Announcement of Consultancy for Gender Audit

1. Introduction

DEPROSC-Nepal invites qualified and experienced consulting firms to express their interest in conducting a “Gender audit of policies and building support for digital infrastructures and inclusive financial service provision” for selected 4 rural municipalities. The consultant will play a crucial role in identifying existing technical, financial, and policy hurdles that hinder the provision and uptake of digital financial services for farming communities (esp. women farmers), marginalized groups, and people with disabilities.

Interested firms will drop a Technical proposal (including their profile, VAT registration, latest tax clearance and audit report, resume of proposed consultant/s, a cover letter, and one example of previous assignment projects demonstrating success) and a Cost proposal – to [email protected] or DEPROSC-Nepal, P.O. Box 10953, Kathmandu within March 09, 2025. Canvassing or influencing is not expected. The organization reserves the right to reject any /all applications without assigning any reason whatsoever.

2. Project Overview

Under the technical and financial partnership from Practical Action in Nepal and funded by

Jersey Overseas Aid (JOA), Empowering Women Farmers with Digital Finance

(Samunnati-Digital Finance), a project implemented DEPROSC-Nepal, is a 40-month project which is being implemented in eight rural municipalities of three districts; Dang (Dangisharan & Shantinagar), Rolpa (Runtigadi, Triveni, Thabang & Paribartan) and Rukum East (Bhume & Puthauttarganga) of Lumbini Province in Nepal since July 2022. The project has brought other actors, such as Prabhu Management, Global IME Bank, IME Pay, internet service providers, and 15 partner cooperatives to make digital financial services more inclusive and accessible to poor and marginalized women farmers.

The project has reached over 5,500 smallholder farmers (80% women) with a range of affordable and appropriate digital financial products (savings, payment, remittance, agri-insurance, credit) to support their agriculture value chain and enterprise development activities. In addition, 3% of the total participants should be people with disability.

3. Objective of the Consultancy

This study aims to provide a resource for local governments to formulate plans and policies that are gender-friendly in promoting inclusive digital financial services, making digital infrastructures inclusive, and can also serve as a reference while formulating plans and preparing digital strategies. Additionally, using a gender lens, the study will critically evaluate the financial products and services of financial institutions (cooperatives) and provide recommendations to redesign financial products to be more women-centric and innovative, ultimately enhancing financial inclusion for marginalized groups.

The specific objectives are: 

• To conduct gender audit of policies with municipal and provincial governments so as to draw conclusions that how far their policies, plans and budgeting are inclusive and gender friendly in terms promoting financial inclusion/digital financial inclusion.
• Follow-up study on the previously conducted gender audit reports and update how far BFIs and cooperatives in the project are offering inclusive financial products and services.
• Assess the current status (sufficiency) of digital infrastructure in the selected rural municipalities and evaluate its contribution on promoting gender-friendly access to basic financial services for project communities (esp. women farmers).
• Based on findings, prepare practical recommendations. 

4. Scope of Work

The study will undergo a comprehensive gender audit of policies and practices in selected local government units as outlined above and the outcome of this study will support local governments, private sectors, and financial institutions in fostering a more inclusive digital financial ecosystem.

• Review project documents (previously conducted studies of a similar nature) and progress achieved so far in the areas cited in the objectives above.
• Interact with local government officials, get their policies and budgetary frameworks, and study them.
• Collect financial products and services (product papers) from BFIs and cooperatives providing services in the project area and study them utilizing an intersectional lens (gender perspectives).
• Coordinate with LGUs, refer to the policies from local governments.  
• Conduct the gender audit as outlined above, adhering to standard practices, including government-recommended parameters, and formats, if available.
• Based on the findings, provide practical, actionable recommendations.

5. Deliverables

The engagement will be on an intermittent basis two months, however, actual effective days of consultant/s will be 30 days or even less.

The consultant firm will produce and submit: Inception Report, Interim Report and

Final Report including presentations.

6. Eligibility Criteria: Interested consulting firms must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Track record of consulting firm on conducting Gender audit of policies and building support for digital infrastructures and inclusive financial service provision.
• The proposed consultant should possess strong advocacy and engagement skills, particularly in working with rural municipalities and government stakeholders.
• Demonstrated success in creating inclusive policies and programs that address gender focus/ inclusive policies, programs, and budgets at the local level.

7. Evaluation criteria

Institutional work experience	20%
Experience of the proposed consultant	20%
Methodology	30%
Cost	30%
Total	100%

Vacancy for Digital Finance Services Officer & Programme Assistant

DEPROSC-Nepal, an NGO working on various thematic areas across the country, invites applications for the following positions in the “Empowering Women Farmers with Digital Finance, Nepal” project, being implemented in eight rural municipalities of Lumbini province. This project is funded by Jersey Overseas Aid (JOA) and led by Practical Action.

Project Area: Dangisaran and Shantinagar rural municipalities (Dang), Runtigadi, Thawang, Pariwartan and Triveni rural municipalities (Rolpa), Bhume and Putha Uttarganga rural municipalities (East Rukum). The project will run until October 2025, whereas these staffs will be engaged till September 2025.

Positions:

1. Digital Finance Services Officer, (1), to be stationed at the Project Field Office, Dang. S/he will be responsible for extending financial and digital financial services to project beneficiaries by engaging partner cooperatives and financial service providers. S/he will design and implement tools, training and packages in digital financial literacy suitable to rural women. The incumbent should be a Master’s Degree holder in any discipline with at least five years of proven experience or a Bachelor’s Degree in any discipline with at least ten years of proven experience working in access to finance, digital financial services, financial literacy and technical assistance to cooperatives/CSOs development/microinsurance. The candidate must possess a valid two-wheeler driving license.

2. Programme Assistant (1), to be stationed at one of the rural municipalities’ geography of Samunnati project in Dang or Rolpa. S/he will be responsible for facilitating, assisting and implementing entrepreneurship development programmes to People Living with Disability (PWD). The incumbent should be a Bachelor’s Degree holder in any discipline with two years of work experience or a 10 plus 2 graduate in any discipline (preferably in Enterprise Development) with five years of proven experience in executing economic empowerment of women, enterprise development, financial services and disability themes. Preferably, the candidate should hold a valid two-wheeler driving license. Local residents of project locations will be prioritized.

Please see the detailed TORs in www.deprosc.org.np  

Applications need to be reached at contact@deprosc.org.np or DEPROSC-Nepal, P.O. Box 10953, Kathmandu within 10 days or 17 November 2024 (4:00 pm) along with a cover letter, a photograph, updated curriculum vitae with two referees, and other credentials.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for further selection process. The organization reserves the right to reject any/all applications without assigning any reason whatsoever. Women and candidates from disadvantaged communities are highly encouraged to apply. For the Program Assistant, a competent PWD will be additionally preferred. Canvassing or influencing will automatically cancel your application.

Recruitment Committee

DEPROSC-Nepal

TOR of ‘Digital Financial Services Officer (DFSO)

• Assist the Project Coordinator and the team in developing/updating operational plans, implementation tools, manuals and exercises.
• Work closely with the Project Coordinator for timely implementation of field activities as per project documents and annual plan.
• Be responsible for extending digital financial services to project beneficiaries using training tools across different value chains.
• Coordinate and facilitate creating an enabling environment for digital financing.
• Work closely and advise the Program Coordinator and Program Focal Person on the integration of appropriate access to finance interventions into project activities.
• Work with PO, Project Accountant and other staff to extend financial and digital financial services by coordinating with service providers and arranging trainings and campaigns. 
• Take a lead in conducting surveys, studies and identifying gaps in digital financial services.
• Develop necessary training packages, campaign tools, ICT materials and facilitate in conducting such field activities with GBIME, IME Pay, Prabhu Management and partner cooperatives.
• Encourage project participants to use mobile banking, mobile wallet and QR code for their enterprises and daily transactions.
• Work more closely with Prabhu Management staff and bridge to enhance the capacities of partner cooperatives.
• Maintain a database of financial as well as digital financial services provided to project beneficiaries.
• Considering gender barriers to financial services, assist FIs and Cooperatives to develop appropriate financial products, introduce branchless banking, merchant bankers, payment gateways, performance indicators and operationalization of digitalization.

• Involve in capacity building of cooperatives of policy review, accessing wholesale loans, business plan development, connecting with digital platforms, leverage funding from FIs and rural municipalities to build digital infrastructure and financial eco-system. 
• Interact with private sector actors to assess marketing opportunities for beneficiaries and develop DFS.   
• Manage to maintain project files of your sector for technical deliverables.
• Assist Training Manager for ToT and deliverables.
• Involve in meetings with stakeholders, partners and service providers.
• Coordinate with Practical Action as required and as agreed.
• Perform any other tasks as assigned by the Project Coordinator, who is your supervisor.

TOR of Program Assistant

• Identify and list suitable PWDs from the project working areas.
• Receive EOI and check feasibility for proposed enterprise from interested PWDs.
• Organize project team meetings to decide awards.
• Issue letters of awards.
• Conduct a Need Assessment for the awardees and together with the awardee PWD and their families, decide/agree on the type of assistance they require.
• Prepare milestones and get approval from the Project Coordinator. 
• Facilitate selected PWDs and their families to run enterprises and encourage them to meet the milestones agreed.
• Implement the activities as per agreed milestones.
• Conduct household coaching and mentoring in due course.
• Coordinate with concerned local governments, marketing actors, value chain actors, WDCs and cooperatives to lead the enterprises to success.
• Make necessary advocacy and policy lobbying for PWDs’ rights. 
• Monitor the progress.
• Report as required.
• Execute other activities for the success of the project.

Vacancy for Women Digital Champion

डिप्रोक्स–नेपाल एक राष्ट्रिय स्तरको गैर सरकारी संस्था हो । यस संस्थाले नेपालका विभिन्न भौगोलिक क्षेत्रमा विविध विषयगत क्षेत्रमा काम गरिरहेको छ । हाल यस  केन्द्रले Jersey Overseas Aid (JOA)] को आर्थिक सहयोग र Practical Action को अगुवाईमा Empowering Women Farmers with Digital Finance, Nepal (समुन्नति डिजिटल फाईनान्स परियोजना) दाङ्ग जिल्लाको दंगीशरण र शान्तिनगर गाउँपालिका, रोल्पा जिल्लाको रुन्टीगढी, थवाङ, परिवर्तन र त्रिवेणी गाउँपालिका र रुकुम पूर्वको भुमे र पुथा उत्तरगंङ्गा गाउँपालिकाहरुमा सञ्चालन गरिरहेको छ । सो परियोजनाका लागि काम गर्न महिला डिजिटल च्याम्पियनहरुको आवश्यकता भएकोले देहाय बमोजमको योग्यता तथा अनुभव पुगेका इच्छुक नेपाली नागरिकहरुबाट दरखास्त आव्हान गरिएको छ ।

काम गर्नुपर्ने क्षेत्रहरुः

• दाङ्: दंगीशरण गाउँपालिका (वडा नं. २, ४, ५ र ७) र शान्तिनगर गाउँपालिका (वडा नं. २, ३, ४, ५ र ६ )
• रोल्पाः रुन्टीगढी गाउँपालिका (वडा नं. ४, ६ र ७), थवाङ गाउँपालिका (वडा नं. ३), परिवर्तन गाउँपालिका  (वडा नं. २ र ५) र त्रिवेणी गाउँपालिका (वडा नं.३, ४ र ६)
• रुकुम पूर्वको भुमे गाउँपालिका (वडा नं. ६ र ८) र पुथा उत्तरगंगा गाउँपालिका (वडा नं. १२)

पदः महिला डिजिटल च्याम्पियन (Women Digital Champion), संख्या -१७

गर्नुपर्ने कार्य:

• महिला, समुह, सहकारी र महिला नेटर्वकहरुको संलग्नतामा विधुतीय वित्तीय साक्षरता तालिम सञ्चालन गर्न समूह छनौटका लागि सहयोग,
• साना किसानहरुलाई विधुतीय वित्तीय साक्षरता तालिम सञ्चालन,
• महिला सशक्तीकरणसँग सम्बधित समूह कार्य तथा घरधुरी सम्वाद क्रियाकलाप सञ्चालन
• महिला कृषकहरुको उद्यम विकासका लागि सहजीकरण,
• विधुतीय वित्तीय साक्षरता तालिमका सहभागीहरुलाई विधुतीय प्रविधिको प्रयोग गर्न सहजीकरण,
• विधुतीय वित्तीय साक्षरता तालिमका सहभागीहरुलार्ई मोवाइल वालेट र बैकिङ्ग एप्सहरु install गर्न र प्रयोग गर्न सहयोग,
• महिला किसानहरुलाई उपयुक्त वित्तीय सेवाहरुमा पहुँच विस्तार गर्नको लागी चेतना तथा क्षमता अभिबृद्धि,
• विधुतीय वित्तीय साक्षरता तालिम सञ्चालन सामाग्रीहरुको उचित व्यवस्थापन,
• परियोजनालाई आवश्यक सूचना तथा तथ्याङ्कहरु संकलन तथा हस्तान्तरण,
• महिला समुह, सञ्जाल र सहकारीहरुको क्षमता अभिबृद्धि, सामुदायिक स्तरका सरोकारवाला निकायहरु तथा स्थानीय सरकारसँग समन्वयमा सहयोग ।

योग्यताः

• न्यूनतम शैक्षिक योग्यता SLC/SEE उत्तिर्ण महिला । कुनै पनि संकायमा प्रवीणता प्रमाणपत्र तह / १०+२ उत्तीर्ण गरेकालाई बिशेष ग्राहयता ।
• तालिम सञ्चालन कार्यमा अनुभवी, सहजीकरण र सामाजिक परिचालनको शीप भएको । महिला डिजिटल च्याम्म्पियनको रुपमा कार्य अनुभव भएकाहरुलाई ग्राहयता ।
• १८ वर्ष पुरा भएको र धेरै स्थानमा गई सहजीकरण गर्न सक्ने ।
• समुन्नति कृषि परियोजनाले गठन गरेको समूहमा आवद्ध भएको भएमा वाञ्छनीय हुने ।
• समुन्नति कृषि परियोजनाले गठन गरेको समूहबारे जानकार रहेको र ती लक्ष्यित समूहहरुसँग नजिकको दूरीमा बसोवास गर्नेलाई प्राथमिकता  ।
• स्थानीय क्षेत्रमा बोलिने भाषामा दखल हुनेलाई प्राथमिकता ।
• सामाजिक सञ्जाल लगायतका विभिन्न कृषि तथा डिजिटल वित्तीय प्रविधि (एप्स) प्रयोगको राम्रो ज्ञान भएको । 
• महिला तथा समावेशीकरणका सवालमा जानकार एवं Women agency building, Household dialogue  जस्ता विषयमा सशक्तीकरण गरेको अनुभव भएकालाई ग्राह्यता  ।
• समुदायको तालिम सम्पन्न गर्न (८ महिना) को लागि निरन्तरताको प्रतिवद्धता दिन सक्ने ।

उल्लेखित कार्य गर्न इच्छुक भई योग्यता पुगेका ब्यक्तिहरुले, आफ्नो योग्यता प्रमाणित हुने कागजात र नेपाली नागरिकता प्रमाणपत्रको प्रतिलिपि सहित [email protected] ईमेलमा वा डिप्रोक्स–नेपाल पो.व. नं १०९५३, काठमाडौंमा वा परियोजनाको कार्यालय दाङ्गमा  मिति २०८१/०६/०२ गते कार्यालय समयभित्र आईपुग्ने गरी आवेदन दिन सक्नुहुनेछ । छोटो सूचीमा पर्न सफल उमेदवारहरुलाई मात्र लिखित र अन्तर्वार्ताका लागि सूचित गरी छनौट प्रकृयामा समावेश गरिने छ । टेलिफोन सम्पर्कलाई निरुत्साहित गरिएको छ । क्षेत्र तथा उम्मेदवारहरुको चयन गर्ने, नगर्ने वा यो सूचना खारेज गर्ने समेतको अधिकार संस्थामा निहित रहने छ । परियोजना कार्यक्षेत्र भित्रका पछाडि पारिएका समुदायका महिलाहरुलाई दरखास्त दिन प्रेरित गरिएको छ । यसको जानकारी डिप्रोक्स-नेपालको वेब पेज http://www.deprosc.org.np  मा समेत उपलब्ध छ ।