Header

consultant for study on UN Women's technical assistance for capacity development of civil society organizations working to address violence against wo

Through its programmes and projects, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) is providing technical assistance to national partners in the implementation of existing international and national commitments to women's rights and gender equality, facilitates networking and exchange of good practices and advocates for women's rights and gender equality in all areas of life.

Ending Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) is among the five key priority areas within the mandate of UN Women. UN Women works on several fronts towards ending violence against women and girls, including tackling its main root: gender inequality. Initiatives range from working to establish legal frameworks and specific national actions to supporting social mobilization at the grassroots levels for prevention of VAWG. UN Women also supports data collection on violence against women, facilitating new learning on the issue.

In Central and Southeastern Europe, a key component of UN Women's work towards ending violence against women is technical assistance to civil society organizations to increase their capacities to address needs and rights of women subjected to different forms of gender-based violence and especially those women at risk of exclusion and/ or multiple discrimination. In the context of the implementation of the first UN Women Strategic Plan (2011-2013), UN Women CSEE is taking stock of its approaches and methods for providing technical assistance to civil society organization working to address VAWG with a view to develop a methodology and strategy for working with CSOs in this area. In the period 2008-2011, priorities for UN Women CSEE's technical assistance to CSOs working to end violence against women included: primary prevention interventions, research and advocacy, and support for networking. Going forward, based on identified needs and priorities, UN Women CSEE is seeking to provide technical assistance in other areas also, including assurance of quality standards in service delivery in response to violence against women.

Duties and Responsibilities

A. Objectives of the assignment

UN Women CSEE is seeking to recruit an international consultant to support the development of a study and recommended methodology for UN Women's technical assistance for capacity development of civil society organizations working to address violence against women in Southeastern Europe. The international consultant will work in a team with two national consultants in two countries to be determined in cooperation with UN Women CSEE.

The study and in particular the recommended methodology to be developed as part of the study will provide guidance for strengthening UN Women's partnerships with CSOs in advancing women's human rights and ending violence against women.

The international consultant in cooperation with two national consultants will be responsible for developing and writing a comprehensive study to respond to the following objectives:

Take stock of lessons learned from UN Women's experiences in providing technical assistance for capacity development of CSOs working to address VAW in Southeast Europe.
Identify and clarify current needs, priorities and interests from civil society organizations working to end VAW in Southeast Europe to receive capacity development support from UN Women.
Recommend a methodology for UN Women's technical assistance for capacity development support of civil society organizations working to address VAW. The methodology should encompass the following elements:
Recommended standards for capacity development support to CSOs to address needs and rights of women subjected to gender based violence
A set of practical tools for capacity development (the 'how to') and concrete examples of their successful use, including specific examples of methods and tools for measuring capacity change
Practical instructions on CSO networking for achieving greater impact on policies or behavior change with respect to gender based violence
Checklist of dos and don'ts in UN Women's technical assistance from the perspective of women's organizations.
Test the recommended methodology in two pilot case studies to be undertaken by national consultants in two countries and adjust the methodology based on the lessons learned.
Compile a comprehensive annotated bibliography in the field.

B. Description of tasks:

Under the overall supervision of the Programme Specialist and the direct supervision of the EVAW Project Manager and in cooperation with UN Women staff in the field, the international consultant is expected to perform the following tasks:

Conduct a comprehensive desk review and analysis of UN Women experiences in providing technical assistance for capacity development of CSOs working to address VAW in Southeast Europe;
Conduct consultations in three countries of Southeast Europe to identify needs, priorities and interests for capacity development support from civil society organizations working to end VAW;
Develop a methodology for UN Women's technical assistance for capacity development of civil society organizations working to address VAW, validate it with UN Women field staff and staff in the SRO and develop criteria for selecting two pilot case studies for testing the methodology;
Guide two national consultants in their work to test the methodology in the selected two pilot case studies and distil lessons learned;
Review the methodology based on the findings from the two case studies;
Write a first draft of the study, ensure adequate collection of feedback and comments from UN Women and CSOs and write a final draft responding to the comments.

The final study should be an estimated 30 pages long (font size 12, 1.5 line spacing), excluding the bibliography.

C. Deliverables

The international consultant is expected to submit the following deliverables:

Research plan and detailed timeline for developing the study.
Report of consultations with civil society organizations to identify and clarify their needs, priorities and interests for capacity development support.
First draft of the recommended methodology for UN Women's technical assistance for capacity development of CSOs working to address VAW.
Consolidated report of results of pilot testing of methodology in two case studies, based on reports from national consultants.
A first draft and a final draft of the study.
Annotated bibliography.

Competencies

Excellent analytical and research skills

Openness to change and ability to receive/ integrate feedback

Strong interpersonal and good communication abilities

Core values:

Demonstrates integrity and fairness by observing UN values and ethical standards

Demonstrates professional competence and is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments and observing deadlines

Displays cultural, gender, nationality, religion and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Required Skills and Experience

Qualifications and skills

Education:

Masters degree in Gender Studies, Political Science, Policy Studies, Sociology, Social Sciences , or related fields. PhD is an asset.

Experience

At least five years of experience in an international organization, university or research institute, civil society organization or think tank.

Profound understanding of gender and development and the role of capacity development in development assistance

Knowledge of CSOs in the region, specifically CSOs working in the field of ending violence against women

Track record of publications relevant to the assignment.

Language requirements:

Fluency in spoken and written English. Knowledge of other languages from the region is desirable.

Duration

The completion of this consultancy assignment will take up to 35 working days in the estimated period 1 November 2011 – 15 April 2012.

Evaluation of applicants:

Candidates will be evaluated using a cumulative analysis method taking into consideration the combination of the applicants' qualifications and financial proposal. Contract will be awarded to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

Responsive to and compliant with the ToR; and
Having received the highest score out of below defined technical and financial criteria.

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points in the technical evaluation would be considered for financial evaluation.

Criteria:

Technical Evaluation (70%) - Total points 70

Relevant education - 15 points
Relevant experience - 45 points
Language – 10

Financial Evaluation (30%) - Total points 30

TOTAL - 100 points

The maximum number of points assigned to the financial proposal is allocated to the lowest price proposal. All other price proposals receive points in inverse proportion. A suggested formula is as follows:

p = 30 (ÃŽ¼/z)

Where:

p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated

ÃŽ¼ = price of the lowest priced proposal

z = price of the proposal being evaluated

Application Procedure:

Qualified candidates are requested to apply online.

The application should contain:

Cover letter

explaining the applicant's interest in applying for the position.

Filled P11 form

including past experience in similar projects and contact details of referees (blank form can be downloaded from : http://www.unwomen.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/P_11_form_UNwomen.doc ); please upload the P11 instead of your CV!

Financial Proposal*

- specifying a total lump sum amount for the tasks specified in this announcement. The financial proposal shall include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (number of anticipated working days, travel, per diems and any other possible costs).

Please note that failure to submit P.11 form will result in automatic exclusion of the application from selection process. UN Women applies fair and transparent selection process that would take into account the competencies/skills of the applicants as well as their financial proposals.

*Please note that the

financial proposal is all-inclusive

and shall take into account various expenses incurred by the consultant during the contract period (e.g. fee, health insurance, vaccination and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services...).

Payments

will be made only upon confirmation of UN Women on delivering on the contract obligations in a satisfactory manner.

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.