Consultant Recruitment for Gender, Protection, and Inclusion Assessment - WFP Punjab Flood Response

Terms of Reference

Protection, Gender & Inclusion Rapid Review and Analysis around

Flood Response Intervention 2025 by WFP in South Punjab

Section 1 – Background:

As per OCHA’s 2025 Monsoon Contingency Plan) estimate that up to 16 million people across 33 high-risk districts find potentially affected by floods with 8 million potentially in urgent need of assistance. Many of these areas already face high levels of food insecurity (IPC Phase 3+), making flood-related disruptions particularly dangerous for vulnerable groups including young children, IDPs, and refugees.

Under WFP’s Country Strategic Plan for Pakistan 2023-2027 the preparedness and response was programmed for

• SO4, SDG 2.1 Access to Food, Crisis Response, Activity 7

• SO5, SDG 17.16 Enhance Global Partnerships, Crisis Response, Activity 8

The short term flood response for a period of three months (October to December 2025) was programmed and being delivered through ACT International as community partner to WFP in three districts of South Punjab i.e Multan, Muzaffargarh and Bahawalpur. ACT Intl takes lead in operational roll of the programme taking technical backstopping from WFP.

Scope of the programme design / intervention: The scope of work under WFP programming under flood response prioritised for cash-based assistance to address the essential needs of approximately 600,000 flood-affected individuals. Each household was targeted to receive PKR 15,000 (approximately USD 54) per month for three months, aligned with the expenditure gap as per Minimum Expenditure Basket (MEB) endorsed by the Cash Working Group. This approach supports household choice, flexibility, and stimulation of local markets.

WFP maintained its flexibility to deploy in-kind food assistance where needed, particularly in areas where markets or telecommunications are disrupted. The in-kind response included:

• High-energy biscuits (HEBs) for immediate relief in flash flood situations (current stocks cover 70,000 people for 3 days).
• Three months of food assistance to 71,500 beneficiaries, including 80 kg of wheat flour, 10 kg of pulses, and 5 kg of vegetable oil per household ensuring the basic caloric needs of the most vulnerable populations are met.
• Cash assistance to 28,000 families @ 15,000 PKR per month for three months etc etc .

To prevent malnutrition, WFP also maintained implementing Blanket Supplementary Feeding targeting pregnant and breastfeeding women and children aged 6–23 months, aiming to reach approximately 240,000 beneficiaries with specialised nutritious foods.

Section 2 - Protection and Accountability to Effected Populations – Key considerations used across project management cycle:

WFP is committed to upholding the dignity, safety, and rights of flood-affected populations, with a focus on women, children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. All interventions held around flood response will adhere to the principle of “do no harm.”

a) Protection Measures: WFP and partners will conduct protection risk assessments and ensure that distribution sites are safe, accessible, and managed to prevent exploitation, abuse, and violence.

b) Community Engagement and Feedback: WFP will provide clear, timely information to communities about assistance and feedback channels. Regular consultations with affected populations will inform programme adjustments, with efforts to ensure inclusive participation. A multi-channel feedback mechanism—including toll-free hotlines, in-person reporting, email, and focus group discussions—will be active in all response areas, with local-language support. Feedback will be logged, analysed, and addressed in real time.

c) Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA): WFP maintains a zero-tolerance policy for SEA. Prevention messaging will be shared widely, and all partners have been vetted for PSEA capacity via UNPP. Dedicated, trained staff will support SEA prevention and response throughout the operation.

d) Data Protection: Personal data will be collected only as needed, stored securely, and used solely for response purposes, in line with international standards. Informed consent will be obtained, and individuals may request corrections or deletion of their data at any time.

Section 3: The scope of current consultancy assignment:

The scope of current assignment aims to explore around the cross-cutting areas in terms of gender, protection and inclusion as set forth as part of the design phase and explained under section 2 in above lines.

Objectives:

Methodology:

A mix of primary and secondary data, the consult will explore analysis. Besides desk review by gathering all project data quantitative data and qualitative information in the form of key reports and other documents, the consultant will explore some primary data sources by designing appropriate tools like structured or semi structured interviews (KIIs), group interviews (GIs) as well as using observation checklist.

The rapid assessment requires consultant to do field visits across three districts to capture the field reflections coupled with holding KIIs with the project team as well.

The consultant will review the corporate guidelines of WFP such as

- WFP Food Distribution - Protection and AAP Minimum Requirements Checklist (attached as Appendix 1)

• WFP – Gender Policy 2022 (available at https://www.wfp.org/publications/wfp-gender-policy-2022 )

A rapid review of these documents (to be provided by WFP at the time of onboarding the consultant) will help consultant understand the scope of short-term flood response and establishing reality check in terms of integration of the available guiding documents into the response intervention and thus recommending a way forward that is doable, sustainable and more impactful.

Requirements:

The consultant requires following competence level

• Comprehension in terms of work on Inclusion, gender and protection at multiple levels i.e policy, programmes and analysis

• Strong analytical skills and exposure to related work assignments

• Effective communication and interpersonal skills backed by research, date and analysis

• Strong writing, presentation and comprehensive skills

• Stakeholder management and diversity management and leadership skills

Key Deliverables:

• A final, concise analytical report commenting on the gender, protection and inclusion related aspects factored in the project design and implementation along with lessons learnt for future replication, adoption and suggestion for improvement.

• A power point presentation as a knowledge product of the work assignment to socialise the key findings among the related actors

• Deliver a consultative session on socialising the key findings among staff of WFP and partner for future people led programming in humanitarian contexts

Budget Requirement:

The financial project must not exceed 1,950,000 PKR and shall include all fee, operational cost of consultant travel and boarding lodging etc etc.

Application Process

The consultant is required to submit the technical proposal with a methodology that fit well in the operating flood post flood context and is time efficient to produce impactful results and deliverables. The consultant is expected to submit the technical and financial proposal latest by 10th November 2025.

Submission Requirements:

• Firm’s profile, organizational structure, and relevant experience Or individual consultant.
• Detailed methodology, work plan, and timelines for each deliverable.
• Samples of previous work if any.
• CVs of key team members.

• Without financial quotation proposal will be rejected automatically.

Evaluation Criteria: Proposals will be assessed based on previous experience/ detail methodology as per given TORs and time line.

Note: ACT International reserves the right to cancel the hiring process of firm/ consultant cancel the process without prior notice. Late submissions will not be considered.

Appendix 1