Background

Candidates who previously applied need not apply again.

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.

UN Women is committed to the achievement of equality between women, men, boys and girls as partners and beneficiaries of humanitarian action. In October 2012, UN Women established its Gender and Humanitarian Action Unit to consolidate its advocacy, coordination and capacity development role for the integration of gender equality across humanitarian action. This includes disaster risk reduction with a focus on prevention, mitigation and preparedness, humanitarian response and early recovery. 

In 2008, the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) issued its Gender Equality in Humanitarian Action policy statement, setting out the actions to be taken by the IASC to ensure gender equality and women’s empowerment are fully incorporated into all of the IASC’s work towards more effective and coherent humanitarian action. However, to date, no monitoring exercise on progress towards the IASC Gender Policy Statement’s realization has been undertaken, despite the policy statement including provisions for an accountability framework with a 5 year review process.

Under the overall guidance of UN Women’s Gender And Humanitarian Action Advisor and the direct supervision of the Humanitarian Specialist, the incumbent will undertake a review of the implementation of the IASC 2008 Gender Policy Statement on Gender Equality in Humanitarian Action.

Duties and Responsibilities

The incumbent will undertake a review of the implementation of the IASC 2008 Gender Policy Statement on Gender Equality in Humanitarian Action. The study will review progress towards Section D of the policy by looking at the measures taken to date by the IASC and its members at the global and field levels to equally promote and protect the human rights of women, girls, boys and men in humanitarian action by ensuring that all members of a crisis affected population have equitable and safe access to humanitarian services provided.

Examining the key action directives and designated responsibilities included in the Policy Statement, the study will review:

Global Level:

IASC Members and Standing Invitees:

To what extent have the different IASC Members and Standing Invitees promoted gender equality into their representations to the IASC including as Principals, in Sub-Working Groups, Taskforces, and other working mechanisms of the IASC?

What training have IASC members and standing invitees provided for their staff to ensure their meaningful contributions to the inclusion of gender equality programming in IASC decision-making? Is training compulsory? What are the levels of uptake on trainings (number of trainees, seniority of trainees, etc.)?

Has gender equality been systematically incorporated into IASC’s ongoing policy development and its operational guidance? (Standalone guidance on gender or mainstreaming of gender equality into other guidance.)

How has IASC policy and guidance concerning gender equality programming been effectively communicated to the field level and what are the mechanisms to ensure that field operations are held accountable for their implementation?

IASC Principals and Working Group:

• How have the IASC Principals ensured that gender equality is addressed adequately in all aspects of the IASC’s work, including in approving the policies and direction of the IASC overall coordination and norm setting functions?
• How has the IASC Working Group worked to ensure that gender equality programming is incorporated in the development and implementation of IASC policies and operational guidelines?
• What efforts have been made to discuss the effectiveness of the IASC gender equality policy and of the actions undertaken to ensure women, girls, boys and men have equitable access to and benefit from humanitarian protection and assistance response;
• How often have IASC Principals, or others speaking on behalf of the Principals or Working Group, included messaging on gender equality when briefing the Security Council, key stakeholders on mandate renewals, L3 crisis, etc.?

IASC Subsidiary Bodies:

• Have the IASC subsidiary bodies integrated gender equality into their annual work plans to routinely track efforts on gender equality mainstreaming into their areas of work?
• How have the subsidiary bodies maintained contact with the IASC SWG/RG on Gender in Humanitarian Action and utilized it as a technical resource?

Global Clusters:

• How have the Global Cluster Leads provided guidance to the clusters at country level on how to integrate gender equality   the country level cluster leads generic terms of reference?
• How have the Global Cluster Leads worked with all members of the global cluster working groups, as well as cluster actors at the country level, to strengthen their capacities to incorporate gender equality in cluster programmes and other efforts?

Field Level:

What mechanisms have been put in place to ensure that Cluster Leads are accountable to the RC/HC for ensuring that the needs, contributions and capacities of women and girls as well as men and boys are addressed? Other IASC Members and Standing Invitees will promote these gender equality strategies in their work as members of the Humanitarian Country Team.

How  has country level humanitarian action been informed by the following policy prescribed and HC/RC managed tasks to ensure gender equality programming:

• Multi-sectoral needs assessments and the identification of humanitarian priorities are based on sex and age- disaggregated data and gender analysis of these data;
• Facilitation of intra- and inter-cluster/ sector coordination and information management on gender equality issues.
• Development of a robust inter-agency working group or network on gender equality in humanitarian response
• Appointment and support of focal points on gender equality to facilitate coordination and information sharing between and within different agencies and sectors/ clusters as well as between the field and headquarters;
• Gender analysis to inform planning processes, including Humanitarian Action Plans and CAPs;
• Actively support the implementation of the UN Secretary-General’s Bulletin on Sexual Abuse and Exploitation by UN staff and related personnel and honour the humanitarian community’s obligations to provide support to victims of SEA;
• Consultation and engagement with local women and girls, as well as the active involvement of groups representing their specific needs, in identifying priorities for humanitarian assistance and the design, delivery and monitoring of assistance programmes;
• Systematic monitoring and evaluation of programmes using a gender lens and sharing findings at intra and inter-agency meetings.

Based on the above description of expected results, the consultant will produce:

• Inception Report outlining the methodology, approach and format of the report;
• First Draft Report in English (c.20 pages, format to be determined) of the review’s findings, detailing the progress made, as well as challenges encountered, towards realizing the purpose and scope of the 2008 IASC Gender in Humanitarian Action Policy Statement. The report will also contain recommendations on how further progress can be made;
• Process validation involving IASC stakeholders at the Global and Field levels;
• Final Report in English (c.20 pages, format to be determined) of the review’s findings, incorporating main observations raised during the validation process including final recommendations on how to take the implementation of the 2008 IASC to a higher level;
• Dissemination of the report by the IASC Gender Reference Group with the IASC Working Group and Principals.

The report will provide a baseline of accountability on the achievements and gaps with regards the implementation, to date, of the 2008 IASC Gender Policy Statement.

The report will also provide the basis for developing a 2015-2020 accountability framework for the IASC vis-à-vis the policy statement.

Competencies

Integrity:

• Demonstrating consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UN Women in actions and decisions, in line with the UN Code of Conduct.

Cultural Sensitivity/Valuing diversity:

• Demonstrating an appreciation of the multicultural nature of the organization and the diversity of its staff;
• Demonstrating an international outlook, appreciating differences in values and learning from cultural diversity.

Professionalism - sound knowledge of global gender equality issues, including the gender equality dimensions of strategic issues, and gender mainstreaming tools and methodologies. Experience in inter-agency collaboration an advantage.

Communication

• Excellent communications skills; strong interpersonal skills;
  
• Ability to prepare succinct, analytical reports.

Teamwork

• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and working relations, both within the UN system and externally;
• Ability to work in a multicultural and multi-ethnic environment with respect for diversity.

Ethics and Values

• Demonstrating / Safeguarding Ethics and Integrity.

Organizational Awareness

• Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment

Self-management and Emotional intelligence:

• Creating synergies through self-control.

Knowledge Sharing / Continuous Learning

• Learning and sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of others.

• Substantive knowledge of and experience with gender equality mainstreaming and programming, humanitarian issues and related inter-agency processes;
• Ability to undertake gender research and prepare quantitative studies. Ability to integrate knowledge into strategic and policy frameworks;
• Familiarity with and understanding of Programme Development and Results-Based Management including Monitoring and Evaluation;
• Ability to organize and complete multiple tasks by establishing priorities, to handle a large volume of work possibly under time constraints and to work independently and exercise good judgment in a stressful environment;
• Ability to work collaboratively and operate effectively across thematic areas and organizational boundaries.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Minimum of Master's degree or equivalent in Economics, Statistics, gender studies, humanitarian, development studies or other related disciplines.

Experience:

• A minimum of 10 years of professional experience in programme work and policy research at a national or international level;
• Experience of institutional review, assessment and/or evaluation;
• Proven expertise on the integration of gender equality and women’s empowerment into the development and implementation of programmes and policies;
• Knowledge of the humanitarian system and its coordination mechanisms;
• Experience with UN work highly desirable.

Language:

• Fluency in English is required;
• Proficiency in another UN working language is desirable.

Duration of the consultancy:

• 16 weeks.

Venue:

• Off-site (working from home).

Financial proposal:

Please submit your proposed daily rate.