Antecedentes

Background

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, 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. The UN Women Pacific sub-region has four main thematic areas:

• Ending Violence against Women and Girls (EVAWG);
• Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) which includes the Markets for Change project (M4C);
• Gender and Protection in Humanitarian Action; and
• Women’s Political Empowerment and Leadership.

UN Women’s Markets for Change (M4C) Project is a multi-year initiative that focuses on three countries of the Pacific - Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. Given that between 60-80% of market vendors are women, with many more women reliant on market produce, the project’s goal is to ensure that marketplaces in rural and urban areas are safe, inclusive and non-discriminatory, promoting the gender, social and economic empowerment of market vendors, with specific attention to the needs and aspirations of women market vendors.

The overarching goal of the M4C project is to: ensure that marketplaces in rural and urban areas of Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu are safe, inclusive and non-discriminatory, promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment.

The project is based on a Theory of Change (ToC), which states that market vendors can be empowered within the market environment through a combination of implementation strategies. The M4C project incorporates: the creation and strengthening of representative marketplace groups, which in turn strengthen women market vendors’ roles and influence; interventions focusing on financial literacy, access to financial services and increased participation in value chains; strengthening the accountability and capacity of market management, municipal and provincial governments to enable them to employ gender-responsive policies, procedures and decision-making processes that are receptive to the needs of market vendors as well as the design and construction of gender-responsive infrastructure and on-site services. The ToC guiding the M4C Project is that gender-equitable economic and socio-cultural empowerment of women market vendors within the market environment of the three countries can be attained through the following four outcomes:

1. accessible, inclusive and representative governance structures within marketplaces are put into place that will enable markets to grow, and will specifically strengthen the role and influence of women market vendors;
2. actions that improve governance and social and economic security will facilitate market vendors to achieve economic, social and financial advancement, with specific outcomes related to improved gender-equality and the advancement of women;
3. actions that improve governance among market management and local governments will enable decision-making processes to be more gender-responsive, transparent, accountable and receptive to the needs of vendors;
4. improved infrastructure and on-site services that are developed in a gender-responsive manner will significantly improve social and economic security for women market vendors.

UN Women implements outcomes areas 1, 3 and 4, and the UN Development Program (UNDP) is the responsible party for implementing outcome area 2.

The project is funded by the Government of Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), AUD 18,205,553 (1 Feb 2014 – 30 June 2019) with the Government of Canada joining into the funding partnership in March 2018 (CAD 3.35 million – 2018 – March 2021).

M4C’s governance structure includes country level Project Working Committees (PWC) which were operationalized to ensure harmonization, accountability and learning exchanges between all M4C stakeholders, especially those implementing activities on the ground. PWCs sit alongside the Project Management Committees (PMC) and are intended to provide key mechanisms for market vendors to be directly associated with, and participate in, decision-making processes relating to market governance and improvements. Each PWC includes representatives from relevant government ministries, DFAT, UN Women and the UN Development Program (UNDP), as well as market managers, Market Vendor Associations (MVAs), civil society organizations (CSOs) and the private sector.  M4C also has a regional project board which includes representation from the Governments of Australia and Canada, UNDP, and UN Women.

M4C has three project teams, one in each country (Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu), each having a Project Manager at the country level.  Teams are supported by a regional Women’s Economic Empowerment Specialist and overseen by a regional Technical Specialist based in the UN Women Fiji MCO head office in Suva. The consultancy will require liaison with the country teams to meet country level stakeholders, gather reports, information and data as required.

Currently Markets for Change has a solid foundation of existing project documents, including foundational and baseline documents, reports and a functioning monitoring and evaluation framework.  The midterm review of the project suggested some changes to the project moving forward in order to ensure sustainability, and to deepen the approaches in women’s economic empowerment.  In addition, the project team alongside partners are proposing some changes to outputs and activities and an updating of indicators for the monitoring and evaluation framework that would include a realignment with newly proposed activities.

This consultancy would build upon this solid foundation and will result in the development of the following documents:

• an options paper which will outline options for change to the project framework as well as potential areas of expansion for consideration by the project partners; and
• four updated project documents that have received input and feedback from the project team and partners (three country project documents for Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu plus one integrated project framework; and
• one updated monitoring and evaluation framework).

The documents developed will build upon the successes and lessons learned from the first phase of Markets for Change and will incorporate strategies and revised approaches into the second phase documentation. The project document developed will build on the options agreed by UN Women and donor partners the Government of Australia and Government of Canada.

Deberes y responsabilidades

Objectives of the assignment

Methodology

The Consultant(s) will be expected to work with the M4C country teams, including other project partners, such as UNDP as the responsible party for outcome two under the M4C project.  The Consultant(s) will be expected to initially review existing materials using both a technical desk-based review that draws on comparisons with global best practice, as well as interviews with project staff and stakeholders including market vendors.  The technical review will examine all project documentation developed to date, responding to the recent midterm evaluation conducted in 2017/2018.

It is expected that the Consultant(s) work in a participatory manner with the project teams, project stakeholders as well as service providers.  The approach must ensure inclusivity with a range of stakeholders including remote rural women and persons with disabilities.  The approach must be based on a gender analysis of the barriers and challenges that women face in economic empowerment; ensuring that project development addresses these throughout.

Key partners in this exercise include the Government of Australia’s Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development, which previously supported the development of the Markets for Change Monitoring and Evaluation Framework.  It is anticipated that the consultant would work closely with the Pacific Women Support Unit in updating the current MEF to align with revisions proposed in a Phase II of the project.

As part of the consultancy, it would be expected that the Consultant(s) produce an updated situation analysis of key regional and national partners who are currently working in M4C related areas and would have potential to partner with UN Women to deliver project outcomes.  Key current partners include UNDP as Responsible Party for Outcome two of the project, and the Commonwealth Local Government Forum as a partner in training for market vendors and government staff.

The following objectives would be expected from the Consultant/s:

• To build upon existing project documentation to develop initially, an options paper for current project partners (the Governments of Australia and Canada) and potential new donors as per outlined in Annex A (refer to full TOR);
• Based upon the feedback received, develop a revised set of project documents for a Phase II of the Markets for Change project;
• To ensure that the Phase II documentation incorporates lessons learned and information gained from the first phase of the project;
• Work with the Government of Australia’s Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development in developing the Phase II Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Framework;
• To develop, and incorporate a new pilot approach on social norm change around financial decision making at the household level into the new design; and
• To ensure that the views of stakeholders are reflected in plans progressing the project forward into the second phase.

Scope of Work/Duties and Responsibilities

• Under the overall guidance of the UN Women Deputy Representative and the M4C Regional Technical Specialist working in collaboration with project partners including representatives of the Government of Australia and the Government of Canada, the country project managers, and key partner agencies, the Consultant(s) will undertake the following tasks as outlined in the deliverable table in Section V.

Duration of the assignment

• The duration of this assignment will be approximately 70 working days over a period of 4 – 5 months in early 2019 as per the schedule of deliverables below. The scope of work will cover all M4C project countries: Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

Expected Deliverables

• The following deliverables are expected from the Consultant(s) to deliver within the approximate timelines.  The payment for each deliverable will be made upon the approval of UN Women of a FINAL version of the respective deliverable. (Please refer to full TOR for more detailed information).
• All the documents, including the interview tools, and transcripts, all scoping materials including images materials and reports should be submitted in written English language.  
• Note that all materials, including images will remain property of UN Women and cannot be used without UN Women’s permission.

Inputs

• UN Women will provide the consultant with background materials for the project. Specifically, project documents and access to all training materials, reports, research and data collected from the Markets for Change project.

• UN Women will also cover the costs of daily subsistence allowance (DSA) for Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu as per standard UN rate, as well as the costs of in-country travel (including traveling internally to the provinces as required).

• The consultant(s) are expected to work remotely using her/his own computer but may access the UN Women office for printing of relevant documents or should he/she be required to work on-site at any point during the assignment.

• UN Women will also cover the costs for translation of printed materials as required throughout the duration of the assignment.  For field work translation, UN Woman may consider providing support towards these costs if required.

Performance evaluation

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

Travel

• The Consultant(s) selected for this assignment will be responsible for all administrative and travel expenses associated with undertaking this assignment.   All travels shall be coordinated with UN Women Fiji MCO and shall be included in the total contract amount of the contractor. In the case of unforeseeable travel, payment of travel costs should be agreed upon, between UN Women and the consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed.

Financial Arrangement

• Payment will be disbursed upon submission and approval of deliverables and certification by the project managers that the services have been satisfactorily performed as per the delivery table above.

Competencias

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

Habilidades y experiencia requeridas

Education

• Advanced Degree in relevant discipline (e.g., development management, gender, social studies, sociology, political science, etc.).

Experience 

• At least 10 years’ experience in programme development and proven accomplishments in project document development for UN agencies, including the development of large, complex project documentation for multilateral organizations;
• Proven expertise in gender analysis;
• Experience in results-based programming in support of women’s economic empowerment (WEE), women’s human rights and gender equality;
• Proven experience developing monitoring and evaluation frameworks in support of project documents;
• Proven experience of developing project documentation for the UN, preferably UN Women;
• Excellent inter-personal and communication skills;
• Excellent written and spoken English and presentational capacities;
• Extensive knowledge of qualitative and quantitative review methods;
• United Nations experience an asset; and
• Pacific experience in related fields an asset.

Language 

• Excellent written and spoken English.
• Language skills such as Hindi, i-Taukei language, Solomon Islands Pidgin or Bislama an asset.
• Computer literacy and ability to effectively use office technology equipment, IT tools, ability to use Internet and email.

Evaluation

Applications will be evaluated based on the cumulative analysis:

• Technical Qualification (100 points) weight; [70%]
• Financial Proposal (100 points) weight; [30%]

A two-stage procedure is utilised in evaluating the proposals, with evaluation 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 evaluation will be evaluated.

Technical qualification evaluation 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 evaluation criteria:
• Only the candidates who have attained a minimum of 70% of total points will be considered as technically-qualified candidate.

Financial/Price Proposal evaluation

• Annex B and C is shared herewith, below, to set the guidance to submission/s of financial proposals. (Refer to full TOR for more details).
• Only the financial proposal of candidates who have attained a minimum of 70% score in the technical evaluation will be considered and evaluated.
• The total number of points allocated for the price component is 100 (30%).
• 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 evaluation.
• All other price proposals will receive points in inverse proportion to the lowest price.

The prospective Individual Consultant should take the following explanations into account during submission of his/her price proposal:

• The consultant’s daily rate estimated to complete deliverables.  Please note that UN Women solely pays upon submission of deliverables.
• The daily price proposal should indicate a "lump sum amount" which is "all-inclusive"; All costs (professional fees, communications, etc.) that could possibly be incurred by the Contractor needs to be factored into the proposed price.  Airfare, daily subsistence allowance and terminal payments for travel outside of Honiara will be paid directly by UN Women and are not required to be included in the lump sum amount.
• UN Women will not withhold any amount of the payments for tax and/or social security related payments. UN Women shall have no liability for taxes, duties or other similar charges payable by the Individual Contractor in respect of any amounts paid to the Individual Contractor under this Contract, and the Contractor acknowledges that UN Women will not issue any statements of earnings to the Individual contractor in respect of any such payments.
• Currency of the price proposal.  The applicants are requested to submit their price proposals in USD. In case of proposals in other currency, these shall be converted into USD using the official UN exchange rate for currency conversion to USD at the date of applications’ submission deadline.

ANNEX – A

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT / GUIDANCE – Options Paper Draft Skeleton

1. An options paper is to be drafted that will provide key recommendations to UN Women and current partners (the Government of Australia and the Government of Canada) and potential new donors.  The paper is to be based upon both a review of existing materials and resources, alongside the results of key consultations.  Critical to the options paper will be a scan
2. Current partner capacities (staffing, resources and gender expertise etc)
3. Geographic reach of partners

• Recommendations on key partners for all outcome areas for UN Women

Section Two – Expansion of M4C

Geographical Expansion

• Potential to expand the project model into other Pacific countries (scaling up)
• Brief analysis of potential countries that the project can expand into (this may involve additional travel – to be confirmed)
• Potential to expand the project further within the existing project countries (Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu)
• Recommendations for geographic expansion

Programmatic Expansion

• Potential to expand the scope of programming to address key gap areas
• Potential for the project to pilot new interventions – specific focus on addressing social norms in women’s economic empowerment
• Recommendations for programmatic expansion

Conclusions and Recommendations

• Section to include key questions for discussion