Maldives graduated from the Least Developed Country status in 2011 and is now considered a middle-income country; however, with various factors such as the geographical dispersion, weak implementation of the local governance system and inequal distribution of resources, those residing in the outer islands have continued to face challenges and remains marginalized and excluded from society. Furthermore, an increasing number of people have migrated to Greater Male’ area to access better quality education and employment opportunities resulting in a larger disparity between the capital Male’ and the atolls and has led to a plethora of new development issues.

The increase in geographical inequality has further marginalised women, particularly young women in the atolls who are eager to work for their livelihood but are often faced with limited opportunities to do so. In a country where sexual and gender-based violence is highly prevalent, with 1 in 3 women between ages of 15-49 having experienced some kind of physical or sexual abuse at some point in their lifetime[1], the increase in women’s financial dependence on their male family members/spouses greatly increases their risk of facing violence in the future. Moreover, high levels of gender inequality and gender-based violence in the country have also been found to be an indicator for increased vulnerability to political violence and the use of more severe forms of violence in conflict [2].

Due to the gendered underpinnings usually associated with violence, the promotion of gender equality and women’s empowerment in itself serves as a direct countermeasure and places women at the forefront of leading the change and shaping communities. Prevention efforts then need to focus on women’s experiences and their participation in political, social and economic life. Results of such programmes have recognized the impact of women, particularly the role of mothers in ensuring social cohesion within their families and the overall community. Armed with knowledge and skills, mothers have banded together to form support groups tackling instances of violence and cultivating a spirit of peace and tolerance in their communities.

UNDP Maldives through the Integrated Governance Programme (IGP) has been working to establish peaceful and tolerant communities and is seeking the service of an international consultant to undertake an assessment to identify the best model of engagement with mothers in the peacebuilding process.

[1]  Ministry of Gender and Family, 2007, Maldives Study on Women’s Health and Life Experiences 

[2]  World Bank Group, 2018, Pathways for Peace: Inclusive Approaches to Preventing Violent Conflict 

The consultant is expected to fulfill the following criteria in terms of the expertise and qualifications;

• Postgraduate degree in gender, development studies, research, human rights, law or related social science
• Minimum 5 years of professional experience in the development sector as practitioner or a researcher in the area of peacebuilding and community resilience
• Minimum 3 years of experience working with communities, particularly with vulnerable groups in social cohesion
• Minimum 3 years of experience in designing and implementing similar assessments
• Experience in the region or similar context is an added asset
• Experience working with UNDP or other UN agencies is an added advantage
• Fluent in written and spoken English

Under the guidance of UNDP, the consultant will undertake the following tasks;

• Conduct a preliminary assessment including a literature review on relevant programmes and best practices globally and from the region, and stakeholder consultations to identify the local context and efforts currently being undertaken.
• Develop an initial draft of the report indicating the methodology, including sample size, data collection method and submit the report for approval from UNDP. The methodology should take into consideration ways to capture the experiences of the most vulnerable and marginalized among the sampling population.
• Identify sessions/modules that can be included in the mother’s support group model and draft specific outlines for these modules.
• Undertake data collection in Male’ and Addu City including stakeholder consultations with relevant government agencies and civil society organizations and public consultations.
• Conduct a small pilot with a focused group to test out initial assumptions.
• Analyze the data and submit a draft report of the findings and recommendations to set up a group in Male’ and Addu City along with any materials or activity/lesson plans needed for UNDP’s review.
• Facilitate a validation workshop with stakeholders and incorporate their comments.
• Submit the final report of the assessment.

   Expected Outputs and Deliverables

• The consultant will be responsible for the following deliverables;

• Conduct literature review and stakeholder meetings
• Identify and draft sessions/modules
• Undertake data collection and pilot testing
• Draft report
• Facilitate validation workshop
• Final report

The following table shows an indication of the duration for the deliverables;

 Institutional Arrangement

The consultant will develop the detailed methodology and carry out the data collection, data analysis and finalize the draft report which will be presented to UNDP for validation. The consultant will work under the guidance of UNDP and will be accountable to the assigned Programme Officer, IGP, for each deliverable as stipulated in the proposal. Meetings with UNDP senior management will be held as and when needed.

Duration: 39 days between August – October 2019

Duty Station: Maldives

Corporate Competencies

• Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards and acts in accordance with the Standards of Conduct for international civil servants;
• Advocates and 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.

Functional Competencies

• Knowledge about the UNDP programmes would be an advantage;
• Proven strong analytical abilities;
• Ability to work under pressure with several tasks and various deadlines;
• Ability to actively generate creative, practical approaches and solutions to overcome challenging situations;
• Excellent writing, presentation/public speaking skills;
• A pro-active approach to problem-solving;
• General IT Literacy

Education

• Postgraduate degree in gender, development studies, research, human rights, law or related social science

Experience

• Minimum 5 years of professional experience in the development sector as practitioner or a researcher in the area of peacebuilding and community resilience
• Minimum 3 years of experience working with communities, particularly with vulnerable groups in social cohesion
• Minimum 3 years of experience in designing and implementing similar assessments
• Experience in the region or similar context is an added asset
• Experience working with UNDP or other UN agencies is an added advantage

Language requirement

• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.

Application process

Interested individuals must submit the following as proposals in order to demonstrate their qualifications. 

• A letter indicating why the candidate considers himself/herself suitable for the required consultancy;
• Submission of an updated detailed Personal CV or P11 form which can be downloaded from http://sas.undp.org/documents/p11_personal_history_form.doc
• Lump sum financial quotation, with a breakdown of daily consultancy fee, daily subsistence allowance and ticket fees as applicable – clearly indicate the breakdown of daily fee and number of days of work; 
• At least two references from recent previous jobs or three references contact details

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