National Consultant to Undertake a Scoping Study of GBV Prevention Initiatives in Nepal
Location : Kathmandu, Nepal (home-based)
Application Deadline : 14-Apr-21
(Midnight New York, USA)
Additional Category : Gender Equality
Type of Contract : Individual Contract
Post Level : National Consultant
Languages Required : English
Starting Date : (date when the selected candidate is expected to start)
01-May-2021
Duration of Initial Contract : 3 months
Expected Duration of Assignment : 3 months
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.
UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
Background
UN Women's Work on Gender-Based Violence (GBV)
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.
Addressing and preventing GBV is at the front and center of UN Women's efforts to achieve gender equality. The UN Women Nepal Country Office (UN Women NCO) is in the process of finalizing a Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence in Nepal (2021-2027) to pursue a more cohesive and comprehensive approach to prevent and address gender-based violence (GBV) in Nepal's post COVID-19 context together with its key partners. The strategy underscores the significance of data and evidence for effective programming, advocacy, and policy formulation to prevent and respond to GBV, and to foster accountability. In line with the milestone CEDAW General Recommendation No. 35, the UN Women NCO's efforts are guided by the need to change social norms and stereotypes that support violence and support the Government to prevent violence and protect women and girls and other excluded groups from violence.
Recognizing that work on GBV in Nepal to date has focused more on response than prevention and that certain knowledge gaps on prevention exist, the UN Women NCO is commissioning a series of studies to better understand the GBV landscape in Nepal. It is in this context that the UN Women NCO is commissioning the Scoping Study of GBV Prevention in Nepal through this TOR.
Gender-Based Violence (GBV)
[1] in Nepal
According to the 2016 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), one in five women in Nepal aged 15-49 have experienced physical violence since the age of 15, and at least one in four (26%) ever- married women have ever experienced spousal physical, sexual, or emotional violence. [2] GBV takes multiple forms - physical, sexual, emotional and economic - and occurs in private, public and workspaces, and throughout the life cycles of women, girls, and LGBTIQ+ individuals. Individual experiences of and vulnerabilities to GBV vary considerably and are further compounded by intersecting forms of discrimination, such as disability, gender identity and sexual orientation, caste, ethnicity, religion, age, and socioeconomic status. In Nepal, Dalit women and girls, or LBTI women, face compounded forms of discrimination or higher risks of being subject to GBV due to their caste, gender or sexual orientation. In Nepal, GBV also manifests itself through context-specific forms such as harmful practices, which include child marriage, dowry, witchcraft accusations and persecution, chhaupadi, deuki, jhuma, and dhan-khaane.
[3]
The factors that increase GBV in Nepal stem from long-standing socio-cultural traditions, norms and practices that have evolved over centuries, including patriarchy, the caste system and other forms of economic and political domination of certain communities over others. GBV is not the result of random, individual acts of misconduct, rather, it is deeply rooted in patriarchy, power imbalances and structural inequality, and harmful social and cultural norms that place lower value on women, girls and excluded groups in society.
While Nepal's legal and policy framework to address GBV is relatively advanced by comparative standards, a new constitution promulgated in 2015 explicitly prohibited discrimination against women and guaranteed the right of women to be protected from any act(s) of physical, mental, sexual, psychological, or other forms of violence or exploitation on any grounds. Furthermore, many dedicated laws exist to address and prevent various forms of GBV, including domestic violence, chhaupadi, and witchcraft accusations and persecution (WAP). The Government of Nepal has also made strong normative commitments, including the ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and using international platforms to reiterate its commitment to ending all forms of GBV. The Government's 15th Development Plan and Gender Equality Policy similarly outline an objective to end gender-based discrimination, GBV and exploitation. Furthermore, with regards to broader efforts to prevent and respond to GBV in the COVID-19 context, the UN Framework for Responding to the Socio-Economic Impacts of COVID-19 in Nepal identifies protection from violence and exploitation as one of the interventions areas.
However, the available data on GBV in Nepal clearly demonstrate that much more is needed. In 2017, GBV was found to be "the leading identifiable trigger for violent deaths in Nepal". [4] In rural Nepal, where gendered norms around dominance, aggression, and sexual rights of husbands over their wives are even more entrenched, over half of young married women report violence from an intimate partner in their lifetime [5]. Key gaps remain, and action to prevent GBV has been limited, and when it does occur, it often goes unreported or unpunished. Adding to the challenge is the lack of national collection of comparable data on different forms of GBV, including violence against women such as femicide or suicides of women. The true scale of the GBV is likely to be underestimated, with many instances of violence going unreported. [6] In addition, impunity [7], or the failure to bring perpetrators to justice, remains a significant obstacle to preventing GBV.
COVID-19 and GBV
The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the acute need for strengthened and concerted efforts to address and prevent GBV. Evidence now shows the compounding complexities of the development and humanitarian crisis are having a disproportionate effect on women and girls, as well as those at-risk and vulnerable groups; [8] as pre-existing gender and socio-economic inequalities are further exacerbated during the crisis and in its aftermath. The consequences to women, girls and excluded groups have been dire. The extensive lockdown measures and enforced mobility restrictions have inadvertently placed women, girls and other groups such as LGBTIQ+ persons in isolation and at greater risk of sexual, domestic and intimate partner violence, or hostility from abusive family members. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light the critical gaps and challenges that remain in preventing and responding to GBV in Nepal. At the same time, the pandemic has served as a call to action, by renewing commitments, determination and the momentum to end GBV, without which GBV will continue unabated.
2. OBJECTIVES
The study has the following objectives:
[1] Gender-based violence (GBV) refers to harmful acts directed at an individual or a group of individuals based on their gender. It is rooted in gender inequality, the abuse of power and harmful norms. The term is primarily used to underscore the fact that structural, gender-based power differentials place women and girls at risk for multiple forms of violence. While women and girls suffer disproportionately from GBV, men and boys can also be targeted. The term is also sometimes used to describe targeted violence against LGBTQI+ populations, when referencing violence related to norms of masculinity/femininity and/or gender norms. UN Women (2020).
[2] Ministry of Health and Population. (2017). Nepal Demographic Health Survey 2016, p 336.
[3] Harmful practices emanate from a combination of deeply embedded patriarchal norms, customary practices, common beliefs and unequal power relations. In Nepal, these include child marriage, dowry, son preference, polygamy, witchcraft accusations and persecution, chhaupadi (a form of menstrual exile where women and girls sleep in small huts or animal sheds during menstruation and immediately after child birth, jhuma (a Buddhist practice of offering a daughter to a monastery to bring good fortune to the family), deuki (offering a Hindu girl to a temple for ceremonial purposes), and dhan-khaane (receiving money for solemnizing the marriage of a child).
[4] Human Rights Council. (2018). Report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences on her visit to Nepal. Available here.
[5] Puri Misra & Hawkes. (2015). Hidden voices: Prevalence and risk factors for violence against women with disabilities in Nepal Health behavior, health promotion and society. BMC Public Health 15(1).
[6] Human Rights Council. (2018). Report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences on her visit to Nepal. Available here.
[7] "'Impunity' means the impossibility, de jure or de facto, of bringing the perpetrators of violations to account - whether in criminal, civil, administrative or disciplinary proceedings - since they are not subject to any inquiry that might lead to their being accused, arrested, tried and, if found guilty, sentenced to appropriate penalties, and to making reparations to their victims.". United Nations, Commission on Human Rights. (2005). Updated set of principles for the protection and promotion of human rights through action to combat impunity.
[8] IRC/CARE. (2020). Global Rapid Gender Analysis for COVID-19.
[9] There should be a particular focus on UN Women's target provinces: Province 2, Bagmati Province and Sudurpaschim Province. The scope at provincial and local levels will be further defined in consultation with UN Women NCO during the inception phase.
Duties and Responsibilities
3. KEY ACTIVITIES AND DELIVERABLES
The National Consultant will lead the design, implementation and coordination of the Scoping Study of GBV Prevention Initiatives in Nepal. To achieve the key objectives listed above, the consultant will undertake the following tasks:
Task 1: Inception Report
After an initial meeting with the UN Women NCO team to clarify the scope of the assignment, the consultant will draft an inception report outlining the methodology for the literature review, KIIs and include a suggested list of interviewees and an interview guide. Based on the approach outlined in their proposal, it will also take into account any new information provided through discussion and any additional information provided by UN Women NCO.
Deliverables of the National Consultant under Task 1:
Task 2: Literature Review
Types of violence and GBV prevention interventions may include the following search terms:
Deliverables of the National Consultant under Task 2:
Task 3: Key Informant Interviews (KIIs)
The consultant will undertake a minimum of 40 KIIs with actors working on GBV prevention at the national, provincial and local level on the basis of a mutually agreed interview plan. The interviewees should include relevant Government representatives, I/NGOs, CSOs including women's rights organizations and networks, UN agencies and donor governments, at national and sub-national level. Where relevant the consultant may also interview global specialists with expertise in GBV prevention in Nepal. These interviewees may provide additional recommendations of people to interview to create a 'snow-ball effect'. The consultant should provide a tentative list of interviewees plus an interview guide as part of the Inception Report. Interviews should take place in either English or Nepali depending on interviewee preference.
The situation with COVID-19 is expected to remain the same in early 2021, therefore it is expected that the majority of KIIs will be held by phone/online and only face-to-face if the consultant is based nearby and it is possible to observe social distancing and other COVID-19 safety precautions.
Deliverables of the National Consultant under Task 3:
Task 4: Draft Report
The overall findings from the literature review and the KIIs should be included in the draft and revised final reports. A suggested structure for the draft and final reports is as follows:
The report structure will be further defined in consultation with UN Women NCO. The consultant may also be requested to include short case studies of successful prevention initiatives.
Deliverables of the National Consultant under Task 4:
Task 5: Final Report
The consultant should revise the draft report based on feedback from the UN Women NCO.
Deliverables of the National Consultant under Task 5:
Task 6: Presentation
After the approval of the final report, the consultant will be invited to a face-to-face or virtual meeting with the UN Women NCO and potentially other key stakeholders to present the overall findings of the scoping study and recommendations. The purpose of the meeting will be to engage with a broader group of actors and will allow time for discussion and reflection and for UN Women NCO to clarify how to take the recommendations forward.
Deliverables of the National Consultant under Task 6:
Task 7: Brief
As a supplement to the final report and PowerPoint presentation, the consultant will also be asked to produce a short 3-4 page brief on the methodology, key findings and recommendations from the GBV prevention scoping study to be used as an information sharing and advocacy tool with the Government of Nepal, donors and other agencies.
Deliverables of the National Consultant under Task 7:
4. DURATION OF THE ASSIGNMENT
It is anticipated the assignment will take up to 50 working days over a period of 3 months.
Task
Anticipated
number of days
Task 1: Inception Report
5 days
Task 2: Literature Review
10 days
Task 3: Key Informant Interviews
15 days
Task 4: Draft Report
10 days
Task 5: Final Report
5 days
Task 6: Presentation
2 days
Task 7: Brief
3 days
Total number of days anticipated
50 days
5. TENTATIVE TIMELINE OF KEY DELIVERABLES AND PAYMENT SCHEDULE
Schedule of payments: Payment for this consultancy will be based on the achievement of each deliverable and certification that each has been satisfactorily completed. Payment will be based on the submission of the SSA report along with the relevant supporting documents for the achievement of deliverables.
S. No
Deliverables
Target Date
% of payment
1
Inception report comprising of a proposed methodology, initial literature review, methodology and tools for the KIIs, and draft outline for the final report
End of Week 2
10 %
2
Draft report including executive summary, introduction/background, methodology and limitations, findings from the literature review and KIIs, conclusions and recommendations.
End of Month 2
50 %
3
Revised final report
PowerPoint presentation of the key findings outlined in the report (either in person or by video depending on COVID-19 situation)
Brief summary report (around 3-4 pages) to be shared with external stakeholders
End of Month 3
40 %
UN Women Inputs:
[1] The scoping study should build on already available studies to the extent possible, such as: United Nations Country Team. 2020. Literature Review on Harmful Practices in Nepal. Access here.
Competencies
6. COMPETENCIES
Core Values and Guiding Principles
Functional Competencies
Required Skills and Experience
7. REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
Education: Advanced university degree (master's degree or Ph.D) Political Science, Sociology, International Relations, Law or relevant field.
Experience:
Language: Fluency in oral and written English and Nepali.
8. HOW TO APPLY
Interested consultants must submit the following documents/information in a single PDF file to demonstrate their qualifications through the UNDP jobs site: jobs.undp.org.
The financial proposal must be submitted in a separate page using the following template.
S. No
Deliverable
Estimated number of working days
Amount in NPR per deliverable
1
Inception report comprising of a proposed methodology, initial literature review, methodology and tools for the KIIs, and draft outline for the final report
5 days
2
Draft report including executive summary, introduction/background, methodology and limitations, findings from the literature review and KII, conclusions and recommendations.
35 days
3
Revised final report
PowerPoint presentation of the key findings outlined in the report (either in person or by video depending on COVID-19 situation)
Brief summary report (around 3-4 pages) to be shared with external stakeholders
10 days
Total lumpsum Financial proposal (fee cost)
50 days
Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment, please combine all your documents into one single PDF document. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form and written sample will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.
9. EVALUATION AND SELECTION CRITERIA
The total number of points awarded during the evaluation is 100, with the technical qualification evaluation including interview accounting for 70 points and the financial proposal accounting for 30 points. Only the candidates who have attained a minimum of 70% of total points will be considered as technically qualified candidates.
A two-stage procedure is utilized in evaluating the proposals, with evaluation of the technical proposal being completed prior to any price proposal being compared. Only the price proposal of the candidates who passed the minimum technical score of 70% of the obtainable score of 70 points in the technical qualification evaluation will be evaluated.
The total number of points allocated for the technical qualification component is 70. The technical qualification of the individual is evaluated based on following technical qualification evaluation criteria:
(5 points);
(10 points);
(10 points);
(10 points);
(10 points);
(15 points);
(10 points) with those who score 42 points or more in the above evaluation criteria.
The financial proposal of candidates who meet the technical assessment threshold will be evaluated. The total number of points allocated for the financial proposal is 30. In this methodology, 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 formula is as follows: p = y (µ/z)
Where: p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated
y = maximum number of points for the financial proposal
µ = price of the lowest-priced proposal
z = price of the proposal being evaluated
Note:
In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for 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 (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.
UN Women is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals especially women are highly encouraged to apply.
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