Background

UN Women is grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. It works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security. UN Women also coordinates and promotes the UN system’s work in advancing gender equality, and in all deliberations and agreements linked to the 2030 Agenda. The entity works to position gender equality as fundamental to the Sustainable Development Goals, and a more inclusive world.

Women and girls with disabilities are more at risk of experiencing violence. International evidence shows that women with disabilities are twice as likely to experience violence compared to women without a disability. The Nabilan Baseline found that women who had experienced intimate partner violence were significantly more likely to report mental health problems, including depression, and were more likely to be at risk of disability. Women who had experienced IPV were significantly more likely to have poor mental health.[1]

Research conducted by the organization of people with disabilities Raes Hadomi Timor Oan (RHTO) on the experiences and needs of women with disabilities highlighted the need for more work to link people with disabilities to support services, as well as the importance of prevention and protection work, as family members of women with disabilities were the most frequent perpetrators of abuse[2].

A 2018 United Nations qualitative survey with 100 respondents about knowledge and attitudes about people with disabilities found that:

• In general, more than 80% of the respondents agreed that persons with disabilities should have equal rights.
• Approximately 47.7% of respondents were happy to see that people with disabilities participate in the society.

In support of Timor-Leste’s legislative and policy commitments to address violence against women, as outlined in its Strategic Development Plan 2011-2030, and reinforced by its international human rights obligations, the United Nations is supporting the Government’s implementation of the National Action Plan on Gender Based Violence 2017-2021, with attention to the accessibility of services and prevention of violence against persons with disabilities.  The United Nations Timor-Leste project Empower for Change, established February 2018 and finishing in January 2021, on enhancing the rights of persons with disabilities focuses on reducing discrimination and violence against persons with disabilities and advancing particularly the equal rights of women and girls with disabilities facing multiple forms of discrimination. The project partners with the organizations of persons with disabilities (DPOs), State Institutions and civil society towards reducing harmful attitudes that perpetuate tolerance of gendered discrimination against persons with disabilities. It aims to strengthen capacities of service providers to refer and deliver coordinated, inclusive and accessible services, in particular coordinating the Ministry of Social Solidarity and Inclusion (MSSI), the Ministries of Education, Youth and Sport, Health, the National Rehabilitation Centre, the National Police and the Judiciary. The project is funded by the United Nations Partnership for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNPRPD) and implemented by UNFPA, UNICEF, the UN Human Rights Adviser’s Unit (HRAU), UN Women and WHO.

In support of capturing knowledge and lessons learned from the Empower for Change Project and to inform future UN efforts to advance the rights of persons with disabilities, UN Women is seeking an national consultant to work jointly with UN Women, and sister UN agencies (the Human Rights Advisor’s Unit, WHO, UNFPA and UNICEF) and DPOs (ADTL) to conduct a review the three-year joint project to reduce discrimination and violence against women and children with disabilities in Timor-Leste.

[1] The Asia Foundation. 2016. Understanding Violence against Women and Children in Timor-Leste: Findings from the Nabilan Baseline Study – Main Report. The Asia Foundation: Dili, p. 93.  

[2] RHTO, Main Findings from interviews with women with disabilities about their experiences. 30 January 2017  

[3] UN Empower for Change Project. KAP Survey on Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Dili: 2018. https://www.un.org.tl/en/media-center/publications-resources/send/8-human-rights/45-kap-survey-survey-on-knowledge-attitudes-and-practices-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities  

Duties and Responsibilities

The objective of the assignment is to conduct an end of project review of the Empower for Change project, which aims to reduce discrimination and violence against women and girls with disabilities in Timor-Leste, from the project period February 2018 through November 2020.

Programs funded by UNPRPD adopt a multi-stakeholder approach, involving two or more UN agencies, as well as governments, organizations of persons with disabilities, and broader civil society through complementary action at the country level. The voice of persons with disabilities in the planning and implementation of UNPRPD-funded programs as well as in program activities is a key factor to success. Program activities must focus on advancing structural changes to implement the CRPD at the country level, such as concrete changes to laws, policies, systems, or services. Key learnings on the approaches used in UNPRPD-funded programs should be collected and shared to inform wider UNPRPD programming. The main purpose of the review is to inform decision-making regarding the development of future interventions, other policies and plans for right of persons with disabilities, lessons learned will feed into strengthening the country’s work to promote rights of person with disabilities, including women and girl with disabilities as well as to inform UNPRPD programs in other countries.

The specific areas to be covered in the review include:

• The relevance of the Empower for Change (E4CP) project, and specific UN agency contributions to its results
• The effectiveness and efficiency of UN Project Team (UN Women, WHO, HRAU, UNFPA and UNICEF)  and DPOs support to the design, coordination work and implementation of the E4CP in Timor-Leste, and identify the results across E4CP project outcomes and remaining challenges
• The coherence of UN project team’s work in supporting of the implementation E4CP and UN system and other actors
• Identify good practices and actionable recommendations to strengthen the UN’s support for future efforts advancing the rights of person with disabilities in Timor-Leste.

1. Duties and Responsibilities

Under an overall guidance of the UN Women Head of Office in Timor-Leste, and supervision of the EVAW Program Officer, the review will cover 34 of the 36 months of the Empower for Change Project timeframe from 1 February 2018 – 30 November 2020. The E4CP ends at the end of January 2021. The review will focus on results achieved under E4CP project outcomes and approaches used as part of the project implementation and coordination (Annex 2).

1.  Review Process and Methodological Approach

The Review will be a transparent and participatory process involving relevant UN Women stakeholders and partners involved with the E4CP programme on reducing violence and discrimination for women and girls with disabilities in Timor-Leste. It will be carried out in accordance with UNEG Norms and Standards and Ethical Code of Conduct and UN Women Evaluation Policy and Guidelines. The Review must integrate gender equality and human-rights perspectives throughout each of these areas of analysis and within its methodology. [1] The review should take measures to ensure data quality, reliability and validity of data collection tools and methods and their responsiveness to gender equality and human rights.

The reviewer will do a rapid assessment of what can be reviewed, with consideration to the availability of data (e.g. the logical framework and baseline data) to determine the most appropriate approach to ensure the review is feasible and will effectively provide relevant analysis given the information available. The data collection methods should consider availability of information in line with the Washington Group questions in the desk review, in-depth interview with key stakeholders, such as E4CP Steering Committee, and other key government institutions mandated to oversee implementation on the rights of person with disabilities in the country.

The Desk Review will focus explicitly on identifying what works, those strategies that produce positive results, not only on what does not work well, including lessons learned, according to the aspirations and goals set out for UN Women in its Country Strategic Plan. This will include the change made at the national level from the project activities implemented.

The desk review will include the use of existing studies, such as the Knowledge Attitude and Practice survey, research report on Gender, Disability and Violence, and monitoring data available on ending violence against women and girls with disabilities from the justice sector.

Anticipated methodological approaches to be used for data collection and analysis by the National Consultant, in collaboration with the EVAW Programme Officer, should incorporate both qualitative and quantitative data, including desk review, interviews with key stakeholders, individual and focus group discussions, field visits, and other participatory techniques. The consultative element of the Review is crucial for building up a consensus about the project’s overall rationale and desired outcomes. Data from various sources will be triangulated to increase its validity. Field visits will be organized to facilitate the process of the Review. The reviewer should develop a sampling frame for participants (rationale for selection, mechanism of selection, limitation of the sample) and specify how it will address the diversity of stakeholders in the intervention to ensure effective inclusion. The proposed approach and methodology has to be considered as flexible guidelines rather than final requirements, and the reviewers will have an opportunity to make their inputs and propose changes in the evaluation design. It is expected that the National Consultant will further refine the approach and methodology and submit their detailed description in the methodology and work plan.

Limitations

Considering the context of COVID-19, the review will use online meeting tools for reference group discussions where physical meetings are restricted, use PPE when visiting participants in the field include providing masks and hand sanitizer to participants, avoid the use of public transport with confine closed and crowded passenger spaces. Include an analysis of the unique challenges faced by women with disabilities which exacerbated the risks of violence for them.

[1] For more information, see “Integrating human rights and gender equality in Evaluation: towards UNEG guidance” (available in English, Spanish, French and Arabic).

Competencies

Competencies

Core Values:

• Respect for Diversity
• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues
• 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/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/about%20us/employment/un-women-values-and-competencies-framework-en.pdf?la=en&vs=637

Functional Competencies:

• Strong commitment to gender equality and the empowerment of women, with demonstrated experience of researching or working on gender issues;
• Strong research and writing skills, with strong analytical skills and creative thinking;
• Ability to think and work logically and work precisely with attention to detail;
• Initiative, sound judgment and demonstrated ability to work harmoniously with staff members of different national and cultural backgrounds;
• Previous experience (also volunteer experience) from the non-profit sector is an advantage.
• Ability to multi-task and address competing priorities
• Ability to produce quality deliverables in a timely manner
• Strong computer skills, including Word, Excel, and Power Point

Required Skills and Experience

Consultant’s performance will be evaluated based on: professionalism, timeliness, responsibility, initiative, communication, accuracy, and quality of the products delivered.

Education 

- Master's degree degree equivalent in social sciences, including gender studies, international affairs, sociology, disability, or other relevant fields.

Experience: 

- At least Master degree with 5  years of experience in conducting reviews of strategies, policies and programmes;

- Experience and knowledge on UN-Convention Rights of Person with Disabilities, Violence against women and girl with disabilities prevention’s work, gender mainstreaming, gender analysis; Excellent analytical, facilitation and communications skills and ability to negotiate amongst a wide range of stakeholders;

- Knowledge of human rights issues, the human rights-based approach to programming, human rights analysis and related mandates within the UN system;

 Language and other skills: 

- Proficiency in written and spoken English language;

- Knowledge of Tetum or Bahasa Indonesia will be considered an asset.

11 . Ethical code of conduct

In addition to abiding by the  UN Women Assessments  Consultants Agreement Form, UNEG Ethical Guidelines and Code of Conduct for Assessments  in the UN system , the assessments  will need to outline their approach to ensuring accountability to populations and ethical approaches In the assessments  process. This should be a dedicated section in the Inception report.

All data collected by the assessments  must be submitted to UN Women in Word, PowerPoint or Excel formats and is the property of UNPRD/UN Women and UN Agencies Timor-Leste.  Proper storage of data is essential for ensuring confidentiality. The UNEG guidelines note the importance of ethical conduct for the following reasons:

1. Responsible use of power: All those engaged in assessment processes are responsible for upholding the proper conduct of the assessment .
2. Ensuring credibility: With a fair, impartial and complete assessment, stake- holders are more likely to have faith in the results of an assessment and to take note of the recommendations.
3. Responsible use of resources: Ethical conduct in assessment  increases the chances of acceptance by the parties to the assessment  and therefore the likelihood that the investment in the assessment  will result in improved outcomes.

The assessment ’s value added is its impartial and systematic assessment of the programmed or intervention. As with the other stages of the assessment, involvement of stakeholders should not interfere with the impartiality of the assessment .

The evaluator(s) have the final judgment on the findings, conclusions and recommendations of the assessment  report, and the evaluator(s) must be protected from pressures to change information in the report.

Proper procedures for data collection with rights holders who may have been affected by violence must be adhered to as outlined in the WHO Ethical and Safety Recommendations for research on violence against women. Additionally, if the evaluator(s) identify issues of wrongdoing, fraud or other unethical conduct, UN Women procedures must be followed and confidentiality be maintained.

The UN Women Legal Framework for Addressing Non-Compliance with UN Standards of Conduct, and accountability policies protecting against retaliation and prohibiting harassment and abuse of authority, provide a cohesive framework aimed at creating and maintaining a harmonious working environment, ensuring that staff members do not engage in any wrongdoing and that all allegations of wrongdoing are reported promptly, investigated and appropriate action taken to achieve accountability. The UN Women Legal Framework for Addressing Non-Compliance with UN Standards of Conduct defines misconduct and the mechanisms within UN Women for reporting and investigating.

ANNEXES

For more Information see the following links:

• UNEG Code of Conduct for assessment s[1]

• UNEG Ethical Guidelines[2]

• UNEG Norms for evaluation  in the UN System[3]

• UNEG Standards for evaluation  in the UN System[4]

• UNEG Guidance Integrating Human Rights and Gender in the UN System[5]

• UN Women evaluation  Handbook[6]

 12. Submission of application 

Interested candidates are requested to submit electronic application to

procurement.timor-leste@unwomen.org not later than 7 Decemeber  2020 COB Timor-Leste time.

Submission of package 

• All applications must include (as an attachment) the CV, letter of interest and the

 financial proposal. Applications without financial proposal will be treated as incomplete

and will not be considered for further assessments and

copy of the latest academic certificate

• Letter of Interest containing the statement on candidate’s experience in the field of

 recruitment

• Sample of written report or material (not edited by someone else)
• Three potential references
• Financial proposal. The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount

per each deliverable, including any travel, per diem and administrative fees, based on the template in Annex 1. The approximate number of working days for each deliverable are

intended to provide a guide only in the computation of the lump sum per deliverable,

and the actual payment will be payable based on the stated lump sum for each

satisfactorily achieved deliverable.

• All applications must include (as an attachment) the CV, letter of interest and the

financial proposal. Applications without financial proposal will be treated as incomplete

and will not be considered for further assessment CV and copy of the latest academic

certificate

• Letter of Interest containing the statement on candidate’s experience in the field of

recruitment

• Sample of written report or material (not edited by someone else)
• Three potential references
• Financial proposal. The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount

per each deliverable, including any travel, per diem and administrative fees, based on the template in Annex 1. The approximate number of working days for each deliverable are

intended to provide a guide only in the computation of the lump sum per deliverable,

and the actual payment will be payable based on the stated lump sum for each

satisfactorily achieved deliverable.

All applications must include (as an attachment) the CV, letter of interest and the financial proposal. Applications without financial proposal will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.  

Please note that only short-listed candidates will be invited to the interview. 

Selected candidates will need to submit prior to commencement of work: 

• UN Women P-11 form, available from http://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employment 

• The consultant will need to provide proof (certificate) of BSafe training (which can be accessed at undss.trip.org) – in case of travel

1. Assestment  

Applications will be evaluated based on the Cumulative analysis.  

1. Technical Qualification (100 points) weight; [70%]  
2. Financial Proposal (100 points) weight; [30%] 

 
A two-stage procedure is utilised in evaluating the proposals, with Assestment  of the technical proposal being completed prior to any price proposal being compared. Only the price proposal of the candidates who passed the minimum technical score of 70% of the obtainable score of 100 points in the technical qualification Assessment  will be evaluated. 

Technical qualification Assessment  criteria: 

The total number of points allocated for the technical qualification component is 100. The technical qualification of the individual is evaluated based on following technical qualification Assessment  criteria: 

Only the candidates who have attained a minimum of 70% of total points will be considered as technically-qualified candidate. 

Financial/Price Proposal Assessment : 

• Only the financial proposal of candidates who have attained a minimum of 70% score in the technical Assessment  will be considered and evaluated.  
• The total number of points allocated for the price component is 100.  
• The maximum number of points will be allotted to the lowest price proposal that is opened/ evaluated and compared among those technical qualified candidates who have attained a minimum of 70% score in the technical Assestment . All other price proposals will receive points in inverse proportion to the lowest price. 

Annex I: Financial Proposal  
BREAKDOWN OF COSTS SUPPORTING THE ALL-INCLUSIVE FINANCIAL PROPOSAL 

Breakdown of Cost by Components: 

 The above lump sum costs include all administration costs and expenses related to the consultancy. All prices/rates quoted must be exclusive of all taxes. The lump sum costs must be accompanied by a detailed breakdown of costs calculation incl. travel related costs, and daily professional fee. 

 [1] http://www.unevaluation.org/document/detail/100 unevaluation.org/document/detail/100  

[2] http://www.unEvaluation .org/document/detail/102http://www.uneval.org/document/detail/21  

[4] http://www.uneval.org/document/detail/22

[5] http://www.uneval.org/document/detail/1616  

[6]http://genderevaluation.unwomen.org/en/Evaluation -handbook