Background

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 UN Women Multi-Country Office – Caribbean is based in Barbados and covers the English and Dutch speaking Caribbean. Supporting and partnering with Government and non-governmental organisations, UN Women MCO - Caribbean works in the areas of elimination of gender-based violence; women’s leadership and political participation; women’s economic empowerment; gender-responsive policy and planning; and supporting global and regional Inter-governmental processes in the area of gender equality and women’s empowerment. For more details, please visit our website at http://caribbean.unwomen.org.

The Caribbean Human Development report 2012 notes that “citizen insecurity has become an urgent challenge of human development in …the Caribbean” with gender seen as “the strongest predictor of criminal behaviour and criminal victimization” (CHDR, page 33).

Gender-based violence, and in particular violence against women,  and the sexual abuse of both girls and boys is one of the most common forms of insecurity facing citizens in the Caribbean. Gender-based violence directly impacts citizen security, including the stability and health of a family and community.  In addition to direct experiences of violence, the fear or threat of gender-based violence further impacts mobility, productivity, national prosperity and regional stability. Despite relatively strong legal frameworks to address gender-based violence, including intimate partner violence, comprehensive national responses and provision of services for those who have experienced violence remains a challenge in many countries in the Caribbean.

It is critical that on-going efforts to build more stable and secure societies in the Caribbean region integrate strategies which support government and civil society in: the implementation and monitoring of the existing legal frameworks to address gender-based violence (GBV) and intimate partner violence; ensuring a strengthened response by the judicial and policing systems to address impunity;  realizing improved, coordinated response services; ensuring increased voice and leadership of women and girls in this process; and significantly expanding social mobilization efforts which address culturally sanctioned behaviours which result in GBV, including the active engagement of men and boys, as well as community and faith-based leaders.

Social Mobilization to End Gender Based Violence

In August 2014 UN Women MCO launched a  Call for Proposals  which is focused on supporting strategies and approaches which target Social Mobilisation at the national and community level and which aim to transform social behaviours and perceptions which perpetuate the root causes of gender-based discrimination and which reinforce unequal relations of power between women and men.

This work will be carried out in partnership with national and community-based partners, and in coordination with other international organisations, including UNICEF, so as to ensure complementarity of support to member states in addressing Domestic Violence. In launching this Call for Proposals, UN Women is building on prior initiatives and partnerships including the work of the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women; and the overall advocacy carried out under the UN Secretary General’s UNiTE Campaign.

The Social Mobilization programme which is supported by the call for proposals addresses the following areas of action:

• Community-based and nationally-based dialogue on the root causes of gender-based violence, including the concepts of masculinity; which facilitate shifts in values, beliefs, behaviours and practices recognizing GBV as unacceptable. The discourse supported must target youth, men and women, and local organisations. It is essential that proposals go beyond the usual poster and radio spot campaigns, and support approaches which result in long-term awareness raising and community/national level dialogue on the root causes of GBV;
• Community mobilization - community led efforts which aim at building a critical mass of individuals and groups engaged in activism against gender-based violence. This includes building the capacity of community support networks.
• Building girls and women’s social assets and safety nets e.g. through the provision of girl and women only spaces that provide social support and skills training, raise self-esteem and help cope with crisis
• Social advocacy which develops momentum at national and community levels for the adoption/revision of key pieces of legislation, plans and policies to end Gender Based Violence, including sexual violence and Domestic Violence;
• Increasing public education and awareness about rights and access to services in overcoming gender based violence;

To support UN Women’s implementing partners under the above Call, UN Women will be contracting an expert to establish a Baseline against which the impact of the above work can be measured.

Duties and Responsibilities

The overall objective of the Baseline  is to establish a) baseline data; b) proposed, measurable indicators to measure both progress and impact of work; and c) propose Means of Verification for the Progress Indicators and the Impact Indicators. These three aspects combined will inform the Monitoring and Evaluation of UN Women’s implementing partners implementing the Call.

Relying on sample surveys and desk top review, the three components of the Baseline Report (Baseline Data; Indicators; Means of Verification) will capture the following in select countries within the Eastern Caribbean:

• Social Perceptions on gender equality and gender-based violence, as well as levels of awareness about rights including related Domestic Violence, Sexual Offences and Other Legislation which aim to offer protection against GBV;
• Quantify the current level of national and community led efforts and community networks in support of ending violence against women and girls; and in support of strengthening citizen security at the community and national level;
• Quantify levels of social activism related to the adoption/revision of key pieces of legislation, plans and policies to end GBV, including sexual violence and Domestic Violence.

Scope of Assignment and Deliverables

The consultant will be required to lead on all the tasks below, in consultation both UN Women and implementing partners:

• Following a desk-top review of the UN Women approved proposals on Social Mobilisation, attend, contribute to and participate in a Regional Workshop on Programme Design for the Implementing Partners;
• Based on the above workshop, desk-top reviews and discussions with UN Women, propose the detailed methodology by which the Baseline will be captured, ensuring the collection of both qualitative and quantitative data. Methodology should fold in some capacity development of implementing partners to develop similar Baseline in the future;
• Once the methodology is agreed upon, develop a detailed consultancy work plan for UN Women approval;
• Develop the tools to implemented the agreed upon methodology. The tools can include, but should not be limited to, small sample surveys in select communities to develop indicative baseline data and Indicators on social perceptions.
• Prepare a draft annotated outline of the Baseline Report, for UN Women approval – this outline should specify page length per section. Once the annotated outline is approved, the final Baseline Report should not divert from this. Please note that this Report must be short and concise.
• Prepare the draft Baseline Report, as per the agreed upon outline, and submit to UN Women who will in turn solicit feedback from implementing partners.
• Based on the feedback, finalise the Baseline Report and submit to UN Women as per the agreed upon time frame;

Reporting Requirements

Under the overall responsibility of the UN Women Representative - Caribbean, day to day supervision of the consultant will be under the UN Women Programme Specialist/Violence against Women, based in the UN Women Multi-Country Office (based in Barbados).

Competencies

Core values

• Demonstrates integrity and fairness by modelling UN values and ethical standards;
• Demonstrates professional competence and is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results;
• Displays cultural, gender, religious, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Core competencies

• Knowledge of the Eastern Caribbean considered an important asset;
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to convey complex concepts and recommendations, both orally and in writing, in a clear and persuasive style tailored to match different audiences;
• Ability to establish and maintain productive partnerships with national partners and pro-activeness in identifying of beneficiaries and partners’ needs, and matching them to appropriate solutions;
• Ability to work independently and as part of a small team, manage competing priorities and perform well under pressure.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Post-graduate degree, at least a Master’s degree, in one of the following areas:  social policy; public administration; statistics; gender studies, development studies, human rights or a related field of study.

Experience:

• A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible and relevant experience in the field of results-based management and monitoring of human rights, social inclusion and/or gender equality issues;
• Proven expertise in the area of in supporting Research and statistical processes, Results Based management capacities and systems;
• Experience in the Caribbean considered an asset;
• Extensive experience in gender equality and women’s empowerment; and on the international normative and inter-governmental processes which have shaped gender equality globally;
• Proven capacity to work with a broad range of partners, including researchers, statistical experts, government bodies, non-government organisations and academia.

Language:

• Excellent command of written and spoken English.

Application procedure:

The consultant contracted will be required to sign a statement of confidentiality and freedom from any conflict of interest with potential future contractors with respect to the TORs and work that they will be delivering.

Location and Duration:

The contract will run from 10th November 2014 to 30thJune 2015. The consultancy will be home-based with travel to the Caribbean.

Administrative Information:

Payment: The consultancy fee will be negotiated before contracting. Each payment will be based on a predefined and formal agreement between UN Women and the consultant and will be disbursed based on satisfactory completion of agreed deliverables.

Hardware, software, and communication: The consultant must be equipped with a portable computer (laptop). The consultant must be reasonably accessible by email and telephone (preferably mobile). The use of reliable, internet-based communication (Skype or equivalent) is required.

Expressions of interest:

Please submit your Expression of Interest (EOI) on 31st October 2014. EOIs must include:

• A cover letter highlighting the specific post for which you are applying;
• Detailed curriculum vitae including a description of main achievements;
• A price proposal quoted in United States dollars (US$) indicating daily rates.

EOIs should be submitted by email to the attention of Marcia Lavine, UN Women (Marcia.lavine@unwomen.org).

Consultancy is open to Internationals and CARICOM Nationals.