UN WOMEN Jobs - 80526- To contract services for a consultant to conduct a

To contract services for a consultant to conduct an Evaluation of UN Women MCO Caribbean’s Social Mobilisation Programme to end Gender-Based Violence in the Caribbean

Advertised on behalf of

UN WOMEN

Location :

Home-Based

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

17-Sep-2018

Application Deadline :

28-Aug-18 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

maximum of 60 working days

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

maximum of 60 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

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.

The Caribbean Human Development report 2012 notes that “citizen insecurity has become an urgent challenge of human development in …. the Caribbean” with gender seen as “the strongest predictor of criminal behaviour and criminal victimization” (CHDR, page 33). Gender-based violence, and in particular violence against women, and the sexual abuse of both girls and boys is one of the most common forms of insecurity facing citizens in the Caribbean. Gender-based violence directly impacts citizen security, including the stability and health of a family and community. In addition to direct experiences of violence, the fear or threat of gender-based violence further impacts mobility, productivity, national prosperity and regional stability. Despite relatively strong legal frameworks to address gender-based violence, including intimate partner violence, comprehensive national responses and provision of services for those who have experienced violence remains a challenge in many countries in the Caribbean.

The Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and in particular, General Recommendation Nineteen which speaks to violence against women and girls, encourages on-going efforts to build more stable and secure societies, which integrate strategies that support government and civil society. The support to government and civil society is necessary in the following ways:

Implementation and monitoring of the existing legal frameworks to address gender-based violence (GBV) and intimate partner violence;
Ensuring a strengthened response by the judicial and policing systems to address impunity;
Realizing improved, coordinated response services; ensuring increased voice and leadership of women and girls in this process; and
Significantly expanding social mobilization prevention efforts which address culturally sanctioned behaviours which result in GBV, including the active engagement of men and boys, as well as community and faith-based leaders.

UN Women MCO Caribbean’s programme of work on Social Mobilization to End Gender Based Violence in the Eastern Caribbean (Social Mobilisation Programme) was implemented as part of its 2014 – 2017 Strategic Plan. The Social Mobilisation programme is aimed at supporting strategies and approaches at the national and community level which challenge social behaviours and perceptions that perpetuate the root causes of gender-based discrimination and which reinforce unequal relations of power between women and men. This programme is part of the prevention work led by UN Women. Specifically, this area of work is captured as a key result area within UN Women MCO Caribbean 2014 -2017 Strategic Plan as outlined below;

Outcome 3.1. Citizen Security in the Caribbean has at its cornerstone the eradication of gender-based violence;

Output 3.1.1 Enhanced capacity of communities in leading and sustaining long-term, social mobilization and primary prevention programmes;

In 2014 UN Women MCO Caribbean issued a call for proposals to Governments and Non- Governmental Organizations in support of community based-social mobilization initiatives in the Eastern Caribbean. A number of Government and Non-Governmental Organizations were issued grants which spanned two to three years of project implementation. Baseline data was also collected with a view to measuring the impact of the programme. The Social Mobilisation work in the Caribbean region focuses on:

Community-based and nationally-based dialogue on the root causes of gender-based violence, including the concepts of masculinity; which facilitate shifts in values, beliefs, behaviours and practices recognizing GBV as unacceptable. The discourse supported should target young women and men, adult women and men and local organizations;
Community led efforts which aim at building a critical mass of individuals and groups engaged in activism against gender-based violence. This includes building the capacity of community support networks;
Building girls and women’s social assets and safety nets e.g. through the provision of girl and women only spaces that provide social support and skills training, raise self-esteem and help cope with crisis;
Social advocacy which develops momentum at national and community levels for the adoption/revision of key pieces of legislation, plans and policies to End Gender-Based Violence, including Sexual Violence and Domestic Violence;
Increasing public education and awareness about rights and access to services in overcoming gender-based violence.

Duties and Responsibilities

Purpose and Objectives of the assignment

Limited evidence on successful and impactful prevention interventions to address VAWG exists globally. In the Caribbean this type of evidence on successful prevention intervention programmes to address violence against women and girls is equally limited. An evaluation of the MCO Caribbean Social Mobilization Programme over the past three years will be essential to understanding the key successes and challenges of implementation both from the point of view of implementing partners and from the point of view of the MCO Caribbean. Further, an evaluation is critical to deepening the understanding of what works for the prevention of VAWG in the Caribbean region at the level of community- based interventions. This will in turn ensure that future GBV/VAW prevention programming, in particular, proposed models of community-based social mobilization interventions to address VAWG in the Caribbean, is not only fit for purpose and results, but better focused and targeted and more responsive to partners ‘needs’, as well as, donor concerns.

Scope of Work

Within a maximum of a 60 day working period, under the overall supervision of the UN Women MCO - Caribbean Representative and the direct supervision of the Latin American and the Caribbean Monitoring and Evaluation Officer; the consultant will complete an evaluation of the Social Mobilisation programme. The evaluation must fit within UN Women framework for evaluation.

The Evaluation should include an assessment of the following:

Impact

Assess the sustainability of the intervention in achieving transformation of attitudes, values and beliefs related to gender-power relations in support of addressing violence against women and girls;
Determine the impact of the intervention with respect to supporting the overall programme objective of the prevention of violence against women and girls;
Analyze how human rights approaches and gender equality principles are integrated in implementation;
Identify and validate lessons learned, good practices and examples, and innovations of efforts that support the prevention of violence against women and girls;
Provide actionable recommendations with respect to the UN Women social mobilisation interventions.

Relevance

Determine:

To what extent is the intervention relevant to the needs and priorities as defined by beneficiaries?
To what extent is the intervention aligned with relevant normative frameworks for gender equality and women’s empowerment?
What is UN Women’s comparative advantage in this area of work compared with other UN entities and key partners?

Effectiveness

To what extent were the expected outcomes achieved and how did UN Women contribute towards these?

Efficiency

To what extent does the management structure of the intervention support efficiency for programme implementation?

Impact

To what extent was the prevention of Violence Against Women and Girls advanced as a result of the intervention?
What were the unintended effects, if any, of the intervention?
How will the benefits of the intervention be secured for rights holders (i.e. what accountability and oversight systems were established)?

Sustainability

To what extent was capacity developed in order to ensure sustainability of efforts and benefits?
How has funding been secured to ensure implementation of the programme and do these funding models remain relevant and appropriate going forward?

Gender Equality and Human Rights

To what extent has gender and human rights considerations been integrated into the programme design and implementation?
How has attention to integration of gender equality and human rights concerns advanced the area of work?

Deliverables

Specific Tasks to be undertaken by the Consultant include:

Prepare a consultancy work plan and timeline outlining the proposed methodology;
Where necessary develop data collection instruments (contingent upon the substantive review and approval from UN Women);
Conduct end line data collection with the view to determining the impact of the programme;
Establish contact with implementing agencies, stakeholders and beneficiaries in Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica and Grenada;
Travel to countries in which social mobilization projects have been implemented (number to be decided based on resource considerations) for the purposes of end line data collection;
Conduct virtual and in-person (where relevant) interviews to gather information;
Develop an outline for the evaluation report to be approved by UN Women;
Complete a draft evaluation report;
Produce a final evaluation report outlining recommendations.

Reporting Requirements

The consultant will work under the overall supervision of the UN Women MCO-Caribbean Representative, with direct reporting to the Latin America and the Caribbean M&E Officer.

Competencies

Core Values/Guiding Principles:

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.

The ideal candidate for the Consultancy should bring a solid academic and professional background in the areas of social work, youth and community work, psychology, participatory education, training and facilitation, gender and development.

Functional Competencies:

Ability to support design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development related programmes and projects;
Knowledge of Results Based Management principles and approaches;
Ability to maintain networks and partnerships with key development, media and UN agencies and other international partners;
Knowledge of human rights and gender and development principles and approaches.

Required Skills and Experience

The consultant should meet the following criteria:

Required skills and experience:

Education:

Postgraduate degree in in Social Science, Social work, Psychology, Gender and Development, or Public health.

Experience:

At least ten years’ experience and proven expertise in research and analytical work, including data analysis and research;
At least five years’ experience in conducting evaluations;
At least five years of experience in supporting behavioural change and prevention work in the promotion of social change, a specific focus on ending gender-based violence considered an asset;
At least 5 years demonstrated experience of working with a variety of stakeholders and beneficiaries including Governmental and Non-Governmental Organisations, community members and leaders, young women and men, and children;
Academic and/or work-experience in the Caribbean is preferred.

Languages :

Fluency in English is required.

References:

Minimum of three client references that include the name of the contact person, title and contact information.

Remuneration:

The consultancy fee will be negotiated before contracting. Each payment will be based on a predefined and formal agreement between UN Women and the consultant and will be disbursed based on satisfactory completion of agreed deliverables.

Hardware, Software and Communication:

The consultant must be equipped with a laptop, which must be portable and must run at least Windows 7. The consultant must be reasonably accessible by email and telephone (preferably mobile). The use of reliable, internet-based (Skype or equivalent) is required.

Location and Duration:

The consultant will be home based with travel to the Caribbean;
The consultant will be engaged for a maximum of 60 working days between the 17 September to 05 December 2018.

Other

The consultant contracted will be required to sign a statement of confidentiality and freedom from any conflict of interest with potential future contractors with respect to the TORs and work that they will be delivering.

Note:

Submissions to UNDP Jobs are limited to a maximum of 10 MB, virus-free or corrupted contents to avoid rejection, and no more than 1 email transmission. As such, all application materials must be scanned into one document and submitted.

All applications must be submitted through UNDP jobs. Please do not send applications to UN Women staff as they will not be accepted.