Antecedentes

The Spotlight Initiative (SI) is a global, multi-year partnership between European Union and United Nations to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls by 2030. Funded by the European Union, the Initiative is responding to all forms of violence against women and girls, with a particular focus on domestic and family violence, sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and harmful practices, femicide, trafficking in human beings and sexual and economic (labour) exploitation. Further information can be found at https://www.spotlightinitiative.org

The Spotlight Initiative regional programme for Central Asia and Afghanistan managed from Kazakhstan (Almaty) in cooperation with all participating countries will harness the collective expertise, experiences, challenges and energy of gender equality advocates from the five Central Asian countries, as well as Afghanistan.

The Spotlight Initiative Pillar 2 aims at institutionalizing a broad-based Alliance for Central Asia, which is capable and positioned to set and drive regionally legislative, policy and institutional guidelines and models in the area of SGBV. The absence of regional intergovernmental and regional non-governmental bodies or organisations, including academia, is a challenge unique to Central Asia. Such conditions have resulted in limited opportunities for joint learning, innovation and knowledge generation on tackling the bottlenecks and advancing the gains in overcoming SGBV. Given the complexities of a cross border Alliances, the development of this Alliance will firstly be in illustrating the power of collective action and leveraging the work of the SI Country Programmes in the region. It is expected that the Alliance will be a mechanism for planning, funding, and delivering on SGBV work across the region through convening of relevant stakeholders from 5 Central Asian countries and Afghanistan around thematic SGBV areas to build the Central Asia Alliance in a consistent and coherent fashion. Specifically, the Alliance will focus on:

• Mobilisation of greater political will and commitment towards ending all forms of SGBV and harmful practices in Central Asia;
• Deepening Central Asia’s access to best practices and innovation in the prevention, protection and multi-sectoral response to SGBV and harmful practice upholding a survival centred approach and core principles of social justice;
• Strengthened regional-specific tools and knowledge on how to leverage greater financing for SGBV at the national and sub-national levels;
• Creating a sustainable space for dialogue, innovation and sharing of best practices among traditional and non-traditional partners on ending SGBV, including partnering with NGOs and activists; youth networks for Central Asia; male champions including supportive husbands and fathers; faith-based leaders; National statistical offices and global/regional SDG monitoring processes, Private Sector in Media and Technology, and survivors of SGBV.

Through strengthened cross-border networking and experience sharing, collective capacity development and awareness raising on international norms and standards, and hands-on work with international and national experts in the development of SGBV SOPs “models” grounding in international norms related to SGBV, a nascent Central Asia Alliance on ending SGBV and harmful practices will emerge.

The Alliance will be comprised of the Offices of the President, National Women’s Machineries (NWMs), relevant line Ministries including Health, Education, Social protection, Inetrior and Justice, as well as Rule of Law representatives from the Courts and Police, Parliamentarians, civil society networks, grassroots and community level organisations, as well as women’s rights activists and voices of women from communities often left in the margins. The Alliance will be owned and shaped by the five national Central Asian countries with participation of representatives from Afghanistan. Technical and coordination support will be provided by the UNCTs in the five countries, who will act as the secretariat of the alliance for the initial five years of establishment. This will ensure close coordination with the three SI Country Programmes as well. The European Union Delegations will play a key role within the Alliance in ensuring synergies with the three SI Country Programmes, and fostering south-south cooperation between the Alliance and relevant EU-based networks and alliances.

For this consultancy Spotlight Initiative Programme is looking for International Consultant who will provide technical expertise and coordination support in establishing Alliance for Central Asia.  

Deberes y responsabilidades

The International Consultant will be responsible for the following tasks:

1. Develop approach and submit detailed workplan with timeframe for desk review, including documents to be reviewed, coordination with the SI country offices, UNCT in CA, stakeholders, stages of Alliance creation and maintenance with clear deliverables at each stage, timeframe and reporting/communication etc;
2. Prepare a concept note including the ways how the Alliance will promote the knowledge and evidence, resources and tools, and political will and action needed to address SGBV in CA. It should include analysis and description of the conditions under which it will function and provide a framework for next steps, including the establishment and further activities. The concept should include risks associated with its setting/maintenance, challenges and their mitigation measures as well as long term sustainability of the Alliance.
3. Develop a guidelines on institutional set-up/ arrangement and appropriate management model, including composition, structure and membership of task-focused and result-oriented groups of the Alliance based on the range of thematic areas related to SGBV address, such as

• the Central Asia Review of SGBV Legislation and its alignment with international norms and standards (Outcome 1);
• Capture of best practices in Central Asia and beyond, as well as provision of technical assistance in adaptation and national contextualization of Regional Models of SOPs on SGBV, tools and guides which align with international norms.
• GRB tools in strengthening SGBV legislative and service provision;
• Regional SOP Models/Tools for SGBV case referral/case management response across the countries; 
• Regional Best Practices and Tools of advocating for social norm change (mobilising men as champions and faith based leaders in SGBV elimination and GEWE mainstreaming; empowering youth to challenge gender norms and stereotypes, coordination of a number of campaigns such as the Regional MenEngage Platform, the HeForShe Campaign, the Y-Peer Networks at the national level, building on the “#Don’t Be Silent” movement);
• Central Asia SGBV Data Collection Models in the areas of Prevalence Data; Administrative Data; and Data on Perceptions and Attitudes, usage of ECA and Global SDG monitoring processes;
• Strengthening CSO Capacities and regional women’s movement throguh networking platforms for CSOs at the regional level in Central Asia to engage in joint regional advocacy, sharing knowledge, experiences and best practices;

It should include principles which guide the process of knowledge exchange, including  coordination between the groups, interaction, workforce roles and responsibilities of each groups within the Alliance, mechanisms of  involving key stakeholders, donors and institutions for collaboration, timeframes, needed human resources, financial requirements and accountability systems both towards partners and beneficiaries.

4. Conduct discussion of the abovementioned documents with the Regional Steering Committee of SI Initiative, including the EU, UNRC, UNFPA, UN Women and UNDP, Civil Society Regional Reference Group;

5. Conduct discussion of the proposed concept note, institutional arrangements and set-up mechanisms of the Alliance with the key members of the Alliance (the Offices of the President, NWMs, relevant line Ministries including Health, Education, Social protection, Interior and Justice, as well as Rule of Law representatives from the Courts and Police, Parliamentarians, civil society networks, grassroots and community level organisations, as well as women’s rights activists and voices of women from communities). Interim results should be agreed online by submitting for review and approval.

6. Finalize and submit a final report with supporting documents (concept note, guidelines on institutional set-up/ arrangement and appropriate management model) as attachments.

Competencias

Core Values:

• Respect for Diversity
• Integrity
• Professionalism

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues
• Accountability
• Effective Communication
• Inclusive Collaboration

Habilidades y experiencia requeridas

The selection process of consultant will be by following criteria:

Education:

- Advanced degree in Development studies, Public Policy and Administration, Gender studies, management of organizations and other related fields.  

?IX. Evaluation process

Applicants must meet the above minimum qualification requirements which will be included in the technical evaluation process in the future. The next stage of the assessment process will be maintained by cumulative analysis methodology of technical proposal (70%) and the financial proposal (30%) of the candidate.