UN WOMEN Jobs - 75042- National Consultant to develop a model of special

National Consultant to develop a model of specialist support services for victims of sexual violence in the frame of a multi-sectorial response in accordance with international standards

Advertised on behalf of

UN WOMEN

Location :

Tirana, ALBANIA

Type of Contract :

Other

Starting Date :

26-Oct-2017

Application Deadline :

19-Oct-17 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

Other

Duration of Initial Contract :

30 days (within two months after the signature of Service Contract)

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

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

UN Women, grounded on 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. Placing women's rights at the center of all its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates the United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world.

Through its programmes and projects, UN Women is providing technical assistance to national partners (governmental and non-governmental institutions) in the implementation of existing international and national commitments to women’s rights and gender equality, including the Convention for the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention). According to its mandate, UN Women works to ensure that women lead, participate in and benefit equally from governance systems; have income security, decent work and economic autonomy; live a life free from violence; as well as contribute to building sustainable peace and resilience, and benefit equally from crisis prevention and humanitarian action.

Eliminating all forms of violence against women, including sexual violence as one of the most serious forms of human rights violations, is a key priority for UN Women in Albania. Worldwide, it is estimated that 35 per cent of women have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or sexual violence by a non-partner at some point in their lives. However, some national studies show that up to 70 per cent of women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner in their lifetime(1)

In Albania, the reporting of sexual violence in very low (1 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2016). In 2016, the rate of prosecution of sexual crimes was only 0.35% of the total number of crimes at the national level, whereas in 2015, only 0,3%.(2) However, low levels of reporting of sexual crime and specifically rape are common not only in Albania but also in other developing countries, due to the stigma attached to being a victim of sexual violence, including between spouses and partners, combined with biased and often negative cultural perspectives.

As a State party to CEDAW, Albania has an obligation to both prevent violence against women, including sexual violence and provide support and redress for survivors of violence. In terms of regional mechanisms, the Istanbul Convention, to which Albania has been a party since 2014, is the most far reaching international treaty to tackle violence against women and includes multiple obligations with regards to services for women survivors of violence.

Article 36 of the Istanbul Convention requires parties to criminalise all forms of non-consensual acts of a sexual nature, including rape. Furthermore, according to Article 25, State are required to take the necessary legislative or other measures to provide for the setting up of appropriate, easily accessible rape crisis or sexual violence referral centres for victims in sufficient numbers to provide for medical and forensic examination, trauma support and counselling for victims(3).

The specialist services for victims of sexual violence may take different forms. The Explanatory Report of the Istanbul Convention provides some guidance for these centers, which may take the form of: a) a rape crisis centre or b) a sexual violence referral centre. Rape crisis centres typically offer long-term help such as face-to-face counselling, support groups and contact with other services. They also support victims during court proceedings by providing woman-to-woman advocacy and other practical help. Sexual violence referral centres, on the other hand, may specialise in immediate medical care, high quality forensic practice and crisis intervention. They are sometimes established in a hospital setting to respond to recent sexual assault by carrying out medical checks and referring the victim to specialised community-based organisations for further services (4). It is important to note that The Istanbul Convention provides States with an alternative, not with an obligation to set up both types of centers.(5)

In Albania, the situation of victims of sexual violence becomes more challenging in the absence of specialist support services. Most often, services are provided in healthcare facilities, such as hospitals, and the issue of sexual violence is addressed within the scope of health, including forensic examination, collecting evidence of violence and preparing the forensic report. Other types of services required, such as trauma support, counselling, and support during court proceedings, are offered by a very small number of service providers, or are completely missing.(6)

To address this gap, the Albanian State Police in collaboration with the International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP), UN Women, UNDP and the Embassy of the Netherlands have initiated discussions for the establishment of specialist support services/ centers in Albania, based on a victim-centered approach, where the victim's wishes, safety, and well-being take priority in all matters and procedures. In addition, the objective is to ensure a holistic response and collaboration with a range of actors from different disciplines (police, prosecution, judicial, health, psychosocial support, NGOs and local authorities). To this aim, a Technical Working Group has been established within the State Police to ensure coordination within this institution.

The purpose of this consultancy is to develop and propose to the Albanian authorities a model of centers for victims of sexual violence in the frame of a multi-sectorial response aiming at encouraging reporting and responding to the needs of victims, in accordance with the Istanbul Convention.

1 UN Women; facts and Figures: Ending Violence against Women. http://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/facts-and-figures

2 Report of the General Prosecution Office on Criminality Status in Albania in 2016 http://www.pp.gov.al/web/raporti_pp_2016_07_03_2017_1160.pdf

3 Article 25 of Istanbul Convention

4 Explanatory Report accompanying Convention, paragraphs 140-141

5 Ibid. paragraph

6 UN Women and Council of Europe Study on the Accessibility and Availability of Support Services for Women and Girls Subjected to Gender-Based Violence in Albania (2015-2016)

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall supervision of the UN Women Project Analyst on Ending Violence Against Women, and in close collaboration with the Albanian State Police, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, Ministry of Justice, ICITAP the Embassy of the Netherlands and an international consultant to be engaged by UNDP, the national consultant will be responsible for the following duties and responsibilities:

Conduct a research and prepare an overview of key international standards, including the Istanbul Convention as well as the existing normative standards in the Albanian legislation relevant to specialist services/centers for victims of sexual violence; the research should also focus on the rights of victims of all forms of sexual violence, based on the international standards and the Albanian legislation;

Identify and provide an overview of services currently available to victims of sexual violence offered by public and non-public service providers across sectors in Albania;

In collaboration with the international expert, conduct research on best international practices for centers for victims of sexual violence in developed and developing countries with a similar Human Development Index as Albania.

Organize meetings with various State actors across the police, health, psychosocial and judicial sectors, as well as non public service providers involved with the provision of services to victims of sexual violence to receive their feedback on the model that would be more suitable for Albania.

Based on the research and in collaboration with the international expert, propose a model of centers for victims of sexual violence, appropriate to the Albanian context. The model should include:

Detailed description of services that should be offered to victims of sexual violence including rape to ensure that these centers offer a multi-sectorial response aiming at encouraging reporting and responding to the needs of victims, based on the standards of the Istanbul Convention;
The leading State agency and other institutions at the national and local levels in charge of managing and providing services to these centers, and the possible management structure of the center;
An approximate costing for the establishment and functioning of these centers;
A proposal of a possible distibution of these centers in Albnia, taking into consideration services that provide supporrt to victims of secual violence (e.g public and non-publis shelters) as well as other mechanism available to women victims of violence;
Identification of key legislation (including secondary legislation) that need to be adopted or amended to ensure proper functioning of these centers

In collaboration with the international consultant, develop: (i) a draft of health referral protocol and b) a draft of multi-sectoral referral protocol for provision of essential services for the specialist services for victims of sexual violence. The standards should ensure that services offered by the centers accessible to all victims of sexual violence, including persons with disabilities and persons from ethnic minorities in accordance with the Istanbul Convention and other similar models;

Prepare a concept note on the model to be shared with the State agencies and other stakeholders in a meeting/event organized to this aim.

Deliverables:

Research report including (15 Working days):

overview of key international standards, including the Istanbul Convention as well as the existing normative standards in the Albanian legislation relevant to the rape-crisis centers and sexual violence referral centers; the rights of victims of all forms of sexual violence, based on the international standards and the Albanian legislation; overview of the current services in Albania available to victims of sexual violence offered by public and non-public service providers;
overview of best international practices to be used as examples of the Albanian model (in collaboration with the international consultant);
summary of interviews/meetings with various actors involved in the provision of services for victims of sexual violence;

Proposed model of centers for victims of sexual violence in Albania (drafted in collaboration with the international expert) which should include (15 working days):

detailed description of services to be offered to victims of sexual violence including rape to ensure that these centers offer a multi-sectorial response aiming at encouraging reporting and responding to the needs of victims, based on the standards of the Istanbul Convention;
the leading State agency and other institutions at the national and local levels in charge of managing and providing services to these centers, and the possible management structure of the center;
the relevant budget for the establishment of one center and a proposal of a possible distribution of these centers in Albania, taking into consideration services that provide support to victims of sexual violence (e.g. public and non-public shelters) as well as other mechanisms available to women victims of violence;
identification of key legislation (including secondary legislation) that need to be adopted or amended to ensure proper functioning of these centers;
drafts of health and multi-sectoral referral protocols for provision of services for victims of sexual violence;
draft concept note and presentation of the model in an event to be organized for this purpose;

Duration of the Work

The consultant will be contracted for a maximum of 30 days for a period of two months starting from the signature of the contract.

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

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies: http://www.unwomen.org/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/about%20us/employment/un-women-employment-values-and-competencies-definitions-en.pdf

Functional Competencies:

Proven research and analytical skills,
Demonstrated ability to interact effectively with various public and non-public stakeholders including in the areas of police, health and judicial sectors;
Excellent writing skills and presentation skills in English and Albanian;
Strong interpersonal skills;
Strong initiative-taker;
Focuses on impact and results for client;
Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude.

Required Skills and Experience

Required Skills and Experince:

Qualifications/Education

Advanced university degree in law, human rights, social studies, gender studies, or related discipline;

Work Experience

At least 7 years of relevant work experience, particularly in the areas of human rights, gender equality, gender-based violence and services for victims of gender-based violence
Experience in research and development of models of multidisciplinary social services; familiarity with the costing of these services would be an asset
Previous teamwork experience at the national or/and international levels;
Previous experience with UN agencies and/or other international organizations in conducting relevant work is an asset.
Previous research experience in cooperating with Albanian State Police, Ministry of Justice, and Ministry of Health and Social Protection is an asset.

Language requirement

Proficiency in written and spoken English and Albanian, including gender and policy terminology;

Other requirements:

Substantive knowledge of women’s human rights including issues related to gender based violence and sexual violence
Substantive knowledge of the Albanian legislation related to services for victims of gender-based violence and relevant international legal framework, including the CEDAW and Istanbul Convention;

Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments:

Financial Proposal specifying the total monthly lumpsum in Albanian Lek for the tasks (30 working days).

Please note that the financial proposal is all-inclusive and shall take into account various expenses incurred by the consultant/contractor during the contract period (e.g. fee and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services). Other travel costs different from the above will be covered by UN Women separately.

Payment will be made as per the payment schedule in the contract upon (i) satisfactory completion of tasks; (ii) provision of deliverables specified in the ToRs; (iii) submission of and approval of final draft; and (iv) submission of the respective invoice.

Recommended Presentation of Offer:

Qualified and interested candidates are asked to submit their application no later than 19 October 2017.

A Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability including a brief description explaining why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment.

P11 including past experience in similar assignment. Can be downloaded at: http://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employment

Financial Proposal specifying the total monthly lump sum in Albanian Lek for the tasks specified in this assignment.

Evaluation of applicants:

Candidates will be evaluated using a cumulative analysis method taking into consideration the combination of the applicants’ qualifications and financial proposal. Contract will be awarded to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

Responsive/compliant/acceptable; and

Having received the highest score out of below defined technical and financial criteria.

Applications will be assessed according to the following Technical Criteria:

Advanced university degree in law, human rights, social studies, gender studies, or related discipline (max 10 points);
At least 7 years of relevant work experience, particularly in the areas of human rights, gender equality, gender-based violence and services for victims of gender-based violence, research and development of models of multidisciplinary social services (max 30 points);
Substantive knowledge of the Albanian legislation related to services for victims of gender-based violence and the relevant international legal framework, including the CEDAW and Istanbul Convention (max 20 points);
Previous experience or familiarity with the UN system and other international organziations (max 10 points);

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% (49 points) in the technical evaluation would be considered for financial evaluation.

The maximum number of points assigned to the financial proposal is allocated to the lowest price proposal. All other price proposals receive points in inverse proportion. The calculation formula applied is as follow:

p = 30 (µ/z); where: p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated; µ = price of the lowest priced proposal; z = price of the proposal being evaluated.