UNDP Jobs - 90250- National Consultant - To Develop a Five (5) Year S

National Consultant - To Develop a Five (5) Year Strategic Framework for the ZRP VFU

Location :

Harare, ZIMBABWE

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

16-Mar-2020

Application Deadline :

25-Feb-20 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

National Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

Estimated 30 Working Days over a period of 3 months

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

Estimated 30 Working Days over a period of 3 months

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

Title of Consultancy

Development of a Five-year Strategic framework for the Zimbabwe Republic Police Victim Friendly Unit for effective provision of protection and access to justice to victims (special focus on vulnerable groups such as women, Persons with Disabilities and children) facing intersecting forms of discrimination.

Main Purpose of Consultancy

To develop a Five (5) year strategic Framework for the ZRP VFU;
To incorporate a focus on SGBV, HP, SRHR for effective provision of protection and access to justice to women & girls facing intersecting forms of discrimination.

Background and Rationale

Sexual and Gender based violence (GBV) is a well-documented public health, human rights, economic and social concern throughout the world. The prevalence rate of GBV in Zimbabwe is very high. Data collected through the Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey (ZDHS) and other prevalence studies show that Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) among those 15-49 years is the most prevalent form of violence experienced. Thirty-five percent of girls and women 15-49 years have experienced physical violence since age 15; 14% have experienced sexual violence at least once in their lifetime; and 32% of ever-married women have experienced spousal emotional violence.[1] Although gender based violence is not among the causes of maternal deaths in Zimbabwe, 6% of women who have been pregnant reported that they experienced violence during one or more of their pregnancies[2], which affects the health of the woman and of the unborn child. In an effort to promote concerted evidence-based programming, the Government of Zimbabwe released baseline data on violence against adolescents in 2012[3] which showed that:

Around 1 in 3 girls experience sexual violence before they turn 18 and a majority of these girls are adolescents; aged between 14 and 17 years;
Less than 3 per cent of these girls received professional help;

Women and especially young women (15-24 years) remain among the majority (59% women and 41% men) of those in Zimbabwe living with HIV. Data from the 2015 ZDHS shows that younger women (15-19 years) are often in sexual relationships with older men where their power to negotiate safer sex is limited. Seventeen percent of young women 15-17 years and 18-19 years respectively reported having sex with a man 10 years older, or more, and 21% of these young women were or had been in a marriage.

The response to GBV in Zimbabwe is multi-sectoral by nature, and done by a plethora of government ministries, community actors, civil society and community-based organizations, working across sectors. The main service delivery systems include the Victim Friendly System (VFS) of the police, linking criminal justice partners under the lead of the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs for seamless court service towards successful prosecution. The first professional that many victims encounter in these situations is the police. Typically, the police role has involved taking action to prevent violence and, when violence has occurred, determining what has happened, attending to the needs of the victim, and taking appropriate action with regard to the offender. Police officers represent the front line in the fight against VAWG and arguably are most accountable for the success or failure of those measures. Often times, these encounters represent a ‘key moment’ in which to enhance the welfare and safety of many victims.

The Strategy Analysis

The state has the primary responsibility for ending GBV in all its forms. The obligation of states to prevent violence against women and girls and to provide comprehensive services to survivors of such violence was established as a ‘due diligence’ standard by General Recommendation No. 19 of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in 1992.

The establishment of the Victim Friendly Legal System (VFLS) in Zimbabwe was a development that was initiated by the Government of Zimbabwe, the women’s movement and children’s rights activists from 1992 - 1997. The Vulnerable Witnesses Committee Report (1992) findings and recommendations along with the amendment of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act (1997) that aimed at supporting survivors of sexual violence and abuse to pursue their right to access specialized health, justice, welfare and other services led to the formation of the VFLS.

The Vulnerable Witness Committee was tasked with the responsibility to see that all victims of crime such as women and children were adequately protected from further abuse and trauma within the Criminal Justice System. This resulted in a multi-sectoral approach to offering welfare and judicial services to survivors of sexual violence and abuse. The Victim Friendly system oversees the implementation of the protection of victims of crime and their active participation in the Criminal Justice System in Zimbabwe (CJSZ).

Victim/survivor protection requires a clear system that includes: a set of laws, policies and regulations that are coherent in the way that they protect the most vulnerable in society; policies and regulations to ensure that frontline service providers have the skills, mandate and resources to prevent and respond to abuse when it occurs; coordination so that interventions reach across all actors that need to be involved.

Zimbabwe is currently going through a transitional phase with the Government in Zimbabwe embarking on a range of political and economic reforms meant to lay a foundation for moving the country forward through the promotion of private enterprise, by 2030. This has wrought changes in economic, social and cultural contexts of the nation affecting how national institutions such as the ZRP deliver on their mandate.

As it currently stands, the ZRP VFU is guided by the ZRP’s institutional, strategic and policy direction as represented in the institution’s strategic document. However, as a result of the specialised nature of the VFU mandate, the unit requires a specific strategic and internal policy thrust that is victim-centered and promotes collaboration with other actors that stimulates both preventative and proactive responses to GBV, while enabling provision of justice for survivors. The strategy should also serve in building institutional empathy for victims and their circumstances within the ZRP as a whole. There is thus a need for the ZRP VFU to develop a strategy of its institutional structure, programmatic and operational approaches as well as capacity considerations. To this end, a consultant is being recruited to develop a five-year strategic plan to guide the operation of the ZRP VFU over the coming years.

Overall purpose of Strategic Review

The purpose of the strategy development process is the development of a Five-year Strategic framework for the Zimbabwe Republic Police Victim Friendly Unit for effective provision of protection and access to justice to victims (special focus on SGBV, HP, SRHR for effective provision of protection and access to justice to vulnerable groups such as women, girls, Persons with Disabilities and children) facing intersecting forms of discrimination.

Specific Objectives of Strategic Review

The specific objectives of the assessment are:

Define the scope and the methodology of the strategic framework development process;
Review and analyse organizational documents, based upon learning and challenges in implementation of the mandate, with a focus on:
- Where are we?
- Where do we want to be?
- How will we get there?
  - Assess and analyse ZRP VFU’s internal environment;
  - Assess and analyse the ZRP VFU’s external environment and stakeholders;
  - Identify critical gaps, conduct a SWOT analysis and identify strategic opportunities with internal and external stakeholders that would further the work of the VFU;
  - Plan and facilitate workshop/s to prioritize strategic directions;
  - Support ZRP VFU in designing appropriate metrics for Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Impact to best align with identified strategic priorities;
  - Review the Unit’s structure with a view to recommend if desirable, aligned sections in order for ZRP VFU to effectively discharge its mandate;
  - Draft and finalize ZRP VFU's strategic plan.

[1] ZDHS 2015

[2] ZDHS 2015

[3] Zimstat (2012), National Baseline Survey on the Life Experiences of Adolescents.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of work and Methodology

The scope and focus of the assignment is to provide technical, strategic and facilitation support to enable the drafting of ZRP VFU’s strategic plan for 2019-2024. After the initial document review, the consultant will develop an analysis framework and work plan to guide the assessment and the development of the strategic plan.

S/he will conduct a thorough but focused assessment of ZRP VFU’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as external opportunities and threats, with a view to identifying appropriate strategic options for the 2019-2024 operational period. The assessment will include review of relevant documents as identified in collaboration with ZRP, the Judicial Services Commission, the MOHACH, MOJLPA and UNDP, including related domestic and international legal frameworks.

The consultant will also conduct individual interviews with key informants from government ministries, the JSC and selected CSOs as identified in collaboration with the UNDP and the relevant UN partner Agencies.

The use of participatory processes is expected. Critical reflection by ZRP VFU and stakeholders is integral to this strategic planning initiative, as well as the understanding of the implications of a human rights-based approach or social model focused on victim centeredness with a focus on vulnerable groups such as women and children. As such, the Consultant will be expected to provide for active and meaningful engagement of ZRP VFU staff, ZRP Training department, officers commanding districts, relevant government representatives, and other stakeholders.

It is expected that data will be analysed using a rigorous and transparent analysis framework, summarized and presented back to ZRP VFU to aid in prioritization of strategic directions. A key aspect of the consultancy is preparation for and facilitation of a strategic planning workshop/s with ZRP members and VFU staff as well as key collaborating partners. All data and the results of the workshop will be consolidated into a draft and finalized strategic document, including analysis and the presentation of a Theory of Change model.

The scope of work for the Consultant will include but will not be limited to:

Undertake a situation analysis of ZRP VFU operations to date and identify strengths, challenges and opportunity;
Review the institutional capacity, structure, organizational set-up, financial and administrative systems against the ZRP VFU mandate and make recommendations for focus if needed;
Review ZRP VFU mandate and the current vision and mission based on the mandate; Facilitate discussion over the vision and mission to inform the new strategic plan;
Through a consultative process and application of an appropriate tool of analysis, identify/select the final focus areas and develop strategic objectives and key result areas for the same;
Propose a strategy for achieving the strategic objectives and key results;
Develop a Results and Resources Framework for the plan period;
Hold stakeholder meeting to validate the draft Strategic Plan;
Finalize Strategic plan and submit to the ZRP VFU and UNDP.

Methodology

The methodology will consist of document review, interviews, analysis and synthesis presented in report, workshop facilitation and strategic plan drafting. The consultant will first familiarize him/herself thoroughly with the legal and policy framework both at national and international level so as to fully understand the current standards and provisions for a HRBA, Victim-centredness, and access to justice for vulnerable groups. The consultant will further review relevant ZRP documents as listed above and agreed in consultation with the ZRP, UNDP and relevant UN Agencies. This will be followed by a well-planned set of interviews with key stakeholders so as to assess ZRP’s internal and external This process will be followed by synthesis of the results in report format, including identification of strengths and weaknesses as well as identifying alternative strategic focus areas for ZRP VFU. Once the assessment process has been completed, the consultant will plan and facilitate a workshop with ZRP staff and other key stakeholders with the aim of prioritizing the strategic directions for 2019 to 2024. Throughout the process the consultant will work in close collaboration with the ZRP VFU and the UNDP to ensure the strategic plan is aligned with the ZRP Strategic direction as well as national and international standards.

Roles and Responsibilities

ZRP VFU and UNDP will oversee and guide the consultant. The strategy will be directly managed by the ZRP VFU focal person and UNDP Human Rights Specialist;
The ZRP VFU focal person will be responsible for convening, coordinating and supporting the development of the strategy in close collaboration with relevant stakeholders in the justice delivery chain;
UNDP will be responsible for convening, coordinating and supporting the development in close collaboration with the relevant UN Agencies;
Consultant needs to comply with global and local PSEA (Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse) guidelines and standards.

Expected Deliverables

The time frame for the entire consultancy should not exceed 30 days.

The consultant will provide the following deliverables:

An Inception Report based on these Terms of Reference to be presented at an inception meeting;
A summary assessment report (synthesising outcomes of document review and interviews);
A strategic plan workshop agenda and facilitation plan;
A strategic plan document including:
- executive summary;
- background;
- internal and External analysis;
- strategic priorities;
- metrics to assess progress made in the attainment of these strategic priorities;
- strategic plan.

Milestone Payments

Payment will be linked to deliverables as indicated below:

20% Payment upon submission and approval of Inception report;
30% Payment upon submission of Summary assessment Report;
30% Payment upon completion of Strategic Plan Workshop;
20% Payment upon submission of Strategic Plan Document.

Note that payment to a contractor is dependent on the satisfactory completion of deliverables.

Competencies

Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
Promotes the vision, mission and strategic goals of the UN;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Treats all people fairly without favoritism.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master’s degree in relevant fields (planning, public policy, Gender, Law, Human Rights, Social Science, International Relations, Development studies, etc.).

Experience:

At least seven years of proven experience in conducting qualitative and/or quantitative research on Law, Human Rights, Gender and/or justice and/or SRHR related analysis, policy analysis and participatory research; (Expertise in gender equality with special focus on protection, prevention and ending VAWG/HP, and on people with disabilities and adolescents is a plus);
Proven experience in strategic planning (including facilitation and document preparation) and management using participatory approaches;
Demonstrated experience in working with government partners and other stakeholders in public sector development programs especially in the area of capacity development.

Language Requirements:

Good communication and report writing skills in English.

Application Procedure

Interested Individuals are requested to submit a proposal on this platform which includes the following:

Applicants are requested to submit a Technical proposal, including:

A CV highlighting the relevant experience;
A technical proposal showing how the task will be undertaken;
Financial proposal and budget breakdown based on expected daily rates and initial work plan.

Please group all your documents into one (1) single PDF document as the system only allows you to upload one (1) document.

Incomplete applications will not be given consideration.

Please note that only applicants who are short-listed will be contacted.

Evaluation Criteria

The award of the contract shall be made to the Consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as: Responsive/compliant/acceptable; and having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the ToR.

Technical Criteria weight: 70%;
Financial Criteria weight: 30%.

Selection Criteria

Technical Evaluation: Constitutes 70% of total evaluation:

Criteria A: Education and Experience (maximum 60 points);

Master’s degree in relevant fields (planning, public policy, Gender, Law, Human Rights, Social Science, International Relations, Development studies, etc.). (10 Points);
At least seven years of proven experience in conducting qualitative and/or quantitative research on Law, Human Rights, Gender and/or justice and/or SRHR related analysis, policy analysis and participatory research; (Expertise in gender equality with special focus on protection, prevention and ending VAWG/HP, and on people with disabilities and adolescents is a plus) (15 Points);
Proven experience in strategic planning (including facilitation and document preparation) and management using participatory approaches. (10 Points);
Demonstrated experience in working with government partners and other stakeholders in public sector development programs especially in the area of capacity development. (15 Points);
Good communication and report writing skills in English. (10 Points).

Criteria B: Technical Proposal / Methodology (maximum 40 points);

Have the important aspects of the task been addressed in enough detail? 10 points;
Are the different components of the project adequately weighted relative to one another? 10 points;
Is the scope of task well defined and does it correspond to the TOR? 10 points;
Work plan - Is the presentation clear and is the sequence of activities and the planning logical, realistic and promise efficient implementation to the project? 10 points.

Note: Only the highest ranked candidates who have obtained a minimum of 70 points (70%) on the technical evaluation will be considered for the financial evaluation.

Financial Evaluation: Constitutes 30% of total evaluation.

Please submit an all-inclusive lump sum price based on a daily fee. Financial proposals must be all inclusive and must be expressed in USD. The term "all inclusive” implies that all costs (professional fees, communications, consumables, insurance, etc.) that could possibly be incurred in discharging this assignment should be factored into the financial proposal.