Background
- Background and rationale: Socio Political and Economic Situation of the Country, Challenges and Opportunities for Youth and Women
Broadly speaking, young people in Guinea Bissau express an attitude of despair and victimization toward the seemingly insurmountable gap between their current life and what they perceive as their unfulfilled needs and desires. Gender-based violence remains a serious threat to the development and participation of women and girls, yet only 10 percent of women avail themselves of the justice system. This situation indicates a serious lack of trust in state institutions and services.
Women and youth have remained under-represented in the parliament under the current and previous governments, as well as in political parties, defence and security forces, and overall leadership positions. Since the 2000 elections, women have held, on average, only 10 to 15 percent of National Assembly seats (14/102). In 2019, the country entered an electoral process, the result of which showed the desire to include women in the political process.
In the political parties of today, women party members are often relegated to subservient roles such as food preparation. It is also not uncommon for parties to disproportionately place women candidates in difficult or unwinnable seats, making the frequency of these nominations a false measure of participation. Voices from the youth wings of the parties are represented by men over 45 years of age. The youth cadre is disempowered, actively silenced, marginalized, or instrumentalized for violence in the service of personalized political interests.
The project “Supporting Women’s and Youth Political Participation for Peace and Development in Guinea-Bissau” aims at a contribution to reverse that trend by enabling the political engagement of Bissau-Guinean women and youth leaders in national decision-making. It seeks to afford these women and youth greater ability to play leading roles in reducing the barriers to political power and thereby contribute to creating more stable and professional party systems from the bottom-up.
- Description of the Joint Program
The project “Supporting Women’s and Youth Political Participation for Peace and Development in Guinea-Bissau” has been implemented by UNFPA, UNWOMEN and WFP from January 2018 until May 2020 with the funding from the UN Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) and as part of a broader portfolio of PBF projects in Guinea-Bissau.
The project is an integrated strategy to increase participation of women and young people through greater and more inclusive ownership of electoral results and development policies, including policies impacting economic opportunities and access to resources by rural communities. It supports citizen engagement of women and young people to promote and defend their rights to participate in political and economic life and provides channels for
practical use of acquired skills for more effective participation in political debates, formulation of development and spending priorities, and election monitoring to build a more inclusive social and political environment. It is envisioned to foster a new generation of accountable and responsible leaders capable of building a peaceful, stable, safe and prosperous Guinea-Bissau.
The project had as its intervention area the capital Bissau, in addition to 13 regional centers: Bolama, Bubaque, Sao Domingos, Buba, Catio, Bafata, Gabu, Bissora, Quinhamel, Cachungo, Cacheu, Farim and Mansoa, and 40 food-insecure rural communities in Cacheu, Oio and Bafata regions.
The project comprised a set of interrelated efforts that focus on addressing core obstacles to these target groups, the empowerment and political engagement capacities was tested during the political phases in which the project was involved, the country planned the legislative and presidential elections that took place in 2019 in March and December respectively. The project strategy is to create a conduit to power for women and youth. According to the women and youth consulted for the development of the project, that process must start with a strong literacy component.
This is important because fifty-eight percent of adult women aged 15-49 are illiterate in Guinea Bissau according to the UNDP Human Development Report 2014. MICS4 2010 data show that among young women 15-24 years of age, 60 percent were illiterate, and in rural areas 84% of young women were illiterate. Political empowerment, per the intuitive knowledge of national actors must start with a literacy component.
The expected outcomes and outputs of the project are:
Outcome 1: Leaders and members of women and youth organizations actively participate in democratic processes and contribute to peace and stability through implementing change/dialogue initiatives.
Output 1.1: Women and youth leaders trained in functional and political literacy
Output 1.2: Youth and Women leaders at the grassroots level are trained in political leadership and peacebuilding skills
Output 1.3: Grants Facility for Youth and Women-led Dialogue or Change Initiatives that promote peace and stability developed and implemented with training and on-going accompaniment for effective implementation of initiatives
Output 1.4: Rural women advocate more effectively for their rights and needs
Outcome 2: Women and youth effectively participate, accompany and ensure fair and equitable electoral processes.
Output 2.1: Top members of political parties, governors, (especially youth and women) are trained in political leadership and peacebuilding skills
Output 2.2: Women and youth’s participation in the elections enhanced through stronger representation as candidates and voters
Output: 2.3: Women and youth contributed to monitoring the electoral process and solving incidents that may arise through the Election Observatory
Public information about the project implementation (the project document and the 6-monthly project reports) can be found at the following link: http://mptf.undp.org/factsheet/project/00108258
The project will also provide the consultant with the following data on the project:
ToR for activities, results, reports, implementing partner’s agreements, minutes of meetings, budgets.
- Evaluation objectives and criteria
The objective of this assignment is to conduct an end-term independent evaluation of the project to assess its effectiveness, build evidence of peacebuilding results, and highlight the strategies that have contributed to, or hindered, their achievement. In addition, the evaluation will assess the project’s contribution to increased national capacity, ownership and
transparency, as well as explore whether gender and women's economic rights were considered in the implementation of the project.
The evaluation will provide highly relevant recommendations and lessons learned for future and ongoing PBF-funded and other peacebuilding projects, that take into consideration the specific roles and work of the RUNOs involved.
Within the broader and country specific context, the evaluation is expected to:
* Assess effectiveness and a potential measurable impact of the Program intervention on the target group across all dimensions of Political Participation for Peace and Development in Guinea-Bissau.
* Identify and document lessons learned, best practices, success stories and document and analyze challenges and possible weaknesses to inform future work of UN agencies in the area of women’s political participation for Peace and Development programming.
* Analyze the relevance of the Program objectives, strategy and approach at the local and national levels for the Women’s and Youth Political Participation for Peace and Development in Guinea-Bissau.
* Assess organizational efficiency and coordination mechanisms in progressing towards the achievement of program, including the achievement of gender equality and women’s empowerment results as defined in the intervention.
* Analyse and assess the strategies in place and contribute to identify additional strategies for replication and up-scaling of the project’s best practices.
* Identify, assess, and validate innovation in all aspects of the program.
-Asses the measures taken by the project, and identify new measures to ensure national ownership of the project.
Criteria to be used for this evaluation includes OECD/DAC) evaluation criteria[1]: relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability. In addition, Human Rights and Gender Equality will be considered as an additional criterion. In line with the quest to incorporate human rights and gender equality in all UN work, and acknowledging UN Women’s Evaluation Policy, which promotes the integration of women’s rights and gender equality principles into
[1] OECD/DAC Evaluation criteria available at: http://www.oecd.org/dac/evaluation/revised-evaluation-criteria-dec-2019.pdf
Duties and Responsibilities
Under the coordination and supervision of UN Women, in close collaboration with the Evaluation Steering Committee and the Evaluation Reference Group, the final evaluation of the project will be conducted by a team of two consultants: (1) a National Consultant and one International Consultant.
The following deliverables[1] are expected:
- An inception report to be provided after 6 days of work and prior to the field-based component. The inception report should capture relevant information such as proposed methods; proposed sources of data; data collection procedures and tools, including an interview protocol, which will be reviewed and approved by the project team. The inception report should also include an evaluation matrix, proposed schedule of tasks, activities and deliverables and should also contain background information.
- A PPT presentation to stakeholders in Bissau with interim findings at the end of the field mission; (payment 30%)
- An interim evaluation report 4th week (payment 30%)
- A final evaluation report. The final report should address comments from the Evaluation Reference Group. In order to facilitate stakeholder engagement, UN Women Guinea Bissau will ensure sharing a Portuguese version of the interim evaluation report, and all comments originating from stakeholders will be shared with the Evaluation Team. The final version, accepted as such following final approval by the Evaluation Management Group, will be delivered on the 8th week of the assignment (payment 40%).
[1] All deliverables, including the final evaluation report, are considered as ‘final’ following approval by the Evaluation Management Group.
Competencies
- Proven evaluation experience, essentially in peacebuilding or fragile settings and in areas of political participation and youth/women empowerment. Familiarity with gender-responsive evaluations methodologies.
- Strong analytical, and communication skills, including ability to produce high quality practical advisory reports and knowledge products.
- Professional and/or academic experience in at least two areas of expertise amongst: peacebuilding, gender, women’s empowerment, youth, political empowerment, democratic reform, rural development, West-African context, and/or management.
- Ability to produce high quality outputs in a timely manner while understanding and anticipating the evolving client needs.
- Experience working in fragile or conflict-affected countries and with conflict-sensitive approaches.
- Ability to focus on impact and results for the client, promoting and demonstrating an ethic of client service.
- Ability to work independently, produce high quality outputs.
- Strong ability to write clearly and convincingly.
- Excellent writing, research, analysis and presentation skills.
- Excellent knowledge and experience in gender equality and women’s political participation programming and implementation
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Bachelor degree in development studies, gender, law, economics, business administration, political science, human rights, and/or other relevant social sciences.
Experience:
- Proven at least 5 years of experience in managing or/and evaluating development, peacebuilding or emergency programs/projects (some specific experience in leading evaluations is required).
- Experience in carrying out/assisting evaluations
- Experience in gender analysis and human rights (e.g. expertise in women’s economic empowerment; rural agricultural development will be considered an asset), including in gender-responsive evaluations will be an asset
- Have a proven track record with civil society organizations, particularly women's and youth organizations and associations Women's promotion is an asset;
- Have a good knowledge of the country's socio-cultural, geopolitical, economic and environmental environment;
- Very good writing skills and analytical skills
Language:
- Proficiency in Portuguese and English is mandatory.
- Proficiency in Bissau-Guinean Creole
6. Ethical Code of Conduct
The United Nations Evaluations Group (UNEG) Ethical Guidelines and Code of Conduct for Evaluation in the UN system are available at: http://www.uneval.org/document/detail/100; Norms for evaluation in the UN system: http://unevaluation.org/document/detail/21 and
UNEG Standards for evaluation (updated 2016): http://unevaluation.org/document/detail/1914.
GUIDELINES FOR APPLICATION:
Interested candidates should apply online following relevant instructions and deadline indicated in the call for applications. Candidates should submit:
Required documents:
- A cover letter explaining interest and motivation for this assignment.
- A financial proposal. The financial proposal should indicate the following values in dollars: 1) lump sum for the consulting services, indicating instalments per deliverable 2) a separate entry for expected travel expenses to reach Bissau*.
- A personal CV including past experiences in similar projects and at least 3 professional references.
Shortlisted candidates will be asked to share two reports they have recently authored.
*Travel: Envisaged national travel costs to reach Bissau must be included in the financial proposal as a separate entry.
For travel within Guinea Bissau during the field mission, transportation will be covered by UNWOMEN (excluding possible accommodation/catering fees).
Selection Criteria: Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodologies:
Cumulative analysis
When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract should be made to the individual 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 solicitation.
- Technical Criteria weight – 70 points.
Financial Criteria weight – 30 points