1)   Objectives

General objective

This consultancy aims to strengthen JAGA’s role in implementing the relevant initiatives under the PSMR Second Executive Program (2026-2029). It will strengthen the commitment of public institutions in Jordan to ensure equitable and meaningful participation of both women and men in their lives and workplaces. This will contribute to achieve modernization priorities, support a more flexible and responsive government, and promote fundamental principles and rights at work for women and men in the public sector.

Specific objective (SO)

-          To support JAGA in developing a training package on the unified tool for gender equality auditing and women’s empowerment in public sector institutions. This activity is defined in the mutual plan document between JAGA and JNCW and is essential for ensuring government commitment to the institutional gender equality policy in public sector is expected to be finalized by June 2026.

-          To support JAGA to revising two training materials so that gender mainstreaming is further embedded and expanded, while ensuring full alignment with the newly issued competency framework. This framework emphasizes civil service culture and promotes the values of respect, accountability, equal opportunities, and responsiveness to citizens’ needs.

2)   Methodology:

1.       for revising training materials

·       Upgrade and revise the training content with reference to the newly developed typical competency framework for civil servants. This should also include the Code of Conduct and the core values addressed in organizational culture training.

·       Integrate gender equality and inclusion not as standalone modules, but as cross-cutting elements embedded across all thematic areas, including transformative leadership, decision-making, service delivery, and team management, while ensuring consistency with national gender concepts and messages developed by JNCW.

·       Develop practical, interactive, and applied learning methods, including case studies, simulations, and exercises, to strengthen participants’ ability to apply leadership and gender equality concepts in their professional contexts.

·       Adapt the content to JAGA’s institutional transformation and future Academy model, ensuring the sustainability and scalability of the program.

2.       for the gender audit training package (35-40 pages)

The expert shall develop a package consisting of four main parts, as follows:

Part One- Basic Concepts (maximum 8 pages): This part will cover the basic concepts related to gender equality and how to institutionalize and apply them within public institutions. It will serve as a key reference for the auditor or facilitator of the audit process, enabling them to adapt the tool to the needs of the government entity and its institutional context.

The expert shall also include links to the most relevant references and materials available within government entities, such as the Ministry of Social Development, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health, and other institutions that have training or awareness-raising materials on SDGs, human rights based approach and gender equality concepts. This will help unify efforts, build on previous work, and avoid duplication.

Part Two- Practical examples on using a “Gender Lens” to detect discrimination and bias (maximum 8 pages): This part will provide practical examples demonstrating how to detect forms of discrimination and bias, whether in written texts or in daily practices within the work environment. It will also explain the short- and long-term impact of these practices; means, the expert should also clarify that gender-neutral policies do not necessarily lead to inclusive reform, particularly when they fail to recognize existing inequalities, structural barriers, or differences in access to opportunities and resource:

For example, some flexible work or remote work policies may show a positive impact in the short term. However, some social studies indicate that, in the long term, such policies may contribute to widening gender gaps. In some cases, they may keep certain groups of women or men outside professional development pathways, limit their access to better social protection, or reduce their opportunities to develop job competencies and skills on equal terms with others.

In this section, the expert is expected to provide examples that translate these practices and trends from different angles, using a gender lens continuum: gender-neutral, gender-sensitive/responsive, and transformative approach.

Part Three: Guidelines for using the unified gender equality and women’s empowerment Audit/Diagnostic Tool in the Public Sector (maximum 20 pages): This part will focus on the content of the audit tool that will be provided to the expert during the contracting phase. Coordination with the Jordanian National Commission for Women is expected. The expert shall frame the general guidelines related to the tool’s pillars, implementation methodology, work phases, methodology for extracting key findings, formulation of recommendations, and preparation of the corrective action plan.

This part also requires the expert to align the content with relevant guidelines and standards developed by international institutions that have contributed to institutionalizing human rights values, equality, and fair work environment standards within public institutions like: OECD, ESCWA, ILO.

The technical proposal will be considered extra scores if the expert proposes a practical mechanism to use AI tools in a simplified and practical manner. The aim is to make the audit process simpler, easier, and more cost-effective in conducting the diagnosis, analyzing results, and formulating recommendations.

Part Four: administrative procedures for establishing the first cohorts of Trainers (2 pages): This part will serve as a brief annex. It will present the administrative procedures that JAGA Institute may follow to select and form an audit team. It will also clarify the criteria to be met by candidates representing government entities, as well as the conditions for joining the training program planned as the final phase of this TOR.

3)      Expected results

The intended results of these two activities are to enhance JAGA’s role as a leading training Academy that promotes gender equality initiatives and strengthens ownership across the public sector and among civil servants. The assignment will also prepare a pool of public sector employees to act as gender audit facilitators who can assess, analyze, and formulate corrective measures to support public institutions in addressing gender equality requirements and advancing professional equality.

II.      Description of the assignment

1)      Planned activities

o   Conduct a coordination meeting with JAGA management and key stakeholders, including JNCW, IMC, and KACE, to coordinate efforts and explore areas of alignment.

o   Conduct focus group discussions with think tank experts in institutional development, change management, human rights, and advocacy to know previous effort that was achieved in Jordan in conducting gender audit exercise.

o   Revise and finalize the training content based on the reflection focus group findings (For two major program).

o   Develop a training package for gender audit facilitators: explaining how to apply the National Gender Audit Tool - and finalize it based on the reflection focus group findings.

o   Develop and revise pre- and post-assessment tools and interactive exercises aligned with the training package and updated materials to measure learning progress.

o   Prepare and deliver a Training of Trainers (ToT) program for representatives of 20 public sector representatives, in coordination with JAGA and JNCW on the training package for national gender audit tool.

a.       Anticipated deliverables

The deliverables shall be provided in both Arabic and English.

b.      Coordination

The assigned expert(s) will coordinate with and report to Expertise France, namely the Project Manager, who will provide guidance during the consultancy. Regular exchanges shall take place with the Project Manager regarding progress on the assignment and any difficulties that may be encountered. EF will invite the expert to coordination meetings with other assigned experts working on related and cross‑cutting activities related to TA inclusive reform project.

The expert(s) will coordinate with JAGA and JNCW with the support of Expertise France staff.

2)      Place, duration and terms of performance

a.       Estimated implementation period: August to October 2026

b.       Estimated start date: 1^st August 2026

c.       Estimated end date: 20^th October 2026

d.      Estimated schedule/program:

The provisional program for assignment implementation is as follows: