Organization: UNDP – United Nations Development Programme
Location: Addis Ababa
Grade: Consultancy – National Consultant – Locally recruited Contractors Agreement
Occupational Groups:
Operations and Administrations
Environment
Women’s Empowerment and Gender Mainstreaming
Humanitarian Aid and Coordination
Scientist and Researcher
Peace and Development
Managerial positions
Water Resource Management
Closing Date: 2024-06-28
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.
Climate change-induced hazards such as drought and floods and man-made hazards such as conflicts and displacements continue to impact people in Ethiopia (UN Women-CERF 2023). The hazard affected population needing humanitarian assistance grew over 28 million people in the last few decades. According to FAO and MoA Reports (2023), the disasters, such as droughts and floods are frequent and persisting, and the number of population and the geographical coverage of the impacts is increasing.
According to OCHA’s HRP latest report, out of the population targeted for humanitarian assistance in 2023, 23.2% are women, 22.8% are men, 27.0% are girls, 26.9% are boys, and 17.6% are people with disabilities (). Studies and reports show that all population groups are affected by conflict and natural hazards, but in diverse and distinct ways. For instance, the poor are in general impacted in economic ways in dealing with the shocks. However, poor women and girls are distinctly affected economically and in practices related to sociocultural norms, beliefs, and behaviors. The hazards are compounded by these factors on women and girls and the Amhara region is among the regions affected by the northern conflict.
The Amhara region is grappling with a severe humanitarian crisis driven by conflict, drought, and disease outbreaks. The ongoing instability in Amhara, which began in April 2023, has exacerbated multiple e challenges significantly which have not only reversed the hard-won gains on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in the region but also have severely occasioned an economic development slowdown.
From November 2023 to January 2024, the Amhara region faced severe humanitarian access challenges due to ongoing conflict and worsening drought conditions. The inadequate use of inputs and supply chain constraints have exacerbated food insecurity. The suspension of general food aid distribution since the second quarter of 2023 has left many without essential relief (Save the Children, 24-01-2024). Disease outbreaks such as malaria have also compounded the challenges, making it difficult to deliver aid effectively (Save the Children, 24-01-2024). Additionally, at least four woredas in Amhara have been identified as hard to reach from an access perspective, significantly impeding the delivery of humanitarian aid (OCHA, 10-01-2024).
Therefore, for better coordination of gender programming during development peace and humanitarian programming that consider the agency and special needs of women and girls in the Amhara region, UN Women has been working in the development of the regional gender strategy in humanitarian action and coordination framework that will addresses the multi-faceted gendered related impacts and responses that results from both man-made and natural catastrophes in the region. The Bureau of Women Social Affairs (BoWSA) of Amhara region with the support of UN Women is seeking for a national consultancy service to develop a specific gender strategy in humanitarian action and coordination framework for gender specific humanitarian development peace nexus interventions in the region.
Amhara Region Bureau of Women Social Affairs (BoWSA), as a lead government body that identifies strategic and direct needs of women and girls, design plans, strategies, and policies to address the needs of women and girls and coordinates gender specific responses in the region requires a post-conflict gender strategy. The gender strategy in humanitarian action shall identify the post-conflict priority needs of women and girls in the region, articulate strategic intervention areas and resource mobilization mechanisms, and define response and intervention coordination approaches and frameworks across the region. In addition, the strategy shall identify capacity gaps and capacity building needs of the BoWSA, women led rights organization (WLOs/WROs) and other civil society organizations operating in the region.
Duties and Responsibilities
OVERALL TASK AND FUNCTIONS
Expected outcome of the consultancy is the development of a comprehensive gender strategy in Humanitarian action with a coordination framework and an action plan reflecting gender as a major as well as cross-cutting issue in humanitarian and development actions through revitalizing with the Ethiopian Humanitarian gender strategy (EHCT), and provide guidance for embedding, monitoring, and therefore realizing the outcomes of the strategic plan and its implementation plan. Therefore, the consultant will:
Carry out a literature review of past gender strategy documents of the Amhara regional state and national (Ethiopian Humanitarian country team Gender Strategy), Ethiopian Gender roadmap, strategic documents on gender amongst others; and hold consultations with various actors at regional level to understand the current realities both manmade and natural calamities, in the region.
Submit an inception report outlining preliminary findings from consultations and documentation review and methodology for carrying out the task with a clear gender mainstreaming theory of change (TOC),
Present an outline of the Gender Strategy, Coordination framework, Action Plan, incorporating the inputs from the BoWSA, Bureau of disaster risk management commission (DRMC), stakeholders from government sectors, UN Women, UN sister agencies, regional ICCG/OCHA, CSOs, WRO/WLO.
Submit a first draft of the strategy and time-bound action plan (costed) and presentation during a validation workshop with BoWSA, stakeholders from government sectors, UN Women, UN sister agencies, CSO, WRO/WLO, and
And submit a well-crafted HDP nexus Gender strategy and coordination framework with costed roadmap.
DELIVERABLES AND TIME FRAME
The total duration of this consultancy is 40 days. The selected consultant/s is expected to develop a work plan as per below timelines:
Deliverable
Estimated Duration
Organize consultative meeting and dicusssions with relevant stakeholders to gather intitial inputs for drafting the inception report
5 days
Submit inception report including proposed study target groups and methodology for review and approval, including draft outline of the strategy,
5 days
Apply all the methodologies and submit comprehensive draft strategy, coordination mechanism, action plan summarizing key findings, analysis, and gender action and a response wide gender,
23 days
Organize a workshp to presnet the dratf strategy, coordination mechanisms, and an action plan to stakeholders and collect feedbacks,
2 day
Develop final strategy, coordination mechanisms, and action plan incorporating all comments and submit to BoWSA and UN women incorporating comments collected from stakeholders,
5 days
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
Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies:
FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES:
Strong knowledge of gender equality and women’s rights issues
Excellent level of conceptual and analytical capacity
Ability to work in a team
Ability to write in a clear and concise manner and to communicate effectively
Demonstrates use of initiative and ability to make appropriate linkages in work requirements
Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback
Meets deadlines for delivery of products or services
Able to work virtually, using communication technologies
Strong interpersonal skills
Required Skills and Experience
Education
Should hold MA/MSc/Mphil/ or PhD degree in Development Study, Gender and Development, Human Rights, International Cooperation and Humanitrian Aid, Public Adminstration, Project Management, Economics, Social work, Social Policy, or Sociology.
Experiences
Over 10 years of practical hand on experiences preferably in gender and gender-based analysis, protection analysis in the country/ the region, preparation and delivery of gender equality and equity strategies at both program and institutional/organizational levels.
Experience on gender equality and women‘s empowerment; experience in gender mainstreaming and gender integration through out the humanitarian programme cycle (HPC) in enterprise related projects (both with government and non-government) is an added advantage.
Sound familiarity with the context in Amhara region.
A proven track record of effectively carrying out or delivering assignments on time, working with government, non-governmental organizations, community-based organizations, international non-governmental organizations, UN agencies, and preferably with BoWSA, RDRMC, and civil society organizations based in Amhara region.
Languages:
The consultant team must be able to fluently undertake the required services in English and Amharic (both writing and speaking);
knowledge of the current regional context is a mandatory.
How To Apply
Personal CV or P11 (P11 can be downloaded from: )
A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page)
Managers may ask (ad hoc) for any other materials relevant to pre-assessing the relevance of their experience, such as reports, presentations, publications, campaigns, or other materials.
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