Background

The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action, and peace and security. The fundamental objective of UN Women is to enhance national capacity and ownership to enable national partners to formulate gender responsive laws and policies and to upscale successful strategies to deliver on national commitments to gender equality.

The work of UN Women Cambodia is informed by the Strategic Plan of UN Women 2014-2017 and its Annual Work Plan for Cambodia 2014-2015.  Ending violence against women and girls has been identified by UN Women as a primary focus area in Cambodia. Specifically, UN Women’s priorities in Cambodia include increasing and supporting women’s participation in public decision making processes, including in peace building and governance (with a particular focus on young women in governance); enhancing economic opportunities including the empowerment of women migrant workers and women’s rural livelihoods; strengthening mechanisms for the protection of women’s human rights with a particular focus on CEDAW; engendering Cambodia’s national response to HIV/AIDS; and preventing and responding to violence against women.  UN Women strives to strengthen women’s voices, create space for dialogue, and to ensure that women have the capacities and opportunities to influence the decisions that affect their lives.

Cambodia is currently presented with a key opportunity to build on achievements to date and accelerate efforts to end violence against women and girls (EVAW/G). Key policy documents, which are currently under revision, including the National Strategic Development Plan (NSDP) and the Royal Government of Cambodia’s (RGC) Strategic Plan for Gender Equality (Neary Rattanak) highlight EVAW/G as a government priority.   RGC strategies to prevent and respond to VAW/G are elaborated in the draft second National Action Plan to Prevent Violence Against Women (2nd NAPVAW), which was formulated with financial and technical support from UN Women through an inclusive and participatory process.  UN Women advocates for policies and programmes that are evidence-based and evidence-building, enabling responses to VAW to be grounded into a continuing cycle of evidence-to-policy-to-practice. 

In 2014, UN Women is supporting the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) to launch implementation of the 2nd NAPVAW. The Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MOWA) leads this process in close consultation with relevant ministries, development partners and civil society.  As part of the implementation of the 2nd NAPVAW, UN Women supports improvements in the quality of services available to victims of violence; inter-ministerial coordination, the implementation of a national prevalence study to be conducted in partnership with the government and other UN agencies, and the development of primary and secondary prevention interventions.

UN Women also bridges EVAW/G efforts at the global, regional and local level, establishing links for the purposes of advocacy and communications.  Strategic approaches to EVAW/G in Cambodia are needed as a platform to bring international debates and standards to the local level while ensuring that local partners are equipped with the capacity and opportunity to engage in global dialogues and policy processes. In the immediate future, with the end of the MDGs-period in 2015 and the 20th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action, UN Women intends to support the RGC and civil society to be at the centre of the information sharing and public dialogues, especially on EVAW.

With this in mind there is need for an international consultant to provide expert technical assistance to UN Women, the Royal Government of Cambodia, and civil society counterparts to further evolve existing initiatives on EVAW/G and to ensure the country office’s leadership role on EVAW/G in Cambodia.

Under the direct supervision of UN Women’s Country Representative, the consultant will serve as a lead technical advisor on EVAW/G in Cambodia, with emphasis on:  increasing public participation and transparency in national policy formulation and implementation processes; and marrying global evidence of best practice with research available in Cambodia to develop and test pilot interventions.  In providing technical support, the consultant will be required to demonstrate competencies in three central objectives:

  • Strengthen UN Women’s technical support to the RGC and civil society on the implementation of 2nd NAPVAW, including the mechanisms needed for the monitoring and evaluation of its implementation.  Support an implementation process that strengthens public transparency and participation.  Bridge EVAW/G efforts at the local level to regional and global level;
  • Recommend options to the UN Women Country Representative and EVAW Programme Team to optimize performance of the EVAW Programme, drawing on best practices, lessons learned and innovations from other country contexts, as well as the connection with global processes—including the Beijing +20 Review, Sustainable Development Goals, and the Post-2015 Development Agenda.  Produce and disseminate strategic and timely communications and facilitate participatory events.
  • Increase commitments to EVAW in Cambodia by building strategic partnerships and networks with the aim of supporting systematic and innovative growth of the EVAW Programme.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work:

Policy advice and technical guidance on the implementation of the 2nd NAPVAW

  • To the Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MOWA) on the implementation of the 2nd NAPVAW, with emphasis on the TGC TWGG Sub-Working Group on GBV and its three thematic sub-committees;
  • To national counterparts including the Ministry of Interior and NGO legal aid and service providers on: response services for victims and survivors of VAW, access to justice for women, law enforcement and police response to VAW;
  • On the design and implementation of capacity building initiatives to enhance accountability on EVAW/G, and to increase coordination effectiveness. Present trainings and undertake field missions for this purpose, as appropriate.

Technical Guidance and Knowledge Management

  • To UN Women on EVAW plans and processes to address the prevention and response dimensions in policy and programme design, including the intersectional ties with governance, HIV/AIDS, migration, trafficking, and women peace and security.  Facilitate relevant consultations with stakeholders as necessary;
  • To the MOWA and NGOs to strategically design and facilitate public awareness and outreach events on EVAW in the context of Beijing +20 and the Post-2015 Development Agenda;
  • On the production of EVAW programme briefs, reports, and communications materials on EVAW.

Expected Outputs and Deliverables:

  • Consultant’s Workplan.  Submission of Workplan for Consultancy, including counterparts and timeline;
  • Policy advice and technical guidance to the Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MOWA) and partners on the implementation of the 2nd NAPVAW, with emphasis on the TGC TWGG Sub-Working Group on GBV and its three thematic sub-committees.  Submission of the NAPVAW Implementation Plan and two (mid-term and final) NAPVAW Implementation Progress Reports;
  • Design and implementation of capacity building initiatives to enhance accountability on EVAW/G.  Submission of Capacity Building Plan and Training Materials;
  • Technical guidance and knowledge management, including public awareness and outreach events on EVAW in Cambodia, in the context of Beijing +20 and the Post-2015 Development Agenda Submission of programme briefs, reports, and communications materials on EVAW;
  • Consultant’s Report: Submission of end-of-consultancy report detailing activities, results and recommendations for follow-up.

Institutional Arrangement:

The consultant will work under the supervision of the UN Women Cambodia Country Representative and in close consultation with the EVAW Programme team in the Cambodia Country Office (CCO). 

The Consultant will bring his/her own personal computer to conduct this assignment.

Duration of the Work:

  • Duration: 20 May 2014 – 20 February 2015;
  • Maximum working days: 145.

Duty Station:

 Phnom Penh (The consultant will be based in Phnom Penh at the UN Women Cambodia Country Office; however, some provincial travel may be necessary in order to undertake the required terms of reference.

Competencies

Functional competencies:

  • Local knowledge of the social, cultural, and political context of Cambodia and its relation to gender and VAW.
  • Promotes knowledge management and a learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example;
  • Demonstrated sensitivity, discretion, tact, and courtesy in relation to gender equality and women’s rights, development principles, implementing partners, and national and international personnel of varied nationalities and backgrounds.

Technical competencies:

  • Good knowledge of the Cambodian policy and legislative framework and institutional mechanisms concerning ending violence against women;
  • Strong knowledge of results-based management (RBM) principles, gender equality and human rights-based approaches;
  • A proven ability to liaise and coordinate with a myriad of stakeholders and partners, including government, civil society, international organizations and grassroots organizations;
  • A proven history of leadership, management and staff supervision through a style of mutual accountability and professional development;
  • Experience of developing sectoral and programme-based knowledge products and funding proposals.

Corporate competencies:

  • Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
  • Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UN Women;
  • Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
  • Treats all people fairly without favoritism;
  • Fulfills all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment;

Required Skills and Experience

Education: 

  • Master’s degree in gender, development studies, international relations, or other related disciplines.

Experience: 

  • Minimum 7 years progressively responsible relevant experience, preferably from the UN System or an international organization;
  • At least 3 years professional experience in EVAW programme planning and implementation, monitoring, evaluation, reporting and resource mobilization, preferably from the UN System or an international organization;
  • Sound knowledge of international standards on human rights, women’s rights and related instruments such as CEDAW, SCR 1325 etc.;
  • Experience with UN Women programing and basic understanding of UN Women procurement procedures would be a strong asset;
  • Solid experience in coordination with government and NGOs in Cambodia;
  • Professional experience working in women’s human rights and/or development in Cambodia, in particular on ending violence against women would be a strong asset.

Language Requirements: 

  • Fluency in English (Both oral and written).

Important note:

Interested offeror is strongly advised to read the Individual Consultant (IC) Procurement Notice, wich can be viewed at http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=15385 for more detail about term of references, instructions to offeror, and documents to be included when submitting offer.

Documents to be included when submitting the application:

Interested offeror/individual must submit the following documents/information:

Please be informed that we don’t accept application submitted via email.

Interested candidate is required to submit application via UNDP jobsite system, because the application screening and evaluation will be done through UNDP jobsite system. Please note that UNDP jobsite system allows only one uploading of application document, so please make sure that you merge all your documents into a single file. Your on-line applications submission will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided. If you do not receive an e-mail acknowledgement within 24 hours of submission, your application may not have been received. In such cases, please resubmit the application, if necessary.

Any request for clarification/additional information on this procurement notice shall be communicated in writing to UNDP office or send to email vannara.chea@undp.org and/or procurement.kh@undp.org. While the Procurement Unit would endeavor to provide information expeditiously, only requests receiving at least 5 working days prior to the submission deadline will be entertained. Any delay in providing such information will not be considered as a reason for extending the submission deadline. The UNDP's response (including an explanation of the query but without identifying the source of inquiry) will be posted in Individual Consultant (IC) Procurement Notice page as provided above. Therefore, all prospective Offerors are advised to visit the page regularly to make obtain update related to this Individual Consultant (IC) Procurement Notice.