Terms of Reference

Title: Case study Consultant

Project: United for Care-sensitive Approaches to Rights and Empowerment (UCARE)

Timing: November 10, 2026 -December 22, 2026

Level of Effort: Up to a maximum of 12 days

Background and rationale

About UCARE

The United for Care-sensitive Approaches to Rights and Empowerment (UCARE) project is implemented by Alinea Foundation in Ghana with funding from Global Affairs Canada (GAC). The project works with national partners, Regional Coordinating Councils (RCCs), Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), communities and families in northern Ghana to contribute to a more evidence-based, gender-responsive and care-sensitive policy and programming environment.

The key area of UCARE’s work is unpaid care work (UCW), an area that is culturally sensitive, deeply embedded in gender norms and still insufficiently recognised in public discourse and development planning. Through its work at household, community and institutional levels, UCARE is generating valuable experience and evidence on approaches to shifting norms, attitudes and practices around UCW.

Access to evidence, information and tested approaches can make behaviour change promotion less daunting. It is therefore important to document selected UCARE experiences in ways that go beyond reporting activities and outputs, and instead capture what was done, how it was done, what changed, why change occurred, what were the challenges as well as unintended consequences, and what can be learned for future programming and replication.

The UCARE case studies will therefore not be conventional success stories. They will provide an in-depth examination of selected aspects of UCARE’s implementation experience, drawing on quantitative and qualitative evidence generated through the project and supplementing this with targeted primary data collection where necessary.

The case studies are intended to complement, rather than duplicate, UCARE’s existing monitoring, evaluation and learning products and processes. For example, existing UCARE data may demonstrate changes in the division of unpaid care work, increased institutional engagement or the integration of UCW into district planning. The case studies will go deeper to understand how those changes happened, what enabled or constrained them, the role played by UCARE and its partners, and the prospects for sustainability and replication.

The objective of this ToR therefore, is to hire an expert to lead the documentation of UCARE’s first case study.

Purpose of the assignment

The overall purpose of the assignment is to develop a high-quality, evidence-informed case study that documents and analyses selected UCARE experiences and generates practical learning for the project, partners and wider stakeholders working on UCW, gender equality, social norms and development planning.

The case study will seek to:

Document promising UCARE approaches, experiences and processes that offer significant learning value.

Examine the drivers and conditions that have contributed to observed changes.

Capture implementation challenges, adaptations and lessons.

Explore UCARE’s contribution to change while recognising the influence of contextual and external factors.

Identify approaches, principles or processes that may be replicated or adapted in other contexts.

Generate practical recommendations to strengthen ongoing and future programming.

Contribute to the wider evidence base on unpaid care work, gender equality and care-sensitive development planning in Ghana.

Provide accessible knowledge products for national and local government stakeholders, development partners, civil society, academia and other actors working in this space.

Case study topic

Scaling up the Gender Model Family approach

Focus:From depth to scale: what enables and limits effective GMF scale-up?

This case study will examine UCARE’s experience of scaling up the Gender Model Family (GMF) approach and explore the practical tensions between scale, depth, quality, sustainability and social change.

A central premise for the study is that scaling an intervention significantly may require adaptation to the original model. The case study will therefore examine not only the number of families or communities reached, but also how the model has evolved in response to scale and what has been gained, lost or adapted in the process.

Key areas of inquiry may include:

How has the GMF approach changed as UCARE has sought to scale it?

Which elements of the original model are essential to preserve, and which can be simplified, streamlined or adapted

How has this reflected in the UCARE adaptation?

What has enabled organic replication of the GMF approach?

What has limited organic replication?

What is the appropriate balance between the breadth of scale and the depth of engagement required to support meaningful behaviour and norm change through GMF?

What does UCARE’s experience suggest about the scale or threshold required to catalyse broader social change?

What has been learned from adapting targets, implementation approaches and systems in response to the realities of scale?

What conditions are necessary for GMF to remain effective and sustainable as it expands?

The final research questions will be refined with the UCARE team and/or the consultant during inception.

Case study process and methodology

The case study is expected to use a qualitative, case-based and learning-oriented methodology, drawing on multiple sources of evidence.

The consultant will be expected to undertake an initial review of relevant UCARE documentation and data before proposing the final methodology and data collection plan.

Existing project data should be used to:

Identify and substantiate important patterns, changes or experiences.

Identify areas requiring deeper qualitative exploration.

Help select appropriate case study sites, communities, institutions and participants.

Triangulate information obtained through interviews and other qualitative methods.

Additional primary data collection should be targeted and purposeful, filling evidence gaps that cannot be adequately addressed through existing UCARE data.

Potential sources of both secondary and primary evidence may include:

GPM+ data and other relevant technical research and monitoring reports.

GMF monitoring and implementation records.

MMDA planning and programme documents.

UCARE activity and donor reports and learning products

Relevant partner documentation, including SEND materials.

Interviews with UCARE staff and implementing partners.

Key informant interviews with relevant national, regional and MMDA stakeholders.

Interviews or focus group discussions with selected community members, GMF families and/or Gender Champions, where appropriate.

Other relevant secondary evidence identified during the assignment.

Key activities and deliverables

The consultant will be responsible for the following activities and deliverables:

A. Inception and desk review

Participate in an inception meeting with the UCARE team to gain a better understanding of case study topic.

Review relevant UCARE project documents, MEL data, reports, partner materials and other available evidence to identify evidence gaps and opportunities for triangulation.

Refine the case study questions and methodology in consultation with UCARE.

Submit an inception report including a detailed case study plan, qualitative data collection tools, proposed data sources, participants, methods and timelines.

B. Primary data collection

Conduct focus group discussions and/or KII interviews with selected stakeholders including community members, GMF families, Gender Champions and other relevant participants.

Engage with relevant UCARE staff and partners to understand implementation processes, adaptations and contextual factors.

C. Analysis and case study development

Analyse and triangulate primary and secondary evidence.

Identify key patterns, drivers, enabling factors, constraints, adaptations and lessons.

Assess UCARE's contribution to observed changes, including factors outside the project's direct control.

Develop a compelling and evidence-informed narrative that explains not only what happened, but how and why it happened.

Highlight implications for sustainability, replication and future programming.

Develop practical recommendations arising from the findings and questions for future research/updating of case studies.

D. Validation and finalisation

Present emerging findings in a draft report to the UCARE team for review.

Revise the draft based on technical feedback.

Submit final case study products in agreed format.

Expected deliverables, LOE, and timeline

LOE (days)

Inception meeting and orientation

November 10

Desk review and review of existing UCARE evidence

November 13

Develop detailed case study plan and data collection tools

November 18

Primary data collection

December 4

Data analysis and preparation of draft case study

December 11

Submission of draft case study

December 11

Validation/discussion of findings

Submission of final case study

Expected format and quality of case studies

The case study should be approximately 6–10 pages, excluding annexes.

The final product should:

Be written in clear language, accessible to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Present sufficient methodological detail to establish credibility without becoming overly academic.

Use evidence, participant perspectives and illustrative examples as appropriate.

Clearly distinguish findings, interpretation and recommendations.

Highlight successes, challenges, and lessons that can be applied beyond the specific case.

Management and coordination

The consultant will report to the UCARE GESI Specialist and will work closely with the UCARE GESI and MEL teams.

The UCARE team will provide relevant project documentation, available data and existing monitoring/research materials necessary for the assignment.

The UCARE team will also support coordination with relevant project partners and stakeholders, including where necessary the identification and scheduling of interviewees and other participants.

Regular check-in meetings will be held throughout the assignment to review progress, emerging findings and any issues requiring clarification or adjustment.

Consultant qualifications and experience

The consultant should have:

A postgraduate qualification in social sciences, development studies, gender studies, public policy, monitoring and evaluation or a related field.

Demonstrated experience conducting qualitative research and developing high-quality case studies.

Strong analytical and writing skills, with the ability to translate complex implementation experiences into clear and compelling learning products.

Experience in gender equality, unpaid care work, social norms, women's empowerment, local governance, development planning or related areas.

Experience working with government institutions, development partners and/or civil society organizations in Ghana.

Understanding of issues related to attribution, contribution and contextual influences on development outcomes.

Ability to speak one or more of the major local languages spoken in the project’s operational areas (Dagbani, Mampruli, Likpakpaanl, and Gonja) will be an advantage.

Experience producing knowledge products for development partners and policy/programming audiences will be an advantage

Applications should be sent to email: mariama@alineainternational.com not later than 31st October 2026.

Case Study Consultant

Key skills

At a glance