Thematic Expert- Gender, Inclusion and Safeguarding at Busara Center

Purpose of the Role

• The Gender, Inclusion and Safeguarding Expert brings expertise in gender-responsive evaluation, inclusive programming for structurally excluded groups, and safeguarding practice. Across assigned Strategic Reviews, the expert leads disaggregated analysis across gender, refugee status, and disability status; oversees qualitative data collection with these populations; ensures safeguarding standards are upheld throughout fieldwork; and ensures inclusion perspectives are reflected across all review deliverables.

Key Accountabilities/Responsibilities

• Lead disaggregated analysis of quantitative and qualitative findings across gender, refugee status, and disability status for each assigned review, examining how outcomes in reach, access, progression, and quality of life differ across these inclusion population groups.
• Oversee the design and quality of qualitative instruments (IDI, FGD, and KII guides) to ensure they are gender-responsive, trauma-informed, and appropriate for engagement with refugees, young women, and persons with disabilities, adapted to the specific population and geography of each assignment.
• Directly oversee Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), In-Depth Interviews (IDIs), and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with refugee youth, young women, and other structurally excluded groups, with FGDs conducted single-sex to support open and honest sharing, in locations and languages appropriate to each assignment.
• Ensure all fieldwork involving refugees, PWDs, and young women applies appropriate adaptations to interview environment, pace, and logistics, consistent with safeguarding commitments and POA inclusion and equity principles.
• Serve as the review team’s primary safeguarding focal point during fieldwork for each assignment: ensuring informed consent procedures are properly followed, identifying and managing any safeguarding risks or disclosures that arise during data collection, and ensuring a clear referral pathway is in place and communicated to field teams before data collection begins.
• Examine the extent to which gender, safeguarding, disability inclusion, and refugee protection were integrated into the Implementing Partner’s program design and delivery, and how this influenced inclusion outcomes (POA Question Area 1).
• Lead analysis of system-level changes supporting greater inclusion of young women and marginalized groups, and of unintended positive or negative effects on these groups (POA Question Areas 3 and 4).
• Train or brief Research Coordinators, Senior Field Officers and Field Officers on gender-responsive and safeguarding-sensitive data collection practices ahead of fieldwork for each assignment.
• Co-author the gender, inclusion, and safeguarding sections of each Strategic Review's final report, ensuring inclusion perspectives are integrated throughout, not confined to a standalone section, and contribute to recommendations for strengthening inclusive design in future programming.

Indicative Deliverables

• Inception report with methodology and work plan.
• Technical input to the Strategic Review instruments relating to gender, inclusion, and safeguarding indicators and disaggregation strategy.
• Desk review synthesis input on gender, inclusion and safeguarding relevant to the Implementing Partner’s sector and geography. 
• Administering Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), In-depth Interviews (IDIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with documented adaptations for refugee, PWD, and young women respondents relevant to the assignment.
• A short safeguarding briefing note and referral pathway for field teams, finalised before data collection begins.
• Oversight of qualitative fieldwork as scheduled for the assignment, with field notes or summaries as agreed with the review’s lead.
• Disaggregated analysis note covering gender, refugee status, and disability status across POA outcome areas.
• Interim findings presentation to the Foundation team.
• Final report (max 40 pages, excluding annexes) including executive summary, digital economy analysis chapter, recommendations, and a prioritized action matrix.
• Drafted sections of the final Strategic Review report covering gender, inclusion, safeguarding integration, and related recommendations.
• Participation in sensemaking and validation sessions with the Mastercard Foundation and the relevant Implementing Partner, as required.

Required Qualifications

The expert should possess

• Advanced degree in gender studies, social sciences, development studies, or a related field.
• Minimum 8-10 years of experience in gender-responsive evaluation, inclusive programming, or safeguarding in development or humanitarian contexts in Uganda, ideally including direct work with refugee or displaced populations and persons with disabilities.
• Demonstrated experience designing and conducting qualitative fieldwork (IDIs, FGDs, KIIs) with structurally excluded groups, including trauma-informed and culturally appropriate facilitation techniques.
• Working knowledge of safeguarding frameworks and referral pathways appropriate to the Uganda context, including experience handling sensitive disclosures during fieldwork.
• Familiarity with Uganda’s refugee response context (including major refugee settlement areas) and with national gender and disability inclusion policy is strongly preferred.
• Strong facilitation skills in relevant Ugandan local languages, or demonstrated experience working effectively through local-language facilitators and interpreters.
• Prior experience contributing to donor-funded evaluations or strategic reviews, ideally within mixed-methods designs, is an advantage.