Recruitment of an Independent Consultant /  Consulting Firm to Review, Revise, Validate and Finalize the National Gender Policy of Somalia 2026-2029

Somali Federal Republic

Ministry of Family and Human Rights Development 

POSITION NOTE ON THE PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS REPORTS CONCERNING 

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Recruitment of an Independent Consultant /  Consulting Firm to Review, Revise, Validate and Finalize the National Gender Policy of Somalia 2026-2029 

Applicable to: Individual Consultant or Consulting Firm Duration: 30 working days

Mogadishu, Somalia [20^th  of April, 2026] 

1. Key Assignment Information 

Item	Description
Procuring Institution	Ministry of Family and Human Rights Development, Federal Government of Somalia
Assignment Title	Review, Revision, Validation and Finalization of the National Gender Policy of Somalia 2026- 2029
Type of Assignment	Consultancy Services
Eligible Applicants	Individual Consultant or Consulting Firm
Duty Station	Mogadishu, Somalia, with consultations at Federal Member State and Banadir level as required
Duration	30 working days from contract signature
Expected Start Date	[10th of May,2026]
Reporting To	Director General / Gender Department, Ministry of Family and Human Rights Development
Primary Output	Final submission-ready National Gender Policy of Somalia 2026-2029 with implementation, costing and accountability tools

 

2. Background and Context

The Ministry of Family and Human Rights Development of the Federal Government of Somalia is mandated to lead the national gender portfolio and coordinate government efforts to advance gender equality, women’s empowerment, family welfare, human rights and social inclusion. As part of this mandate, the Ministry is leading the review, revision and finalization of the National Gender Policy of Somalia 2026-2029.

Somalia adopted its  previous National Gender Policy in 2016. Since then, the country has experienced significant  political,  legal,  humanitarian,  climate,  federal,  social  and  institutional  developments.  While progress has been made in strengthening recognition of women’s rights, girls’ education, women’s participation in peacebuilding and entrepreneurship, GBV coordination structures and the Women, Peace and Security agenda, several gaps continue to affect implementation.

These challenges include insecurity, displacement, climate shocks, legal pluralism, weak enforcement of gender-related commitments, underfunded institutions, restrictive social norms, limited service coverage, and persistent barriers to women’s participation, protection, economic empowerment and access to justice.

The current draft National Gender Policy 2026-2029 provides a national framework for advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment across laws, policies, budgets, institutions, service delivery systems, humanitarian response, climate resilience, peacebuilding, justice and sustainable development. The policy is expected to guide federal institutions, Federal Member States, Banadir, districts, civil society, development partners and other relevant stakeholders.

3. Purpose of the Assignment

The purpose of this assignment is to engage an independent consultant or consulting firm to  conduct a comprehensive review and revision of the draft National Gender Policy of Somalia 2026-2029, ensuring that  the   final   document  is   technically   sound,   contextually   relevant,   inclusive,   legally   coherent, operational, costed, measurable and ready for government adoption and implementation.

The final policy should serve as:

1. A national coordination framework for gender equality and women’s empowerment. 2. A legislative and institutional reform roadmap.
2. A programming and financing framework for government institutions and partners.
3. A localization instrument for Federal Member States, Banadir, districts and communities. 5. A results and accountability framework for tracking implementation progress.
4. A reference document for development partners, humanitarian actors, civil society and other stakeholders.
5. Overall Objective

The overall objective of the consultancy is to produce a revised and finalized National Gender Policy of Somalia  2026-2029  that  reflects  national  priorities,  international  obligations,  Federal  Government  and Federal Member State realities, stakeholder input and practical implementation needs.

5. Specific Objectives
6. Conduct a comprehensive technical review of the current draft National Gender Policy 2026-2029.
7. Assess the policy’s alignment with Somalia’s constitutional, legal, institutional, federal, development, humanitarian and climate policy frameworks.
8. Strengthen the policy analysis on gender equality, women’s empowerment, social inclusion, protection, justice, political participation, economic empowerment, health, education, climate resilience, displacement and gender data systems.
9. Review and refine the policy pillars, priority actions, implementation pathway, governance architecture, risk management framework and results framework.
10. Ensure meaningful inclusion of women and girls in all their diversity, including women with disabilities, young women, rural women, IDP women, minority women, women from marginalized communities, nomadic women, survivors of violence and women in hard-to-reach areas.
11. Facilitate consultations with federal institutions, Federal Member States, Banadir, civil society, women-led organizations, organizations of persons with disabilities, youth representatives, traditional and religious leaders, academia, private sector representatives, UN agencies, donors  and other relevant partners.

13. Develop or strengthen the costed implementation plan and financing framework.
14. Strengthen the monitoring,  evaluation,  accountability,  learning  and  reporting  framework,  including indicators, baselines, targets, data owners and reporting frequency.
15. Prepare a final submission-ready version of the National Gender Policy for government approval.
16. Prepare a concise policy brief and PowerPoint presentation for senior leadership, validation and dissemination.
17. Scope of Work

6.1 Desk Review and Inception

The consultant or firm shall conduct a focused desk review of relevant documents and prepare an inception report outlining the methodology, work plan, stakeholder mapping, consultation plan, data collection tools, quality assurance approach and proposed structure for the revised policy.

 Draft National Gender Policy of Somalia 2026-2029 and the 2016 National Gender Policy. National Transformation Plan 2025-2029 and relevant sector policies and strategies.

 National Strategy to End Violence Against Women and Girls 2024-2029. Somali Women’s Charter and National Action Plan on UNSCR 1325.

 National Disability Strategy, education and health sector policies, durable solutions frameworks and social protection policies.

 Somalia’s constitutional and legal frameworks, including relevant laws and reform processes. Relevant Federal Member State and Banadir gender priorities, policies, action plans and laws.

 Human rights treaties, regional and international gender equality frameworks, statistics, assessments and partner reports.

6.2 Technical Review of the Draft Policy

 Review the clarity of the policy vision, goal, purpose, principles and strategic direction. Assess the relevance and completeness of policy pillars and priority actions.

 Check coherence between problem analysis, priority actions, indicators, institutional responsibilities and financing.

 Assess alignment with national development, humanitarian, peacebuilding, legal and climate priorities.

 Assess relevance to Somalia’s federal system and Federal Member State/Banadir implementation needs.

 Review the inclusiveness of the policy for women, girls, persons with disabilities, IDPs, minorities, rural communities, nomadic populations and other vulnerable groups.

 Strengthen the implementation sequencing, institutional coordination, results framework, risk analysis and accountability mechanisms.

6.3 Stakeholder Consultations

The consultant or firm shall design and facilitate inclusive, targeted consultations at federal and state levels. Consultations may be conducted through interviews, technical meetings, focus group discussions and validation sessions, depending on available time and logistical arrangements.

   Ministry of Family and Human Rights Development and relevant federal line ministries.

 Office of the Prime Minister, Ministry of Planning, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, and Somalia National Bureau of Statistics.

 Federal Member State line ministries responsible for gender, family, women, human rights, justice, health, education, planning and social affairs.

   Banadir Regional Administration and selected district representatives.

   Parliamentary committees, judiciary, Attorney General’s Office, police and justice institutions.

 Civil society organizations, women-led organizations, organizations of persons with disabilities, youth groups, traditional elders, religious leaders, academia, private sector, UN agencies, donors and relevant humanitarian and protection actors. 

6.4 Policy Revision and Technical Strengthening

   Revise the executive summary, context, rationale, legal and policy framework, and review of the

2016 policy.

 Strengthen the goal, purpose, guiding principles, theory of change, policy pillars and strategic priority actions.

 Strengthen federal and FMS implementation architecture, institutional roles and coordination mechanisms.

   Strengthen gender-responsive budgeting, financing and resource mobilization approaches.

 Improve the results framework, core indicator bank, annual scorecard and reporting mechanisms. Strengthen the risk management framework and mitigation measures.

   Develop or refine localization tools for Federal Member States, Banadir and districts.

   Ensure the document is written in clear, professional, accessible and policy-ready language.

6.5 Costing and Financing Framework

 Develop a costed implementation matrix for priority actions, where sufficient information is available.

   Prepare an indicative annual workplan structure for 2026-2029.

 Identify cost drivers, responsible institutions, potential financing sources and funding gaps. Develop a practical financing tracker for government and partner contributions.

 Provide guidance for FMS and Banadir costing and integration into annual planning and budgeting. Where verified unit costs are unavailable, provide a clear costing methodology and templates to be

completed by government institutions and partners.

6.6 Results Framework and Accountability

 Develop or refine policy outcomes, outputs, indicators, baselines, targets, data sources and institutional data owners.

 Define reporting frequency and disaggregation requirements, including sex, age, disability, displacement status, location and FMS where feasible.

 Prepare an annual Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment scorecard template. Define monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning arrangements.

   Recommend a mid-term review and final evaluation approach.

   Ensure civil society and women-led organization participation in monitoring and annual review.

6.7 Validation and Finalization

 Support the Ministry to organize and facilitate a national validation workshop or technical validation session.

 Present the revised draft policy, implementation framework, costing approach and results framework.

 Document stakeholder feedback and incorporate agreed recommendations. Prepare the final submission-ready policy document.

   Prepare a summary policy brief and PowerPoint presentation for senior leadership and partners.

7. Key Deliverables

#	Deliverable	Description	Timeline
1	Inception Report	Methodology, work plan, stakeholder mapping, consultation tools, proposed outline and quality assurance plan.	Within 3 working days
2	Desk Review and Gap Analysis Note	Focused analysis of the current draft policy, legal/policy alignment, gaps and recommended improvements.	Within 7 working days
3	Stakeholder Consultation Summary	Summary of consultations, participants, key findings, feedback and implications for policy revision.	Within 14 working days
4	Revised Draft National Gender Policy	Technically revised and strengthened draft policy incorporating desk review and stakeholder feedback.	Within 20 working days
5	Draft Implementation, Costing and Financing Framework	Costing matrix, financing tracker, annual workplan structure and funding gap template.	Within 22 working days
6	Draft Results Framework and GEWE Scorecard	Core indicators, targets, data owners, reporting frequency and accountability tools.	Within 22 working days
7	Validation Workshop Materials	PowerPoint presentation, facilitation notes and validation support materials.	Within 24 working days
8	Final National Gender Policy 2026-2029	Final edited, formatted, submission-ready policy document.	Within 30 working days
9	Policy Brief	Concise 4-6 page summary for senior leadership and partners.	Within 30 working days
10	Final PowerPoint Presentation	Professional presentation summarizing the policy, priorities, implementation plan and financing needs.	Within 30 working days

8. Methodology

The consultant or firm shall apply a participatory, evidence-based, inclusive and context-sensitive methodology. The methodology should be realistic for a 30-working-day assignment and may combine in-person and virtual engagement.

 Desk review of national, sectoral, legal, policy, humanitarian and international documents. Key informant interviews and technical working sessions.

 Focused consultations with federal institutions, FMS, Banadir, CSOs, women-led organizations and partners.

   Gender and social inclusion analysis.

   Legal, institutional and federalism analysis.

   Results-based planning and costing analysis.

   Validation workshop or technical validation session.

   Incorporation of written and oral feedback into final deliverables.

The methodology must ensure meaningful participation of women and girls, including those from marginalized and underserved groups. It must apply ethical safeguards, confidentiality, do-no-harm principles and survivor-centered approaches where sensitive issues such as GBV are discussed.

9. Expected Structure of the Revised Policy
10. Cover page, foreword, acknowledgements, acronyms and executive summary. 18. Introduction, purpose, methodology and evidence base.
11. Somali context and policy rationale. 20. Legal and policy framework.
12. Review of the 2016 National Gender Policy.
13. Revised policy framework, including vision, goal, objectives and guiding principles. 23. Policy pillars and strategic priority actions.
14. Sequenced and costed implementation pathway. 25. Governance and coordination architecture.
15. Federal Member State and Banadir localization mechanism. 27. Financing and resource mobilization strategy.
16. Results framework and accountability mechanism. 29. Risk management framework.
17. Monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning plan. 31. Communication and dissemination plan.
18. References and annexes, including consultation list, costing template, localization template and indicator bank.
19. Institutional Arrangements and Reporting

The consultant or firm will work under the overall leadership of the Ministry of Family and Human Rights Development.

The consultant or firm shall report directly to the Director General or the designated senior official of the Ministry. Day-to-day coordination shall be handled by the Gender Department or a designated technical focal point.

The Ministry may establish a small technical review committee to provide guidance, review

deliverables, facilitate access to stakeholders and approve outputs. The committee may include representatives from relevant federal institutions, FMS line ministries, civil society and development partners.

All deliverables shall be submitted in editable Word format and PDF format. PowerPoint presentations and Excel costing tools shall also be submitted in editable format.

11. Duration of the Assignment

The assignment is expected to be completed within 30 working days from the date of contract signing. 

Phase	Activity	Duration
Phase 1	Inception, document review and planning	3 working days
Phase 2	Desk review and gap analysis	4 working days
Phase 3	Stakeholder consultations	7 working days
Phase 4	Drafting and technical revision of the policy	6 working days
Phase 5	Costing, results framework and implementation tools	4 working days
Phase 6	Validation workshop/session and incorporation of feedback	3 working days
Phase 7	Final editing, formatting and submission of all deliverables	3 working days
Total		30 working days

 

12. Required Qualifications and Experience 12.1 Requirements for Individual Consultant

 Advanced university degree in gender studies, law, public policy, human rights, development studies, social sciences, governance, international relations or a related field.

 At least 10 years of professional experience in gender equality, women’s empowerment, policy development, legal reform, human rights, governance or social inclusion.

 Demonstrated experience developing or reviewing national policies, strategies, action plans or legislative reform frameworks.

 Strong knowledge of gender equality and women’s empowerment in fragile, federal, humanitarian or conflict-affected contexts.

 Knowledge of Somalia’s political, legal, social, humanitarian and federal context is highly desirable. Experience working with government institutions, FMS, civil society, UN agencies and development

partners.

 Strong understanding of GBV prevention and response, women’s political participation, WPS, economic empowerment, education, health, justice, climate, displacement and disability inclusion.

 Demonstrated experience in results frameworks, costing, monitoring and evaluation, and gender- responsive budgeting.

 Excellent facilitation, consultation, writing, analytical and communication skills. Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of Somali is a strong advantage. 

12.2 Requirements for Consulting Firm

Aconsulting firm must provide a qualified multidisciplinary team with relevant expertise. The proposed

team may include:

 Team Leader / Senior Gender Policy Specialist. Legal and Human Rights Specialist.

   Monitoring, Evaluation and Results Framework Specialist.

 Public Finance / Costing / Gender-Responsive Budgeting Specialist. Somalia Context / Federalism / Localization Specialist.

 Consultation and Facilitation Specialist. Editor / Policy Writer.

The firm must demonstrate:

 At least 7 years of institutional experience in policy development, gender equality, human rights, governance or social inclusion.

   Previous experience supporting national policy or strategy processes.

 Experience working in Somalia or comparable fragile and federal contexts. Ability to conduct consultations at federal and state levels.

 Proven ability to deliver high-quality policy documents in English. Strong internal quality assurance systems.

   Availability of qualified team members throughout the assignment.

13. Competencies Required

 Strong technical knowledge of gender equality and women’s empowerment. Understanding of human rights-based approaches.

   Ability to analyze legal, institutional, federal and social systems.

 Ability to translate complex policy issues into practical implementation actions. Strong participatory facilitation skills.

   Excellent report writing and policy drafting skills.

   Sensitivity to Somali culture, religion, federal dynamics and political context.

 Commitment to confidentiality, ethics, do-no-harm and survivor-centered principles. Ability to meet deadlines and respond to feedback professionally.

   Ability to work collaboratively with government and partners.

14. Evaluation Criteria

Criteria	Weight
Relevant academic and professional qualifications	10%
Experience in gender policy development and review	20%
Knowledge of Somalia or similar fragile/federal contexts	15%
Experience in legal, institutional and policy analysis	10%
Experience in consultation and facilitation	10%

 

processes
Experience in results frameworks, costing and gender-responsive budgeting	10%
Quality of proposed methodology and work plan	5%
Technical Evaluation Subtotal	80%
Financial Evaluation	20%
Total	100%

 

15. Application Requirements

15.1 For Individual Consultants

 Technical proposal. Financial proposal. Updated CV.

 At least two samples of similar policy or strategy work. Contact details of three professional references.

   Availability statement.

15.2 For Consulting Firms

 Technical proposal. Financial proposal. Company profile.

 Team composition and CVs of proposed experts. Description of similar assignments completed.

 At least two samples of similar work. Registration documents.

   References from previous clients.

   Work plan and quality assurance approach.

16. Technical Proposal Content

 Understanding of the assignment. Proposed methodology.

   Stakeholder engagement approach.

 Work plan and timeline aligned with the 30-working-day duration. Risk management approach.

   Quality assurance approach.

   Team structure, where applicable.

   Description of relevant experience.

17. Financial Proposal Content

   Professional fees.

   Number of working days.

   Travel and field consultation costs, where applicable.

 Workshop facilitation costs, where applicable. Communication and logistics costs.

   Any other relevant costs.

All costs should be presented in United States Dollars.

18. Ethical Considerations

 Respect for confidentiality. Do-no-harm approach.

 Survivor-centered principles in all discussions involving GBV or protection issues. Informed consent during consultations.

 Safe participation of women, girls, persons with disabilities, IDPs, minorities and vulnerable groups. Protection of sensitive information.

   Avoidance of political bias.

 Respect for Somali cultural, religious and community norms while upholding human rights principles.

19. Ownership of Outputs

All documents, data, tools, reports, presentations and materials produced under this assignment shall remain the property of the Ministry of Family and Human Rights Development of the Federal Government of Somalia.

The consultant or firm shall not publish, share or use the materials for any other purpose without prior written approval from the Ministry.

20. Payment Schedule 

Payment	Deliverable	Percentage
First payment	Approved inception report	20%
Second payment	Approved desk review, gap analysis and consultation summary	25%
Third payment	Approved revised draft policy, results framework and costing framework	30%
Final payment	Approved final policy, policy brief, PowerPoint presentation and all final editable files	25%
Total		100%

 

21. Submission and Approval Process

All deliverables shall be submitted to the Ministry of Family and Human Rights Development for review and approval. The Ministry shall provide consolidated feedback within an agreed timeframe.

The consultant or firm shall incorporate feedback and submit revised versions within the timeline agreed with the Ministry. Final approval of deliverables shall be issued in writing by the Ministry.

22. Expected Final Outputs
23. Final National Gender Policy of Somalia 2026-2029. 2. Costed implementation plan.
24. Results framework and accountability scorecard. 4. FMS and Banadir localization template.
25. Financing and resource mobilization framework. 6. Consultation report.
26. Policy brief.
27. PowerPoint presentation.
28. Clean edited Word version.
29. Designed PDF version, if requested by the Ministry. 

23. Conclusion

This  consultancy  is  an  important  step  in  ensuring  that  Somalia’s  National  Gender  Policy  is  not  only  a policy  document  but  a practical national  instrument  for  implementation,  accountability,  financing  and measurable progress. The revised policy will support the Federal Government of Somalia, Federal Member States, Banadir, civil society, communities and development partners to advance gender equality, women’s empowerment, protection, participation, justice and inclusive national development.

ToR_Revision_National_Gender_Policy_Somalia_30_Days

 

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