Background
UN WOMEN Mission StatementGrounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, UN Women will work 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. Placing women's rights at the centre of all its efforts, UN Women will lead and coordinate United Nations System efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It will provide strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States' priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.
Organizational Context:
UN Women is dedicated to advancing gender equality and women’s human rights in Afghanistan. Staff and consultants of UN Women are expected to contribute to a professional working environment in which the strengthening of national capacities and human potential is prioritized. Respect for diversity and human dignity is required, as is the active pursuit of a collaborative and inclusive approach to both internal and external stakeholders, including colleagues and partners.
UN Women’s existing country strategy for Afghanistan (signed 11 March 2009) was developed three years ago and the external and internal context under which it is being implemented is increasingly different from that of its inception. With the evolving reconciliation and peace process; ISAF’s planned withdrawal in 2014; UNAMA’s newly adopted mandate; the UN’s Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) scheduled to begin roll out in 2013/2014;, the external environment, and the expectations and needs of national and local partners and that of the UN, is also changing.
· Policies and Programmes: Supporting development and implementation of evidence-based laws, plans, policies and budgets, including in post-conflict and humanitarian contexts, in line with international and national commitments on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls;
· Advocacy and Voice: Supporting gender equality advocates, both within government and non-governmental organizations, to have a stronger voice in decision-making processes that shape the lives of women, including those relating to post-conflict and humanitarian context, while adding UN Women’s advocacy and voice to their efforts;
· Improved nationally owned Knowledge; Supporting the development and strengthening of knowledge and expertise on gender equality and the status of women and girls, including through South-South learning and exchange; and,
· UN System: Leading coordination, within the RC system, to promote enhanced coherence and accountability within the UN Country Team (UNCT) in providing effective support to countries in advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women.
Objectives of the review:
The process of conducting the mid-term evaluation will ensure greater national ownership and voice over UN Women’s future programming, and will be carried out in a manner that strengthens UN Coordination around gender equality.
Scope and Elements of the Review:
Scope of the Mid-Term Review. The review will cover the following: (i) design of the Project; (ii) implementation of all project outputs and activities (quantity, quality and utility); (vi) project outcomes, effects and impact on the provincial workshops (vii) project sustainability.
Duties and Responsibilities
Output and activities of the Assignment:The main objectives of the assignment are (i) to assess the implementation of the “UN Women ACO Strategic Plan and Support from Sida/Norway entitled “Assistance to the UN Women Afghanistan Country Programme in the Planned Period 2010-2013”. and (ii) to prepare a report on the mid-term review to be submitted to the UN WOMEN.
The following tasks will be undertaken by the consultants in order to reach the main objectives of the assignment:
(i) Meeting with Unit Managers/OICs/Specialists, Staff, and Management of UN WOMEN and the MTR Committee to discuss the review exercise, the methodology and approaches to be used;
(ii) Review all documentation related to the project (project document, work plans and budgets, progress reports, minutes, concept papers etc.);
(iii) Discussions with the beneficiaries of the Project on the relevance of the project, its design, its operations, management and governance structure, administrative and financial procedures, usefulness, impact, challenges and long-term sustainability;
(iv) Discussions with representatives of the donors based in Afghanistan on the relevance of the project, its design, its effectiveness and impact, long-term sustainability and co-funding possibilities;
(v) Discussions with the relevant project stakeholders, on relationship with the Strategic Plan and the project, on its design, its operations, its management and governance structure, administrative and financial procedures, its usefulness, impact, challenges and long-term sustainability;
(vi) Review of the project management arrangements to assess effectiveness in the implementation of the Strategic Plan and the Sida/Norway project;
(vii) Preparation by the Consultants of preliminary and final reports on the mid-term review of the “UN Women ACO Strategic Plan and Support from Sida/Norway entitled “Assistance to the UN Women Afghanistan Country Programme in the Planned Period 2010-2013”. With conclusions and recommendations. The preliminary report should be submitted to UN Women as per the below schedule. The final report Executive Summary and Recommendations must be in English.
Competencies
Core Values and Ethics
· Demonstrate cultural sensitivity and able to work in a multi-national environment
· Support the Organization’s corporate goal
· Comply with UN WOMEN rules, regulations and code of conduct
· Demonstrate integrity
Teamwork
· Build effective client relationships and partnerships
· Interact with all levels of staff in the organization
· Excellent interpersonal skills
· Build and share knowledge
· Provide guidance and support to others
· Apply existing knowledge to work
· Make valuable practice contributions
Communication
· Excellent oral and written skills
· Listen actively and respond effectively
Required Skills and Experience
(i) Master degree in Human Rights, Gender, Management or relevant Social Sciences with minimum 5 years of proven experience in carrying out project review assessment or/and similar analytical exercises; experience in preparation of reports for similar assignments; or Bachelor degree in above mentioned fields with minimum 7 years of relevant experience
(ii) Knowledge of Human Rights and Gender programming in Afghanistan and of the main structures supporting ;
Language Requirements:
(i) Fluent in English language. Strong, confident command of both written and oral English.
(ii) Knowledge of local languages, Dari and/or Pashto
Computer Skills:
High level of proficiency in computer systems, internet navigation and various office applications.