Organization: UNICEF – United Nations Children’s Fund
Location: Remote | Monrovia
Grade: Consultancy – Consultant – Contractors Agreement
Occupational Groups:
Women’s Empowerment and Gender Mainstreaming
Children’s rights (health and protection)
Closing Date: 2024-09-24
UNICEF Liberia is seeking qualified candidates to lead and support the conduct of a Gender Programmatic Review (GPR) in the UNICEF Liberia Country Office in order to shape, refine and align the new Country Programme Document (CPD 2024-2028) with the new UNICEF Gender Policy and Action Plan (GAP 2022-2025) and the Strategic Plan 2022-2025.
UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. And we never give up.
For every child, gender efficiency!
How can you make a difference?
Context:
In Liberia, despite progress made over the past years, children, especially adolescent girls, still face challenges in terms of survival, development, protection, and participation. Violence against women and girls (VAWG) still exist in multiple forms. Apart from sexual violence (SV), VAWG in Liberia includes domestic/intimate partner violence, persistent non-support/economic violence, emotional violence, and harmful practices, including FGM and child marriage that disproportionately affects women, girls and people living with disabilities (PLWD) as well as other vulnerable groups.
According to UNFPA, 25 percent of children are married before the age of 18. The LDHS also demonstrates a high prevalence of femalegenital mutilation, with 38 percent of women and girls aged 15-49 having undergone the procedure. This practice significantly affects women and girls from the poorest households who are twice as likely to have experienced the practice as compared to those from the wealthiest households. Other harmful practices include allegations of witchcraft, and forcible initiations into secret societies and trial by ordeal. According to the assessment of Human Rights Issues Emanating from Harmful Traditional Practices in Liberia, despite domestic legal frameworks prohibiting some of these practices, these and other harmful practices are largely left unaddressed by the formal justice system because they are widely believed to be part of the national culture and traditions. A more recent study on the Liberia Country Gender equality profile conducted by UNWOMEN provides insight into how the state of gender equality in Liberia remains fragile, and is a topic that requires attention, commitment, and collective endeavor.
As one of the key actors in promoting gender equality for children and adolescents in Liberia, UNICEF Liberia Country Office (UNICEF LCO) has made achievements in promoting gender equality across its programmes and workplaces. According to the Gender Benchmark Review, in 2023 UNICEF LCO met and exceeded the gender expenditure benchmark of 15 per cent. Three Programme Outputs were rated Principal on the Gender Equality Marker (GEM) which indicates that these results are transformative as they had influence change in national policies and practice. Additionally, an improved gender parity was achieved among National Professional Officers and International Professionals with 43 percent female and 57 percent male. However, according to the regional analysis of the gender marker, UNICEF LCO has gaps in resources, accountability, staffing and capacity. Improvements are needed in terms of gender performance on country plans, gender staffing and capacity, evaluation, as well as effective knowledge sharing and communications.
II. Purpose of Activity/Assignment:
The Gender Review is a process through which UNICEF Liberia country office would determine, in alignment with the Gender Action Plan (of 2022-2025), WHY it’s important to use a gender lens in our programming, HOW to go about implementing it and WHAT gender programming interventions will be implemented for WHAT results for children and women.
III. Objective of the Consultancy:
The objective of this consultancy is to lead and support the conduct of a Gender Programmatic Review (GPR) in the UNICEF Liberia Country Office in order to shape, refine and align the new Country Programme Document (CPD 2024-2028) with the new UNICEF Gender Policy and Action Plan (GAP 2022-2025) and the Strategic Plan 2022-2025.
Specific objectives of the GPR:
Analyze gender inequalities in the national context of Liberia within the framework of the gender programmatic priorities of the GAP 2022-2025 in order to identify a set of gender inequality issues (including their root causes) that could potentially be addressed in the new CPD. This analysis will also take into account the intersections between gender and factors such as disability, age and place of residence for a comprehensive analysis of the multiple vulnerabilities that contribute to gender inequality.
Review the status of recommendations made during the 2018 GPR and based on this and the current country context, identify sector-specific and overall country office programming obstacles, as well as strategic entry points where UNICEF Liberia could introduce new solutions, and/or, strengthen existing integrated programmatic solutions that could address identified gender inequality issues, including for adolescents.
Provide guidance to the Country Office in the form of recommendations on:
Overall programmatic gender priorities, policy direction, future actions, and Programme interventions for the new CPD, including a draft theory of change.
At least one programmatic gender action plan (GAP) priority for each programme sector based on scale and comparative advantage, including recommendations on how programme sector outcomes, outputs, indicators, and results frameworks will integrate this priority.
Human and financial resources, partnerships, communications, and capacity building to support the new CPD.
Organize a prioritization workshop to review and validate the findings and recommendations of the GPR before finalizing them, and establish with the sectors the main areas on which the office should focus; help develop in a participatory and inclusive manner a gender equality action plan to accompany the implementation of the CPD.
Document and share the findings and recommendations of the gender programmatic review and action plan in a practical way that enables the UNICEF Liberia office to clearly articulate its vision on gender equality and support the integration of gender-specific results into the new CPD.
Tasks/Milestones
Deliverables/Outputs
Timeline
Estimated Budget
Pre- Mission:
1) Develop an initial inception report outlining the expected outcomes of the Gender Programme Review (GPR), including a detailed work plan, methodology and tools.
2) Conduct a literature review to identify gender inequality issues affecting boys and girls and adolescent girls in Liberia. This analysis will also take into account the intersections between gender and disability for a comprehensive examination of the multiple factors that contribute to gender inequality.
Deliverable #1:
Initial inception report including the results of the literature review and analysis.
September 15th to September 30th.
10% upon Deliverable 01
Mission / In Country: Field research with stakeholders (i.e. survey, key informant interviews and focus group discussions) such as UNICEF Liberia programme section staff and relevant external partners and stakeholders to agree on GAP priorities for integration into country programme.
Deliverable #2:
A draft GPR Report integrating the results of: (i) interviews with key persons and stakeholders, including the intersections between gender and disability for a comprehensive review of the multiple factors that contribute to gender inequality, (ii) the in-depth analysis of the country programme’s outputs and activities and (iii) the review of the situation analysis.
Oct 1st to Oct 20th
40% upon deliverable 02
Prepare a final GPR report documenting the findings and recommendations of the GPR in a structure that facilitates the integration of gender transformative results and programmatic approaches into the new CPD elements as outlined under the specific of the GPR.
Hold a Validation Workshop on final GPR report.
Deliverable #3:
Final report with an executive summary (approximately 10 pages) and presentation of the main and specific conclusions and recommendations for each section, together with a roadmap/action plan with responsibilities and deadlines for implementing the recommendations validated by different sectors.
Oct 20th to Nov 5th
40% upon deliverable 03
Deliverable #4:
4 briefing papers specific to each programme component (Child Survival, Education, Child Protection, and Social Policy).
Nov 5th to Nov 15th
10% upon déliverable 04
Reporting requirements:
Lists of the reporting guidelines and the reports to be prepared during the assignment as well as deadlines for submission; it includes requirements such as contents, number of copies, language, who should receive the reports and whether they should be submitted electronically (specify the file format; e.g. “pdf”), in hard copy, or both.
Examples of potential types of reports are:
Inception Report
Progress Reports and Minutes of Meetings
Mission Reports
Technical Reports
Draft, Final Report, and Roadmap for implementation
Training Materials
Presentation Materials
Workshop/training evaluation report
Location & Duration:
The duration of this consultation should be 40 working days between 15th September to 15th November. The consultant will work both remotely and on site at UNICEF Liberia’ office in close collaboration with the Dep. Rep for Programs / the PM&E Specialist and the Gender Focal Point. He/she will be required to spend at least 20 days in Monrovia.
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Education:
Minimum of a Bachelor degree in Gender or related humanities. Advanced in Sociology, Anthropology, Planning, etc, is an advantage.
Work Experience:
At least 6 years of strong technical skills in gender, research and gender-based programming, with good knowledge of social change and social norms.
Expertise in designing and developing training materials and facilitating training and capacity building on gender transformative programming.
Proven experience in developing tools and guidelines for gender analysis and technical competence in mainstreaming gender equality in programmes.
Proficiency in the use of gender data collection tools for programme design, implementation and evaluation.
Good analytical skills in the design of gender programmes and assessments at national level.
Previous experience in gender programme review and planning for UNICEF or a UN agency.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
Other skills and competencies required:
Fluency required in: Excellent communication and interpersonal skills including the use of ICT.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
Language Proficiency: Fluency required in English.
Working conditions:
Office based.
The necessary computer equipment for the consultation will be provided by the consultant.
The consultant is expected to use his/her own ICT equipment.
The consultant will be based in Monrovia.
Supervision:
The consultant will be supervised by the Deputy Representative/Programme.
Technical and Financial proposals:
Applicants are invited to submit with their online application:
A technical proposal that outlines their understanding of the task and proposed methodology or a cover letter explaining why they are well placed to undertake this assignment.
A recently updated CV
A financial proposal which must be an all-inclusive cost (consultancy fees, mission expenses, travels, etc.).
Applicants are invited to submit their financial proposals in USD using the template below:
Description
Unit
Quantity
Unit cost
Total (USD)
Consultancy fees
Other (to be specified)
Total
Selection criteria will be based on qualifications, skills, expertise and experience in the required field, and quality of the technical and financial offer. Each application will be assessed first on its technical merits and subsequently on its price.
Recourse:
UNICEF reserves the right to terminate the contract and/or withhold all or a portion of payment if the rules and the regulations regarding confidentiality, ethics and procedures of UNICEF and the partners are not followed, the performance is unsatisfactory, or work/deliverables are incomplete, not delivered or fail to meet the deadlines. The deliverables will remain the copyright of UNICEF.
The consultant must respect the confidentiality of the information handled during the assignment. Documents and information provided must be used only for the tasks related to these terms of reference.
For every child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).
To view our competency framework, please visit here.
UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.
UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.
UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.
Remarks:
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.
The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.