Background

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 Fiji Multi Country Office (MCO) covers 14 Pacific countries, with field offices/presence in 6 countries, and six ‘focus countries’ (Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Tonga and Samoa). Each field presence is led by a national Country Programme Coordinator with a Programme Officer in Tonga. UN Women, in partnership with Pacific Islands Governments, regional organizations, CSOs, donors and UN agencies, focuses on delivering within four interlinked programme areas:

• Women’s Political Empowerment and Leadership (WPEL)
• Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE)
• Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (EVAWG)
• Gender and Protection in Humanitarian Action (GPiHA) and Disaster Risk Reduction

Women’s Resilience to Disaster (WRD) 

Disaster risks converge with critical socio-economic vulnerabilities, environmental degradation and climate change making the Pacific a disaster hotspot.  Disasters and climate change are widening inequalities and undermining poverty reduction in the region.  Threats such as COVID-19 are further exacerbating the inequalities and hardships faced by women and girls including those with disabilities.  Women and girls face greater vulnerability and exposure to disasters, yet women remain largely ignored and their capacities unleveraged in conventional resilience building processes. As a result, women are generally absent in the development of resilience strategies and decision-making processes for prevention, preparedness, and recovery. This is compounded by significant gaps at the global, regional and country level in relation to the availability and use of sex, age and disability disaggregated data (SADDD), knowledge sharing on women’s resilience; an enabling environment for building women’s resilience (including capacities, leadership and funding); translation of commitments into action; coordination and private sector partnership; and a need for transformative change to tackle the underlying drivers of disproportionate risk.

UN Women’s WRD programme proposes a comprehensive package for building women’s resilience to disasters, climate change and threats (including COVID-19).   The aim of the WRD Programme will be to render women’s and girls’ lives and livelihoods disaster-resilient, contributing to sustainable and secure communities, by promoting gender responsive prevention, preparedness, and recovery systems, plans and tools; and by enabling targeted action to help women and girls withstand hazards and threats, recover fully from disasters and increase their resilience to future risks.  The expected end-of-programme outcomes (EOPOs) are:

• Prevention, preparedness and recovery systems, plans and tools are gender-responsive through women’s leadership in DRR, women’s enhanced influence in DRR decision-making, enhanced gender capacity of DRR and climate resilience stakeholders, increased access to knowledge, guidance and expertise on gender-responsive disaster resilience, and strategic partnerships and networks for women’s agency and leadership in DRR; and

• Women and girls are prepared to withstand natural hazards, climate change and COVID-19, recover from disasters and increase their resilience to future risks, through gender-responsive early warning systems, gender targeted and mainstreamed services for women’s resilience, women’s informal and formal climate and disaster resilient businesses, women’s increased access to climate and disaster resilient livelihoods and strategic partnerships for resilient livelihoods.

Objectives of the assignment

UN Women Fiji MCO is looking for an individual to support the WRD Fiji Component work plan through building on existing and ongoing activities led by the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO). For this purpose, the Consultant will work under the overall coordination of the Permanent Secretary responsible for the National Disaster Management and the  Director of NDMO, Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development and under the direct supervision of the WRD Fiji National Programme Coordinator. 

The National Consultant is to seek guidance from UNDRR,  local, national, regional and international organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) to ensure best practices and processes for including persons with disabilities are informing all activities carried out under this consultancy. The consultant will work closely with the UN Women National WRD Team and will be seconded to work under the National Disaster Management Office, Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work/Duties and Responsibilities

The National Consultant will work in the following technical areas:

• Assist NDMO to develop a gender, disability and social inclusion mainstreaming supplement to National Disaster Risk Reduction Policy (NDRRP) to guide how the gender, disability and social inclusion principles should be mainstreamed and implemented in practice.

• Assist NDMO with validation of specific indicators on gender, disability and social inclusion for the NDRRP Monitoring and Evaluation System. Validation of indicators should involve engagement with Disaster Service Liaison Officers (DSLOs) to ensure proposed gender and social inclusion indicators are aligned with respective sectoral programs and existing M&E Systems. Validation process should also involve determining the final wording of the indicators based on discussion with DSLOs. This activity should include gathering of baseline data for gender, disability and social inclusion indicators and populating the NDRRP M&E system. In order to support the uptake of the Inclusive Indicators and promote NDRRP M&E tool, the consultant should roll out a workshop planned together with the NDMO, UNDRR Global Gender Focal Point, organizations of persons with disabilities, and the Ministry of Women. The objectives of the workshop would include: (1) presentation of the final version of the gender, disability and social inclusion indicators, (2) presentation of the findings of the baseline data, (3) to train Disaster Service Liaison Officers (DSLOs) on how to conduct gender analysis for their respective programs, (4) socialize the M&E system. Workshop should include training modules introducing concepts of ‘universal design’ and ‘cross-sectionality’.  Consultant should develop a workshop report with key findings and recommendations on the way forward.

• Assist NDMO to review the Humanitarian Policy and ensure it is gender-and disability responsive and inclusive. Consultant is to review the Humanitarian Policy through the gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) lens to focus on support and interventions at all levels by considering the unique needs of all people and structurally excluded groups. Specifically, the review is to focus on: (1) Improve donor and government-level inclusion by intentionally including people with disabilities, women, older people and diverse SOGIESC in donor strategies and frameworks. (2) Increase opportunities for people with disabilities, women, older people and diverse SOGIESC to access and actively participate in the services provided by the Government, development and humanitarian organisations. (3) Build organisational mechanisms and humanitarian coordination mechanisms to be inclusive of people with disabilities, women, older people and diverse SOGIESC.

• Consultant is to provide technical inputs towards Humanitarian Policy based on the review findings. Inputs should set out essential actions that humanitarian actors must take in order to effectively identify and respond to the needs and rights of persons with disabilities, women, older people and diverse SOGIESC who are most at risk of being left behind in humanitarian settings.

• Assist NDMO to formulate the Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction Policy and undertake a full gender and disability assessment of the plan to ensure it is gender- and disability responsive.

• Assist NDMO to review the Evacuation Centre SOP to include section on mechanisms for prevention, mitigation and support for survivors of gender-based violence in Evacuation Centres and temporary shelters. Consultant is to review the SOP through the gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) lens to focus on support and interventions at the community level by considering the unique needs of all people and structurally excluded groups. Consultant is to provide technical inputs toward the SOP based on the review findings.

• In an event of a Disaster, the Consultant will support NDMO with data analysis on gender issues and inclusivity.

Duration of the Assignment

The duration of this assignment will be from January 2023 i.e. 240 working days over a 12 months’ work assignment as per the schedule of deliverables.

Expected Deliverables

The Consultant is expected to deliver the following outputs: 

The assignment should be carried out with the incumbent being responsible for delivering the following outputs as listed from monthly deliverables 1 to 8 as in accordance with the above table. 

Upon receipt of the final deliverables and prior to the payment of the instalment, the deliverables, related reports and documents will be reviewed and approved by UN Women within one week.

All the deliverables should be agreed with UN Women and be provided in English hard and electronic copy.

Inputs

The Consultant will be provided by the NDMO with necessary information, materials and logistics, as well as office space.   The selected candidate is expected to have her/his laptop, while NDMO will provide access to other equipment for the fulfillment of his/her tasks (such as printer, copier).

• NDMO will provide the Consultant with the draft matrix of indicators on gender, disability and social inclusion for the NDRRP Monitoring and Evaluation System.
• To ensure continuity, NDMO will brief the Consultant on the existing and ongoing activities related to these initiatives.
• UN Women will provide the Consultant with background materials.
• UN Women will only cover Consultant’s travel outside of Suva should the need arises and upon prior approval by UN Women.
• The Consultant will be provided a workspace in the NDMO.
• UN Women will cover cost of two national-level workshops related to the roll out of (1) the finalized indicators and (2) the gender, disability and social inclusion mainstreaming supplement to National Disaster Risk Reduction Policy (NDRRP).
• UN Women will cover any costs associated with consultations with DSLOs related to the indicator validation process.

Management Arrangements:

The National Consultant will work under the overall coordination of the Permanent Secretary responsible for the National Disaster Management and Director for NDMO, Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development and supervision of the WRD Fiji National Programme Coordinator.

Performance evaluation

The Consultant’s performance will be evaluated based on timeliness, responsibility, initiative, communication, accuracy, and quality of the products delivered.

Financial Arrangements

Payments will be disbursed upon submission and approval of monthly deliverable reports approved by PS MRMDDM and submissions of timesheets on actual days worked and certification by the UN Women WRD National Programme Coordinator that the services have been satisfactorily performed. 

Travel

The position is based at the NDMO, Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development, Suva, Fiji.  The Consultant will be responsible for all administrative and travel expenses associated with undertaking this assignment to be based in Suva.

No outside Suva travels are envisaged under the current assignment.

Travel will be pre-approved by UN Women and paid/arranged for by UN Women in accordance with the existing UN Women travel policies and procedures.

Competencies

Core Values:

• Respect for Diversity
• Integrity
• Professionalism

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues
• Accountability
• Creative Problem Solving
• Effective Communication
• Inclusive Collaboration
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Leading by Example

Functional Competencies:

• Good programme formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation skills

• Good knowledge of Results Based Management
• Ability to gather and interpret data, reach logical conclusions and present findings and recommendations
• Good analytical skills

Required Skills and Experience

Required experience and qualifications

The Consultant should fulfil the following requirements:

Education:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in Planning, Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Change, Humanitarian Response, Economics, Public Health, Geography, Sociology, Data Science, Social Science, or other related field is required.
• A first-level University Degree in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience and Skills:

• At least 5 years (Masters Degree) or 7 years (Bachelors Degree) of progressively responsible experience in M&E and Learning, Project Management, disaster risk reduction, Protection, humanitarian response, climate change, or development in the Pacific.
• Proven knowledge and skills in gender, disability and social inclusion in areas pertaining to disaster risk reduction (including women’s and persons with disabilities leadership in DRR, DRR policies, and systems, data and knowledge) in the Fijian context.
• Minimum of 5 years of work experience in working with research, data collection and analytical reviews with specific experiences in issues of gender and social inclusion and DRR.
• Demonstrated track record of working in disaster management, climate change and/or gender focused programmes in Fiji and or Pacific region context.
• Knowledge of the Fijian Government machinery and civil society organizations in Fiji
• Experience in working with an international organisation(s).
• Computer literacy and ability to effectively use office technology equipment, IT tools, ability to use Internet and email.

Language and other skills:

• Fluency in command of written and spoken English is required.
• Knowledge of the other UN Official working language is an asset.

Evaluation

Initially, individual consultants will be short-listed based on the following minimum qualification criteria:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in Planning, Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Change, Humanitarian Response, Economics, Public Health, Geography, Sociology, Data Science, Social Science, or other related field is required.
• A first-level University Degree in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• At least 7 years (Masters Degree) or 9 years (Bachelors Degree) of progressively responsible experience in M&E and Learning, Project Management, disaster risk reduction, Protection, humanitarian response, climate change, or development in the Pacific.

The short-listed individual consultants will be further evaluated based on a cumulative analysis scheme, with a total score being obtained upon the combination of weighted technical and financial attributes.  Cost under this method of analysis is rendered as an award criterion, which will be 30% out of a total score of 100 points.

Evaluation of submitted offers will be done based on the following formula:

,

where:

Technical evaluation will be represented through desk review of applications. Interviews and/or written tests will be organized if needed only, depending on the short-listed candidates’ qualifications.

Technical Qualification Evaluation Criteria: The technical part is evaluated on the basis of its responsiveness to the Terms of Reference (TOR).

• Financial Evaluation Criteria: In this Second Stage, the financial proposal of candidates, who have attained minimum 70% score in the technical evaluation (at least 49 points), will be compared.

WINNING CANDIDATE

The winning candidate will be the candidate, who has accumulated the highest aggregated score (technical scoring + financial scoring).

Submission of application

Interested candidates are requested to submit fully completed application on the UNDP Vacancy Site. 

Submission Package:

• Cover letter explaining the suitability of the consultant: applicants are encouraged to address experience and qualifications listed in the ‘criteria for technical evaluation’.
• Duly filled Personal History Form (P11) and/or Curriculum Vitae (CV) of consultant including records of experience in similar assignments and specific outputs obtained; P11 can be downloaded at: https://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employment
• Financial proposal – specifying a total lump sum amount for the tasks specified in this Terms of Reference.  The financial proposal shall include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (daily rate and number of anticipate working days and any other possible costs).

Please read, use and complete ANNEX I and ANNEX II below to provide your financial proposal.

Applications without a complete financial proposal will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.  UN Women reserves the right to accept or reject any bid.

The consultancy recruitment process will be governed by the rules and regulations of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women).

UN Women Statement on Diversity and Inclusion:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United  Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check).

Deadline of all submission: 19th November 2022

Annex I

Price Proposal Guideline and Template

The prospective Individual Consultant should take the following explanations into account during submission of his/her price proposal.

Daily fee

The daily price proposal should indicate a "lump sum amount" which is "all-inclusive". All costs (professional fees, communications, consumables during field related missions, etc.) that could possibly be incurred by the Contractor needs to be factored into the proposed price.

UN Women will not withhold any amount of the payments for tax and/or social security related payments. UN Women shall have no liability for taxes, duties or other similar charges payable by the Individual Contractor in respect of any amounts paid to the Individual Contractor under this Contract, and the Contractor acknowledges that UN Women will not issue any statements of earnings to the Individual contractor in respect of any such payments.

Travel costs

All travel costs in relation to the assignments must be included in the total contract amount of the contractor. UN Women will not cover transportation cost within Suva, Fiji.

Daily Subsistence Allowance

Not applicable.

Currency of the price proposal

The applicants are requested to submit their price proposals in Fiji Dollars (FJD$)

In case of proposals in other currency, these shall be converted into the national currency using the official UN exchange rate for currency conversion to FJD at the date of applications’ submission deadline.

Annex II

Price Proposal Submission Form

[ Mandatory document for the Consultant to complete and submit]

To:          United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women

Ref:         National Humanitarian Consultant - Gender and Protection, UN Women Fiji MCO

Dear Sir / Madam,

I, the undersigned, offer to provide professional consulting services to UN Women within the scope of the referred Assignment.  Having examined, understood, and agreed to the Terms of Reference and its annexes, the receipt of which are hereby duly acknowledged, I, the undersigned, offer to deliver professional services, in conformity with the Terms of Reference.

My maximum total price proposal for the assignment is given below:

Estimated Costs (in FJD$)

*** Please be informed that for shorter assignments than a full day, the daily rate will be pro-rated into hourly rate.

I confirm that my financial proposal will remain unchanged.  I also confirm that the price that I quote is gross, and is inclusive of all legal expenses, including but not limited to social security, income tax, pension, etc., which shall be required applicable laws.

I agree that my proposal shall remain binding upon me for 90 days.

I understand that you are not bound to accept any proposal you may receive.