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Ref.
2026/EGEIS/14844

Job offer type
Experts

Type of contract
Service contract

Deadline date
2026/03/19 18:04

Duration of the assignment
Beaded expertise

Contract
Freelancer

Duration
100 - 150 jours

Mission description

The Gender and Social Inclusion Expert will provide technical expertise on gender and social inclusion issues in the technical assistance provided by the facility within the TEI OP-VET in sub-Saharan Africa. He/she will ensure the cross-cutting integration of gender and social inclusion in all stages and components of technical assistance interventions, to ensure that the components and modalities of the project contribute to gender equality and the inclusion of vulnerable groups. 

 For example, the expert could be responsible for the following tasks: 

  • Strengthen the integration of gender issues into the analysis, design, and monitoring of technical assistance.
  • Prepare a “gender checklist” and review applications submitted to the technical assistance mechanism. 
  • Identify the main obstacles and opportunities for girls, young women, and vulnerable individuals to access, remain in, and succeed in each program, as well as in their professional integration into these sectors, and assess the capacity of technical assistance to integrate this aspect. 
  • Map key actors (institutions, associations, private sector) to be mobilized within the project to promote gender equality and social inclusion within the framework of Technical Assistance. 
  • Propose gender-sensitive partnership and governance modalities. 
  • Identify the capacity-building needs of stakeholders on the theme of gender and social inclusion. 
  • Strengthen the capacity of teams and partners to analyze, prevent, and reduce inequalities.
  • Share experiences and best practices within the project in order to stimulate peer-to-peer learning.
  • Ensure the agency's accountability to donors and supervisory authorities through a structured, consistent, and documented approach.
  • Support the implementation of a gender-sensitive SERA mechanism.  

 

The tasks outlined above are provided for information purposes only and are not exhaustive. The nature, content, and duration of technical assistance will depend on the requests made, as well as the country of intervention, the sector concerned, and the specific context of each mission. The nature of the activities and the degree of ambition in terms of integrating gender aspects, ranging from “gender-sensitive” to a “transformative” approach, will be determined together with the bidders.   

  

Technical assistance is provided on demand for a period of between 100 and 150 full-time equivalent (FTE) days. The expert may be called upon extensively and continuously for certain requests, while other interventions may be more occasional. Assignments may be carried out on an ad hoc basis, depending on the needs expressed.  

 

Expected results  

  

The expected deliverables will be specified in the purchase orders and ToR drawn up specifically before each technical assistance mission. Depending on the nature of the missions entrusted, the expert may be required to produce all or part of the following deliverables:  

 

1. Deliverables related to gender analysis and preparation of technical assistance:   

  •  

  • Diagnostic report on reducing gender inequalities  
  • Note on strategic and operational recommendations.  

  2. Deliverables related to project structuring  

  • Project proposal incorporating a gender-sensitive theory of change   

 

3. Deliverables related to monitoring, evaluation, and adaptive management  

  • Gender-sensitive monitoring and evaluation plan 
  • Tools for collecting, managing, and analyzing gender data
  • Diagnosis of the monitoring and evaluation system of a project or partner  
  • Mission report to project teams
  • Deliverables related to learning, capitalization, and accountability:
  • Thematic or cross-cutting capitalization work produced as needed
  • Organization or support for learning workshops.   

Project or context description

Expertise France is the French public agency for international technical cooperation. It designs and implements projects aimed at sustainably strengthening public policies in developing and emerging countries. A key player in France's and the European Union's external action, the agency contributes to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement.  

  

The agency is active in four major areas of public action: 

  • Democratic, economic, and financial governance 
  • Peace, stability, and security 
  • Climate, biodiversity, and sustainable development 
  • Health and human development  

 

Gender equality is a cross-cutting priority of this action. In line with the international commitments of France and the European Union, Expertise France is implementing an ambitious policy aimed at reducing gender inequalities and combating gender-based violence. This ambition is embodied in a guiding principle: systematically integrating gender issues into each stage of the project cycle, in all the themes covered by the agency.  

 

Description of the mission   

Introduction

These Terms of Reference (ToR) are published within the framework of the Technical Assistance Facility at the request of the Team Europe Opportunity-Based Skills and Vocational Education and Training Initiative (TEI OP-VET), co-financed by the European Union and BMZ in the context of its “Global Gateway” strategy, with a view to identifying an expert in gender and social inclusion to ensure that the components and modalities of the project contribute to gender equality and the inclusion of vulnerable groups in vocational education and training (VET) in Sub-Saharan Africa.  

  

 

General information and project context   

 

1.1 Context of the labor market in Sub-Saharan Africa  

 

Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries are home to more than one billion people, half of whom will be under the age of 25 by 2050.  According to forecasts by the International Labor Organization (ILO), Sub-Saharan African countries will need to create around 18 to 20 million jobs per year between now and 2035 to absorb the increase in the working-age population.  From a business perspective, sub-Saharan African countries offer investment opportunities in a variety of sectors (digital, climate and energy, health, etc.). Each country may have its own set of challenges and opportunities. But one of the main challenges for investors is, among other things, finding the skills they need for their investments (African Economic Outlook, 2023). Skills shortages relate to technical, scientific, and managerial capabilities—and increasingly to digital skills. Furthermore, the vocational education and training (VET) ecosystem does not yet adequately respond to these challenges (e.g., limited access to vocational education and training, and underdeveloped employment support systems). Joint action by the education sector and industry stakeholders is needed to formulate effective initiatives for developing the current and future workforce in order to fill the skills gap.  

1.2 Relevance of the TEI OP-VET 

At the European Union-African Union (EU-AU) summit in February 2022, the Africa Europe GGIP worth €150 billion was announced. Through this investment initiative for Africa, the European Commission is supporting the creation of decent jobs, with vocational education and training (VET) playing an important role: it stimulates investment, trade, and private sector development while contributing to the green and digital transition. The Team Europe Opportunity-Based Skills Initiative and Vocational Education and Training (TEI OP-VET) was presented as a key element of the GGIP.  

For this program, TEI members defined "opportunity-based skills and VET " (OP-VET approach) as a reverse engineering of vocational education and training programs—based on concrete and decent job opportunities created by investment, trade, economic diversification, value chain development, and other market dynamics.  

The action approach recognizes that skills development must be integrated into sectoral or industrial systems and shaped by workplace organization patterns, linking demand- and supply-side actions, with a strong emphasis on cooperation with the private sector. Skills and vocational training provision must therefore be an integral part of investment and value chain development strategies that promote employment in Africa, guided by Africa-Europe investment initiatives, with a particular focus on GG.  

The TEI OP-VET program aims to strengthen training provision in sub-Saharan Africa and gear it towards decent job opportunities in specific sectors and value chains within the framework of Africa-Europe investment initiatives, notably the Global Gateway Investment Package (GGIP).  

This €75 million project is being implemented over a period of 60 months, from March 2024 to February 2029, by a consortium of European partners, namely:

  • Enabel (Belgique)
  • Expertise France (EF, France)
  • Agence nationale finlandaise pour l'éducation (EDUFI, Finlande)
  • Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ, Germany)The program is structured around three main components: 

  • Pillar 1: Technical Assistance Facility on demand – Led by EF but with the active participation of all consortium agencies  

  • Result 1: Decent employment opportunities in (sub)sectors and value chains, particularly those that meet the priorities of the EU Global Gateway, are identified and assessed at the national level.  

  • Result 2: Improved capacity of VET stakeholders to develop VET services relevant to the identified decent employment opportunities.  

  • Pillar 2:  Organization of regional events to promote PPPs in VET - Led by Edufi  

  • Pillar 3: Call for proposals for projects supporting the opportunity-based approach in VET and implementation of projects- Led by GIZ 

1.3 Technical Assistance Facility  

The Technical Assistance (TA) facility coordinated by Expertise France will run from the first quarter of 2025 to the fourth quarter of 2028 and aims to support European Union delegations (EU Delegations) and European Union (EU) Member States to better (re)orient their sectoral and VET actions in sub-Saharan Africa towards concrete employment opportunities (paradigm shift from a supply-driven approach to an opportunity-driven approach), particularly those created by the GGIP.  

The technical assistance facility is a demand-driven mechanism and comprises two stages, which will be addressed jointly or separately depending on needs: 

Step 1: Assess and identify employment opportunities in (sub)sectors and/or value chains (outcome 1) supported by Global Gateway (GG) and other flagship EU-Africa initiatives, together with private sector partners and relevant authorities. Possible activities of the Facility under this outcome include an analysis of value chains and/or sub-sectors with the greatest needs and employment potential in sub-Saharan African countries. The assessment will be closely linked to existing and/or planned interventions under the GGIP (and other flagship initiatives).  

Step 2: Formulate recommendations to improve the conceptualization, implementation, and monitoring of responsive skills and TVET. Building on the support provided under Outcome 1, or similar work carried out by other partners and stakeholders, the Technical Assistance Facility will analyze the existing VET provision in a given sector and develop recommendations and tools for VET stakeholders to adapt their training provision to better meet the needs of the private sector and the employment opportunities created by the Global Gateway (GG). 

This call for CVs aims to recruit a gender expert responsible for carrying out assignments representing between 100 and 150 full-time equivalent (FTE) days in the fields of vocational education and training (VET) and employment. The expert will work closely with sectoral experts, particularly in the fields of digital technology, climate and energy, transport, and health. 

Required profile

Candidates must meet the following minimum criteria: 

  

  • Master's degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field: gender studies, social sciences, sociology, political science, international development, human rights, public health, development economics, or any other field directly related to reducing gender inequality. 
  • At least 8 years of proven professional experience in assignments specifically related to reducing gender inequality, within development, international cooperation, and/or humanitarian aid projects.
  • Strong analytical, reporting, and communication skills. 
  • Experience in sub-Saharan Africa and in the field of vocational training.  Working with the private sector on gender aspects would be an asset. 
  • Proven experience in teamwork (team player). 

 

Technical skills 

  

  • Analysis and understanding of gender inequalities.
  • Design and implementation of interventions aimed at reducing gender inequalities.
  • Monitoring, evaluation, and analysis of progress.
  • Capitalization of experiences and learning. 

  

Languages 

  

  • Fluent in French and English
  • Proficiency in Portuguese would be an advantage. 

  

Personal qualities 

  

  • Rigorous, autonomous, and ethical
  • Respect for confidentiality
  • Ability to adapt to a variety of contexts.  

 

 

The following criteria will be taken into account during the selection process:  

  

  • Number of years of relevant experience 
  • Areas of specialization and expertise 
  • Understanding/previous experience of the OP-VET approach 
  • Previous experience in carrying out missions related to reducing gender inequalities for international donors or in providing support in the context of cooperation projects
  • Previous countries of intervention (sub-Saharan Africa)
  • Availability for missions (flexible) 
  • Languages spoken in a professional context
  • Demonstrated experience in the field of vocational education and training (VET) and the labor market is an asset
  • Ability to produce high-quality reports within tight deadlines
  • Ability to collaborate with a variety of stakeholders and in different contexts. 

 

Applications 

All calls for experts for the TEI OP-VET Technical Assistance Facility issued by Expertise France will be published on the agency's recruitment platform and can be found on the agency's website.  

Interested candidates are invited to submit: 

1. An up-to-date CV in European format (https://europass.europa.eu/en/create-europass-cv) 

2. A brief cover letter describing their expertise, experience, availability, and expectations in terms of daily fees (one page).  

3. A one-page document presenting their understanding and critical analysis of gender issues in vocational training and the OP-VET approach in sub-Saharan Africa.   

 

NOTE: Given that TEI OP-VET interventions may be carried out jointly with other agencies (EDUFI, Enabel, and GIZ), applications may be shared with other member agencies of the consortium to ensure optimal use of expertise across the partnership.  

 Applicants who do not wish their application to be shared with other members of the consortium are invited to clearly indicate this in their cover letter.  

Selection criteria for applications

The selection process for candidates will be based on the following criteria :

  • Candidate’s training/skills/experience

Deadline for application : 2026/03/19 18:04

Expertise France is the public agency for designing and implementing international technical cooperation projects. The agency operates around four key priorities :

  • democratic, economic, and financial governance ;
  • peace, stability, and security ;
  • climate, agriculture, and sustainable development ;
  • health and human development ;

In these areas, Expertise France conducts capacity-building initiatives and manages project implementation, leveraging technical expertise and acting as a project coordinator. This involves combining public sector expertise with private sector skills to drive impactful results. 

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