UNDP Jobs - 79468- International Consultant: Promoting Sustainable an

International Consultant: Promoting Sustainable and Equitable HIV- related Human Rights and legal Services

Location :

Home-based – with missions to Sudan, Tunisia and Istanbul, TURKEY

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

29-Jun-18 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

Estimated 15th July – 31st December 2018

Languages Required :

Arabic English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

Approximately 100 working days

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

UNDP is the UN’s global development network advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP is a founding co-sponsor of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), a partner to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, and a co-sponsor of several other international health partnerships. UNDP’s work on HIV, Health and Development leverages the organization’s core strengths and mandates in human development, governance and capacity development to complement the efforts of specialized, health-focused UN agencies.

Despite the global decline in the HIV new infections, the Arab region currently has one of the fastest growing epidemics. According to UNAIDS 2015 Regional Report for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), by 2015, 230,000 (160 000 -330 000) people were living with HIV, Six countries were home to more than 90% of the estimated people living with HIV in the region. Between 2010 and 2015, new infections in the Middle East and North Africa reduced slightly by 4% with an estimated 18 000 (11 000 – 39 000) new infections in 2015 compared to 20 000 (12 000 – 29 000) in 2010 . This increase was occurring among both men and women, but was greater among men. The majority of the HIV epidemic in this region is concentrated among key population at higher risk (people who inject drugs, men who have sex with men and sex workers).

Access of people living with HIV to care, support and treatment is unequal across countries. By the end of 2012, 25,100 people were receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART), an increase of 4,800 from 2011. However, regional level coverage of people living with HIV was less than 20 per cent. Although access to treatment is free in many countries, other services such as professional confidential counselling, treatment of opportunistic infections and other health care services remain inadequate. The level of poverty experienced by people living with HIV and affected families remain a concern affecting their ability to access or maintain their access to health and social services and exacerbating the impact of the epidemic. While better-off families can offset their losses in income resulting from AIDS with other assets, poor people are more likely to resort to adverse coping strategies (reducing education, food and health expenditures or sending their children to work) that can result in significant loss of human capital.

The spread of HIV in the Arab States has been driven by poverty, unemployment, war and conflict, population movements, gender inequality as well as sexual and gender-based violence. However, the violations of HIV related human rights through punitive laws and practices is also wide spread in the region. Since the HIV is concentrated amongst the key affected population (men having sex with men, sex workers and people who inject drugs), all of these categories are criminalized in all of Arab countries, and their human rights are often violated when incarcerated or abducted.
UNDP is working extensively with other partners to promote and advance the Human Rights of People living with HIV (PLHIV) and other key population in the Arab countries. UNDP’s continuous engagement with Muslim and Christian Religious leaders in the region since 2004 lead to the establishment of the CHAHAMA Network of Religious leaders which has played a significant role in advocating for removal of the stigma and discrimination against PLHIV. UNDP has also been working with the league of Arab States (LAS) and the Arab Parliament to develop and adopt the Arab Convention for HIV prevention and protection of the rights of people living with HIV. This first regional convention of its kind globally, was adopted by the Arab Parliament in 2012. UNDP is continuing work with LAS and countries to collect the minimum 7 ratifications required for the convention to get into force.

At the countries level, UNDP supports the development of Legal Environment Assessment (LEA) which provide a comprehensive and participatory assessment and diagnosis of the most eminent Human Rights violations and issues facing PLHIV and key population and provide some practical recommendations for the stakeholders to discuss and take actions on them. LEAs are flexible tools that could expand to include all issues facing people of sexual minority, gender orientation and equality, from a human-rights perspectives.

UNDP has piloted the implementation of Social Contracting of NGOs to provide services for PLHIV and KAP in a number of countries in East Europe and Central Asia. Social Contracting is an important tool that can be used to increase the domestic AIDS financing and bridge the trust and collaboration gap between civil society and governments in many countries. UNDP would like to explore the possibility of piloting this intervention in the Arab States/MENA region, in collaboration with partner CSOs and governments.

For all of the above interventions, the HIV, Health and Development (HHD) team in Arab States is looking for a regional consultant, who will be joining the team in 2018 to support the implementation of the portfolio.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Consultant will report to the HHD team leader for Arab States (Supervisor), and will work in close collaboration with other Human Rights consultants from HHD Africa and Central Asia and East Europe Regions.

Legal Environment Assessment in Tunisia and Sudan:

Work closely with UNDP country offices in the two countries, the civil society organizations and the members of the LEA committees to develop a roadmap for the implementation of the exercise, taking into consideration other initiatives and milestones related to HIV programming in the country;
Support the work of the International and national consultant through online sourcing and researching, validation of translated documents (Arabic-English) and support the data collection;
Support the facilitation of a national dialogue in each of the two countries.
Contribute to the drafting of the final report in the two countries.
Regional consultation on Social Contracting;
Conduct rapid mapping of the social contracting initiatives in the Arab countries, using qualitative methods and interviews with CSOs from the targeted countries;
Conduct online research of the laws and bylaws that are related to any form of social contracting in the selected countries;
Develop a concept note, agenda and list of participants based on the mapping results, including equal representation from governments and CSOs
Act as a rapporteur for the consultation, takes minutes of the discussion and develop the meeting report.

Regional consultation on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Conduct mapping of the human rights CSOs in the MENA countries, especially those with track records on defending human rights of people of sexual minority;

Develop a concept note, agenda and proposed list of participants based on the results of the mapping above, and including equal representation of the various sexual orientation groups; and
Co-facilitate the meeting and develop the minutes and final report.

Deliverables:

Deliverable 1 - Detailed work plan that includes all of the duties mentioned above – 2 weeks after signing of the contract.
Deliverable 2 - Monthly progress reports of the status of the implementation of the legal environment assessment in Sudan and Tunisia 2nd – 6th Month.
Deliverable 3 - Detailed reports of the national dialogue in Tunisia and Sudan– 2 months after signing the contract.
Deliverable 4 - Mapping of the social contracting initiatives in Arab States, concept note, agenda and list of participants for the regional consultation on social contracting – 3 months after signing of the contract.
Deliverable 5 - Mapping report of the Human rights CSOs and other SOGI associations in the Arab states, proposed list of participants and agenda for the regional meeting on SOGI – 4 month after signing the contract
Deliverable 6 - Draft and final LEA reports in Tunisia –5 months after signing of the contract.
Deliverable 7 - Final report of the regional consultation on social contracting – 5 months after signing the contract.
Deliverable 8 - Final report on the regional consultation on SOGI – 6 months after signing the contract

Anticipated Travel
The consultant is expected to conduct the following missions during the consultancy:

Sudan – (two missions, 5 days each)
Tunisia – (two missions, 5 days each)
Istanbul – (2 missions, 3 days each)

Payment Arrangements
Payments will be made upon submitted certification of payments and acceptance by the Supervisor:

1st Payment – after submission of deliverable 1– 10 %
2nd Payment – after submission of deliverables 3,4 – 30%
3rd Payment – after submission of deliverable 5 – 20%
4th Payment – after submission of deliverable 6 - 15%
5th Payment - after submission of deliverables 2, 7& 8 – 25%

Competencies

Corporate competencies

Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Treats all people fairly without favouritism
Fulfils all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment.

Functional competencies:

Commitment to the principles set forth in the UN High Level Declarations on HIV and AIDS;
Very good understanding of the legal and policy challenges and their practical implications in the region;
Familiarity with the civil society landscape in the region, specifically those working on HIV and legal issues;
Familiarity with the political regional constituencies and the regional legal structures;
Familiarity with the impact of broader Social Determinants of Health (SDH) on health equity and HIV;
Excellent networking and organizational skills, independence and ability to multitask.
Experience in working directly with people living with HIV and other key population is an asset.
Excellent research and writing skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications/Education:

An advanced degree (master of equivalent) in Law, Public health, Development or other relevant field.

Experience:

Minimum of five years of relevant professional experience in the field of human rights, law and health;
Three years of professional experience working closely with PLHIV and key population in provision of legal aid and other services;

Language Skills:

Fluency in English and Arabic (including translation skills between the two languages).

Evaluation of Applicants
Applicants will be evaluated based on a combination of technical and financial evaluation
The contract will be awarded to the applicant whose offer as been evaluated and determined as: Responsive/complaint/ acceptable;
Received the highest score of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria as per below specifications.

Only candidates who pass 70% in the technical evaluation will be considered for financial evaluation.

Technical Criteria – 70% of total evaluation – max 70 points

Education and additional qualification – max 10 points
Publications (Listed in P11 with active link) – max 10 points
Professional experience in the field of human rights, law and health – max 20 points
Professional experience working closely with PLHIV and key population in provision of legal aid and other services – max 20 points
Fluency in Arabic and English – max 10 points

Financial Criteria – 30% of total evaluation – max 30 points

Application Procedures:
Qualified candidates are requested to apply online via this website. The application should contain:

Cover Letter explaining why you are the most suitable candidate for the advertised position. Please paste the letter into the “Resume and Motivation” Section of the electronic application;
Fully completed and up to date P11 including the past experience in similar projects and contact details of referees (blank P11 form can be downloaded http://www.eurasia.undp.org/content/dam/rbec/docs/P11_modified_for_SCs_and_ICs.doc) ; please upload the P11 instead of your CV
Financial proposal* - 1) total all-inclusive lump sum amount in USD for the tasks specified in this announcement, 2) breakdown of costs related to 2 missions to Sudan (5 days each), 2 missions to Tunisia (5 days each) and 2 missions to Istanbul (3 days each) (incl. a) per diem and b) travel costs).
Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested materials.

*Please note that the financial proposal is all-inclusive and shall take into consideration various expenses incurred by the contractor during the contract period. All envisaged costs (including missions specified under this TORs) must be included in the financial proposal. The DSA component of the missions shall not exceed the rates specified by the UN, for more information, please review the DSA circulars on (http://icsc.un.org/rootindex.asp).

The selected consultant is responsible for obtaining necessary visas, if applicable. UNDP will strive to support the application process.
Payments will be made only upon confirmation of UNDP on delivery on the contract obligations in a satisfactory manner.

Individual Consultants are responsible for ensuring they have vaccinations/inoculations when travelling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director. Consultant are also required to comply with UN security directives, including undergoing the mandatory security trainings and obtaining the required security clearances when traveling. More information are provided on (http://dss.un.org).
General Terms and conditions as well as other related documents can be found on (http://on.undp.org/t7fJs.

Qualified women and members of minorities are encouraged to apply.
Due to the large number of applications we receive, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.