Background

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN’s global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 177 countries and territories, working with governments and people on their own solutions to global and national development challenges. As they develop local capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP and our wide range of partners that can bring about results.
 
The Bureau for Development Policy (BDP) is UNDP’s policy Bureau and backbone of the global practices.  BDP has a key role to play in helping country offices to accelerate human development through strengthening the practice areas within UNDP’s programmes.  BDP supports the development and design of projects that are responsive, effective and contribute to the national-level policies and results.  Driven by demand, BDP provides tools, analysis and capacities for country offices to make a real difference in UNDP’s practice areas.
 
BDP supports UNDP’s 2014-2017 Strategic Plan, focusing on 3 thematic areas: Sustainable Development Pathways, Inclusive and Effective Democratic Governance, and Resilience.
 
HIV, Health and Development Approach:
 
UNDP is a founding cosponsor of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), a partner of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and a co-sponsor of several other international health partnerships. UNDP’s work on HIV, health and development leverages the organization’s core strengths and mandates in human development, governance and capacity development to complement the efforts of specialist health-focused UN agencies.  UNDP delivers three types of support to countries in HIV, health and development. 
 
First, UNDP helps countries to mainstream attention to HIV and health into action on gender, poverty and the broader effort to achieve and sustain the Millennium Development Goals.  For example, UNDP works with countries to understand the social and economic factors that play a crucial role in driving health and disease, and to respond to such dynamics with appropriate policies and programmes outside the health sector. UNDP also promotes specific action on the needs and rights of women and girls as they relate to HIV.
 
Second, UNDP works with partners to address the interactions between governance, human rights and health responses.   Sometimes this is done through focused or specialized programmes, such as promoting attention to the role of legal environments (law and access to justice) in facilitating stronger HIV responses, including the use of flexibilities in intellectual property and human rights law to lower the cost of drugs and diagnostics and to increase access to HIV-related treatment.  UNDP also works to empower and include people living with HIV and marginalized populations who are disproportionately affected by HIV - also known as key populations - such as sex workers, men who have sex with men, transgender people.  Beyond these focused efforts, UNDP plays a key role in ensuring attention to HIV and health within broader governance and rights initiatives, including support to district and municipal action on MDGs, strengthening of national human rights institutions and increasing access to justice for marginalized populations.
 
Third, as a trusted, long-term partner with extensive operational experience, UNDP supports countries in effective implementation of complex, multilateral and multisectoral health projects, while simultaneously investing in capacity development so that national and local partners can assume these responsibilities over time.
 
Strengthening UNDP’s Gender Responses to HIV - Addressing Women, Girls Gender Equality and HIV
Despite significant progress in responding to the global HIV epidemic, it remains a significant challenge to human development, particularly in countries with generalized epidemics. It is now widely accepted that violations of human rights, especially women’s rights, hamper HIV prevention efforts and impede access to HIV treatment, care and support. Human rights’ violations also undermine governments’ abilities to realize commitments made in the Millennium Declaration and to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
 
Noting the above, UNDP wishes to engage in an assessment to identify best practices from Country Offices around the world, to strengthen UNDP’s work on women, girls, gender equality and HIV, recognizing persistent gender inequalities and human rights’ violations that make women and girls particularly vulnerable to HIV infection. This is required to ensure that the gains made to date in preventing HIV transmission and in increasing access to anti-retroviral therapy are sustained, scaled up and successfully help prevent, treat, care for and support women and girls at risk of, vulnerable to and living with HIV.
 
Objective of the assignment:
 
Strengthen integration of HIV and gender in national policies. The purpose of this initiative is to assess UNDP’s work in this area to date, and to identify and take steps to ensure that our work is a strategic, targeted and as effective as possible.
 
Output: external evaluation, assessment/case studies and recommendations drawn from strategy meeting with key colleagues and partners;
Contributes to UNDP Output 3.3: National institutions, systems, laws and policies strengthened for equitable, accountable and effective delivery of HIV and related services; and
Contributes to UNAIDS UBRAF Outcome C3 and C4.
 
The study will support UNDP’s new Strategic Plan 2014 – 2017: Changing with the World, Helping countries to achieve the simultaneous eradication of poverty and significant reduction of inequality and exclusion and help expand UNDP’s global efforts to empower women and girls, safeguard their human rights, prevent HIV and address challenges that accompany the epidemic at individual, community, country, regional and global levels. Bringing broader attention to the intersection of HIV, gender and sexuality, along with engaging men and boys in the effort to challenge harmful gender norms, is critical to reverse the HIV epidemic. Findings from this assignment will be used to guide future policy making and programming.
 
The evaluation and assessment will encompass UNDP COs in the context of both a generalized and concentrated epidemic.  Overall, it will look at what is working with UNDP’s engagement and how to improve our work, particularly in the context of UNDP’s new strategy plan and gender equality strategy. The results will be a plan and guidance to: strengthen programme and policy support; ensure and scale up strategic investments in women, girls, gender equality and HIV; advance and expand strategic partnerships; ensure engagement with and support to civil society, particularly with women health and human rights organizations, groups of women living with and affected by HIV, and women in key populations.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Senior Gender, HIV and Health Advisor, the Consultant will be responsible for:
 
Activities:
  • Work with external evaluators to develop ToR, criteria, methodology and on-going engagement. The external evaluation will examine the scope and impact of UNDP support to countries on women, girls, gender equality and HIV. It will also assess partnerships with government, the UN family, other technical partners and civil society;
  • Identify Best Practices: Carry out a desk review and liaise with UNDP offices globally to develop case studies of ‘good practices’ where UNDP has made a significant, identifiable and, if possible, measureable contribution in the area of women, girls, gender equality and HIV, and, in particular support to countries to: integrate attention to HIV in national planning, gender equality and MDG efforts and to HIV in national gender and gender-based violence plans; promote enabling human rights and legislative environments to reduce vulnerability to HIV and strengthen governance and coordination of national responses; and strengthen resource mobilization and acquisition, including through the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. A key reference document will be the UNAIDS Action Framework: Agenda for Accelerated Country Action for Women, Girls, Gender Equality and HIV 2010 – 2014;
  • Organize all elements of a strategic assessment meeting to evaluate UNDP’s country level work to date, and, based on recommendations drawn from the evaluation and from the strategic assessment meeting, strengthen and scale up efforts to address women, girls, gender equality and HIV: Make all arrangements for UNDP to host an evaluation meeting with select regional and country office colleagues and other key national, regional and global partners to assess and strengthen UNDP’s support to gender-sensitive/transformative HIV responses, taking into account critical gender inequalities in order to effectively meet the needs of women and girls. This meeting will provide an opportunity to carefully review the results of the external evaluation\and share experiences of barriers to implementation, and lessons learned;
  • Working as one UN: The strategic assessment will help UNDP to reflect on its partnerships for, contributions to and results achieved in the context of the UNAIDS Agenda for Accelerated Country Action for Women, Girls, Gender Equality and HIV: Operational plan HIV 2010 – 2014, as part of the UNAIDS United Budget, Results and Accountability Framework 2012-15;
  • Partnerships: The overall initiative will identify how and with whom UNDP can increase collaboration with global partners interested in moving forward the agenda on women, girls and gender equality in the context of HIV, in particular with UNAIDS and other UN Agencies, as well as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to leverage resources and seek enhanced efficiencies in resource use;
  • Guidance Note for Country Offices: A key output from the initiative will be a guidance note for Country Offices to highlight ‘good practices’ and key recommendations on how UNDP Country Offices can strengthen it support to a more gender transformative HIV response The Guidance Note will also look at how HIV and Gender Officers in Country Offices can work better together in efforts to mainstream these two critical cross-cutting issues.
Expected Outputs/Deliverables:
  • External evaluation;
  • Case studies of ‘good practices’ on gender and HIV draft completed and available for presentation and further discussion at Global Practice meeting;
  • Summary assessment of UNDP’s contribution to UNAIDS Agenda for Accelerated Country Action for Women, Girls, Gender Equality and HIV: Operational plan HIV 2010 – 2014 for discussion at assessment meeting;
  • Evaluation/assessment meeting on women, girls, gender equality and HIV takes place – to provide an opportunity for Country Offices and UNDP HQ to learn from each other’s experiences and discuss ‘best practices’ linked to gender issues and HIV Programmes supported by UNDP, plus how UNDP can strengthen this area of work;
  • Publication of guidance for Country Offices on how best to strengthen UNDP’s responses to gender equality and HIV.
Timeframe:
  • Review and case studies – 2 months;
  • External evaluation – 3 months;
  • Planning and convening strategic assessment meeting to support UNDP to scale up efforts to address Women, Girls, Gender Equality and HIV – 3 months (to cover all preparation required for the meeting);
  • Partnerships: Identify ways in which UNDP can increase collaboration with global partners interested in moving forward the agenda on women, girls and gender equality in the context of HIV, in particular with UNAIDS and other UN Agencies, as well as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to leverage resources and seek enhanced efficiencies in resource use - 1/2 month (discussions at HQ with UNDP HIV Team and other UN Agencies, post Global Practice meeting);
  • Guidance Note for Country Offices highlighting how UNDP Country Offices can best strengthen their work on HIV by paying closer attention to gender inequalities and the particular needs of women and girls – 1.5 months.
Reporting:
  • The Consultant will report to the Senior Gender, HIV and Health Advisor.
Travel:

The IC is expected to undertake the following travels during the assignment:
 
Travel 1: 1 week mission to host strategic assessment meeting to support UNDP to scale up efforts to address Women, Girls, Gender Equality and HIV (tentatively scheduled for 17-19 September 2014 in Bangkok)
 
Applicants should quote all inclusive lump sum cost for each of the travel in their applications below in the payment section. In case of additional/unforeseeable travel, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the hiring unit and the IC. The fare will always be "most direct, most economical" and any difference in price with the preferred route will be paid for by the expert.

Applicants will be screened against qualifications and competencies specified below through a desk review or an interview process. Applicants will be evaluated based on cumulative analysis based on a combination of the Technical and Financial Scores.

Technical Evaluation Criteria:  70%.
Financial Evaluation Criteria: 30%.
 
Payment Method:

All inclusive daily fee based on the daily rate and financial proposal. The number of days will be negotiated and agreed during discussions with the selected candidate. Payments will be based on the certificate of payment and timesheet verified by the direct supervisor. 

Competencies

Organizational Competencies:   

  • Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards.  
  • Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP.  
  • Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.  

Functional: 

  • Strong analytical, negotiation and communication skills, including ability to produce high quality practical advisory reports and knowledge products.

Project and Resource Management:  

  • Ability to produce high quality outputs in a timely manner while understanding and anticipating the evolving client needs;
  • Ability to focus on impact and results for the client, promoting and demonstrating an ethic of client service.  
  • Strong organizational skills;
  • Ability to work independently, produce high quality outputs; 
  • Sound judgment, strategic thinking and the ability to manage competing priorities.

Communications and Advocacy: 

  • Strong ability to write clearly and convincingly, adapting style and content to different audiences and speak clearly and convincingly;
  • Strong presentation skills in meetings with the ability to adapt for different audiences;
  • Strong analytical, research and writing skills with demonstrated ability to think strategically;
  • Strong capacity to communicate clearly and quickly;
  • Strong inter-personal, negotiation and liaison skills.  

Required Skills and Experience

Education:
  • Advanced Degree (at least honors level) in Social Science, Public Health, Law, Economic, International Development or other related field, or equivalent professional experience.
Experience: 
  • Minimum of 5 years of national/international professional experience in the practice area with policy or programme management experience;
  • Country Office knowledge of UNDP´s work on HIV and gender equality and women´s empowerment;
  • Knowledge or expertise in the following areas (please be specific): (1) Gender responses to HIV, (2) HIV programming and implementation experience from a Country Office perspective and (3) Knowledge dissemination for HIV affected populations.
  • Professional and/or academic experience in one or more of the areas of the Development or knowledge management field.  
Language:
  • Fluency in English required.