## **Baseline Study Consultancy**

Breaking Barriers: Building Feminist Solidarity and Economic Opportunities for Women in West Nile, Uganda (Phase III: 2026–2028)

## **About the Assignment**

The Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA Network) seeks a qualified and experienced locally based consultant or consultancy team in West Nile to conduct a baseline study for the *Breaking Barriers* project (Phase III: 2026–2028).

This is a high-impact assignment designed to generate robust, context-specific evidence that will shape programming, influence strategy, and strengthen accountability for advancing women’s economic empowerment and feminist solidarity in West Nile.

## **Background**

The *Breaking Barriers* project aims to strengthen feminist solidarity, expand women’s economic opportunities, and address structural barriers that limit women’s participation in economic and public life across Arua City and Arua District, with a focus on young women and marginalized groups.

The baseline study will be conducted at project inception to:

- Establish benchmarks for key indicators
- Inform adaptive program implementation
- Provide a reference point for measuring impact

The study will examine:

- Women’s socio-economic status (income, livelihoods, assets, savings, resilience)
- Access to finance, markets, skills, and social protection
- Functionality and strength of women-led groups and feminist networks
- Structural barriers such as gender norms, unpaid care work, and gender-based violence
- Responsiveness of local institutions, markets, and financial actors

## **Theory of Change**

The project is grounded in the principle that:

Strengthened feminist solidarity combined with improved access to economic opportunities enables women to increase their income, agency, and leadership.

The baseline will test key assumptions by generating evidence on:

- Women’s current economic realities
- Strength and cohesion of feminist networks
- Institutional responsiveness and policy environment

Findings will be used to validate and refine implementation pathways.

## **Objectives of the Baseline Study**

The consultancy aims to:

- Establish socio-economic benchmarks for at least 70% of target women (disaggregated by sex, age, and location) within the first month of project implementation
- Assess stakeholder perceptions on women’s participation in non-traditional economic sectors
- Evaluate the capacity and functionality of at least 80% of feminist solidarity networks
- Identify key structural and institutional barriers through:
- Surveys
- At least 4 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs)
- At least 10 Key Informant Interviews (KIIs)

## **Scope of Work & Methodology**

The consultant will design and implement a rigorous mixed-methods study grounded in feminist and participatory research principles.

## **Approach**

- Women and community members will be engaged as active contributors and knowledge holders
- Emphasis on inclusion, ethics, and contextual sensitivity

## **Data Collection Methods**

- Quantitative Survey
- Multi-stage sampling across rural and urban settings
- Indicators: income, assets, savings, credit access, leadership, decision-making
- Disaggregation: age, disability, location
- Stakeholder Perception Survey
- Attitudes toward women in non-traditional economic roles
- Qualitative Methods
- 4 FGDs (young women, market groups, community members)
- 10 KIIs (government, private sector, CSOs, cultural leaders)
- In-depth interviews on lived experiences
- Organizational Capacity Assessment
- Governance, advocacy, financial systems, sustainability of women-led groups

## **Quality Assurance**

- Tool pre-testing
- Enumerator training (ethics, safeguarding, consent)
- Data triangulation

## **Analysis**

- Quantitative: statistical analysis
- Qualitative: thematic analysis

## **Deliverables**

The consultant will deliver:

1. Inception Report (within 2 weeks)
- Methodology, tools, sampling, work plan
2. Draft Baseline Report
- Preliminary findings and analysis
- Presented in a 2–3 day validation workshop
3. Final Baseline Report
- Refined findings, conclusions, and actionable recommendations
4. Presentation Deck (PowerPoint)
- Clear summary for stakeholders

## **Required Qualifications**

SIHA is particularly interested in consultants based in West Nile with strong contextual understanding.

## **Essential**

- Proven experience conducting baseline studies or evaluations
- Strong expertise in gender, women’s rights, or feminist programming
- Demonstrated skills in mixed-methods research
- Excellent analytical and report writing skills
- Ability to engage diverse stakeholders

## **Desirable**

- Deep understanding of West Nile socio-cultural and economic context
- Experience working with women-led groups or grassroots movements
- Knowledge of local languages (e.g., Swahili or Lugbara)