1. ABOUT OXFAM 

Oxfam is an international confederation of 21 organizations working in over 60 countries worldwide seeking to find lasting solutions to poverty and injustice around the world. Oxfam is determined to change that world by mobilizing the power of people against poverty. Around the world, Oxfam works to find practical, innovative ways for people to lift themselves out of poverty and thrive. We save lives and help rebuild livelihoods when crisis strikes. And we campaign so that the voices of the poor influence the local and global decisions that affect them. In all we do, Oxfam works with partners, public and private sector institutions alongside vulnerable women and men to end the injustices that cause poverty. Read more about Oxfam from https://kenya.oxfam.org/

2. ABOUT THE PROJECT

Oxfam in collaboration with the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotel, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers (KUDHEIHA) and Youth Alive Kenya (YAK) will implement a 6-year project titled ‘ Time To Care (TTC)in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kiambu and Nakuru counties in Kenya. The project overall objective is to ‘Improve gender equality and care infrastructure for women and girls in Kenya’. 

TTC project will directly benefit 5,916 people and 2,021,800 people, these include both rural and urban populations, in particular small-scale farmers, women-headed households, unemployed and vulnerable men indirectly as shown in the table below:

The project has a two-pillar strategy representing two Intermediate Outcomes

1. Increased adoption of gender-equitable social norms in support of women and girls in Kenya’s care infrastructure
2. Increased implementation of gender-transformative legislation, policies, and practices by duty bearers in support of care infrastructure in Kenya for women and girls

3. CONTEXT

Caregiving is a critical yet often overlooked component of social and economic development. Globally, caregiving responsibilities disproportionately fall on women, who perform 76% of all unpaid care work—over three times more than men. In Kenya, women spend 4-5 hours daily on unpaid care work compared to about 1 hour for men (KNBS 2021). This unequal distribution of care work leads to time poverty, limits women’s participation in formal employment, and perpetuates gender disparities in income, leadership, and social mobility. The invisible and undervalued nature of caregiving has far-reaching consequences, reinforcing inequality and undermining efforts toward inclusive development.

Recognizing the critical role of caregiving, global frameworks have highlighted the need to address care work. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) specifically target unpaid care work in SDG 5 (Gender Equality), which calls for recognizing and valuing unpaid care and domestic work through public services, infrastructure, and social protection policies. Regionally, efforts to address caregiving include the African Union's Agenda 2063, which emphasizes gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls as key pillars of development.

In Kenya, the Government has taken significant steps to address caregiving challenges. The Kenyan Constitution mandates shared responsibility for caregiving between parents and recognizes the rights of vulnerable groups such as children, persons with disabilities, and the elderly. Vision 2030 and the Medium-Term Plan IV prioritize social inclusion and gender equality, while the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) emphasizes women’s economic empowerment. A key milestone is the development of the National Care Policy, which seeks to establish a care system that supports the well-being and dignity of all Kenyans, recognizes and values care work, and promotes gender equality. The policy focuses on reducing and redistributing unpaid care work, rewarding paid care workers, and improving public care systems.

Despite these initiatives, caregiving remains inadequately addressed at the county level, where CIDPs serve as the primary tools for planning and implementing development. CIDPs guide resource allocation and outline priority projects, yet caregiving systems such as childcare services, elderly care facilities, and social protection measures are often underrepresented. This disproportionately affects different groups of women in unique ways, including rural women with limited infrastructure, women in informal employment lacking caregiving protections, and single parents who face heightened caregiving responsibilities. Addressing these specific challenges within CIDPs will be critical in ensuring gender trasformation. Assessing the extent to which care responsiveness has been incorporated into CIDPs is essential to identify gaps, align county efforts with national and global priorities, and ensure inclusive and equitable development.

4. OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The primary objectives of this assessment are:

5. Evaluate the Extent of Care Responsiveness: Assess the extent to which care-responsive policies, programs, and infrastructure have been integrated into the CIDPs of selected county governments.
6. Identify Gaps and Opportunities: Identify existing gaps in caregiving systems and opportunities for improving care responsiveness in CIDPs.
7. Support Evidence-Based Planning: Provide insights to county governments on the current status of caregiving systems to inform future development plans and resource allocation.
8. Enhance Alignment with National and International Policies: Ensure that county-level development plans align with Kenya’s Vision 2030, the draft National Care Policy, and global frameworks such as the SDGs.

5. METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH

The consultant(s) should be prepared to use appropriate qualitantive and quantitative participatory data collection approaches and techniques that will guarantee quality and ethical compliance.  Oxfam expects the consultant(s) leading the assignment to use a gender lens.

Primary Data Collection: The assignment will involve the development of a structured series of surveys, Key Informant Interviews/ Expert Consultations and other information gathering techniques that will be used in parallel to triangulate the data. The consultants will apply the “Do No Harm” approach for primary data collection to ensure the protection and safety of the respondents.

Data collection and Instruments: The identified consultant will develop relevant data collection tools and identify appropriate means of collecting the data which will be discussed and agreed upon with Oxfam prior to the data collection exercise.

6. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

The consultant will put in place measures to ensure data collection adheres to all necessary ethics and guidelines provided by local laws on data protection and ‘Do no Harm’ standards, Oxfam safe programming and feminist principles.

7. KEY ACTIVITIES AND DELIVERABLES

The assignment will start upon signing of the contract between Oxfam and the successful consultant(s) or an otherwise agreed upon date. The exact due dates for all deliverables will be finalized with Oxfam prior to submitting the inception report, so long as the dates continue to fall within the broad start and finish dates of the consultancy.

Oxfam envisions the review as a collaborative undertaking between itself, partner staff in Kenya and the successful consultant(s). We expect that the selected consultant(s) will engage with and provide feedback on a continual basis. On our part, we commit to collaborating with the selected individual/team and to providing sufficient time for a back-and-forth approach.

This assignment will focus on Mombasa, Kiambu, Nakuru, Nairobi and Kitui counties and will include:

1. Document Review: Conduct a comprehensive review of the CIDPs (2022-2027) from selected counties to assess the integration of care-responsive policies and programs. The assessment will focus on key areas such as health, childcare, elderly care, social protection, and infrastructure that reduces the burden of unpaid care work.

2. Stakeholder Engagement: Engage with key stakeholders, including county government officials, caregivers, women’s organizations, and other relevant groups, to gather qualitative insights on care responsiveness in CIDPs.

1. Data Analysis: Analyze available data on caregiving dynamics and care needs, including gender-disaggregated data, to evaluate the effectiveness of current CIDP interventions.
2. Policy Alignment Assessment: Assess the alignment of CIDPs with national and international care-related policies, including the draft National Care Policy, Vision 2030, and the SDGs.
3. Report Development: Develop a detailed report summarizing findings, including an evaluation of care responsiveness in the CIDPs, identified gaps, and actionable recommendations for enhancing care integration. This report should be a maximum of 20 pages.

8. EXPECTED OUTPUTS

Inception Report

The inception phase will begin with a thorough desk review of existing project documents, CIDPs from the four counties and current research on care work >. Based on this analysis, the inception report will include:

• List of potential respondents for data collection
• Roles and responsibilities of team members executing the work,
• Proposed methodology.
• Data collection tools
• Workplan

N/B: Data collection can only begin after Oxfam approves the inception report.

• A comprehensive report detailing the extent of care responsiveness in the CIDPs of selected counties.
• Identification of gaps and opportunities for improving caregiving systems within CIDPs.
• Practical recommendations to support counties in aligning their CIDPs with care-responsive frameworks and policies.
• Propose tracking mechanisms for CIDPs to adopt care-responsive measures in proceeding Annual Development Plans (ADPs)
• Advocacy opportunities for Annual Development Plans (ADPs)

9. PROFILE OF THE CONSULTANCY TEAM/INDIVIDUAL

• The consultancy can include different team members. Key competencies of the team include:
• Advanced university in social sciences, gender studies, public policy or related field
• At least 5 years of expertise in undertaking on gender policy analysis
• Good understanding of policies and frameworks regulating care work including public expenditure management cycle and public finance
• Experience on approaches of conducting stakeholder mapping and analysis.
• Experience utilizing feminist MEAL principles and practices.
• Ability to facilitate and relate to stakeholders at multiple levels and in diverse contexts.
• Strong written and verbal communication and presentation skills in English
• Strong analytical, communication and report writing skills evidenced by at least 3 pieces of research/documents.
• Good spoken and written communication skills in Kiswahili and English.
• Proven track in CIDP analysis of generation one and two

10. TAX AND VAT ARRANGEMENTS 

Oxfam will deduct withholding tax from the professional fees which will be in conformity with the prevailing government rates and submit the same to the Government of Kenya.

11.  BID REQUIREMENTS 

• Consultant(s) who meet the above requirements should submit bids, which at minimum include the following:
• Suitability statement, including commitment to availability for the entire assignment.
• Brief statement of the proposed study methodology including a detailed work plan.
• Detailed financial proposal, including daily costs.
• Information on the team composition and level of effort of each team member – include updated curriculum vitae that clearly spell out qualifications and experience.
• Contacts of three organizations that have recently contracted the consultant to carry out relevant study.
• Samples of similar and/or related work done previously

N/B:

Financial proposal must indicate all-inclusive costs for conducting the assignment including logistics.

The entire bid should be a MAXIMUM of ten (10) PAGES inclusive of CVs and Budgets. Bids not meeting this requirement will not be considered.

12. REPORTING LINES 

The consultant shall work under the supervision of the Oxfam’s Gender Justice and Women Rights technical team.

How to apply:

Oxfam Kenya invites individuals who meet the criteria to submit Expression of Interest that clearly articulates the consultant(s) understanding of the terms of reference, methodology for executing the work including key deliverables and tentative budget should and clearly indicated “Assessment of the Prevalence of Gender Based Violence in Domestic Workers Context.

Expression of Interests shall be sent to Kenya.logs@oxfam.org.uk  no later than close of business on 14^th  of March 2025.  Only applicants who qualify will be contacted.

Our values and commitment to safeguarding

Oxfam is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct; and committed to promoting the welfare of children, young people, adults and beneficiaries with whom Oxfam GB engages. Oxfam expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us.

The post holder will undertake the appropriate level of training and is responsible for ensuring that they understand and work within the safeguarding policies of the organisation.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. Oxfam GB also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme.  In line with this Scheme, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms his/her understanding of these recruitment procedures.

We are committed to ensuring diversity and gender equality within our organisation and encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.

About us

Oxfam is a global community who believe poverty isn’t inevitable. It’s an injustice that can be overcome. We are shop volunteers, women’s right activists, marathon runners, aid workers, coffee farmers, street fundraisers, goat herders, policy experts, campaigners, water engineers and more. And we won’t stop until everyone can live life without poverty for good.

Oxfam GB is a member of international confederation of 21 organisations working together with partners and local communities in the areas of humanitarian, development and campaigning, in more than 90 countries. 

A thriving diverse Oxfam:

It’s people power that brings about change. To play our part as a global organisation working to overcome poverty and inequality, we need equality, diversity and inclusion across our community of staff, partners and volunteers. Together, we’re committed to becoming a more diverse workforce, better able to tackle the global challenges that face our world today.

To do that:

• We need to dismantle the unequal power structures that exist everywhere, this including Oxfam and the wider development and charity sectors.
• We need an inclusive Oxfam where everyone can bring who they are to our work and feels celebrated for the differences they bring.
• We want and need everyone, and that means we need you.