 2017

U.S. State Department

The State Department has identified four key priorities to advance gender equality and the status of
women and girls around the world.

 The U.S. National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security

 The U.S. Department of State Strategy for Women’s Economic Empowerment
 The U.S. Global Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence
 U.S. Global Strategy to Empower Adolescent Girls

The State Department also has the following key inclusion strategies: U.S. Comprehensive Strategy to
Promote and Protect the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Internationally

VERSION: 1JAN2018 Page 4 of 53

 USAID Gender Compliance: ADS 205.3 Policy Directives & Required Procedures

Gender integration does not end with activity design and solicitation but should continue throughout
implementation. Missions have adopted many innovative practices designed to strengthen gender
integration in activity implementation, including during the process of developing work plans.

Millennium Challenge Corporation

The Millennium Challenge Corporation had one of the first U.S. agency gender policies in place, with
corresponding integration guidelines.

 MCC Gender Policy

 MCC Gender Integration Guidelines

The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)

PEPFAR is now required to conduct a gender analysis specific to the HIV response to inform the design of
projects and activities. All PEPFAR implementing agencies should participate in the analysis. This will be

Page 5 of 53
monitored as part of the COP and ROP review process.

 PEPFAR Updated Gender Strategy, 2014

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

The CDC concentrates on the impact of its interventions across different gendered groups, including
men, pregnant women, transgender people and women, as well as in areas with high gender-based
violence or the potential for it.

 CDC Implementation Strategy for the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security , 2012
 CDC Sexual Violence Prevention Strategies
 HIV/AIDS Risks by Gender
o Men / Women
o Pregnant Women, Infants and Children
o Transgender People

U.S. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

 Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion LGBT Health 2020

Foreign Governments
Government of United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID)

 The Department for International Development’s (DFID) Strategic Vision for Girls and Women ,
2011
 DFID Disability Framework, Updated 2015
 DFID’s Youth Agenda: Putting Youth at the Heart of Development , 2016
 DFID Equality and Diversity Strategy

Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)

 DFAT Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Strategy , 2016

 AusAID’s Guide to Gender and Development
 Development for All 2015–2020: Strategy for strengthening disability-inclusive development in
Australia’s aid program

Canadian International Development Platform (CIDP)

 Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy

Government of the Netherlands Development Cooperation

 Netherlands International Gender Policy

 Netherlands ‘Leading from the South’ Facility

Page 6 of 53
 The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria
Gender Equality Strategy

Multilateral/Global Mechanisms

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

 Global Fund Gender Equality Strategy

 Global Fund Strategy in Relation to Sexual Orientation and Gender Identities

Page 7 of 53
 Private Sector Commitments to Women’s Empowerment

The UN Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) are a set of principles for business
offering guidance on how to empower women in the workplace, marketplace and community.
They are the result of a collaboration between UN Women and the UN Global Compact, and
are adapted from the Calvert Women’s Principles. Currently, over 1,400 businesses have
signed onto the WEPs, and many of which are seeking ways to strengthen their commitment.
Johnson & Johnson. J&J has invested significantly in women’s and girls’ education,
leadership development, health security and economic empowerment. This includes their co-
founding of the Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action, their investments in the Global Fund
for Women’s Technology Initiative, their consistent winning of the Women’s Business
Enterprises Award and the J&J Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math,
Manufacturing and Design initiative (WiSTEM2D).
Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Women Initiative. Launched in 2008, the 10,000 Women is a
program organized by Goldman Sachs and the Goldman Sachs Foundation with the goal of
helping to grow local economies by providing business education, mentoring and networking,
and access to capital to underserved women entrepreneurs globally. As part of the program,
Goldman Sachs has committed $100 million in funding and partnered universities in Europe
and the United States with business schools in developing and emerging economies.
Walmart’s Global Women’s Economic Empowerment Initiative. Walmart committed in
2011 to invest in nearly 1 million women around the world, through a) committing to source
US$20 billion from women-owned businesses, b) supporting the empowerment of 1 million
women through training and c) promoting diversity and inclusion representation within
merchandising and professional service suppliers.
Mondelez International. In 2014, Mondelez International launched a new initiative to
support the rights of female cocoa farmers in Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire, focused on training,
access to finance and women’s decision-making power. The action plans responded to
assessments by Harvard University and CARE International, which revealed striking gender
gaps in income and opportunities for cocoa farmers. It is a cornerstone of Cocoa Life, part of
a US$400 million sustainability initiative. World Cocoa Foundation, within Mondelez, has
also worked to establish sector-wide principles for cocoa sustainability that include gender
equality. The company also signed onto the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles in 2013.
Coca-Cola. In 2010, Coca Cola developed the 5by20 TM initiative to address the challenges
global women face in their economic potential. The company is investing in the economic
empowerment of 5 million women entrepreneurs across all its value chains by 2020.
Nine Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) Commitment. Nine
corporations that are members of the WBENC joined together in 2017 in a first-time
collaborative effort to track and report sourcing from self-identified and certified women-
owned businesses over the next five years. The businesses include Walmart, Campbell Soup
Company, The Coca-Cola Company, ExxonMobil, General Mills, Johnson & Johnson,
Mondelez International, PepsiCo, and Procter & Gamble.

Page 8 of 53
Foundations

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

 Women’s Economic Empowerment Strategy , 2018

 A Conceptual Model for Women’s and Girls’ Empowerment , 2017
 $80 Million Commitment to Close Gender Data Gaps and Accelerate Progress for Women and
Girls, 2016
 Creating Gender Responsive Agricultural Development Programs , 2013

Ford Foundation

 Challenging Inequality: Gender, Racial and Ethnic Justice Strategy

 $1 Billion from Endowment for ‘Mission Related’ Investments to Fight Inequality , 2017

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

 International Women’s Reproductive Health Strategy , 2014

 Women’s Economic Empowerment Strategy , 2015

Novo Foundation

 Advancing Adolescent Girls’ Strategy

 Ending Violence against Women and Girls

C and A Foundation

 Gender Justice Initiative

 Working with Women to Strengthen Communities

UN Foundation

 Data 2X on Global Gender Data Gaps

 Women, Girls and Population Priorities
 The Coalition for Adolescent Girls

Page 9 of 53
 Tool 3: Sample FHI 360 Gender Capability Statements by Sector

When women and girls thrive, so do their communities. FHI 360 programs help improve the
health, education, economic empowerment, and leadership opportunities of women and girls. We
address harmful gender practices to reduce economic inequality, stifled political engagement,
violent extremism, unintended pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, gender-based
violence, and early marriage by implementing multidisciplinary activities that engage women,
men, girls, and boys to examine and alter traditional gender norms and reduce gender-related
stigma. Working with local and national authorities and traditional leaders, FHI 360 works to:
support both women’s and men’s economic empowerment and equality; partner with civil
society organizations (CSOs) to support their capacity building and both political and social
engagement; remove barriers to girls’ access to high-quality education; combat gender-based
violence (GBV) by addressing unequal gender norms at the individual, family, and community
levels; encourage healthy behaviors among mothers to promote their own well-being and the
health of their family, and discourage practices that contribute to HIV infection, under-nutrition
and food insecurity. A sample of FHI 360’s gender sensitive projects in economic
empowerment, gender-based violence, civil society strengthening and education are
described below.

WOMEN’S ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT

FHI 360 programs help ensure that women and men have access to the training and resources
they need to develop and sustain productive livelihoods and pursue economic opportunities.
Grounded in a gender-based perspective, our programs develop livelihood-strengthening
activities that are appropriate for a household’s resources, capabilities and constraints, and
provide local businesses and individuals the tools they need to compete in a rapidly globalizing
economy. As in all its programs, FHI 360’s economic strengthening (ES) approach includes
using current evidence and state-of-the-art approaches to promote scalable, high-quality
programming and integrating an explicit gender perspective in our research, tools, policy and
standards recommendations, and technical assistance.

Feed the Future Catalyzing Partnerships for Scale – USAID Strategic Framework for
Promoting Women’s Economic Empowerment and Equality (WE3) (2015–2017) The U.S.
Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of Gender Equality and Women’s
Empowerment within the Economic Growth, Education and Environment Bureau engaged FHI
360 through the Feed the Future Catalyzing Partnerships for Scale award to support the
development of a framework for promoting women’s economic empowerment and equality
(WE3). The framework advances gender equality and female empowerment as goals in and of
themselves, and as means toward the elimination of extreme poverty. The WE3 framework is a
key and complementary resource to help advance the overall USAID gender equality and female
empowerment policy. FHI 360 worked closely with USAID to develop the framework, including
a set of 10 WE3 principles, five interconnected WE3 domains and corresponding illustrative
indicators. FHI 360 worked with USAID to create a WE3 Framework launch plan and set of
resources, including implementation tools for both USAID and implementing partners, and a set
of resources to facilitate stronger collaboration among global partners.

Page 10 of 53
PEPFAR Accelerating Strategies for Practical Innovation and Research in Economic
Strengthening (ASPIRES, 2013–2018) –ASPIRES supports gender-sensitive programming,
research and learning to improve the economic security of highly vulnerable individuals,
families, and children. Critical target populations include those infected or affected by
HIV/AIDS, key populations at high risk of acquiring HIV and households in which children have
been or are at risk of becoming separated from the families who care for them.

ASPIRES focuses on efficiently providing technical assistance to scale up high-quality

interventions in consumption support, money management and income promotion. The project
also focuses on the design and implementation of rigorous research to evaluate programs and
inform a new understanding of best practices in economic strengthening. For example, in Cote
d’Ivoire, ASPIRES employed an innovative combination of ethnography and financial diaries to
delve deeply into the financial management strategies of female sex workers (FSWs) in Abidjan.
The findings will be employed in developing a pilot ES intervention for the FSW population.

USAID Community-Based Livelihood Development for Women and Children in Swaziland

(C-BLD, 2011–2016) – Swaziland has high HIV rates that disproportionately affect women and
children, a weak economy with few private-sector options for low-income households and a civil
society in need of support to create sustainable opportunities. Underlying gender norms
contribute to inequality and a legal system that does not adequately protect the rights of women
and children. Through C-BLD, FHI 360 worked to improve the livelihood capabilities of at-risk
households, and strengthened the capacity of civil society organizations to provide effective
economic strengthening and livelihood services and to protect the rights of women and children.
The project empowered women and young people through micro-entrepreneurship and business
development training, thereby lessening their vulnerability to HIV/AIDS and improve their
livelihood capabilities. C-BLD facilitated improved access to appropriate vocational and
technical skills for orphans and vulnerable children. Other program interventions included:
engaging men as partners in addressing economic sustainability issues for women; providing
mentor support networks for women and children that address issues such as self-esteem;
empowerment; and employability skills; and developing gender-responsive economic
empowerment activities, such as enhancing the demand for both female and male labor and
promoting enterprise development for women.

USAID Expanded and Sustained Access to Financial Services (ESAF) in the West Bank
and Gaza (2008–2012) – FHI 360 led a group of implementing partners (CHF International,
Development Innovations Group and Making Cents International) in a major cross-cutting
initiative to strengthen consumer protection and financial literacy in the West Bank and Gaza.
The ESAF project provided financial literacy training to over 2,500 women in Gaza and over 525
grants to women business owners in Gaza and the West Bank. Other interventions included
technical assistance to help banks to reach the poor, supporting the Palestinian Monetary
Authority (PMA) and assistance to micro-entrepreneurs affected by recent conflicts. ESAF
activities in formative research, client protection and consumer awareness, and financial literacy
led to the sustainable expansion of financial services to at least 35,000 households over the life
of the program. The FHI 360 consortium worked across multiple levels to create a solid
foundation for economic growth:

Page 11 of 53
 • At the national and regulatory environment level, ESAF helped develop a national
microfinance framework.
• At the retail level, ESAF provided technical assistance to banks, microfinance
institutions and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).
• At the consumer level, the program worked to increase individuals’ awareness of and
engagement in the financial sector through financial literacy and consumer protection
activities, and helped micro-entrepreneurs affected by conflict get back on their feet.

The program also included a fixed-capital financing mechanism known as the Palestine
Investment Partnership that funded equipment upgrades for small and medium enterprises, helps
create joint ventures and technology transfer, and facilitated other forms of capital inflow to
profitable businesses that could expand and provide sustainable jobs.

Improving Girls’ Economic Opportunities in Tanzania (2010–Present) – In 2010, with

funding from Johnson & Johnson, FHI 360 began Phase II of the Bridging the Gap: Improving
Girls’ Secondary Schools in Tanzania project to assist girls in their transition from secondary
school to the labor force. In Phase II, the project focuses on bridging the gap between secondary
school and formal employment for girls through internships and vocational training
opportunities. The project now provides funding for 110 girls to complete internships and
professional programs including upper secondary school, teacher training, nursing school,
vocational training and internships at a local hospital, hotels and beauty salons. In its second year
of Phase II, the project has 100 percent retention of its participants.

GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
FHI 360 combats gender-based violence by addressing unequal gender norms at the individual,
family, school and community levels, using a three-pronged strategy: prevention (raising
community awareness and reducing tolerance), response (linking health and community services
and referrals for survivors) and empowerment (building self-esteem and livelihood). Some of
our programs to address gender-based violence among school-age children involve creating
safe environments for students in schools and using community radio, theater and other
communication channels to raise awareness and equip local communities to promote positive
gender norms and prevent violence.

USAID Empowering Adolescent Girls to Lead through Education (EAGLE) in the

Democratic Republic of Congo (2013–2018) – FHI 360 employed a holistic approach through
EAGLE to address the complex factors that affect the ability of girls in the DRC to stay in school
and improve their lives. Project activities cut across education, gender, health, and social
protection domains to take into account the relationships between educational achievement,
health outcomes, and equitable gender norms. EAGLE advances more positive gender norms and
reduces harmful gender-related practices, including sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV),
among program participants. It empowers adolescent girls in peri-urban areas of Kinshasa and
Lubumbashi to acquire the education and skills necessary to play an active and positive role
within their schools, families and communities, and to become agents of change. The three
Intermediate Results (IR) of the EAGLE Results Framework are:

Page 12 of 53
  Improved transition from primary to secondary school and improved completion rates for
lower secondary school for EAGLE scholars
 Increased capacity for self-efficacy regarding life choices for EAGLE scholars
 Improved knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding adolescent reproductive health,
SGBV prevention and response, and gender equality within EAGLE school communities.

To date, EAGLE has achieved the following results:

 One hundred percent of schools in the project area apply codes of good conduct that
explicitly address SRGBV.
 Fifty-four SRGBV oversight committees have been established.
 A total of 2,694 people are now reached by an individual, small group or community-
level intervention or service that explicitly addresses gender-based violence and coercion.

DFAT Komuniti Lukautim Ol Meri (KLOM, 2012–2017) was implemented by FHI 360 in
selected communities in the Western Highlands and Sandaun provinces of Papua New Guinea.
Komuniti Lukautim Ol Meri means “Community Looking After Women.” The project aims to
reduce the level of violence against women and girls and to support survivors of violence
through strengthened service delivery that extends into the community. The KLOM project uses
a three-pronged strategy:
 Prevention: Recognize and reduce communities’ tolerance level for violence against
women and girls and ensure that communities take ownership of the program.
 Response: Ensure that survivors of sexual and physical violence have access to
appropriate and timely services. FHI 360 uses a community system strengthening model
that focuses on access to quality clinical services and community support for improved
health-seeking behaviors.
 Empowerment: Use education and livelihood to build self-esteem and self-confidence of
women and girls who experience or are vulnerable to violence.

USAID Strengthening HIV/AIDS Services for Most-At-Risk Populations (2013–2017)

project in Papua New Guinea reduced the incidence of HIV and mitigated its impact on those
most at risk of contracting the virus, their sexual partners and their families. The project built the
capacity of seven local implementing agencies, including Papua New Guinea’s Department of
Health and the National AIDS Council, to strengthen health systems, processes, and facilities to
improve services for most-at-risk populations. The four main objectives of the project were to:
 Build demand for HIV/AIDS services among most-at-risk populations, their sexual
partners, and their families. This entailed training service providers on psychological and
legal needs of victims of GBV, as well as support for advertising and community
outreach to increase awareness and acceptance of services for victims of GBV. It resulted
in improved and increased provision of and awareness of GBV services at medical
facilities and community-based settings.
 Encourage the use of facility- and community-based gender interventions, including
those that address gender-based violence.
 Increase the supply of quality HIV/AIDS services for most-at-risk populations, their
sexual partners and their families.
 Strengthen health systems for HIV/AIDS service delivery.

Page 13 of 53
USAID Communication for Change (C-Change) in the Democratic Republic of Congo
(2010–2012) – C-Change, implemented by FHI 360, was a behavior change communication
(BCC) project that promoted positive social and gender norms to prevent and mitigate school-
related gender-based violence (SRGBV) among school-aged children in eastern DRC. The
program was introduced in 31 schools and neighboring communities in Katanga Province. The
project created a safe environment for students in schools and challenged prevailing social norms
that perpetuate SRGBV in the students’ communities. C-Change activities to change social and
gender norms—and equip individuals with knowledge and skills to identify, discourage and
resist SRGBV—targeted students, teachers, family members, school authorities and the
community at large. C-Change activities included:
 Working with students, parents and school personnel. Understanding the
consequences of gender-based violence can help change underlying attitudes. The project
not only equipped young girls and boys with knowledge about SRGBV and skills to resist
and report incidences, it also built the knowledge and skills of school administrators,
teachers and parents to identify, discourage and intervene in GBV cases.
 Community media campaigns. Local communication channels, such as community
radio, theater and other vehicles were used to enhance understanding, change attitudes,
and promote preventive community actions.
 C-Change strengthened the capacity of local and governmental organizations to plan
and implement SBCC activities related to GBV/HIV and raised awareness among
media professionals about the importance of changing social norms around GBV.
 Attitudes about gender equality shifted as GBV was given a more prominent place in the
agenda of traditional chiefs at the National Alliance of the Traditional Authorities of the
Congo. Fifty-five chiefs signed a letter of commitment to prevent GBV in their
communities as a result of awareness raising by C-Change, and they created a road map
and put into place a coordination committee to fight against SGBV at the rural level.

CIVIL SOCIETY, DEMOCRACY and GOVERNANCE

USAID Afghanistan University Support and Workforce Development Program (USWDP,
2014–2018) enhances the skills and employability of technically qualified and professionally
capable Afghan women and men in the private and public sectors. The program works to help
Afghanistan’s higher education professionals effectively manage the growth of tertiary education
by strengthening the Ministry of Higher Education’s management systems for implementing and
monitoring university quality assurance and accreditation standards; developing policy and
procedural capacity to support public university autonomy; and improving management of the
ministry’s human, financial and other resources. With regard to gender integration, FHI 360
collaborated with the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) in developing a Gender Strategy
implementation plan, and introduced a theoretical framework and training for senior staff to
identify gender barriers and solutions to integrate gender into their work plans. Further gender
integration work has included a rapid review with UN agencies, multiple Afghan government
ministries, local NGOs and four selected Kabul-based universities to collect more information on
1) the legal context, 2) the dynamics of sexual assault and other forms of misconduct, 3) each
institution’s unique culture, climate, policies and procedures, personnel, resources and underlying

Page 14 of 53
institutional values and 4) referral services, including medical, counseling, shelter, legal and police.
A two-day training was held with university GESI Advisors and MoHE Gender Unit staff to
introduce a rapid review activity, roles and responsibilities in the activity and how the activity
would be used to inform the development of key anti-harassment policy implementation structures.

USAID Countering Violent Extremism in the Middle East and North Africa (CoVE-
MENA, 2014–2018) – The USAID-funded CoVE-MENA task order comes under the
Programming Effectively Against Conflict and Extremism (PEACE) Indefinite Quantity
Contract (IQC), and is led by FHI 360 with partners Mercy Corps and SSG Advisors. CoVE-
MENA supports the USAID Middle East Bureau’s ability to understand and address democracy
and governance issues related to conflict and violent extremism (VE) in three ways: 1) research
studies on VE dynamics and development responses in the MENA region, 2) pilot programs to
develop locally-owned strategies for countering violent extremism (CVE) recruitment and
messaging via strengthening civil society and 3) training and knowledge generation and sharing
on conflict mitigation and CVE. Under the first point, COVE-MENA has conducted two
research activities on women, gender and VE/CVE. This research provides insights on the push
and pull factors driving women’s participation in violent extremist organizations (VEOs);
women’s motivation and recruitment methods; and development responses that address the
primary drivers that motivate women to support or join VEOs.

GIRLS’ EDUCATION
In partnership with community-based organizations and governments, FHI 360 implements
education programs that address a range of issues, including basic literacy and numeracy,
leadership and mentoring, curriculum design, school planning, parental involvement to
ensure sustainability, gender-sensitive teacher training, provision of scholarships and supplies,
girl-friendly school construction and school support in the form of scholarships and supplies.

FHI 360 has had significant impact on girls’ success in primary and secondary school by using
a comprehensive model of complementary activities called the Four Pillars PLUS approach to
girls’ education. Developed by FHI 360 staff through our long-term work in Africa and the
Middle East, the Four Pillars are: mentor training and girls’ mentoring; scholarships for girls
and boys; teacher professional development and gender-sensitivity training; and, community
participation in education. The PLUS aspect of the approach includes additional activities that
reflect the specific needs of each country and community.

Four Pillars PLUS, Cross River State, Nigeria (2015–2018) – The GE Foundation-funded
Four Pillars PLUS approach in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria, was redesigned in 2015 to
address the challenges faced by adolescent girls and boys in maximizing their human potential
while maintaining realistic youth-defined goals. The program provides 4,800 adolescent girls and
boys in four public schools in Calabar with the skills and information needed to value their
health; be resourceful, creative and resilient; negotiate and bargain; and dare to make
nontraditional career choices. The Four Pillars PLUS project in Cross River State will achieve its
goal by focusing on 1) building the capacity of parents and receiving households to equitably
support their girls’ and boys’ agency, 2) improving the quality of teaching through gender-
sensitive pedagogy and the creation of violence-free schools, 3) mentoring and tutoring girls and
boys to enhance their agency and protect their health and 4) creating an enabling environment for

Page 15 of 53
girls and boys through effective community mobilization of stakeholders, including school-based
management committees and parent-teacher associations, primary health care workers,
traditional and religious leaders, and women’s and youth groups.

DREAMS: Communities Investing in Education for Child Health and Safety (CIECHS),
Malawi (2016-2018) – The DREAMS CIECHS project will focuses on keeping girls in
secondary school and addresses factors that contribute to HIV infection among girls and young
women across Malawi’s Machinga and Zomba districts. The DREAMS Innovation Challenge
project is funded by PEPFAR with the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Girl
Effect, Johnson & Johnson, Gilead Sciences and ViiV Healthcare.

To reduce the incidence of HIV in this target population, FHI 360 uses an integrated approach
rooted in improving access to, retention in and completion of secondary education. FHI 360’s
innovative approach involves integrated, community-led efforts designed to ensure that
education, health and economic drivers are simultaneously addressed and strengthened. Over
time, this will foster increased participation in secondary school and reduced incidence of HIV in
adolescent girls and boys. The program will support approximately 16,600 girls ages 14–17 in
secondary school.

Four Pillars PLUS, Benue State, Nigeria (2012–2014) – The GE Foundation-funded project
encouraged community engagement as a means to solve the particular challenges facing
adolescent girls, especially those in junior and senior secondary schools, and their families. The
PLUS aspect of the project took into account the particular culture and context of Benue State
and responded with relevant interventions. These included transitioning graduating students to
the labor market through internships and employment and to higher education, while
empowering communities with skills and training so that they could become more economically
productive. The project built support for girls’ education, enriched the local economy and
ensured sustainability through education, skills, training, employment and community
participation. Project activities also contributed to securing education for both boys and girls
while addressing the negative gender norms that prevent girls’ education.

Improving Girls’ Education in Guinea (2009–2015) – Funded by the Alcoa Foundation, FHI
360 implemented the Four Pillars PLUS methodology in the Boké region of Guinea, which
included life-skills mentoring and academic tutoring to girls, teacher professional development,
scholarships and community participation and mobilization in support of girls’ education. The
project supported 300 students—primarily girls— in four primary schools with scholarships,
allowing them to complete their primary cycle of education. The project also improved the
overall quality of education in Guinea by encouraging school communities to collaborate with
local organizations and parent groups, developing strategies for academic improvement. Impacts
of the project include:
 A more open and nurturing environment for girl scholars. Trained teachers mentored
almost 300 girls, fostering an environment where girls can share thoughts and concerns
about barriers to their education. The project trained teachers, school heads, and district
supervisors in participatory methodologies, teaching pedagogy, classroom management
and gender sensitivity.

Page 16 of 53
  More productive and supportive teaching environments. Parent–teacher association
(PTA) and periodic mothers meetings helped to engage mothers and caretakers in the
education of their children, especially girls, and increased their awareness of obstacles at
home and school. PTA members and mothers were also empowered to identify solutions.
 Rising student academic performance rates. Quarterly student performance reviews
were maintained by teachers and shared with parents and mentors to encourage students
to achieve, identify weaknesses and find solutions. In 2012, 43 percent of students in
beneficiary schools were admitted to form 7 based on their exam results compared to a
national average admission rate of 24 percent, and an equal or higher number of girls
than boys were admitted for the first time.

Bridging the Gap: Improving Girls’ Secondary Education in Tanzania (2007-2010). Funded

by Johnson & Johnson, the program applied the Four Pillars PLUS methodology to girls’
education in Tanzania by providing scholarships for secondary school girls, mentor training
and girls’ mentoring to improve their self-esteem, and teacher professional development with
gender sensitivity training workshops to create a more equitable school environment for girls,
enhancing learning outcomes for all students. The project used a community-based participation
model to ensure local project support and sustainability, empowering mothers’ and fathers’
groups and local leadership. Project activities supported 865 girls at high risk of dropping out in
seven secondary schools in and around Dar es Salaam. An assessment of the project showed the
following outcomes: 
 Academic performance improved (grades and classroom participation) and retention
rate of scholars was 90 percent 
 Girls’ attendance improved as a result of the mentoring sessions, scholarships and
distribution of sanitary napkins 
 Teachers were more sensitive to girls’ challenges and needs, increasing their
confidence to do well and punishing them less for things beyond their control 
 Girls’ hygiene and their overall demeanor and sense of self-worth improved, according
to teachers and headmasters 
 Fewer girls became pregnant during the school year 

Page 17 of 53
 Tool 4: FHI 360 Proposal Checklist for GESI Integration

[Insert Name of Solicitation in Forecast]

Task Responsible* Comments Complete
Share solicitation with assigned GESI expert. If
one has not been assigned, share it with the ☐
Gender Director and ask for a GESI expert to help.
Invite GESI expert to the kick-off meeting. ☐
Consider holding a separate meeting on GESI
integration, especially if the award is US$50
million or more, has a strong focus on GESI, or has ☐
high GESI-related risks involved (such as insecurity
or gender-based violence)
Request GESI expert to create a GESI Integration
Reference Guide to which the proposal team can
refer throughout proposal development. It
includes recommended GESI standards, activities
and strategies.
Ask GESI expert to create the Gender Technical
Strategy. Ask any involved social inclusion expert
☐
to create a corresponding strategy (such as for
persons with disabilities, if appropriate).
Invite GESI expert to attend the design meeting to
☐
help brainstorm GESI technical content.
Brainstorm technical content and key graphics. ☐
Invite GESI expert to Pink Team Review.
Utilize the Potential Partner GESI Capacity
Assessment Tool. Collaborate with GESI expert to
identify potential alternative or additional ☐
partners as needed to help carry out GESI
Strategy.
Review GESI performance page of the GESI
Sharepoint site. Engage GESI expert to help
☐
identify positive past GESI performance in
projects.
Review Sample GESI Budget Line Items and
Sample GESI Proposal Budget.
Invite GESI expert to the Budget Kickoff meeting.
Before eliminating GESI budget line items, discuss ☐
budget constraint solutions with GESI expert.
Engage GESI expert in discussions to identify ☐
project staffing needs, including whether GESI
Specialist or Advisor is needed, and what

Page 18 of 53
additional GESI qualifications are needed for
other positions.
Review Sample GESI Qualifications for Job ☐
Descriptions tool. Request feedback from GESI
expert as needed on draft position descriptions.
Engage GESI expert to write job description for
GESI Specialist recruited for position.
Identify potential sources for recruitment to help ☐
generate diverse candidates (such as disability
network job boards, women’s vocational schools).
Invite GESI expert to attend interviews and give ☐
input on candidate selection for certain positions
(such as Gender Specialist candidates).
Invite GESI expert to attend Red Team Review. ☐
Before eliminating key GESI inputs within the final ☐
proposal, request help from GESI expert in editing
down GESI technical sections.
Share final proposal with GESI expert and Gender ☐
Director.
Engage GESI expert in answers to BAFO questions.

Page 19 of 53
 Tool 5: Sample Results Frameworks with Strong Gender Equality and
Social Inclusion (GESI) Elements

The USAID Jordan Results Framework, highlighted in the Jordan Country Cooperation Strategy,
includes the following key GESI components, which are highlighted in blue.
 The FHI 360-led USAID Jordan LENS project therefore aligns on GESI with the USAID Jordan
CDCS Results Framework, as evidenced by the project-level results framework below. GESI
components are also highlighted in blue.

USAID Jordan LENS Results Framework - Implemented by FHI 360

Development Intermediate Result (IR) Sub-Intermediate Results (Sub-IR)

Objective (DO)
DO 1: Broad-based, 1.1: Private Sector
Inclusive Economic Competitiveness Increased
Development
Accelerated
1.2: Workforce Development and
Opportunities for Vulnerable
Groups Increased, Especially for
the Poor, Women and Youth
1.1.2: Access to finance increased, especially for
women entrepreneurs
1.1.3: Environment of doing business improved
1.2.2: Entrepreneurship opportunities promoted,
especially for women entrepreneurs
1.2.3: MFI outreach and advocacy improved

Page 21 of 53
 Tool 6: Sample Gender Integration Reference Guide

SHARP’s Overarching Gender Inputs1

1) Reduce gender disparities in access to, control over and benefiting from resources,
wealth, opportunities and services in economic, social, political and cultural arenas.
2) Decrease gender-based violence and mitigate its harmful effects on individuals and
communities.
3) Increase the capability of women and girls to understand their civil rights, have control
over life outcomes, and influence decision making in their household, community, and
society.

FHI 360 helped develop and signed on to the Minimum Standards for Mainstreaming Gender
Equality by the Gender Practitioners Collaborative.
Recommended Gender Inputs

Gender Inputs Description

1) Hire a qualified, full-time,
in-country Senior Gender
Specialist to be
accountable for
implementing the SHARP
Gender Strategy and the
project-level gender
strategies for Task
Orders under SHARP.
The responsibilities for a Senior Gender Specialist include:
 Oversee/conduct gender analyses for projects awarded under
SHARP
 Provide recommendations on how activities can be enhanced to
transform unequal gender norms and ensure recommendations from
gender analyses are integrated into programming
 Support monitoring of gender-related activities and collection of data
for gender-related indicators
 Provide on-site technical assistance and capacity strengthening to
project staff, partners, Ministry of Health (MOH), civil society
organizations (CSOs), community-based organizations CBOs, etc.
 For task order proposals, provide inputs on the design, provide
written inputs for the technical approach, including writing the gender
strategy, and review the sections relevant to gender
 Supervise project-level gender specialists for task orders awarded
under SHARP
 Train and orient SHARP staff on gender principles
 Contribute to regular reporting requirements

2) Mainstream gender in  Ensure individuals of diverse gender identities and backgrounds are
personnel management in leadership positions for activities working with a specific vulnerable
and practices community (such as female, male, adult orphans, transgender
persons, former sex workers)

1
From the SHARP solicitation, p. 36

Page 22 of 53

3) Conduct a gender
analysis within the first 4
months of SHARP start-
up to identify gender
gaps among men and
women, as well as in
institutions, that would
impact SHARP’s ability to
achieve project outcomes
4) Develop an overarching
SHARP Gender Strategy
using the IDIQ Gender
Analysis findings
5) Conduct mid-term and
end-line gender
assessments of SHARP
6) Conduct a rapid gender
analysis for each task
order awarded under
SHARP within the first
four months of project
start-up
 List gender and social inclusion capacities in SHARP job descriptions
that will be reflected in work plans and performance goals for those
positions, especially the state-level technical officer roles
 Integrate gender requirements, including zero tolerance sexual
harassment policies, in contracts with private sector, wholesalers,
financial institutions, and other contractors
The gender analysis will identify programming gaps and opportunities
and provide recommendations for future programming regarding
gender. It is critical to position FHI 360 for task orders under SHARP. Its
results and recommendations will:
 Lead to understanding the ways in which the unequal roles and
opportunities in women’s/girls’, men’s/boys’, and gender non-
conforming persons’ lives impact health outcomes
 Identify opportunities to reduce gender inequality to improve health
outcomes
 Ensure that health programming is contributing to gender equality
while achieving health outcomes
Gender analysis includes: a desk review, in-country interviews and
focus groups (qualitative data collection) with a variety of stakeholders,
such as members of the key populations, Ministry of Women’s Affairs
and Social Development, MOH, other relevant ministries, local NGOs,
CBOs, INGOs, health clinics, health workers, community leaders.
Will inform the gender integration in subsequent Task Order proposals.
Refer to the LINKAGES Gender Strategy as an example.
Will identify successes, gaps and where adjustments need to be made.
Focus the analysis on the targeted beneficiaries, like orphans and
vulnerable children (OVC) and key populations (KPs). Its findings will
inform programming, including:
 Different roles and norms for women, men, youth, OVC, people who
inject drugs, people with disabilities, female and male sex workers,
men who have sex with men (MSM), lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender persons and people of marginalized ethnicity
 Different levels of power among these groups in society
 The different needs, constraints and opportunities of each group
 The impact of the proposed interventions and targeted outcomes in
Page 23 of 53
 their lives, including in such areas as increased potential risk of
gender-based violence

7) Gender budget inputs Gender budget inputs should include at a minimum:

should be adequately  SHARP Gender Analysis
planned for and should o In-country trips for Senior Gender Specialist and/or HQ GESI
be reflected in work Advisor to conduct analysis
planning and budgeting o 3–4 weeks for HQ GESI Advisor to support Senior Gender
processes Specialist
 SHARP mid-term and end-line gender assessments
o In-country trips for Senior Gender Specialist and/or HQ GESI
Advisor to conduct analysis
 Task order gender analyses
o In-country trips for Senior Gender Specialist and/or task-order-
level gender specialist to conduct analysis
 Short-term technical assistance (STTA) from HQ, ≥ 20% LOE for
Years 1–3, 15% LOE for Years 4–5
o Support SHARP Senior Gender Specialist
o Support with development of gender analyses, mid-term and end-
term assessments, tools, reports, etc.

8) Monitoring of gender
indicators
At the minimum, all indicators should be disaggregated by sex and age
(as recommended by PEPFAR Gender Strategy) – best if they also are
disaggregated by key population type.
 Integrate and monitor PEPFAR gender indicators 2 and at least one
SHARP customized indicator from the findings of the overarching
SHARP gender analysis (can adapt/learn from LINKAGES)
 Identify at least one gender indicator for the SHARP mechanism
 Identify at least one, though more are recommended, gender-
related indicator for task orders

9) Build capacity and For all SHARP project staff, partners, ministry officials, CBOs/CSOs
conduct gender and other stakeholders so they have the means to identify unequal,
transformative trainings harmful gender-related beliefs and activities in themselves and in their
work and then directly challenge those unequal norms.

10) Develop a male Ensure that these strategies are enacted alongside each other in a
engagement strategy, synchronized approach to equalize the balance of power and increase
female empowerment understanding of how everyone is influenced and shaped by social
strategy, and approach to constructions of gender and identity.
bring men and women
together

Gender Recommendations by Intermediate Result

2
Found in the PEPFAR Gender Strategy, FY14 p. 16–17.

Page 24 of 53
 USAID Nigeria
Recommendations
SHARP IRs

1 - Governance -  Engage the GON Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Social Development (FMWASD)
of health to strengthen professional development for greater effectiveness and support it in
systems and restructuring for greater efficiency. 3
institutions
strengthened - Create working groups to address gender issues relevant to SHARP’s work; include
bilateral partners, multinational corporations, GON ministries, CSOs, foundations,
national women’s groups and associations, mass media and others. Make an action
plan for each working group and assign specific tasks to coalition members based on
their strengths.4
- Advocate for KP-sensitive health and violence policies.
Suggested Activities: Continue support for GBV response committees developed
under SIDHAS via collaboration with FMWASD in seven states. With multi-sectoral
memberships, these committees aim to ensure an enabling policy environment and a
coordinated state response by working with state chapters of the Medical Women's
Association of Nigeria as well as the Federation of Women Lawyers and legal aid
councils, police officers, and health, and social welfare staff.

2 - Demand for -  Address misconceptions, superstitions and harmful practices that prevent men,
quality primary women and youth from seeking treatment. Work with communities to address
health care superstitions and beliefs that affect gender relations.
services
increased - Ensure confidentiality in the full package of services to capture clients’ confidence
that their status will not be revealed. Ensuring fully integrated services is one
approach to lessening the possibility of recognition or discovery.
- Work with communities through dialogue and SBCC on HIV stigma in parallel to
increasing demand and access to services. Mainstream gender discussions in
dialogues to explore power dynamics, harmful practices and challenge GBV.
- Promote women’s empowerment and leadership skills.
- Engage men and traditional leaders to be champions for women, girls and KPs.
- Promote family testing (including of OVC) for HIV and index case testing.
Suggested Activities:

- Use national and local role models and champions, male and female, to promote
HIV testing and treatment at the community and facility levels and on social media.

3
USAID Evaluation: Nigeria Gender Assessment, March 2016
4
USAID Evaluation: Nigeria Gender Assessment, March 2016

Page 25 of 53
 - Use peer educators recruited from the MSM community and outreach staff for
treatment support centers to reach MSM.

- Use social media to promote HIV Testing Services (HTS) and address gender
norms that inhibit positive health-seeking behavior.

- Promote family-level and community level dialogues on HIV stigma, human rights of
KPs, rigid gender norms around masculinity and femininity, etc. SASA! is a
recognized effective approach to community dialogues around power, HIV and
GBV.

- Use Stepping Stones (or related curricula) to engage young men, migrant men,
fathers, and community leaders, as well as young women, mothers and female
leaders. Stepping Stones is a participatory training package designed to address
the prevention and spread of HIV through promoting communication and
relationship skills within communities and households. It aims to enable participants
to find their own solutions to dealing with HIV by looking critically at how societal
norms influence their own attitudes and behaviors and exploring sexual
relationships and recognizing gender inequalities.

- SBCC campaigns with radio, theater, posters raising awareness/acceptance of

KPs.

3 - Access to -  Deliver a minimum package of post-GBV care services that protect the dignity,
quality health rights, and well-being of those at risk for and survivors of GBV in line with the
services PEPFAR Gender Strategy and WHO clinical and policy guidelines (RFP, p. 37)
improved
- Reach men and incite them to visit health facilities.
- Ensure youth-friendly facilities and offer comprehensive HIV/TB/reproductive
health/GBV services.
- Lack of financial resources prevents individuals from seeking health services. Find
ways to build in income generation to promote healthy behavior.
Suggested Activities:

- Mobile clinics for rural villages can attract male clients so they can avoid stigma in
accessing health services and avoid long travels or waits in hospitals/clinics

- Support “mentor mothers” – women living with HIV who are doing well on
antiretroviral (ARV) treatment (healthy physical appearance important
consideration) and serve as peer counselors in community-level activities, including
tracking mother-baby pairs to improve use of and retention in appropriate care and
treatment services. They can support enrollment and adherence for newly detected
(women) clients. Mentor mothers can also work with pregnant women and use

Page 26 of 53
 prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) as a compelling argument for
testing and treatment uptake. Stipends to mentor mothers are highly recommended
so as not to further burden women’s unpaid time.
Gender Budget for a US$50 Million USAID Feed the Future Value Chain
- Conduct trainings with health care workers (HCWs), police and peer educators to
Proposal
explore and challenge the gender-based
with Requested Focus on Women’s Economic roots of stigma, discrimination and
Empowerment
violence against KPs while discussing ways that the same norms and beliefs that
justify violence against KPs are used to justify violence against women in intimate
 partnerships.
Full time Senior Gender Specialist (or Senior Gender and Youth Specialist)
o 6 months in Year 1
Sensitize
o 12- months HCWs2–5
in Years on issues of sexual orientation and gender identity, discussing the
gender-based roots of stigma and discrimination, adapted from FHI 360’s
 6 weeks for aLINKAGES
Full Gender Health Worker
Analysis and Training.
Gender Integration Training. This includes:
o GESI Advisor at HQ
- Offer gender-affirming HIV services to transgender people using appropriate
 3 weeks LOE for prep
pronouns, chosen names, and trans-competent HIV care (for example, being able
 3 weeks LOE in country
to respond to any concerns regarding how hormones may interact with treatment or
 1.5 weeks LOE for report completion
pre-exposure prophylaxis).5
o 2 weeks LOE of Senior Gender Specialist
o 2 -weeks LOE ofsub-national
In scale-up in-country support staff support uptake of HTS for men and non-
units (SNUs),
o 2 days LOE of COP/DCOP
pregnant women at the community level with targeted and index case testing.
o 3 weeks of travel expenses
- Establish pilot clinics for men. Weave lessons learned into existing health systems
 to strengthen
Capacity Building with the services for men.
Senior Gender Specialist
o Annual day-long training per year
- Establish fully integrated “gender one-stop shops” building from the lessons of
o 1 thought leadership and capacity building event in Year 3
SIDHAS. These are spaces in facilities that provide comprehensive GBV services
 2–4 US$15,000andspecial
meet confidentiality standards.
challenge/innovation grants to women’s/farmer coops, associations,
lead firms -and/or individual
Use the trainingleaders for capacity
packages for healthbuilding
workersand leadership
providing development
antiretroviral therapy (ART),
HIV counseling and testing (HCT) and PMTCT services and the job aids for post-
 2–4 US$15,000
GBVspecial challenge/innovation
care for adults, pubertal andgrants to youthchildren
pre-pubertal groups/leaders
that wereforintegrated
capacity building
with
and leadership development
the post-GBV care guidelines developed under SIDHAS.
 M&E budget for gender
- Promote indicators/Women's
savings Empowerment
and loan associations in Agriculture
that provide additionalIndex, including
income to women to
o 20 days LOE forhealth
encourage a Principle
seekingInvestigator
behaviors.in Years 1, 3 and 5
o A group of 5–10 additional trained enumerators in Years 2–5
o 1–2 - Address
day-longunmet need
trainings for for
M&Efamily planning and
on Women’s contraception
Empowerment by empowering
in Agriculture Indexwomen
with information about available methods of contraception (as well as their positive
attributes,from
 Technical assistance sideHQ
effects and how long they last).
o LOE
- Share 50information
Days LOE for in health clinics with
GESI Advisor men and
for Years 1–2women about positive benefits of
family planning (FP) and promote couples
 40 Days LOE for GESI Advisor for Years 3–4 counseling so that decisions can be
taken20together
Days LOE andforcommunication
GESI Advisor can be promoted.
for Year 5
o 1 three-week trip per in Year 1 to complete the gender analysis
o 1 two-week trip per year in Years 2–5
o 1 three-day training for staff and partners in Year 1
5 o 1 three-day
LINKAGES Gender Strategy training for staff and partners in Year 3

 3 weeks for a Mid-Point Gender Analysis at ½ cost of initial Full Gender Analysis
Page 27 of 53
 Gender and social inclusion within Collaboration, Learning and Adaptation (CLA) plan
Tool 7: Sample Gender Budget Line Items within a Proposal

Page 28 of 53
Tool 8: How to Budget for an Optimal Gender Analysis
A gender analysis is a highly technical qualitative data collection effort that benefits from engaging an
experienced GESI expert. Ideally, a gender analysis is a comprehensive, action-oriented document based on
desk review and in-country consultations and interviews, focus groups, funder/partner meetings and staff
collaboration. Although FHI 360 supports the execution of a full gender analysis in many circumstances, it
also recognizes the reality that one size gender analysis cannot fit all projects. Therefore, the assessment
tool below can help teams determine what level of gender analysis they most likely need, and what an
average budget range might be. Please note, though, that budget ranges will vary depending on the
geographic and cultural context.

Full Gender Analysis (Average: US$25,000 to US$50,000)

A full gender analysis requires appropriate preparation time, including conducting a desk study, in-country
interviews and focus groups, data analysis and report preparations. Although a full gender analysis usually
takes four to six weeks to complete, it also depends greatly on the specific context of the project and
country in which it takes place, the existence of even some of the following indicators can help determine
whether a full gender analysis is needed.

 The funder requires, strongly recommends, or is open to it.

 The project budget is US$10 million or more over three to five years.
 Gender-based constraints may disrupt service delivery or project outcomes
 The project has potential risks, such as political or social insecurity or high likelihood of GBV among
project stakeholders.
 Few funder-related gender analyses exist for the country or sector, they are outdated, and/or several
gender information gaps remain pertaining to the specific project.

Rapid Gender Analysis (Average: US$12,000 to US$24,000)

It may not always be possible to do a full gender analysis. At times, it may be more appropriate to do a rapid
analysis that is specifically tailored to certain project elements. If even one of the following indicators is
present, a Rapid Gender Analysis may be needed.

 The project is in a crisis area or fragile state where a rapid analysis may be needed to protect the
safety of staff and partners.
 The project has a very restricted time schedule or is under pressure to launch quickly.
 High start-up-associated risks exist for participants or partners.

Integrated Gender Analysis (Average: US$5,500 to US$11,000)

Sometimes a standalone gender analysis may not seem possible or desired by key project stakeholders and
decision makers. However, it can still be possible to incorporate a deeper understanding of gender norms
and potential constraints that a project might face by integrating key gender-sensitive questions, data-
collection points and analysis into other required analyses (such as risk assessments, constraints-to-growth
analysis) If some of the following indicators are present, it may be helpful to integrate gender into other
analyses, assessments or research.

 The funder is not very open to it.

 It is unclear if gender-based constraints will disrupt service delivery or outcomes.
 The project does not seem to have many risks, such as insecurity or GBV.
 Extensive gender analyses or research already exist for the country, sector or project.
 The project is interested in performing a gender analysis, but has very limited budget.
 The project can only integrate gender into other required analyses (e.g., risk or market assessment)
with no or limited gender LOE.
Page 29 of 53
Tool 9: Sample FHI 360 Gender Strategy within a Proposal
USAID Nigeria SHARP Draft Gender Strategy/Gender Section
Increasing the quality of HIV programming and maintaining advancements in achieving the 90-90-90
goals will require a gender-mainstreamed approach. USAID expects that the SHARP gender approach
will contribute to progress in three outcomes: 1) reduce gender disparities in access and control of
resources, 2) decrease gender-based violence (GBV) and mitigate its harmful impact on individuals and
society and 3) increase the capabilities of women, girls and individuals who do not conform to socially
acceptable norms and behavior (for example, MSM, FSW, transgender persons) so they understand their
rights, have control over their lives and influence decision making at different levels of society.

To make progress on the above three outcomes, SHARP’s overall gender approach will be to develop
and implement female empowerment and male engagement strategies alongside each other, and to
then bring communities together in coordinated dialogues to unpack and challenge unequal gender
norms, superstitions, and harmful practices in their lives. This gender synchronized approach is a gold
standard practice that leads to more sustainable and lasting change toward gender equality. 26 With
SHARP, it will build on successes made under SIDHAS, like collaborating with stakeholders to develop
discussion guides for CBOs on unequal gender norms, which lead to [XYZ] results.

SHARP will mainstream gender at the outset vis-a-vis the Minimum Standards for Mainstreaming
Gender Equality (referred to as Minimum Gender Standards).FHI 360 staff was deeply involved in
developing the standards and FHI 360 has made an organizational commitment to adopting those
standards in its projects. Therefore, SHARP will do the following to mainstream its overall gender
approach in line with the Minimum Gender Standards:

1) Develop a SHARP Gender Strategy via the SHARP Steering Committee to inform gender and
social inclusion in subsequent task orders (TOs).

2) Build capacity to advance gender equality through activities like: conducting gender trainings for
all SHARP project staff, partners, ministry officials, CBOs/CSOs and other stakeholders;
mainstreaming gender in personnel management and practices to guide hiring, job descriptions,
performance reviews and hiring gender specialists.  

3) Conduct and utilize rapid gender analyses for TOs, focusing on the targeted beneficiaries under
the TO and using the findings to identify opportunities to reduce gender inequality while
improving health outcomes.

4) Plan for and reflect gender budget inputs in work plans and budgets, including: personnel,
capacity building, gender analyses and other specific activities like a comprehensive GBV
package of post-care services.

5) Utilize sex- and age-disaggregated data and disaggregate by key population type when possible.

6) Develop and track specific gender indicators for each to measure gender equality progress.

7) Do No Harm by integrating risk mitigation tools in the SHARP Gender Strategy, TO gender

analyses, mid- and end-line assessments and work plans.  

8) Ensure accountability and compliance to the Minimum Gender Standards by championing and
overseeing this plan through the SHARP Steering Committee.

Page 30 of 53
Tool 10: Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Integrated Recruitment Tools
A. Sample Gender Specialist Job Description – DREAMS Malawi

Position Description: The position will be based in Lilongwe and will report to the Senior GESI
Advisor at headquarters.
The Gender Specialist will:

 Lead and/or collaborate with the HQ Senior GESI Advisor to conduct a gender analysis
at the beginning of the project
 Provide overall technical leadership in gender integration and GBV across the various
components of the project.
 Provide technical oversight in the implementation of safe school methodologies to
prevent and reduce school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV), ensuring the
integration of project interventions within national and local child protection systems.
 Ensure that the DREAMS project incorporates principles of gender equality and utilizes
best practices in GBV/SRGBV prevention and response activities in target school
communities.
 In collaboration with the HQ Senior GESI Advisor, mentor and train the DREAMS staff,
partners and stakeholders on innovative, culturally appropriate, and socially inclusive
approaches to promote safe learning environments by equipping teachers/mentors,
parents and other community members/leaders, and students with knowledge, attitudes
and skills to increase access to and quality of education and improve child protection
against violence in and around schools.
 Collaborate with the community mobilizers to develop relevant advocacy and behavior
change messaging on reducing gender biases in the target schools and communities.
 Conduct annual gender assessments to measure progress and hone project activities.
 Provide technical support to teachers and mentors on the quality implementation of safe
school methodologies and community-led activities to improve beneficiaries’ access to
equitable and quality education.
 Build relationships and coordinate with gender focal persons and other partners involved
in education, adolescent sexual and reproductive health, gender and women’s
empowerment activities to promote accountability for safe school environments to
improve safe access and retention.
 Liaise regularly with FHI 360’s other programs in country to share learning and promote
gender integration among FHI 360’s portfolio of projects in Malawi.

Essential Job Functions: Duties and Responsibilities

 Provide technical leadership to the project to ensure integration of gender in program

interventions and trainings.
 Ensure all activities promote gender transformative and positive change.

Page 31 of 53
 Promote male involvement/engagement in GBV programming and support the identification
of promising practices in male involvement in GBV prevention and response.
 Design and deliver realistic and pragmatic gender strategies and programming interventions
that will lead to positive gender equality outcomes.
 Integrate gender equality considerations in Results-Based Management monitoring and
reporting methods.
 Track and report against gender indicators and disaggregate data by gender to analyze results
within each domain.
 Conduct gender assessments, reviews and audits to assess ways to continually target
involvement of women in nutrition-sensitive and nutrition-specific activities.
 Review and provide technical feedback on results and project reports to funders to ensure
quality and full compliance with gender policy and progress toward achieving integration of
gender in programs.
 Advise and support the programs and partners to integrate gender into activities.
 Develop tools, frameworks and resources to enable better gender integration in the project.
 Identify successful practices in the project that can be showcased in publications,
communication materials and conferences.
 Prepare communications materials that highlight the project’s gender equality programming,
successes and lessons learned.
 Create gender-sensitive pedagogy on child’s rights, gender equality and girls’ education.
 Take initiative to address prevention and response to GBV and SRGBV, adolescent sexual
reproductive health (ASRH).

Minimum Requirements Standards

 A master’s degree or higher in the relevant subject area(s), preferably in gender, social work,
public health, international development or community development required.
 A proven record of excellent management, leadership, decision-making and interpersonal
skills.
 Demonstrated ability to ensure gender integration in project design, implementation and
M&E.
 Effective English oral and written communication skills; ability to interact professionally in
English.
 Ability to navigate politically sensitive terrain and maintain constructive relationships with a
diverse group of stakeholders
 Demonstrated ability to think strategically and transmit his/her vision to partners and
colleagues.
 Excellent organizational and analytical skills.
 Comprehensive knowledge of theories, concepts, and practices with quality management and
health programs.
 Technical knowledge of child protection systems for prevention/ reporting/response, and
dropout prevention/student retention strategies.
 Ability to influence, motivate, and collaborate with others.
 Works on problems of complex scope that require analysis of situations and data of various
factors.

Page 32 of 53
Page 33 of 53
B: Sample GESI Language for Key Personnel Job Descriptions
Below are examples of language that can be embedded into different job descriptions when
recruiting key personnel at capture. Only some bullet points may be appropriate to specific job
descriptions, and certain points may have to be adapted to meet specific recruitment needs.

COPs/DCOPs/Project Directors
Job Summary/Responsibilities

 Oversee the completion of all technical requirements on gender integration, including

program results and deliverables, in accordance with the approved program work plan.
 Respond to all funder reporting requirements, including on gender and youth
engagement, such as quarterly and annual program reports and other deliverables, as
specified in the contract.
 Establish appropriate mechanisms to ensure that the principles of gender equality and
social inclusion are embedded throughout the project life cycle.
 Manage the preparation and presentation of work plans, M&E plans and all reports.
 Ensure compliance with all funder-related, FHI 360 and program-specific policies,
including FHI 360 policies on equal employment opportunity and harassment-free work
place, as well as the FHI 360 standards for gender equality and social inclusion (GESI).

Qualifications

 Master’s degree (or foreign equivalent) in international development, agriculture, gender

studies, economics or a relevant social science field required.
 Experience mainstreaming gender equality objectives and accountability measures
throughout organizational policies, structures and programs.
 Previous senior management experience in integrating (choose one or two as relevant)
women’s/girls’/men’s/boys’/LGBTQIA/persons with disabilities (PWD) empowerment
strategies is strongly preferred.
 Demonstrated commitment to the principles of gender equality and social inclusion.

Project Managers
Job Summary/Responsibilities
 Ensure clarity among staff and partners over project gender equality or empowerment
strategies and encourage effective team work.
 Develop best practices and tools for project execution and management.
 Work with GESI Advisor to deliver gender and socially inclusive project plans, training
documentation, presentations and budget proposals to staff and client as appropriate.
 Manage project staff in coordinating the implementation of project GESI activities,
delivering quality work and accountability to funder expectations and milestones.

Qualifications

Page 34 of 53
  Ability to influence, motivate and collaborate with diverse groups of staff members.
 Ability to adapt and resolve problems/issues, including gender equality or social
inclusion gaps, to bring project to completion.
 Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to communicate and collaborate in
respectful and effective ways with diverse groups of people (such as women, men,
LGBTQIA, persons with disabilities, different ethnicities).
 Familiarity with the funder’s policy on (choose one that is relevant) gender equality and
female empowerment/youth empowerment/LGBTQIA rights/disability rights.

Technical Advisor
Job Summary/Responsibilities
 Develop gender-sensitive tools for the design and implementation of activities.
 Contribute to the development of tools and indicators for monitoring and evaluation that
help measure impact for a diverse group of stakeholders.
 Collaborate with the Gender Specialist to ensure all activities promote gender
transformative and positive change and social inclusion.

Qualifications
 Familiarity with the funder’s policy on (choose one that is relevant) gender equality and
female empowerment/youth empowerment/LGBTQIA rights/disability rights.
 Proven skills in developing and facilitating gender-sensitive and socially inclusive
trainings.
 Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to communicate and collaborate in
respectful and effective ways with diverse groups of people (such as women, men,
LGBTQIA, persons with disabilities, different ethnicities)

M&E Officer
Job Summary/Responsibilities
 Collaborate with the GESI Specialist to develop tools and indicators for monitoring and
evaluation that help measure impact for a diverse group of stakeholders.

Qualifications
 Familiarity with the funder’s reporting requirements on (choose one or more that are
relevant) gender, age, rural vs. urban, persons with disabilities, LGBTQIA.
 Demonstrated knowledge of how to design gender sensitive and socially inclusive data
collection methodologies.
 Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to communicate and collaborate in
respectful and effective ways with diverse groups of people (such as women, men,
LGBTQIA, persons with disabilities, different ethnicities).

C: Sample GESI Sensitive Interview Questions for Key Personnel

COPs/DCOPs/Project Directors

Page 35 of 53
 1. What kinds of policies, procedures, trainings and/or organizational culture do you believe
need to be in place to support gender equality? To support social inclusion?
2. Please give specific examples of a time when you had to address major gaps in how the
men versus women were engaged among your staff (such as the breakdown of staffing, of
people in leadership, of people receiving professional development opportunities, of how
the organization was recruiting new staff)? What about of different ages? Ethnic groups?
Persons with disabilities? LGBTQIA?
3. Give an example of a time when you encountered a difficult situation that involved
members of your team related to gender or social identity (such as certain team members
being uncomfortable working with key populations, a claim of sexism, conflict between
people of different ethnic backgrounds). How did you handle or help resolve the
situation?
4. Give an example of a time when there was a difficult situation involving a partner and the
issues of gender or social exclusion (such as an issue of sexual harassment,
discrimination against persons with disabilities, legal restrictions on working with key
populations, difficulty executing services for certain underrepresented groups). How did
you address the situation and/or work with the partner to resolve it?
Project Managers
1. Describe your experience supporting the principles of gender equality and social
inclusion in your previous positions.
2. Give examples of how you have worked with previous clients to ensure that their
policies, requirements or guidelines on gender or social inclusion were upheld.
3. How would you help address an issue of harassment or discrimination that was taking
place on your team? What about a similar issue taking place with a partner?
Technical Advisor
1. Describe your experience working with staff or project participants who identify as
LGBTQIA (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender or intersex.)
2. How have you supported the professional development of younger or more junior staff on
your teams?
3. Please give examples of whether and how you have addressed the needs and rights of
persons with disabilities among your staff or team.
M&E Officer
1. Describe your experience working on the collection and analysis of sex- and age-
disaggregated data.
2. Give specific examples of when and how you have used gender equality indicators within
your MEL plan. How did you engage with the client to choose and/or report on these?

What would be your approach to strengthening a MEL plan to better understand

the impact of interventions on specific demographic groups (such as persons with
disabilities, different ethnic groups, rural versus urban)?

Page 36 of 53
D: Guidelines for Recruiting Diverse Talent
1. Talk with the country or regional FHI 360 HR representatives to strategize on ways to
recruit diverse candidates for your project, including women, people with disabilities and
minority ethnic groups, in ways that are sensitive to the cultural dynamics of that country.
2. Talk to representatives at FHI 360 of the diverse groups from which you are trying to
recruit. Ask them about the challenges they face, solutions they recommend and needs
that are not currently being addressed in recruitment and retention.
3. Reconsider job descriptions, including qualifications and needed experience, to
encourage a wider group of candidates to apply. Consider listing multiple qualifications
and requiring that candidates only need to meet a certain number of them to apply.

4. Reach out to professional organizations with diverse membership to advertise positions,

such as women’s vocational schools, minority universities or women’s, youth, persons
with disabilities or LGBTQIA networks. Many have internal job boards or member
newsletters where the can promote opportunities.

5. Establish clear diversity hiring criteria with recruiters and internal referrals, and consider
organizations for partnerships that have a track record for diversity and inclusion.

6. Include a diversity and inclusion statement as part of your job description that both
emphasizes FHI 360’s commitment as well as explicitly invites diverse groups to apply.

7. Consider blind recruitment—the practice of removing identifiable information from

resumes, including names, gender, age, education, and even sometimes years of
experience—to help overcome unconscious bias and promote diversity in the workforce.
8. In countries with restrictive laws or norms around women’s workplace participation,
consider offering female candidates the opportunity for a family member to visit the
office facilities, including at the recruitment stage, and receive information on our
organizational mission and commitment to safety and cultural appropriateness.
9. Rethink the interview process to make it equitable and inclusive of diverse candidates.
o Clearly communicate the FHI 360 values of mutual respect and teamwork and
core competency of diversity awareness.
o Use diverse interview panels to help reduce bias in choosing candidates.
o Integrate behavioral questions to elicit stories that reveal how candidates will
respond to situations they will face on the job and uncover hidden attributes.
10. In locations with consistent challenges to recruiting female team members or managers,
identify talent at junior levels, and create leadership tracks for them with specialized
professional development action plans.

Page 37 of 53
Tool 11: Partner Pre-award Assessment Tool – GESI Supplemental
Name of organization: Click or tap here to enter text.
Location of organization’s headquarters: Click or tap here to enter text.
____________________________________________________________________________
_______
Number of employees overall: Click or tap here to enter text.
Number of employees who identify as:
A woman: Click. A man: Click. Living with a disability: Click.
18–35 years old: Click. 36–60 years old: Click. 60+ years old: Click.
____________________________________________________________________________
_______
Number of senior leaders/executives who identify as:
A woman: Click. A man: Click. Living with a disability: Click.
18–35 years old: Click. 36–60 years old: Click. 60+ years old: Click.
____________________________________________________________________________
_______
Number of members/beneficiaries overall: Click or tap here to enter text.
Number of members/beneficiaries who identify as:
A woman: Click. A man: Click. Living with a disability: Click.
18–35 years old: Click. 36–60 years old: Click. 60+ years old: Click.
____________________________________________________________________________
_______
1. Does the organization have the following in place?
a) A gender equality policy or set of guidelines? ☐ Yes ☐ No
b) A non-discrimination policy or set of guidelines? ☐ Yes ☐ No
c) An anti-harassment policy or set of guidelines? ☐ Yes ☐ No
Comment: Click or tap here to enter text.
___________________________________________________________________________________
_
2. Does the organization offer training to its employees/members/beneficiaries on how to support:
a) Anti-harassment, including anti-sexual harassment? ☐ Yes ☐ No
b) Gender equality? ☐ Yes ☐ No
c) Social inclusion (such as ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, LGBTQIA) ☐ Yes ☐ No
Comment: Click or tap here to enter text.
____________________________________________________________________________
________
Briefly describe the organization’s work to support GESI: Click or tap here to enter text.

Page 38 of 53
Tool 12: FHI 360 Project Start-up Checklist – GESI Supplemental

The Project Start-Up Checklist was developed by the Project Management Quality and Standards
(PMQS) team to assist FHI 360 staff in the rapid and compliant launch of award-funded projects.
The GESI Supplemental Checklist serves as an additional optional tool to help start-up teams go
deeper to ensure that GESI considerations are well integrated. The start-up phase of a project
begins after we have received notice from the funder of a pending award and ends when the
basic systems, processes and staffing structure of a project have been established and the project
moves into the implementation phase. Many start-up activities can and should begin when FHI
360 has reached competitive range or “best and final” for a given award. Please refer to the full
Project Start-Up Checklist for all key needed start-up tasks.
Tasks on the GESI Supplemental Checklist are divided into the following categories:
 Pre-Award Tasks and Considerations
 Legal
 Program/Technical
 Communications and Funder Relationship Management
 Staffing, Recruitment and Capacity Development
 Contractual Requirements
 Information Technology
 International Commercial and Residential Leases
 Global Security
 Travel

PRE-AWARD (COMPETITIVE RANGE/BEST AND FINAL) TASKS AND

CONSIDERATIONS
Note: Some tasks listed in this section are best practices gathered from successful start-up
efforts. Many are not yet a part of FHI 360’s standard start-up procedures.
FHI 360 Project Start-Up Checklist
[Insert Project Name]
Task Responsible* Comments Complete
Ensure Start-Up Lead and team members Lead Business ☐
responsible for start-up tasks meet with the GESI Unit/Regional
expert on the Proposal Team to review: Office
- The findings of the rapid gender desk (BU/RO)
review if one was performed during
capture
- Any proposed GESI strategy
- GESI indicators or MEL approaches
- GESI-related activities
- GESI-related personnel
- Any additional funder GESI

Page 39 of 53
 requirements
Update proposed GESI-related staff on award
P ☐
status
Ensure that office space meets GESI needs, such
as:
- Safe, accessible bathroom facilities for
P ☐
both men and women
- Accessibility for persons with disability
- Breastfeeding/pumping space
Start recruiting for any planned GESI specialists P ☐

COMMUNICATIONS AND FUNDER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT

Task Responsible* Comments Complete

Tag the project description within IPKS, Corporate Communications and
including with FHI 360 GESI-related other departments use this
programmatic taxonomy terms, such as: information as a starting point
- Gender when developing more detailed
P project profiles. ☐
- LGBTQIA
- Social Inclusion
- Disability
- Youth
Integrate key GESI facts into a project fact
sheet and PowerPoint for use in stakeholder P ☐
meetings.
When setting-up a schedule of regular funder
meetings, request that the Mission GESI P ☐
Advisor or equivalent be included.
Consider featuring GESI approaches at an
external project launch event with partners, P ☐
funders and other stakeholders, if applicable.

Page 40 of 53
 STAFFING, RECRUITMENT AND CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT

Task Responsible Comments Complete

*
General Recruitment
Develop a strategy for diversity recruitment, with
help from HR in country and the Staffing Section HR ☐
of the GESI Project Guidelines.
Assist project with identifying categories of GESI-
related personnel, ensuring categories are senior HR ☐
enough to match the size and scope of the project.
Host Country Nationals (HCNs) and U.S./Third Country National (TCN) Expats
Review the Staffing Section of the GESI Project
P ☐
Guidelines.
Help ensure diversity on the hiring committee/
recruitment panel to help reduce GESI-related P ☐
bias.
Develop job announcements/advertisements that
include statements on FHI 360’s commitment to HR ☐
gender equality, diversity and inclusion.
Post positions in locations that can help increase
the diversity of candidates (such as women’s,
LGBTQIA, youth, disability or minority
organizations and job boards, vocational schools
with high numbers of underrepresented groups).
Utilize some of the recommended GESI-related
HR ☐
interview questions found in section X.
Ensure all employees sign and date employment
and confidentiality agreements and complete code HR ☐
of ethics training.
Ensure new employees are invited to the FHI 360
Diversity and Inclusion Training, if offered in
country.
U.S./Third Country National (TCN) Expats
Ensure that staff unfamiliar with the country are
aware of any legal or social restrictions that might
P ☐
put them at risk (such as legal restrictions on
LGBTQIA status, women’s mobility, dress/attire).
Identify temporary and/or permanent housing for
expatriate staff that ensures the safety and security P ☐
of a diversity of staff members.

CONTRACTUAL REQUIREMENTS

41
Task Responsible Comments Complete
*
Prime Award (contractual aspects)
Review the draft award against the proposal
for GESI-related programmatic or budget P ☐
issues and send input to CMS

Subawards (contractual aspects)

Utilize the GESI supplemental Pre-Award P with In some cases, pre-award
Assessment Tools (PATs) for subawardees. designated assessments may be completed ☐
Finance staff during the pre-award phase.
When developing and finalizing the
subaward SOW, ensure appropriate GESI
considerations are included (such as ☐
requested GESI policies, commitments,
activities, capacity building).
Integrate GESI expectations, joint
approaches and requests into partner launch
meetings and FHI 360 policies and
P ☐
procedures workshops, and establish routine
check-ins on GESI-related goals and
activities at partner meetings.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Task Responsible Comments Complete

*
Contact ISS to apprise that team of any
P ☐
special needs for staff with disabilities.
If new office space, provide IT assessment
form and guidance for selecting new office
space for optimal IT, including that which ISS ☐
meets the needs of staff with disabilities, if
applicable.
Coordinate with Start-Up Lead/COP to
recruit staff or solicit vendors for ISS
ISS ☐
support in country that is specialized for
persons with disabilities, if appropriate.
Hold basic IT training sessions for new staff P with ISS ☐
(email, phone, conference calling, support

42
 Task Responsible Comments Complete
*
SharePoint, Connect, etc.) that is GESI
integrated. This includes ensuring that the
training is:
- Done in language(s) all staff can
understand
- Accessible for staff with disabilities
- Accessible for both women and men

INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL LEASES

Task Responsible Comments Complete

*
Locate and select office space considering
criteria/guidance established by ISS,
Facilities and Security, including any special
needs for:
- Persons with disabilities
- Women in restrictive P ☐
countries/cultures
- Women who are breastfeeding
- Key populations (such as transgender
or sexual minorities) who encounter
heightened workplace-related risks

GLOBAL SECURITY (GS)

For details and resources, please reference the Project Start-up Checklist for Security on the
Global Security Connect page.

Task Responsible Comments Complete

*
Review the FHI 360 Guidance on Working Proposal Should be done in proposal stage ☐
in Countries with Laws Criminalizing Team
Behaviors of Vulnerable Key Populations.
Engage Global Security (GS) to determine Proposal Should be done in proposal stage ☐
risk level of location, including for specific Team
categories of staff (such as minority ethnic

43
groups, women, LGBTQIA).
Determine if security partnering is required GS Should be done in proposal stage ☐
due to staff identities or GESI
considerations.
Country-specific briefing for the GS Should be completed in first ☐
Country/Project Director includes any GESI week
considerations (such as whether heightened
risk for single women, LGBTQIA, minority
ethnic groups).
Identify facilities, office and residence space P and GS Should be completed in first ☐
that comply with safety and security month
guidelines, including any special guidelines
for staff who are
- Living with disabilities
- LGBTQIA
- Women (especially in communities
with high levels of gender-based
violence or in cultures with
restrictive laws or norms on their
mobility)
- Pregnant or nursing
- Minority ethnic groups
- Other at-risk groups
If a Security Focal Point (SFP) is selected, P Should be completed in first ☐
integrate GESI sensitivity into SFP training. month
Ensure the in-country Security Management P Should be completed in first ☐
Team (SMT) is familiar with the GESI month
Framework 2.0 and all relevant guidelines.
Understand crisis management process, roles P Should be completed in first ☐
and responsibilities, including special month
needed attention for staff who are:
- Living with disabilities
- LGBTQIA
- Women (especially in communities
with high levels of gender-based
violence or in cultures with
restrictive laws or norms on their
mobility)
- Pregnant or nursing
- Minority ethnic groups
- Other at-risk groups
Draft Security Management Plan (SMP) that P Should be completed in first ☐
is GESI sensitive for Global Security three months
approval, including any specialized needs
for staff who are

44
 - Living with disabilities
- LGBTQIA
- Women (especially in communities
with high levels of gender-based
violence or in cultures w/ restrictive
laws or norms on their mobility)
- Pregnant or nursing
- Minority ethnic groups
- Other at-risk groups
Draft Emergency Action Plan (EAP) for P Should be completed in first ☐
Global Security approval that is GESI three months
sensitive.
Acquire emergency and safety equipment for P Should be completed in first ☐
vehicles and offices that include any three months
specialized items needed for
- women (menstrual hygiene products,
supplemental resources for
breastfeeding women, etc.)
- persons with disabilities (mobility
support, etc.)
Organize first-aid/CPR training for two P Should be completed in first ☐
employees per office and all drivers. three months
Ensure diversity in security working groups P Should be completed in first ☐
to help address multitude of needs. three months
Work in partnership with HR to develop a P Should be completed in first ☐
sexual harassment and assault protocol that three months
adheres to FHI 360’s broader protocols.
Ensure that all staff are aware of the P Should be completed in first ☐
following FHI 360 policies, which can be three months
found within the FHI 360 Code of Ethics:
- Equal Employment Opportunity
- Professional Standard of Conduct
- Harassment-Free Workplace
- Alcohol and Drug Free Workplace
- Workplace Violence
If an on-site Security Risk Assessment GS Should be completed in first six ☐
(SRA) is budgeted, it includes a GESI months
assessment of potential heightened risks for
staff who are:
- LGBTQIA
- Women (especially in communities
with high levels of gender-based
violence or in cultures w/ restrictive
laws or norms on their mobility)
- Pregnant or nursing

45
 - Minority ethnic groups
- Other at-risk groups
Conduct crisis management drills that are P w support Should be completed in first year ☐
GESI sensitive from GS
Conduct fire drills that are sensitive to needs P Should be completed in first year ☐
of groups with lower mobility (persons w
disabilities, pregnant women, etc.)
Review the FHI 360 Safety and Security P Should be completed in first year ☐
Reference Guide.

TRAVEL

Task Responsible Comments Complete

*
Review and share the FHI 360 document,
P ☐
Safety and Security for LGBT Travelers.
Develop a start-up related travel plan that is
sensitive to the needs of higher risk groups
in certain countries, including staff who are:
- LGBTQIA
- Women (especially in communities
with high levels of gender-based
P ☐
violence or in cultures with
restrictive laws or norms on their
mobility)
- Pregnant or nursing
- Minority ethnic groups
- Other at-risk groups
Notify Travel Services of any special travel
needs for individual groups of staff in ☐
country.

46
Tool 13: Guide to integrating Gender Equality and Social Inclusion into
Proposal Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Plans
Sex- and Age-Disaggregated Data (SADD)
At a minimum, integrating both gender equality and social inclusion into MEL plans requires
disaggregating data by sex and age. Sex-disaggregated data (usually a requirement of most funders) is
needed to measure differential effects of interventions on males, females, and other sex or gender
categories as appropriate. Age disaggregation has become increasingly important and often desired by
funders to fully understand the distinct age categories of project participants and how the project is
impacting children, adolescents, adult youth, adults and older adults similarly or differently.

One common challenge in the collection of sufficient SADD is that certain projects are required or
requested to collect data at a household level. However, household-level data do not capture the critical
specifications of how interventions affect women versus men or individuals of different ages. Even when
these data are sex disaggregated by head of household, they still do not go far enough to understand
the impact of interventions on each individual person in a household. Teams should ideally collect the
sex and age of each household member. In instances where this level of collection is too time-intensive
or costly, adaptions are possible, such as randomized individual household interviews that are
interspersed between different ages and sexes.

Potential points to emphasize on SADD for with proposal MEL plans are that data collection teams will:
 Include local evaluators with relevant gender and cultural expertise to help navigate difficult and
often invisible cultural barriers around gender norms.
 Include both men and women and be gender-balanced, especially in cultures where it may be
difficult, uncomfortable, dangerous, or even prohibited for a woman to talk to or discuss certain
subjects with a man who is not a relative.

47
  Be aware of cultural gender norms and tasks that may influence who participates in data
collection. Elements such as heavy workloads, mobility issues, and powerful cultural
gatekeepers can all control who participates.
 Consider how to collect data (individually or in groups, same sex or mixed groups) and where to
collect data (the home, street, a school, a village square, or an institution such as a hospital 6) to
support the active participation of both women and men of different ages.

Gender Equality Indicators

Most projects will need to go further than sex- and age-disaggregated data to fully understand the
impact of their interventions, hence the need for gender equality indicators. MEL plans should include
indicators that measure changes in gender norms or relations, access to services and resources, and
women’s and men’s status and power.

Gender equality indicators can include both output indicators (such as number of women versus men
that attend trainings, number of women who receive a loan) and outcome indicators (such as number of
women with more decision-making power, number of men who have sex with men [MSM] who have
reduced rates of HIV). Often MEL plans incorporate more output indicators, as they are easier to collect
and analyze. Sex- and age-disaggregated output indicators are crucial to understanding how men versus
women are accessing services and products. Yet, they do not tell the whole story of whether gender
equality is achieved. For example, just because a woman receives a loan does not necessarily mean that
she will be able to use that loan or take home the final income that the loan might initiate. It also does
not measure any negative effects of that loan, such as increased harassment or domestic violence. An
equitable sharing of power between women and men is just one example of whether gender equality is
being achieved. Such an outcome, though, usually takes more time and resources to measure. If a
project truly wants to measure transformative change in gender norms and practices, it should
incorporate gender equality outcome indicators.

It may be more difficult to measure impacts on gender equality for certain interventions. In these
instances, using either attitudinal indicators or proxy indicators may be needed. For example, it may be
difficult in certain cases to determine whether levels of domestic violence have increased or not in a
region. However, as part of a social behavior change campaign it may be possible to measure changes in
community members’ attitudes over time on whether a husband has a right to hit his wife or not.
Attitude changes are significant because they indicate a more sustainable landscape for future gender
equality work, and may be easier and/or safer to capture when other outcome data are not accessible.

Guidelines for Selecting and Integrating Gender Equality Indicators

 Gender equality indicators should be derived in consultation with key stakeholders and partners
to reflect the gender context of a region, country or community and to identify bottlenecks that
prevent effective coverage of interventions.7
 When designing gender equality indicators ask project teams, partners, project participants and
other important stakeholders questions such as:
o What change in gender norms or women’s versus men’s empowerment do you want to
see?

6
Ibid.
7
Indicators for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment: An Introduction. BRIDGE.

48
 o What are the greatest risks to women versus men, and girls versus boys that need to be
anticipated and tracked?
o Who should be involved in defining the vision of change, determining the indicators, and
gathering and analyzing the data?
 Engage GESI experts, including GESI experts at headquarters (HQ), for their help in designing
gender equality indicators.
 Clarify funder requirements on measuring gender equality and guarantee that these are
sufficiently incorporated into MEL plans.
 Ensure a balance of output and outcome indicators to effectively measure changing levels of
gender equality. Consider whether attitudinal or proxy indicators might be necessary to help
measure certain aspects of gender equality.

Gender Equality Indicators Resource List

 Tool: How to Note: Engendering Evaluation at USAID
 Tool: Gender-sensitive Evaluation: Best & Promising Practices in Engendering Evaluation
 Tool: Standard Indicators for Gender at USAID/State.
 Tool: FHI 360 Women’s Economic Empowerment Indicators
 Tool: FHI 360 Guidelines on how to Analyze Gender Indicators

How to Strengthen Social Inclusion within MEL

Gathering sex- and age-disaggregated should be a minimum goal of most MEL plans. Yet, further layers
of disaggregation may help significantly strengthen the understanding of a) the social barriers that could
impact a project’s success and b) the ways in which projects may unintentionally exclude certain groups
of people and/or exacerbate already existing divisions between people. For example, consider a small
community with local mid-wives who have equally helped different groups of women over time,
establishing a norm for equal access to gynecological services in that area. If a new hospital is built on
the outskirts of the community, but it is not accessible for women with disabilities nor women who
cannot afford the transportation to the facility, now a reproductive health care divide exists.
Disaggregated data on who is utilizing the hospital – including which specific demographic groups of
women – can better clarify just how inclusive an intervention is and what additional steps may be
needed to make the facility accessible to all.

Guidelines for Strengthening Social Inclusion within MEL

1. Use a participatory approach for the creation, collection and analysis of social inclusion
indicators. Ensure to engage the people who reflect the areas of exclusion that a project is trying
to better measure or understand (e.g., people with disabilities, youth, racial/ethnic minorities,
rural vs. urban, immigrants.)
2. Even if it is not possible to measure all levels of social inclusion or exclusion, try to identify at
least one or two categories outside of sex and age – such as level of disability and racial/ethnic
minority status – to help strengthen the project’s understanding of how different groups of
people participate in and are affected by project interventions.
3. Maintain strong standards for choosing social inclusion indicators. Indicators should:
o identify the essence of the problem and have an agreed normative interpretation;
o be robust and statistically valid;

49
 o be interpretable in an international context;
o reflect the direction of change and be susceptible to revision as improved methods
become available.8
4. Utilize qualitative methods to better understand how social exclusion is impacting a project
and vice versa. Even when full social inclusion data sets are not available, or quantitative data
collection is not possible, initiating focus groups, interviews and information gathering with
specific excluded groups, as well as organizations that represent and work on behalf of certain
groups, can help strengthen MEL plans and overall results, reporting and needed adaptations.

8
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/publications/measuring-social-inclusion.pdf

50
 Tool 14: FHI 360 BD RASCI Chart with GESI Expertise

BD or Proposal BD Biz
Task/ Pre- Proposal C Design HR or BD Vol
Deliver award Manager & Lead Recruit Edi Mgr GESI
# Stage -able Function Description (CMS) (PM) P (PDL) -er t-or (BVM) Expert
Provide recommendations on
best practice strategy focus
Capt areas for incumbency and
6 ure Task Technical incumbency theft scenarios   R C A        
Capt Execute capture intelligence
9 ure Task Technical gathering plan       R/A       C
Identify key vulnerabilities
(e.g., client preferred partner
not on our team) and risks
(such as currency fluctuation)
1 Capt that could impact bid and
0 ure Task Technical award decision S S S R/A C     C
Facilitate SOW (strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities,
1 Capt and threats) discussions and
1 ure Task Technical possible mitigation strategies   R S A       C
Recruit subawardees
(including SBs) and
consultants; document good
faith effort; identify what
weakness they solve or which
task/functional area they will
contribute; make sure their
1 Capt value on team is clear (win
4 ure Task Technical themes)   S I R/A       C
Identify the key positions to
1 Capt be recruited and the must-
6 ure Task Technical have skills   I   R/A S     C
Identify potential sources for
recruitment (partners,
1 Capt consultants, other
7 ure Task Technical candidates, postings)   I   C R/A     C
Identify client performance
issues and how they would
need to be addressed in
2 Capt proposal and document in
2 ure Task Technical SWOT C R   A       C

51
2 Capt Identify probable
3 ure Task Technical competitors   R I A       C
2 Capt Outline tentative technical
5 ure Task Technical strategy/solution   C   R/A       C
Develop section strategies
2 Capt and annotated outlines using
6 ure Task Technical persuasive writing style   S   A       S
Draft materials that can be
customized to the final
2 Capt solicitation with minimal
7 ure Task Technical effort   S   A       S
3 Capt Attend the Blue Review (and
6 ure Task Process Black Hat if appropriate) S S S R/A S     C
Proposal: Set Up and Kickoff

4 Prop
1 osal Task Process Review solicitation S S S R/A S S S S
4 Prop
8 osal Task Process Attend kick-off meeting S S S R/A S   S S
Identify potential client
5 Prop questions regarding
0 osal Task Process solicitation S S S R/A S     S
Proposal: Teaming

Organiza Perform responsibility

6 Prop tional determination of
2 osal Task Oversight subawardees (D&B check)   I   I     R/A C
Proposal: Design and Writing

6 Prop
8 osal Task Technical Attend design meeting   C   R/A       S
7 Prop Brainstorm technical content
5 osal Task Technical and key graphics   S   A       C
Write management and
staffing plan, corporate
capabilities, corporate
experience, facilities, marking
8 Prop Delive and branding plan, or identify
0 osal rable Technical resource   S I R/A       C
8 Prop Delive Prepare past performance
1 osal rable Technical reference writ- up   R/A   S       C
8 Prop
7 osal Task Process Attend red meeting   S S R/A I     S
Proposal: Staffing

52
8 Prop Identify project staffing
9 osal Task Technical needs   C   R/A C     C
9 Prop Draft position descriptions
1 osal Task Technical and submit requisition forms   C   R/A C     C
9 Prop
2 osal Task Technical Post recruitment ads   I   I R/A     I
9 Prop Attend interviews and select
5 osal Task Technical candidates   I   R/A C     C
Proposal: Budget & Budget Narrative

Schedule, facilitate and

1 document budget kick-off (if R
0 Prop separate one is needed) and /
2 osal Task Process green meeting     A S       C
1 Attend budget kick-off
0 Prop meeting (if separate one is
4 osal Task Process needed) C S S R/A I     S
Review draft budget
1 notes/assumptions narrative
2 Prop and provide edits prior to
2 osal Task Financial green review C   C R/A       C
Proposal: Packaging and Submission

1
6 Prop R/
8 osal Task Process Formatting and editing   I   C   A   I/C
Review final proposal
volumes (technical and
1 business) against compliance
7 Prop checklists (proposed by the
0 osal Task Process COO to also be BD Dir)       R/A       C
Post Submission

Facilitate internal process

Post lesson learned (based on
1 Sub proposal process) and loss
7 missi lessons learned (based on
9 on Task Process client debriefing) S R/A S S S     S
Post
1 Sub
8 missi Share announcement of win
0 on Task Process and loss I R/A I I I     I

53