Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Consultant

Call for a Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Consultant

The Vietnam Representative O ice of Federation of Canadian Municipalities is seeking a qualified Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Consultant to provide technical advisory services and quality assurance support to ensure the effective integration of GESI principles across all its project components and activities.

Assignment	Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Consultant
Key Contact	FCM Country O ice Manager
Contract	Framework Agreement with Call-down Task Orders
Timeline	Up to three years, aligned with project implementation period (Nov 2026 – Dec 2029)
Languages	English and Vietnamese

Background

To proactively respond to climate change and strengthen the resilience of urban areas in Viet Nam, the Vietnam Climate Resilient Municipalities (VNCRM) project is being implemented by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) with financial support from Global A airs Canada (GAC), in partnership with the Vietnam Urban Planning and Development Association (VUPDA). The project supports climate-resilient, gender-responsive and inclusive municipal governance and service delivery through interventions in climate change adaptation (CCA), asset management (AM), solid waste management (SWM), institutional strengthening, and support to women-led organizations (WLOs) and community-based organizations (CBOs).

Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) is a cross-cutting principle throughout the project. VNCRM seeks to ensure that women, youth, informal workers, persons with disabilities, elderly populations, ethnic minorities and other vulnerable groups are meaningfully involved in and benefit from project activities. To support this objective,

VNCRM intends to establish a Framework Agreement with a qualified national GESI Consultant who can provide technical advisory services on an as-needed basis throughout project implementation.

Objective of the Assignment

The objective of this consultancy is to provide technical expertise and quality assurance support to ensure that GESI considerations are effectively integrated throughout the FCM’s project cycle, including project design, implementation, capacity development, technical assistance, pilot projects, monitoring, evaluation, learning and knowledge sharing activities.

The consultant will support FCM and its project, specifically VNCRM, in strengthening gender-responsive and inclusive approaches within municipal governance, climate resilience planning, asset management, and solid waste management initiatives.

Scope of Work

The selected consultant will provide technical advisory services, including but not limited to the following:

A. Development of GESI Mainstreaming Frameworks and Guidance

Review and recommend practical GESI guidance, tools and checklists for project implementation.
Review and strengthen GESI integration requirements for consultants, implementing partners and grantees.
Review and provide recommendations on project templates, including:
- Terms of Reference (TORs)
- Concept notes
- Workplans
- Reporting templates
- Proposal evaluation criteria
- Participant registration forms
- Monitoring tools

B. Review of Studies, Assessments and Technical Assistance

Provide technical review and recommendations to strengthen GESI integration in:

Baseline studies
Climate vulnerability assessments
Municipal assessments
Policy reviews
Technical studies
Asset management plans
Solid waste management plans
Pilot project designs
Knowledge products and case studies

C. Capacity Development Support

Design and facilitate GESI training sessions, when required.
Coach project sta , consultants and partners on GESI integration approaches.
Support the inclusion of GESI learning objectives within AM, SWM and CCA capacity development activities.

D. Technical Quality Assurance

Review inception reports and consultant deliverables.
Review GESI mainstreaming plans prepared under project assignments.
Review technical reports and provide recommendations to strengthen GESI integration.
Support project management during key review and approval stages.

E. Support to Pilot Projects and Community Engagement

Review pilot selection criteria.
Advise on inclusive stakeholder engagement approaches.
Support participation of WLOs, CBOs and marginalized groups.
Recommend approaches that improve accessibility, participation, livelihoods and resilience for vulnerable populations.

F. Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL)

Review GESI-related indicators and targets.
Advise on collection of sex-disaggregated and inclusion-related data.
Review monitoring tools and methodologies.
Contribute to documentation of lessons learned, case studies and knowledge products that highlight inclusive municipal practices and women’s leadership.

Expected Deliverables

Depending on individual Task Orders issued during the framework period, deliverables may include:

GESI guidance notes and checklists.
Technical review reports.
Written comments on TORs and consultant deliverables.
Review memoranda on studies, plans and policies.
GESI integration recommendations.
Training curricula and facilitation materials.
Training reports.
Participation in technical meetings and workshops.
Knowledge products and case studies.
Advisory notes requested by VNCRM. Required Qualifications

Education

Advanced degree in Gender Studies, Social Development, Sociology, Development Studies, Public Policy or a related field.

Professional Experience

Minimum 10 years of professional experience in Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) mainstreaming.
Demonstrated experience working with donor-funded development programs.
Experience supporting government institutions and local authorities.
Experience integrating GESI considerations into climate change adaptation, urban development, municipal governance, infrastructure management and/or solid waste management projects.
Experience designing and delivering training and facilitation activities.
Experience reviewing policies, plans, studies and technical reports.

Competencies

Strong analytical, communication and report-writing skills.
Strong facilitation and stakeholder engagement skills.
Good understanding of Vietnamese local government systems.
Excellent written and spoken Vietnamese.
Good working knowledge of English.

Reporting and Management

The recruitment process will be overseen by the PCB. The consultant will report to the VNCRM Country Manager and Project Manager and work closely with VNCRM technical officers, MEL and Knowledge Sharing specialists, implementing partners, consultants, women-led organizations and community-based organizations, where relevant. VUPDA will act on behalf of FCM for contractual arrangements and logistics support.

Financial Requirements & Applications

The consultant will be engaged through a Framework Agreement and contracted on an as needed basis through individual Task Orders. The Framework Agreement does not guarantee a minimum number of working days. Assignment-specific deliverables, level of e ort and timelines will be determined under each Task Order.

Interested candidates are requested to submit:

Cover letter with brief description of relevant experience
Current CV;
Proposed daily rate (in VND);
At least two examples of similar assignments completed.

The VNCRM project and its partners are committed to creating an equitable and inclusive recruitment environment and encourage applications from qualified candidates of all backgrounds.

Please submit the application package to [email protected] and [email protected]. Please indicate “VNCRM GESI Consultant Application” in the subject line.

Application Deadline: 13 November 2026

We thank all applicants for their interest. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview. Applications may be retained for future opportunities under the VNCRM project.