Consultant Recruitment at UN Women, 19th December, 2018

UN Women – In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. In doing so, UN Member States took an historic step in accelerating the Organization’s goals on gender equality and the empowerment of women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system, which focused exclusively on gender equality and women’s empowerment.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Consultant, Final Evaluation of the Project ‘Mobilizing Communities to End Sexual Based Violence Against Girls in Local District of Abuja Municipal Area Council’

Location: Abuja
Type of Contract: Individual Contract
Post Level: National Consultant
Languages Required: English
Starting Date: (date when the selected candidate is expected to start) 15th January, 2019.
Duration of Initial Contract: 50 Days

Background
The UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women (UNTF) is a global multi-lateral grant making mechanism supporting national efforts to prevent and end violence against women and girls. The UN Trust Fund was established through the UN General Assembly Resolution 50/166 in 1996 with UN Women as its Administrator on behalf of the UN system. The UN Trust Fund provides grants to advance the development of innovative models and strategic interventions in the area of ending violence against women and girls. Grantees – comprising governments and non-governmental organizations – have engaged diverse actors, such as women’s, men’s, adolescents and youth groups, indigenous communities, religious and traditional leaders, human rights organizations and the media. To date, the UN Trust Fund has awarded US $129 million to 463 initiatives in 139 countries and territories.

The UN Trust Fund introduced external evaluation as a mandatory stage of project cycle management for all grantees in 2012 in recognition of the importance of evaluation to align with UN Women policies and procedures. Since then more than 100 external evaluations have been produced. One of the key objectives set out in the UN Trust Fund’s Strategy 2015-2020 is to create an evidence and learning hub to collect and reflect on the depth of knowledge and lessons learned through the work of its grantees. This will be achieved through:

• Improving the UN Trust Fund’s evaluation practice and results monitoring to produce high quality, useful evidence;
• Investing in longer term projects that can achieve results at scale and generate lessons on impact (for example the “invitation only” window of funding led to a second generation of UN Trust Fund grantees that have replicated, scaled-up and adapted project methodologies);
• And supporting grantees to improve their own capacity in data collection, monitoring and evaluation, and in generating evidence.

In 2016, the UN Trust Fund’s Call for Proposals (Cycle 20) specified that final, external evaluations would be centralized for projects implemented by small organizations receiving small grants[1] —presenting an opportunity to build upon existing capacity development activities and move toward a coaching relationship with evaluation task mangers from small CSOs.

Project Context

• The 2014 Nigerian Survey Report on Violence against Children (VAC), revealed that 1 in 4 Nigerian girls experience sexual violence (SV) before age 18, with a low disclosure rate of 38%.
• It also reveals that only 16% of girls who experience SV are aware of a place to seek help, with just 5% actually seeking help and 4% receiving the help needed.
• To address these issues, the Government of Nigeria launched a call to action for relevant agencies and NGO’s to join the fight to end this menace of which this project is responding to.
• In addition, Wumba and Dushe Communities are beset with economic issues of poverty, unemployment, high population density and an increasingly heated political climate with the Presidential and Gubernatorial elections scheduled to hold in Nigeria in February 2019. Sexual violence, gang culture, drug abuse, child prostitution and teenage pregnancy remain major problems.
• The culture of silence regarding Sexual Based Violence against Girls (SBVAG) is still high but activities of the Community Child Protection Committees and the Female Mentors which have both been established in both project communities have led to increased awareness of the effects and need to prevent and report such cases.

Project Description

• The main focus of SOAR Initiative on an institutional level is to address the prevalence and consequences of child sexual abuse by providing prevention and survivor support solutions. Within the last 5 years, SOAR concentrated efforts, through a girl’s empowerment program, to build the capacity of in-schoolgirls to assert their rights, recognize sexual abuse, refuse it, report it and then speak out against it through awareness raising activities with peers.
• Mobilizing Communities to End Sexual Based Violence against Girls in Local District of Abuja Municipal Area Council has been implemented by the Sexual Offences Awareness & Victims Rehabilitation Initiative (SOAR) with a small grant award of USD 115,412 from the UN Trust Fund. The project started 1 March 2017 and will end on 28 February 2019. It is therefore within the final six months of implementation.
• Primary beneficiaries are girls and adolescents in two rural communities of Abuja. Secondary beneficiaries include members of the community as well as educators in local schools.
• With this two-year grant, SOAR has been able to mobilize grassroots communities and schools to develop local mechanisms to protect girls from sexual violence in Dushe and Wumba communities. The indented result is that the capacity of local peer leaders, responsible for ensuring these mechanisms work, as well as that of school girls, is strengthened to develop action plans and community-based referral mechanisms to respond to SBVAG within the project communities and link survivors to required multi-sectoral services.
• To achieve this, SOAR has implemented a strategy in which youth, especially girls, have been engaged throughout the project life cycle—from determining how sexual violence manifests and affects girls within communities, to deciding what should be done to curtail it, and involvement in creating community-based child protection committees (CCPC) mechanisms needed to respond to SBVAG. School girls have also been trained to assert their rights, recognize and report sexual abuse and share peer information on SBVAG. In-school Girls Clubs were also created as safe spaces for continuous capacity building and confidential disclosures.

Results Chain
Project Goal: Girls (8 to 18years) involved in the project in Dushe and Wumba communities of the FCT have improved safety and support against SBVAG by February 2019.

Local Child Protection Mechanisms in Dushe and Wumba Communities of the FCT have improved structures, attitudes and behaviors to protect and support community girls against SBVAG by February 2019:

• Community members and girls involved in the project have improved knowledge about SBVAG and the need to break the silence and address it:
  • Conduct advocacy meetings with traditional and community leaders in Dushe and Wumba communities on SBVAG.
  • Organize Community meetings to discuss issues of SBVAG, establish and review community-based child protection structures.
  • Organize monthly Kids Clubs in the project communities to sensitize the community children about SBVAG, the need to break the silence and report it
  • Trainings per month of community girls to assert their rights, recognize sexual abuse, report it and share this information with their peers (to be facilitated by the trained mentors)
• Members of community child protection groups which are established and trained during the project period in Dushe and Wumba Communities in the FCT have action plans in place and better understanding of their roles in preventing and responding to SBVAG in the project communities:
  • Day training of Community Child Protection Committees of Dushe and Wumba on SBVAG and how to address it
  • Day weekly strategic planning meeting for 4 weeks to establish the CCPC structures and action plans
  • Day training of Female Mentors of Dushe and Wumba Communities to train and mentor community girls on SBVAG issues
  • Joint CCPC training on reporting and sustainability
• Referral Mechanisms are set up between the Child Protection Committees in the project communities and service providers of sexual violence:
  • Day Consultative meeting between the CCPCs and SBVAG service providers
  • Day Consultative meeting between the SBVAG service providers and the CCPC to strengthen linkages and referral system
  • Community Stakeholders Forum to review project results and strengthen visibility and referral linkages of the CCPC

Schools serving girls from Dushe and Wumba communities are better able to respond to SBVAG and protect them from sexual violence and exploitation by February 2019:

• Members of School based Management Committees, PTA’s, counsellors and teachers of project schools serving girls from Dushe and Wumba Communities, have increased knowledge about SBVAG and have in place the required action plans needed to address SBVAG in their schools:
  • Day training of School based Management Committees, PTA of project schools in Dushe and Wumba communities to address SBVAG in their schools held in 2 sessions
  • Day training of school counsellors and teachers of project schools in Dushe and Wumba communities to address SBVAG and build skill to mentor girls in the Girls Clubs in their schools
• In schoolgirls exposed to the project activities have increased knowledge on SBVAG, how to recognize it, refuse the abuser’s approach, protect themselves and share this information with their peers:
  • Day training of in-schoolgirls as peer educators to assert their rights, recognize sexual abuse, report it and share this information with their peers
  • Conduct sensitization rallies and debates and quiz competition amongst the project schools to break the silence on SBVAG and to encourage disclosures
  • Handbook Review meeting.

Purpose of the evaluation & justification for the consultancy

• This consultancy is intended to provide the UN Trust Fund Secretariat with an external, independent, final evaluation of the project ‘Mobilizing Communities to End Sexual Based Violence against Girls in Local District of Abuja Municipal Area Council in Nigeria’, implemented by the Sexual Offences Awareness & Victims Rehabilitation Initiative in Dushe and Wumba, Abuja, Nigeria.
• The presents an opportunity for learning what works and doesn’t work for women and girls—particularly, the girl child. Being, of course, aligned with UN Trust Fund focus areas, the location and context within which the project was implemented is also seen as a strategic geographic location.
• With progress reports reflecting progress toward the project goal, there is also an opportunity to learn what mechanisms and practices have (or have not) enabled efficient functioning of the team.

Scope and Objectives
Evaluation scope:

• Timeframe: to cover the entire project duration (1 March 2017 to 28 February 2019)
• Geographical Coverage: Dushe and Wumba
• Target groups to be covered: primary and secondary beneficiaries, as well as key stakeholders

Evaluation Objectives include:

• Evaluating the entire two-year project against the effectiveness, relevance, efficiency, sustainability and impact criteria, as well as the cross-cutting gender equality and human rights criteria; and
• Identifying key lessons and promising or emerging good practices in the field of ending violence against women and girls, for learning purposes.

Evaluation questions
Effectiveness:

• Was the programme design logical and coherent in: a) taking into account the roles, capacities and commitment of stakeholders; and, b) in realistically achieving the planned outputs?
• To what extent were the intended project goal, outcomes and outputs (project results) achieved and how?
• Did the project develop and build the capacities of local peer leaders to develop action plans and community-based referral mechanisms to respond to SBVAG within the project communities? To link survivors to required multi-sectoral services?
• What mechanisms enabled or constrained girls’ capacity to engage peers regarding SBVAG?

Relevance:

• To what extent do the achieved results (project goal, outcomes and outputs) continue to be relevant to the needs of youth and adolescents in Dushe and Wumba?
• To what extent does the programme respond to the international framework to prevent and respond to violence against women, such as CEDAW, Beijing Platform Action and women’s human rights principles?

Efficiency:

• To what extent was the project efficiently and cost-effectively implemented?
• How efficiently does the programme management monitor programme performance and results?
• Have resources (funds, human resources, time, expertise, etc.) for integrating human rights and gender equality been allocated strategically to achieve results? What were the benefits, costs or consequences?

Sustainability:

• To what extent will the achieved results, especially any positive changes in the lives of the girl child and adolescents (project goal level), be sustained after this project ends?
• How have stakeholders been involved in programme implementation? How effective has the programme been in establishing local ownership?
• Can the programme approach or results be replicated or scaled up by national partners? What would support their replication and scaling up?

Impact:

• To what extent has the project contributed to ending violence against women, gender equality and/or women’s empowerment (both intended and unintended impact)?
• To what extent has an enabling or adaptable environment been developed (or not) for real change on gender equality and human rights – particularly the rights of the girl child, in Dushe and Wumba? In neighboring communities?

Knowledge Generation:

• To what extent has the project generated knowledge, promising or emerging practices in the field of EVAW/G that should be documented and shared with other practitioners?

Gender Equality and Human Rights:

• Cross-cutting criteria: the evaluation should consider the extent to which human rights based and gender responsive approaches have been incorporated through-out the project and to what extent.

Evaluation Methodology

• Applicants are required to submit a proposed design of the evaluation and the methodology. The methodological design and approach to the evaluation must be gender-responsive and therefore ensure that human rights and gender quality are respected, addressed and promoted throughout the exercise.
• It is expected that the consultant(s) conduct a desk review of background documentation from SOAR to refine the evaluation methodology proposed. Data sources may include, but are not limited to: SOAR ProDoc, baseline survey data, monitoring data, progress reports, end line data and report (when available).
• Mixed-methods are encouraged along with a high level of stakeholder participation. Data collection methods could include: questionnaires/surveys to be completed by SOAR partners; interview questions to be completed with Key Informants from selected SOAR partners; proposed criteria and checklists to review and assess documentation from SOAR; focus group discussion questionnaires to be carried out with SOAR partners and stakeholders, etc.
• During the inception phase, it is expected that the evaluator(s) will work in consultation with SOAR and key stakeholders to refine the methodology and identify the stakeholders who will be interviewed and surveyed, as well as the rationale for selection (sampling framework). This should include a more detailed work plan (field visits in Abuja), timeline and deliverables for the data collection and analysis stage of the process as well as any limitations and constraints to set expectations for the evaluation.

Evaluation Ethics

• 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 experience, which may give rise to a potential conflict of interest, and to deal honestly in resolving any conflict of interest which may arise.
• Consider additional risks and need for parental consent due to the fact that the project involves children (under 18 years old[2]);
• The evaluator/s must be trained in collecting sensitive information and specifically data relating to violence against women and select any members of the evaluation team on these issues;
• Data collection tools must be designed in a way that is culturally appropriate and does not create distress for respondents;
• Data collection visits should be organized at the appropriate time and place to minimize risk to respondents;
• The interviewer or data collector must be able to provide information on how individuals in situations of risk can seek support (referrals to organizations that can provided counseling support, for example).
• The evaluator must also put in place specific safeguards and protocols to protect the safety (both physical and psychological) of respondents and those collecting the data as well as to prevent harm. This must ensure the rights of the individual are protected and participation in the evaluation does not result in further violation of their rights. The evaluator/s must have a plan in place to:
• Protect the rights of respondents, including privacy and confidentiality;
• Elaborate on how informed consent will be obtained and to ensure that the names of individuals consulted during data collection will not be made public;

Required Skills and Experience
Education:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in Social Sciences, Human Rights, gender/women’s studies, international development, or a related field is required.

Experience:

• At least 10 years in conducting external evaluations, with mixed-methods evaluation skills and having flexibility in using non-traditional and innovative evaluation methods;
• Expertise in gender and human-rights based approaches to evaluation and issues of violence against women and girls;
• Experience with program design and theory of change, gender-responsive evaluation, participatory approaches and stakeholder engagement;
• Specific evaluation experiences in the areas of ending violence against women and girls;
• Experience in collecting and analyzing quantitative and qualitative data as well as data visualization;
• In-depth knowledge of gender equality and women’s empowerment;
• A strong commitment to delivering timely and high-quality results, i.e. credible evaluation and its report that can be used;
• A strong team leadership and management track record, as well as interpersonal and communication skills to help ensure that the evaluation is understood and used;
• Good communication skills and ability to communicate with various stakeholders and to express concisely and clearly ideas and concepts;
• Regional/Country experience and knowledge: in-depth knowledge of West Africa is required.

Language:

• Full proficiency in English (written and spoken).

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.

Deadline: 3rd January, 2019.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Click Here to Download UN Personal History Form (P11) – MS Word

Note

• All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from the link above
• Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment hence the need to add your proposal and resume into the same document as the signed P11.
• Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.