UNDP Jobs - 111770- International Consultant to conduct a mid-term eva

International Consultant to conduct a mid-term evaluation of the Project on Prevention and Elimination of Violence against Women for Mainstreaming Gender into the National Development Agenda in Lao PDR

Location :

Vientiane Capital, LAO PDR

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

10-Apr-2023

Application Deadline :

30-Mar-23 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

25 working days

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

April - June 2023

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

There is a growing global consensus recognizing gender-based violence against women as a serious violation of basic human rights. In the meantime, the problem is increasingly visible in all sections of society, to which Lao PDR is no exception. According to the 2014 National Survey on Violence Against Women, undertaken with support from UNFPA with the National Commission for the Advancement of Women of Lao PDR, 15.3 percent of ever-partnered women, aged 15-64, have experienced physical or sexual violence by a current or former male partner. Young women are more vulnerable to gender-based violence against women (VAW) and rape. The lifetime prevalence of sexual violence among teenage women aged 15-19 years was 12.9% compared to those in their 50s and 60s (4.6% to 7.8%, respectively).

In Lao PDR, gender-based VAW is a by-product of a number of factors: traditional beliefs; discriminatory customs regarding the role of men and women in society; low reporting rates and weak rule of law and governance mechanisms for civil remedies, holding perpetrators accountable, and small-scale interventions for the prevention of gender-based violence.

There is on-going evidence of sensitization to gender-based violence in terms of the number of staff trained to respond to such cases within social services, police stations, courts and mediation units. However, this sensitization is yet to be translated into direct service provision for female survivors. LWU has provided counselling services for people at the national and subnational levels incl. villages. There were 11,668 people (71.8 % women and 28.2 % men) using the LWU counselling centers in 2017.

Eliminating gender based VAW is a critical part of the development process. The LWU developed the national plan of action on the prevention and elimination of VAW (2014-2020). The action plan aims for ambitious goals, including the provision of shelters (eight in separate provinces) and the integration of counselling services, particularly in rural health clinics. The 8th NSEDP (2016-2020) also contains a target to implement 70 percent of the national action plan for prevention and elimination of violence against women and children by 2020 (6.7.3.2 Gender Equality and Advancement of Women).

However, by 2019, according to consultations, the targeted implementation is yet to be achieved due to various challenges including, limited resources and lack of human resources. Moreover, there is a lack of integration into the national development agenda; for instance, GBV indicators are missing from the 8th NSEDP M&E Framework.

The project’s main outcome is a strengthened national capacity for the effective, systematic, and accountable prevention of and response to VAW in Lao PDR.

The project is structured to achieve three main outputs:

1. The next phase 5-year National Strategic Plan on EVAW (2021-2025) developed through a participatory process to promote women’s participation.

2. The implementation guideline and M&E Plan of the 5-year National Strategic Plan on EVAW (2021-2025) developed.

3. The capacity of the Justice and Policing Sector for GBV response and prevention through the implementation of the NAPEVAW strengthened.

Please see ANNEX A for the project’s Result Framework and Theory of Change diagram

Duties and Responsibilities

Purpose

There are two purposes of the evaluation, (1) learning and improvement, and (2) adjustment. The evaluation will be a learning opportunity for UNDP, UNFPA, LWU, and other relevant stakeholders to improve on the implementation before the end of the project. The evaluation will identify what has been working and what has not been working together with the factors behind them. These discoveries will be disseminated and shared with the relevant stakeholders, including donors and government partners, and communicated to the beneficiaries. These results will facilitate adjustments in the areas where necessary.

Scope and Objective

The independent mid-term evaluation will cover the beginning of the project up to the day of evaluation. The evaluation will focus on the support the project has been providing on many different fronts of the GBV issue in Lao PDR. The scope of the evaluation is expected, but not limited to, to be in the areas of the following:

The relevance of the project’s strategy, objective, and priorities including the validity of the project components and the implementation arrangements.
The project’s results against expected results outlined in the revised project document. Identifying the gaps to achieve the intended results can be one of the focus areas of the evaluation.
The project management including, but not limited to, monitoring activities, reporting, communications to ensure donor’s visibility, knowledge product management, inclusion of cross-cutting issues such as disability and ethnic minority.
Actionable recommendations should be provided following the evaluation and can serve as inputs for the rest of the project period.

The overall objective of the evaluation is to determine and analyze the progress and contribution of the project thus far. The evaluation also aims to identify the strategy that has been working, or not working, so far. Therefore, it can help draw lessons from and inform the next strategy to implement for the rest of the project.

Evaluation Team Composition

The evaluation team will be composed of one (01) International Consultant, and another one (01) National Consultant (being recruited separately). The International Consultant will be the evaluation team leader. The potential consultants must not have involved in the preparation of the evaluation and/or in the implementation of the Project to avoid conflict of interest with the evaluation.

Competencies

Excellent interpersonal and communication (written and verbal) skills
Strong analytical and reporting skills with the ability to conceptualize, articulate, present (written and verbal) about gender issues in development initiative.
Demonstrates integrity and ethical standards with the ability to maintain impartiality during evaluation.
Excellent cultural, gender, age and nationality sensitivity and ability to work with people from different backgrounds.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master’s degree or equivalent in public policy, public administration, development studies, gender studies, social science, or other relevant fields of study.

Technical knowledge and experience:

Minimum 7 years of solid experience in project design, implementation, result-based management, results-based management, and project M&E
Strong technical expertise on gender-based violence, gender equality, women’s and girls’ rights, rights-based approach, disability inclusion, LGBTIQ+ and capacity development.
Demonstrated experience in conducting and/or leading project evaluation, particularly on the issues of GBV and gender equality.
Strong working knowledge of Lao PDR, particularly in the development sector and gender equality advocacy, including deep understanding of Lao Government programme, strategies, and policies on GBV and gender equality.
Demonstrated experience in conducting qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods.
Demonstrated experience in working with international development organization. Experience with the UN agencies is preferable.

Language skills:

Fluency in English is a requirement.

Please find the TOR details here TOR RPS_027_2023

Please apply through this link http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_negotiation.cfm?nego_id=3382