jbs international: at the forefront of gender thought and ... practice... · conduct gender and...

JBS InternatIonal: at the forefront of gender

thought and practIce

Advancing global gender equality

gender practIce | JBS INTERNATIONAL 1

Start with a commitment to gender equality and women’s rights.

JBS believes that gender equality is a transformational force that increases the well-being of societies around the world and enables them to flourish. Our commitment to advancing women’s rights and gender equality is embedded in our mission and vision for the future. It lies not on the fringes of our policies and practices; it is central to the way we work.

Apply evidence-based research to gender programs.

A hallmark of JBS’s approach to promoting gender equality is its grounding in evidence-based research. JBS possesses expertise in empirical, applied, and action research—quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods—as well as predictive analytics, a type of data mining that enables the prediction of future probabilities and trends.

Where data are unavailable, JBS works with local partners to conduct gender and situational analyses that provide nuanced, contextualized information on which to base approaches and activities. Findings from these analyses also contribute to the overall gender knowledge base to inform future work.

Gender programs supported by sound research increase the likelihood of success and sustainability.

empowered women enrIch the world

2 JBS INTERNATIONAL | gender practIce

Focus on the root causes of inequality.

Globally accepted equality indicators show great disparities between the sexes. JBS identifies the root causes and chief drivers of these inequalities and addresses them to help close gender gaps.

Tackling the underlying sources and major forces that produce and perpetuate inequalities accelerates progress toward gender equality. This approach includes addressing specific symptoms but is more systemic and enduring.

Form development hypotheses fueled by theories of change.

JBS draws on data to formulate development hypotheses— informed ideas about a problem and its causes. We fortify the hypotheses with relevant theories of change— assumptions about likely solutions to the problem.

Devising a causal pathway from the status quo to the desired result is the basis of our programming approach.

Use creative, culturally relevant techniques in program implementation.

8 Customized, culturally effective, stimulating activities 8 Participatory activities aligned with cultural realities

8 Interactive materials tailored to resonate with target groups

8 Modern and traditional media to effectively communicate ideas

8 Engagement with minority and marginalized groups

effectIVe approacheS

how JBS getS the JoB done1. Gather research relevant to the program. Where research is

unavailable, conduct a gender analysis to collect key data.

2. Analyze data to identify root causes of targeted inequality.

3. Produce development hypotheses targeting root causes.

4. Design sequenced activities, materials, and monitoring plans.

5. Devise gender-sensitive indicators.

6. Implement and monitor to assess progress and revise approaches/materials as needed.

7. Evaluate to assess achievement of objectives, outcomes, and prospects for sustainability.

effectIVe approacheS



what JBS offerS:

dIVerSe Scope.clear reSultS.Broad Scale.

JBS has many years of gender experience, including conducting research; developing tools; delivering technical assistance and training; and managing, monitoring, and evaluating projects.

Diverse Scope

• Agriculture

• Capacity building

• Civil society strengthening

• Counter-trafficking in persons

• Education

• Effects of gender roles on males and females

• Gender based violence (GBV)

• Gender, conflict, peace, and security

• Health

• Information and communication technologies (ICTs)

• Life skills

• Organizational/institutional development

• Technical/vocational education and training (TVET)

• Women’s leadership development

• Workforce development

• Youth


Clear Results

• Applied research

- Data analysis, synthesis, and dissemination

- In-person and virtual data collection

- Instrument design

- Literature reviews

- Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods

research design

• Community mobilization and advocacy

• Gender analysis toolkit development

• Gender assessments

• Gender-sensitive indicator development

• Instructional design

• IT tool development

• Knowledge management

• Monitoring and evaluation

• Policy analysis

• Technical assistance (in-person and online)

• Training (in-person and online)

• Video production


Afghanistan AlbaniaAntigua and BarbudaArmeniaBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelizeBoliviaBosnia and HerzegovinaCambodiaCubaDjiboutiDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEthiopiaGeorgia GhanaGuatemalaHondurasIndiaIndonesiaJamaicaKazakhstan

KosovoLebanonLiberiaMacedoniaMauritaniaMoldovaMontenegro MoroccoNamibiaNicaraguaOmanPakistanPeruRussiaSenegalSerbiaSouth AfricaSt. LuciaSt. Vincent and the Grendines TanzaniaTrinidad and Tobago Ukraine Uzbekistan West Bank/ Gaza StripZambia

JBS has worked in 110 countries on almost every continent, including conflict/post-conflict/crisis countries such as Afghanistan and Pakistan. Most recently, our international work has taken place in:

what JBS offerS:

Broad Scale


what JBS offerS:


JBS delIVerS: SpotlIght on Selected

accomplIShmentS

Diverse sector program evaluations

• Women’s leadership and media training

• U.S. internship program for young businesswomen

in the Middle East

• Primary school basic health education for girls

• Outcomes and impacts of USAID’s Ambassador Girls’

Scholarship Program

• Sustained improvements in learning outcomes at

300 girl-friendly schools

• Women’s leadership in disaster risk reduction, disaster

risk management, and complex emergencies

Client support

• Applied research, knowledge management, instructional

design, and IT tool development to build client capacity to

use a gender-sensitive approach to programming, gather

sound evidence, and create a knowledge base for program

conceptualization, design, and implementation.

• Produced research reports, technical documents, and

toolkits containing practical information and concrete

recommendations for integrating gender into project design

and evaluation and building gender capacity within local

research firms, NGOs, and among subject matter experts.


• Completed more than 100 formative, mid-term, and end-of-

project evaluations plus scale and sustainability studies.

• Supported development, delivery, and reporting on Gender

Integration Training in Eastern Europe and Eurasia.The

multidisciplinary, interactive learning sessions covered

advanced gender analysis issues in new USAID policies and

strategies with a regional focus.

• Assisted in every component—from thematic development to

on-the-ground logistics—of a results-oriented and participatory

adult learner-centered workshop on best practices and

lessons learned in countering human trafficking, workforce

development, gender integration, and youth programming, all

in the context of developing and maintaining public–private

partnerships.


meet the JBS gender practIce team

The JBS Gender Practice Team is drawn from our multicultural, multilingual staff, who have worked around the world and can conduct business in 21 languages. Together, the team possesses state-of-the-art gender knowledge and a full complement of technical and functional skills to address challenging gender issues.

MARY FONTAINE, MA, International Women’s Studies

gender practIce lead

More than 30 years of experience, including 20 years in South Asia and the Near and Middle East plus shorter term technical assistance in East and West Africa, the Caribbean, and the Balkans; extensive experience in gender analysis and integration; policy analysis and development; strategic planning; and program design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation; served over 4 tours as the Senior Gender Advisor at USAID/Afghanistan; designed, launched, and oversaw the Mission’s gender analysis process; trained staff on gender integration; established gender mainstreaming framework; assessed gender budgeting of programs; authored a large NGO strengthening and small grant program and a women’s leadership development program, the largest women’s program in USAID’s history; other director-level experience with international NGOs, governments, and companies in education, institutional/organizational strengthening, economic growth, water and sanitation, ICTs,


internally displaced persons, natural disasters, scholarship and small grants programs, post-conflict programming, and women’s leadership development and empowerment in the public, private, and civil society sectors; possesses strong partnership development, research analysis and synthesis, communications, and strategic planning skills.

CHRISTINE ALLISON, MA, Policy Studies

SenIor reSearch aSSocIate, SenIor prIncIpal

Extensive knowledge and expertise in quantitative and qualitative evaluation and methods, including survey design, focus group and site visit protocol design, focus group moderating, instrument testing, and data analysis, including gender impact analysis; experience in 33 countries in monitoring and evaluation, education, economic growth, conflict and crisis, natural disasters, and social issues such as gender, trafficking, and disability; possesses strong organizational and management skills; currently focusing on post-conflict education, human trafficking, gender analyses, inclusive education, and women’s employment and labor market conditions.

MARIA BRINdLMAYER, Graduate degree (European), Marketing

SenIor Knowledge management SpecIalISt

A knowledge management (KM), training, and marketing/ communications leader with more than 20 years of experience at large global and small organizations, including Fortune 500 clients, the European Commission, and USAID; gathered, synthesized, and disseminated knowledge by topic (e.g., gender, workforce development) for USAID users; created and managed


active communities of practice at a large, global professional services firm and with a global education donor network; generated millions of dollars in cost savings by efficiently managing IT solutions (e.g., KM, content management, collaboration, Web sites, and Intranets for more than 150,000 users); led projects from concept development through business case, requirements gathering, and design to implementation; spearheaded innovation through mobile applications and social/organizational network analysis; successfully managed remote and international teams.

ABIGAIL LAdd, MPA, MA, development Studies

reSearch aSSocIate

Expertise in conducting social research (qualitative/quantitative/mixed methods research, instrument design, data collection and management, and data analysis and reporting), supporting gender analysis and gender integration activities, developing and facilitating in-person and online trainings, contributing to program and project design, building monitoring systems, and leading evaluation activities for government clients such as USAID and U.S. Departments of State and Homeland Security, academic institutions, and nonprofit organizations; extensive research in education and gender issues, women’s leadership and female empowerment, inclusive basic and higher education, workforce development, public-private partnerships, anti-trafficking in persons, and social welfare of vulnerable groups; strong interest in application of feminist, gender, and equity-based evaluation approaches; experience conducting research and managing international evaluations in South and Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and Europe.

JBS gender practIce team


REBEkAH LEvI, MA, Education and International development

reSearch aSSocIate

Expertise in ICT, monitoring and evaluation, partnership building, training, gender issues, and social research; worked with USAID to conceptualize and build the first international consortium on the use of mobile technology for education in developing countries and ran its secretariat, which included significant research on how technology empowers women and girls and provides access to education, workforce skills, and employment; extensive experience evaluating international projects for USAID, foundations, universities, the U.S. Departments of State and Homeland Security, and Junior Achievement Worldwide; experienced in running multi-year evaluations in complex environments such as Cuba, including instrument design, data collection, data analysis, report writing, and presentation of sensitive data; experience working with more than 20 leading international organizations working in the ICT for Education field; teaching experience in adult education, literacy, workforce development, and basic education; fluent in Spanish.

LEITH LOMBAS, PhD, Sociology, Certification in Gender

Studies

reSearch aSSocIate

Expertise in evaluation design, qualitative and mixed methods research, participatory evaluation design and approaches, gender and international development issues, perspectives on violence and violence prevention, homelessness, and HIV/AIDS prevention; experience in conducting focus groups, interviews, participant observation, ethnography and qualitative analysis, survey and structured interview development, program design and implementation for international, regional, and local organizations, and research trainings for qualitative researchers; extensive knowledge of social theory, feminist theory, gender studies, and international and cross-cultural evaluation.



CRAIG PACkER

SenIor wrIter

Gender advocate with 23 years of writing, editing, and communications experience with special expertise in social media; experience in managing social media sites on micro-lending to women around the world and violence against women in the United States; conducted formative research for a National Institute on Drug Abuse campaign targeting teenage girls and young women; developed communications and marketing products for the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention’s Girl Power! campaign and crafted educational materials and fact sheets on women’s health; founder of the Stop the Worldwide War on Girls, a Facebook-based campaign with more than 25,000 members in more than 50 countries; a graduate of the Institute on Political Journalism at Georgetown University.

JILL RHOdES, MA, International Studies; Graduate diploma,

Islamic Studies

reSearch aSSocIate

Research analyst with expertise in the roles of Muslim women in northern Africa, international regimes in the promotion of women’s rights, and gender mainstreaming in the security sector; conducted homeland security studies and sector assessments in conflict and post-conflict countries; designed and led a study on countering violent extremism in the United States; conducted research on terrorism and counter-terrorism policies, including international cooperation and the impact of European policies on local Muslim communities; ongoing focus on the role of women in security; work experience in Egypt and Niger, with data collection in Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Thailand, and the United States.



NICOLE ZdROJEWSkI, MA, International development Studies

reSearch aSSocIate

Expertise in gender integration training, gender analysis, research, and knowledge management on gender issues, anti-human trafficking, human security, and vulnerable groups; analyzed issues affecting LGBT populations and women with disabilities in Europe and Eurasia; spearheaded research on poverty, instability, youth, and gender issues in South Asia; analyzed the impact of gender discrimination against women and its relationship to trafficking; in Ukraine designed workforce development programming for women and gender-sensitive, healthy lifestyles training for students; assisted in design and research activities on the first iteration of USAID’s Anti- trafficking Task Order; carried out a field ethnography on indigenous women’s empowerment through microfinance in India; designed a gender analysis framework for microfinance practitioners; country experience includes Hungary, India, Lebanon, Pakistan, Romania, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, and the United Arab Emirates.


JBS: practIcIng gender eQualItY and

women’S empowerment

JBS is a women-owned company that has grown from a small startup in 1985 to an award-winning firm with contracts in the international, Federal, State, non-profit, and commercial sectors. Through first-hand experience, networks, and partnerships with other women-owned businesses and organizations, JBS

understands the challenges and obstacles to growth that businesswomen encounter. We possess keen insights into female entrepreneurship and women’s economic empowerment issues.

JBS is also aware of the importance of developing women’s leadership skills and building capacities in technical, functional, and managerial competencies. Led by two female Co-CEOs, JBS operates with a staff of more than 350, 60 percent of whom are women.

JBS lives its gender commitment, ensuring equality in the workplace and providing equitable opportunities for staff to develop their potential and, in the process, gain the confidence that is a prerequisite for empowerment.

Co-CEOs Jerri Shaw and Gail Bassin

We started JBS because we wanted

to build a firm that reflected our

personal commitment to doing work

that supports systemic change and

helps improve people’s lives. JBS tries

to find breakthrough strategies to

help our clients solve their most

challenging problems. We do this by

blending and balancing analytical,

hard-edged thinking with intuition

and passion.”

“


JBS International, Inc. | 5515 Security Lane, Suite 800

North Bethesda, MD 20852-5007 | 301.495.1080

www.jbsinternational.com

JBS has a long history of partnering with

other companies and organizations with

similar missions and values. We have served

as both prime contractor and subcontractor

and welcome opportunities to join forces

with others to promote gender equality

and women’s rights and empowerment.

To explore ways we might work together, contact Mary Fontaine, Gender Practice Lead, at [email protected] or call 301.495.1080.

jbs international: at the forefront of gender thought and ... practice... · conduct gender and...

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