Gender & Digital Expert Consultant

 Invitation to Tender.

Gender & Digital Expert Consultant

Duration: 40 days with the potential for an extension on an agreed daily rate

 1. About Us:

Mobile technology is revolutionizing how organizations engage with their end users. More than 96% of the world’s population has access to a mobile phone, meaning it is now possible to reach nearly every single person on the planet. Yet 3 billion people living in emerging markets still lack access to relevant, timely, and engaging information in their local languages, and their voices remain underheard. The organizations that serve them lack the technology and capacity to reach them, and many are unaware of the power of mobile technology to meet their organizational goals.

Viamo connects individuals and organizations using digital technology to make better decisions.

With more than 28 million people reached so far in 2023 alone, we are well on our way to meeting our goal of reaching 50 million people annually by 2025.

2. Project Work:

Viamo’s 3 year grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) falls squarely in two of the three Bodies of Work within the BMGFs Gender Equality Division's Digital Connectivity Learning Agenda: (1) Action-oriented User Research; and (2) Gender-Intentional Tool and Platform Development. Viamo has access to a unique and growing data set to uncover key preferences and experiences for how women and girls engage with mobile and digital to improve their health and livelihoods. Viamo is also a powerful platform already leveraged by many international development and global health organizations and improvements on the platform will provide a unique opportunity to scale to millions of women and girls.

BMGF’s funding comes from three program strategy teams; the Gender Equality Team, Family Planning and Neglected Tropical Diseases. These teams are aiming to leverage Viamo Platform’s unique ability to reach the ‘under-connected’ or otherwise difficult to reach populations - including women and girls - through their mobile device, in their own language, and irrespective of their literacy levels.

Viamo has conducted quantitative analysis of our current users and qualitative field research of our current and potential users and to develop version one of a strategy that identifies women’s and girls' needs and barriers for activation and behavior change. Based on the research findings, Viamo will conduct UX experiments on the Platform in three countries: Mali, Nigeria and Uganda, in Q1 and Q2 2024.

Viamo is seeking a dynamic and experienced Gender & Digital Expert to contribute to this initiative.

3. Responsibilities:

• Strategic Advisory: A key recommendation contained in a recent Gender strategy document produced as part of this project highlighted that the Viamo Platform in its original design was not designed to be a gender transformative platform. Viamo is looking for support to identify steps that would need to be taken, to be more intentional about the direction of the platform and whether there is the potential for it to be a gender transformative force, in the countries where we operate. This may include assessing what approaches, partnerships, and projects would need to be prioritised, and what staffing would be required to achieve this. 

Specific deliverables: Revised v2 Gender Strategy

• Gender-transformative Design: Lead the effort to integrate gender-transformative design principles into the Viamo platform, ensuring that the user experience is tailored to the needs and preferences of women users.

Specific Deliverable: Briefing document with key recommendations and action plan towards a gender transformative Viamo platform.

• User Research and Feedback: Advise on comprehensive user research to understand the unique challenges and preferences of women in utilizing digital platforms for information access. Provide guidance on feedback to gather from the target audience and incorporate insights into platform improvements.

Specific Deliverables: Ad hoc advisory to Viamo’s design and user research team, and contracted research partner.

• Content Analysis: Support on development of tools which would allow Viamo to collaborate with content creators to review and enhance the information available on the platform, ensuring it is relevant, culturally sensitive, and addresses the diverse needs of women users.
• Accessibility and Inclusivity: Advocate for and advise on the implementation strategies to make the Viamo platform more accessible and inclusive, particularly for users with diverse linguistic, cultural, and technological backgrounds.

Specific deliverable: Briefing document (can be incorporated into the Gender transformative platform briefing doc).

• Training and Capacity Building: Develop and deliver training programs for the Viamo platform team, emphasizing gender sensitivity and digital inclusion. Work closely with stakeholders to build their capacity in understanding and addressing gender-specific challenges.

Specific deliverable: Training completed for key project staff on building gender transformative digital platforms.

• Monitoring and Evaluation: Advise on key performance indicators (KPIs) related to gender-specific user engagement and satisfaction. Implement monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to track the impact of gender-inclusive improvements over time.

Specific Deliverable: Draft recommended KPIs.

4. Qualifications:

• Proven experience in gender and digital inclusion, with a focus on designing and improving digital platforms for women. 
• Strong background in user experience (UX) design, with the ability to translate user insights into actionable design improvements.
• Excellent knowledge of gender-sensitive research methodologies and a track record of applying these methodologies in a digital context.
• Familiarity with interactive voice response (IVR) systems and mobile-based platforms is a plus.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.
• Commitment to promoting gender equality and digital inclusion in the context of information access.

• Previous experience working with international development organizations or similar initiatives is desirable.
• Experience of working in Nigeria or similar contexts is desirable. 

5. Key Deliverables:

1. Gender Strategies v 2 and 3 updates. 
2. Briefing document with key recommendations and action plan towards a gender transformative Viamo platform.
3. Training completed for key project staff on building gender transformative digital platforms.
4. The draft recommended KPIs.

6. To be included in the Submission:

• Technical offer
• Financial offer
• Key personnel with CVs highlighting relevant experience
• Bank details (need to be able to receive USD into the bank account)
• 3 technical references for services already performed

Closing date for clarifications: 15th December 2023. 
Closing date for applications: 21st December 2023, 5pm PST.