Background

UNDP’s work towards eliminating sexual and gender based violence is anchored in international human rights standards. UNDP’s Strategic Plan contains a dedicated outcome on GBV and its Gender Equality Strategy further details the strategic entry points for supporting national partner’s efforts to combat GBV. Existing programming includes strengthening women’s access to justice, promoting adequate and gender sensitive service delivery including through enhancing women’s participation (justice, security, health and economic, and improved referral systems), ensuring that laws and policies cover the different dimensions to prevent and address GBV, and helping to transforming gender stereotypes, roles and relationships. Currently, UNDP - together with other UN agencies - is supporting the formulation and implementation of policies and programmes in more than 50 countries in all regions and in crisis and non-crisis settings.

A global mapping exercise conducted by UNDP in 2015 reveals that a large group of UNDP projects with GBV components focus on protecting and supporting survivors of GBV. The exercise also revealed that the policy advocacy and prevention components come as secondary objectives in many projects. The categories “legislative development” and “data collection and research” were the least selected. While some valuable information came up from the mapping exercise, more evidence is needed on what we achieved through  past programming and how UNDP can fully leverage its mandate and comparative advantage to support new and innovative ways to prevent and address GBV in partnership with civil society, other UN agencies, governments and the private sector.

In order to discuss these questions and to contribute to a new programming guide on GBV, UNDP will hold a global GBV workshop the second week of November 2015 in Seoul, Korea. The main objective of this meeting will be to refine UNDP’s strategic approach to working on GBV in order to optimize programming and advocacy:  i) through the analysis of lessons learned from past and current UNDP contributions related to GBV; ii) a review and update on advances in global knowledge related to what works to prevent and respond to GBV; and iii) exploring new opportunities to develop targeted GBV programming as well as to mainstream actions to address GBV within UNDP’s core areas of work.  Leading up to the workshop a review, and to complement the project mapping, a review of UNDP’s work on GBV over the last ten years has been commissioned.

Background papers

To support this strategic planning process a series of short background papers, or “think pieces” are being commissioned corresponding to different areas of UNDP’s work under its strategic plan.  These areas include, among others, inclusive growth (financing for development, planning and economic empowerment), governance, (rule of law, human rights, access to justice and social inclusion); crisis prevention and recovery, and HIV, health and development.  The aim of the background papers are to locate GBV prevention and/or response within these specific thematic areas, and highlight the potential for UNDP to contribute to addressing GBV building on its comparative strengths and previous programming. In addition to these thematic background papers, a think piece on digital technologies and another on novel methods to prevent and mitigate GBV will be developed. These papers will draw on the experiences of UNDP initiatives supported by its Innovation Facility and cutting-edge initiatives from external partners in the field of GBV prevention and mitigation as well as other thematic areas. The think pieces are expected to inspire new ways of approaching GBV that will meet current development challenges, current financing and aid flows and current international commitments including the SDG Goal 5.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work:

The Consultant will be responsible for writing an original background paper on digital technologies to address gender based violence according to the following outline:

Suggested Outline

“Using ICTs to Address Gender-based Violence”

Part One

Overview of the topic: the use and potential of ICTs, especially mobile phones for preventing and responding to GBV.

Summary of current literature on ICTs, mobile phones and GBV:

  • Description of the development challenge/main problems to be addressed in this area.  Problems to be addressed include mapping of high risk settings, barriers to reporting incidences of violence, lack of effective data systems to monitor, report and respond; provision of and access to services in remote areas and by marginalized populations.  Another set of issues relate to the use of ICTs and mobile phones to perpetrate violence, online harassment and control, and to facilitate crime against women and children;
  • Describe some of the ways these challenges have been (or could be) addressed through ICT, including mobile technologies;
  • Provide examples of promising programme approaches and areas of policy change from UNDP (including from other thematic areas) and from external parties.

Part Two: UNDP’s use of ICTs

This section may require interviews with UNDP staff.  UNDP has applied ICTs, particularly mobile applications to a number of development challenges including programming on governance (inclusive participation, anti-corruption, e-governance, access to justice, etc.) and early-warning/crisis response systems. This section should capture the lessons and any evaluation evidence from this work, and explore how these experience can be adapted to addressing GBV.

Part Three

How to plan for programme and policy enhancements

Provide examples of potential programming areas, research, specific interventions and/or policy advocacy that is needed to enhance this field and that UNDP can contribute to or support.   Examples can be either specific stand-alone activities/projects, or activities that can be integrated into larger agendas.

Part Four:  Measuring change:

  • Provide examples of proposed changes, indicators and targets for the actions outlined in part three.  Start with overall goals and change objectives;
  • Outline a theory and process of change, including incremental changes or targets;
  • Conclusion and next steps.

Timeline:

  • First draft of background paper submitted to UNDP by 15 October 2015;
  • Incorporate comments provided by UNDP in November 2015;
  • Final version of paper submitted by 15 December 2015.

 Length:

  • Suggested maximum length – 5000 words (plus tables/panels).

Expected Outputs and Deliverables:

  • First Draft of background paper : target due date/ 15 October 2015  and 3 weeks review is required;
  • Final Draft of background paper: target due date/ 15 December 2015.

Institutional Arrangement

The consultant will work off-site under the direct supervision of Regional Advisor, Gender, Violence and Rights, at the Bangkok Regional Centre, United Nations Development Programme.

Duration of the Work: 10 September 2015 - 15 December 2015

Duty Station: Home based with no travel required.

Competencies

  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills;
  • Strong analytical, reporting and writing abilities skills;
  • Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback;
  • Ability to plan, organize, implement and report on work;
  • Ability to work under pressure and tight deadlines;
  • Comprehensiveness knowledge of Gender-based Vilolence;
  • Proficiency in the use of office IT applications and internet in conducting research;
  • Demonstrates integrity and ethical standards;
  • Positive, constructive attitude to work;
  • Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Advanced university degree in International development, Political Science, International Relations, Gender Studies, Human Rights or a related field.

Experience:

  • A minimum of 8 years of experience in the areas of ICT, innovation methodologies and related themes. Experience in gender equality and gender-based violence is an advantage;
  • Extensive research and academic publications in the fields of applying ICT and innovative methodologies to development challenges;
  • Knowledge of and experience in producing substantive papers on gender issues;
  • Experience working collaboratively in a team structure in a multicultural environment;
  • Experience working under minimum supervision and tight deadlines;
  • Prior experience in the work environment of an international agency, NGOs, UN, or international institutions is a plus;
  • Computer literate (being able to use MS Windows, office applications, Internet search);
  • Proven track record and experience in gender-related work.

Language:

  • Fluency in spoken and written English is a must;
  • Knowledge of another UN Language is a plus.

Author of Background Paper “Using ICT to Address Gender-based Violence” shall have the above qualifications.

Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments

Consultant must send a financial proposal based on Lump Sum Amount.

The total amount quoted shall be all-inclusive and include all costs components required to perform the deliverables identified in the TOR, including professional fee, travel costs, living allowance (if any work is to be done outside the IC´s duty station) and any other applicable cost to be incurred by the IC in completing the assignment. The contract price will fixed output-based price regardless of extension of the herein specified duration.

Payments will be done upon completion of the deliverables/outputs and as per below percentages:

  • Deliverable 1/ First draft of paper: 50% of total contract amount;
  • Deliverable 2/ Final draft of paper: 50% of total contract amount.

In general, UNDP shall not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources.

In the event of unforeseeable travel not anticipated in this TOR, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and the Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed.

Evaluation Method and Criteria

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on Cumulative analysis

The award of the contract will be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

  • Responsive/compliant/acceptable; and
  • Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical (70%) and financial criteria (30%) specific to the solicitation.

Technical Criteria for Evaluation (Maximum 500 points):

  • Criteria 1 : Education - max 50 points;
  • Criteria 2 : Years of Experience -max 100 points;
  • Criteria 3: Regional Experience - max 50 points;
  • Criteria 4: Adequacy of Competencies for the Assignment- max 250 points;
  • Criteria 5 : Availability - max 50 points.

Financial score shall be computed as a ratio of the proposal being evaluated and the lowest priced proposal received by UNDP for the assignment. Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 350 points (70% of the total technical points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Documentation required

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications. Please group them into one (1) single PDF document as the application only allows to upload maximum one document:

  • Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided in Annex 2;
  • Personal CV or P11, indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references;
  • Financial proposal, as per template provided in Annex 2.

Incomplete proposals may not be considered.

Annexes:

 For any clarification regarding this assignment please write to brh.gef.procurement@undp.org