Background

The UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women (UN Trust Fund), managed by UN Women on behalf of the UN system, is the only global grant-making mechanism dedicated to eradicating all forms of violence against women and girls (VAW/G). Since its establishment in 1996 by UN General Assembly resolution 50/166, the UN Trust Fund has awarded USD 198 million to 609 initiatives in 140 countries and territories. Focusing on preventing violence, implementing laws and policies, and improving access to vital services for survivors, the UN Trust Fund invests in life-changing initiatives for millions of women and girls around the world. To help achieve this vision, the UN Trust Fund’s mission over the next five years will be to enable CSOs, especially WROs and those representing the most marginalized groups, to play a central role in delivering survivor-centered and demand-driven initiatives and to support their programmes to achieve sustainable impact on ending VAW/G.

One pillar of the UN Trust Fund’s Strategic Plan 2021-2025 is to support collaborative and inclusive knowledge exchange, production, and learning. The UN Trust Fund aims to support CSOs funded to invest in their own monitoring, evaluation, and learning, and to produce knowledge based on the synthesized lessons learned from across grantees, with a focus on practice-based knowledge. A key focus of the UN Trust Fund over the last five years, has been to support smaller, CSOs and women’s rights organizations through small grants in recognition of the role these organizations play in meeting the needs of the women most left behind, often at community and local level. In other cases, smaller WROs have been instrumental in amplifying and advocating for the rights of marginalized women and girls at national level, to ensure better protection in laws and policies.

Purpose of this consultancy:  In 2022, around 17 projects funded through small grants will close, providing an opportunity to learn lessons across the portfolio. The UN Trust Fund is therefore seeking an experienced researcher / evaluator(s) to conduct a meta-analysis on the results and lessons arising from the sample of projects funded through small grants, through an inclusive, participatory process with the grantees, and with a focus on practice-based knowledge.

Duties and Responsibilities

Objectives and Outputs

1. By end September, produce an inception report, which demonstrates an understanding of the scope of work, approach and methodology --including the specific tasks of conducting a meta-analysis of the results and lessons learned from across the small grants’ projects.
   • Explain the scope of the meta-analysis;
   • Sample of projects to be included and justification;
   • Meta-analysis / research questions to be answered;
   • Research team description (if needed);
   • Proposed methodologies, data sources;
   • Methodology for ensuring the process is inclusive and participatory;
   • Limitations;
   • Timeline and workplan;
   • Draft outline of the meta-analysis report/knowledge product;
   • Annex to include a 2-page summary of each of the 17 projects.
2. By end October, complete a desk review of project documents and data collection, including the planning, coordination and follow-up to focus group discussions, key informant interviews, etc., to gather and document practice-based insights from the sample of CSOs/WROs.
3. By end November, produce a draft meta-analysis report based on desk review of project documents and informed by synthesized practice-based insights from the sample of CSOs/WROs. This is to be defined through a consultative process during the inception phase and should include, for example, lessons and key results achieved by the portfolio of projects, such as:
   • Findings on how smaller CSOs/WROs have been designing, implementing and adapting interventions;
   • Findings on types of interventions that smaller CSOs/WROs are using effectively to end VAW/G;
   • Evidence of results in the UN Trust Fund’s three outcome areas: prevention, services, laws;
   • Evidence of results in the UN Trust Fund’s impact areas—specifically, (1) impact on VAW/G and (2) effectiveness on risk and protective factors to end VAW/G;
   • Evidence of challenges faced and results achieved during the COVID-19 pandemic;
   • Qualitative and quantitative data on the number of beneficiaries (e.g., especially marginalized women and girls) and partners reached, and lives changed (most significant change stories / quotes / figures);
   • Challenges, barriers and lessons learned (both programmatic and operational) when it comes to operating as a small, grassroots organization;
   • Evidence on use of flexible and core funding as well as self-care budgets for small grants;
   • 2-page summary for each of the 17 grantees as an annex, summarizing key project details and results.
4. By end December, produce a final meta-analysis report incorporating and addressing comments and feedback from stakeholders and validated by grantees in the sample.
   • Include conclusions and recommendations on grant making based on needs of smaller CSOs/WROs

Methodology

The consultant is expected to design the approach and methodology to the meta-analysis during the inception phase, in consultation with the UN Trust Fund Team. In the first phase (Deliverables 1 and 2), the analysis should be based on a desk review of available project documents and reports (for 17 projects), as well as a select number of internal and external UN Trust Fund documents on the Fund’s work with small grantees, and direct engagements with the CSOs/WROs included in this sample. In the second phase (Deliverables 3 and 4), a draft meta-analysis report, with annexes, should be written and shared for consultation with the UN Trust Fund and grantees for validation and inputs, gathering feedback via email or further interviews, as needed, before a final meta-analysis report is shared and disseminated.

Inputs

Contribution from the UN Trust Fund Secretariat: The UN Trust Fund will provide the consultant with access to all the documentation required and the agreed daily rate upon delivery of the work described above. The UN Trust Fund will facilitate communication with grantees, as needed.

Contribution from the Consultant: The Consultant is expected to cover the costs of all the home-based activities (inclusive of ICT costs etc.) within the daily rate. If an assistant (and/or translator/interpreter) is needed, this should be managed by the main consultant themselves and included in the daily rate. Note: some of the documentation will be in French and Spanish, and the grantees will expect communication in this language, as well. If additional support is needed to facilitate communication, interviews, FDGs, etc., this should be discussed and agreed during inception phase, however, it is highly recommended to include options / resources in the technical and financial proposal.

Application process

If interested in applying, please provide a costed proposal including a simple, proposed methodology based on an initial understanding of the work. Final decisions about the specific design, methods and approach should emerge in the inception phase from consultations among the UN Trust Fund staff, on what is appropriate and feasible to meet the meta-analysis purpose and objectives given any limitations of budget, time, and existing data.

Reporting:

The consultant will report to the Monitoring, Evaluation and Knowledge Manager of the UN Trust Fund to EVAW.

Competencies

Core Values:

• 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

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies:  https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-values-and-competencies-framework-en.pdf

Required Skills and Experience

Education and certification:

• Master’s degree in International Development, International Relations, Social Sciences, Research, Knowledge Management, or related area required.
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• At least 10 years of experience in conducting evaluations, research and / or meta-analyses
• Expertise in gender and human rights-based approaches to research and / or evaluation is essential
• Expertise in ending violence against women and girls is essential
• Excellence in oral and written communication is essential
• Experience in analyzing and synthesizing large volumes of qualitative data is essential
• Experience drafting high quality knowledge products is essential
• Experience in humanitarian / conflict or displacement settings is highly desirable
• Experience with project design and theory of change high desirable
• Experience managing evaluation or research teams is highly desirable
• Experience co-creating knowledge with partners is highly desirable
• Experience with qualitative data analysis tools such as Dedoose, NVivo or ATLAS.ti is a distinct advantage
• Experience in working with CSO/WROs, including gathering feedback via focus group discussions, highly desirable

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English (oral and written) is required.
• Fluency in Spanish OR French (oral and written) is required.

Ethical code of conduct

It is expected that the consultant will ensure that the confidentiality and independence of judgment are maintained, and that findings and recommendations are independently presented. The consultant will operate in an impartial and unbiased manner and give a balanced presentation of strengths and weaknesses of the issues being assessed. The consultant must disclose in writing any past experience, which may give rise to a potential conflict of interest, and to deal honestly in resolving any conflict of interest which may arise.