Background

1. Background

In 2017, UN Women and UNDP launched a joint programme to support the accelerated implementation of SDG 5 in the State of Kuwait (“SDG 5 programme”), in partnership with the General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development (GSSCPD) and the Kuwait University Women’s Research and Studies Centre (WRSC).

The SDG 5 programme focused on three key areas: 1) the enhancement of women’s participation in political and public life; 2) the enhancement of women’s participation in all sectors through increased awareness and application of gender-responsive policies to promote women’s participation; and 3) Making data available to support elaboration of a comprehensive national plan to address violence against women.

Achievements under the programme include:

•             Development of a cohort of women candidates for political office (including campaigning skills, public speaking etc.);

•             Development of a strategy to support the sustainability of the WRSC as a research centre, media observatory and political incubator for gender equality and women’s empowerment (GEWE) in Kuwait and the Gulf sub-region;

•             Kuwaiti companies trained on Women Empowerment Principles (WEPs) and the elaboration of Action Plans (23 companies have now committed to WEPs);

•             Availability of essential baseline data on perceptions of gender equality and violence against women in the community via a localized version of the International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES);

•             Comprehensive mapping of gender justice frameworks and available support services for survivors of violence, in order to inform policy and institutional development;

•             Exchange of knowledge and best practices across the region through support to the organization of the 2018 Kuwait Women’s Conference and the 2019 regional symposium “9th Kuwait Women’s Conference: Implementing SDG5: Challenges and Approaches”;

•             Enhanced public awareness of national issues around gender equality and the empowerment of Kuwaiti women, including through initiatives such as the “Ring the Bell” to mark International Women’s Day 2018 and 2019.

The success of the programme was facilitated through the multi-stakeholder approach to implementation, bringing together national authorities, academia, the private sector, youth networks and civil society and gender activists.

Duties and Responsibilities

2. Responsibilities and Description of the proposed analytical work

While - progress has been made in the field of GEEW in Kuwait, there is a need to keep a momentum and progress further under the leadership of the State of Kuwait with regards to Sustainable Development Goal 5, together with a broad spectrum of civil society and the private sector.

Building on its successful Programme the “Support to the State of Kuwait in the implementation of SDG 5 on Gender Equality” (2015-2019), GSSCPD, WRSC, UNDP and UN Women are designing  a new SDG 5 project phase II (2020 – 2025), corresponding to the timing of the Kuwait National Development Plan. First, the new project will take stock of lessons learned and opportunities for advancement of GEEW in Kuwait in close consultation with   Kuwait University’s Women’s Research and Studies Centre and key stakeholders from the private sector and civil society. The phase II project will also draw on global best practices and key elements of success. The new project will also incorporate innovative components, such as behavioural insights (BI), as a way to sensitize, advocate and influence targeted audience building on the work of the Kuwait Public Policy Centre (KPPC) which has been pioneering application of BI in policy design and advocacy in the country.  The successful implementation of this project will contribute to the achievement of the Kuwait National Development Plan and national implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 

In contributing to the achievement of SDG 5 by the State of Kuwait, the project is expected to support (1) the enhancement of women’s participation and leadership in all sectors of public life, including political engagement, employment and entrepreneurship through increased awareness and application of gender-responsive policies(2) the availability and accessibility of comprehensive and accurate national datasets to support effective policy-making and monitoring and reporting on the National Development Plan; (3) the elaboration of a comprehensive national plan to address violence against women and (4) strengthen institutional coordination and collaboration and support the human and institutional capital of stakeholders such as civil society organizations,  the private sector, academic institutions and youth networks. The programme will be guided by the principle of “Leave No One Behind”, in alignment with the 2030 Agenda, and will include effective consultation with groups and networks representing, inter alia, women with disabilities, youth, etc. 

The services of a consultant will be sought to undertake the specific following tasks:

• Develop an inception report and roadmap for the consultation process.
• Conduct a Desk Review:
  • Review existing assessments, reports, previous work done by UNDP,UN Women, and WRSC including the programme evaluation.
  • Review of external analyses and data conducted by NGOs and other international organizations.
  • Review national development priorities and actions plan relevant to the advancement of GEEW
• Conduct consultations meetings with national counterparts (GSSCPD, WRSC), National Observatory for Sustainable. Development, and KPPC, as well as relevant stakeholders including Civil Society Organizations and Private Sector entities.
• Prepare a draft Joint Project Document including robust results log-frame incorporating clear success indicators, baselines, targets, and KPIs to ensure consistent project monitoring & evaluation, with the inclusion of innovative practices to each outcome, the elaboration of a comprehensive communications plan and the application of effective knowledge management principles.
• Validate the outcomes of the consultation meetings and draft project document with the stakeholders through a roundtable discussion workshop.
• Update and finalize the draft based on feedback received from the validation workshop, UNDP, UNWomen, WRSC, and GSSCPD.
• Prepare a mission report and final standard presentation to GSSCPD, WRSC and UNDP’s Kuwait Country Office and UN Women ROAS.

Competencies

3. Competencies:

• Analytical skills, communications abilities, teamwork
• Substantive experience working with Government partners on the implementation of complex and socially sensitive programs, preferably with projects related to gender
• Experience of working with academic institutions and civil society organizations
• Strong writing, communications, interpersonal, and facilitation skills
• Solid knowledge of Arabic & English is required
• Proven experience in the development of results-based log frame and theory of change.
• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Advocates and promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;

Required Skills and Experience

4. Qualifications

II. Academic Qualifications:

• At least Master’s Degree or advanced postgraduate studies in the field of social sciences, development studies, or gender studies, all related fields including women’s studies, gender culture studies, or gender policy studies.

III. Years of experience:

• At least five years’ experience in Programme and Project Planning and Design, as well as the development of results-based monitoring framework.
• Proven record of successful project formulation and delivery of its impact.
• Experience in managing gender projects. Field-level experiences are a plus.
• Preferably experience in gender project development within governmental and research organizations in Kuwait, the GCC or Arab States.