International Consultant - Gender Programming Review P-4 Bamako, Mali

Programme & Policy

Contract

This is a L-4 contract. More about L-4 contracts.

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, hope

In line with the UNICEF Gender Action Plan (2019-2024), UNICEF Mali Country Programme Document (CPD 2020-2024) integrates gender equality programming for transformative results throughout the life course to achieve gender equality and empowerment of girls and women. A lifecycle approach that recognizes the cross-sectoral and mutually reinforcing nature of key child outcomes and the multifaceted and multidimensional expression of gender inequality; the positioning of girls' agency and participation as transformative programmatic priorities; and that gender discrimination begins before birth and impedes the realization of rights through childhood, adolescence and beyond have led to innovative strategies to achieve results at scale. Investments in gender equality beginning in early childhood and continuing throughout adolescence are, therefore, integral to lifelong positive outcomes for children and their communities in the programmatic vision of UNICEF Mali programming.

How can you make a difference?

Justification

In 2022, UNICEF adopted a new GAP (2022-2025) to guide the organization’s promotion of gender equality across all programmes at the global, regional, and country levels. The GAP elaborates on the gender programmatic results from the UNICEF Strategic Plan (2022-2025) and specifies how UNICEF will better integrate and strengthen gender across its institutional systems and strategies to achieve those results. The GAP contains three pillars: Adolescent girls’ leadership and well-being, Gender equality across the life course, and Cross-cutting organizational priorities. It mandates that UNICEF goes beyond simply responding to the manifestations of inequality and instead works actively to remove the underlying structural barriers perpetuating inequalities.

Building on the GAP, UNICEF developed a new Adolescent girls Strategy (2022-2025) aiming to situate UNICEF’s work with and for adolescent girls in this context by addressing the critical importance of dismantling the power structures, institutions, and dynamics that hold adolescent girls back. This strategy focuses on three intersecting areas: promoting adolescent girls’ health and nutrition, advancing adolescent girls’ right to quality education and relevant learning and skills, protecting every adolescent girl from violence, exploitation, and abuse – online and offline – and preventing harmful practices.

Similarly, WCA’s Regional Office Management Plan (2022−2025) prioritizes adolescent girls as a key population group. It recognizes that the multidimensional nature of risk factors girls face requires a girl-intentional, multisectoral, and multidimensional response that addresses their vulnerabilities and recognizes and amplifies their agency by promoting their resilience, skills, and desire to change. To do so, WCA’s Region adopted a “Girl-Intentional Approach” to support adolescent girls and young women to overcome obstacles and succeed in their leadership journeys, articulated in five areas: i. Anchor adolescent girls, and their diversity, at the center of policymaking and programming; ii. Remove barriers to equitably access quality services where and when girls need them; iii. Transform gender norms; Partner with Girl-focused Organizations; Measure what we treasure.

In anticipation of the new Country Programme 2025-2028, UNICEF Mali is seeking to undertake a Gender Programmatic Review (GPR). A GPR highlights how a Country Programme can strengthen its gender transformative programming in alignment with the GAP 2022-25 and Strategic Plan 2022-2025. The GPR will also consider the intersections between gender and other space of vulnerability (disability, class, ethnicity, etc.) while identifying and adopting the Girl-Intentional Approach to identify areas of resilience and empowerment of adolescent girls.

Objectives

The purpose of this consultancy is to lead and support the undertaking of a Gender Programmatic Review (GPR) in the UNICEF Mali Country Office to shape, refine and align the new country programme document (CPD) with the latest UNICEF Gender Action Plan (GAP 2022-25).

Scope of Work

The GPR process includes the following main steps:

Analysis of the gender inequalities within Malian’s country context within the framework of the GAP 2022-25 gender programmatic priorities (the two focus areas and the three cross-cutting organization priorities) to identify a set of gender inequality issues (including their root causes) that could be potentially addressed and spaces of girls’ agency that could be boosted within the new CPD. This analysis, which will include focus group discussions with women and girls’ groups, will be based on an intersectional approach to identify the intersection between gender and spaces of vulnerability, such as disability, age, and location.

1. Organize consultations with women and girls’ groups, organizations, and networks to identify programmatic priorities at national and local levels (Kayes region and Bamako district) that meet their needs, interests, and ambitions and to ensure that their voices inform and influence the entire GRP prioritization process.
2. Identify sector-specific and overall country programming barriers and strategic entry points where Mali CO could introduce new and/or strengthen existing gender-integrated and transformative programmatic solutions that could address gender inequalities and promote girls’ agency and participation.
3. Hold a workshop to review and validate GPR findings and recommendations, identify gender priorities that UNICEF Mali should focus on, and help develop, with a participatory approach, a gender action plan (including responsible persons, timeframe, and budget) to inform the new CPD. The workshop will include a space for the participation of women and girls-led organizations to influence and inform the Gender Action plan.

4. Document and share GPR findings and recommendations and the gender action plan in a practical way that enables MALI CO to clearly articulate its Gender equality vision and support the integration of gender-specific outcomes into the new CPD.

   Specific Tasks

   Develop an inception report outlining how the expected results of the GPR will be achieved, including a detailed work plan, methodology, and tools.

5. Desk review and analysis of relevant data, relevant country-specific documents and studies, and UNICEF programme documents to identify gender inequality issues that impact the outcomes of boys and girls in Mali. This analysis will also consider the intersections between gender and other space of vulnerability for a comprehensive review of the multiple vulnerabilities that contribute to gender inequality.

6. Consultation with key stakeholders, including women and girls’ groups (i.e., survey, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions) such as UNICEF CO programme section staff and relevant external partners and stakeholders (as agreed on in the inception report). This is to enable respondents, including girls and women-led organizations, to identify barriers and opportunities to address gender inequality in their work while also reflecting on UNICEF’s comparative advantage in Mali and on the successes/challenges/lessons learned in integrating gender programmatic results and approaches into their country programme outcomes, outputs, and rolling work plans. The consultations with women and girls’ groups will be held in the Keys (2 days) region and Bamako.
7. Review and provide input into the Situational Analysis to ensure gender analysis is integrated across the process and within the reported synthesis.
8. An interim GPR report incorporating findings from (i) interviews with key people and stakeholders, including intersections of gender and disability for a comprehensive review of the multiple factors contributing to gender inequality, (ii) an in-depth analysis of country program results and activities, and (iii) review of situational analysis.

PowerPoint presentation summarizing the GPR and the principal and specific findings and recommendations for each section.

A draft gender roadmap (including responsible persons, timeframe, and budget).

6. Final GPR report documenting the key findings and recommendations of the GPR in a structure that facilitates the integration of gender-transformative programmatic results and approaches into the new CPD. Recommendations should include:

7. Overall gender programmatic priorities, policy direction, future actions, and programme interventions for the new CPD, including a draft theory of change.

8. At least 1 GAP programming priority for each programme section based on scale and comparative advantage, including recommendations on how sectoral CPD outcomes, outputs, indicators, and results frameworks will incorporate the priority.
9. Financial and human resources, partnerships, and capacity building need to support the new CPD.

10. The final gender action plan (including responsible persons, timeframe, and budget).

11. Preparation of short section-specific briefing papers on the GPR findings and recommendations can be used as reference tools during the CPD road map activities such as the Strategic Moment of Reflection and Results-based Management Workshops.

12. Prepare and present a GPR slide deck summary and presentation of the key findings and section-specific recommendations to Mali CO.

    Methodology

    The methodology should be based on the UNICEF Gender Programmatic Review Toolkit and key global and regional reference documents, including:

• National gender policies and/or other national instruments related to gender issues affecting children and adolescent girls.
• UNICEF Gender Policy and Action Plan 2022-2025.
• Key results for children in the West and Central Africa region 2022-2025.
• CPD and Programme Strategies Notes (PSNs)
• Annual Reports, including the report on gender-related CSI
• SITAN and/or national and sectoral gender research or evaluation reports and documents
• Any available research on gender and girls adolescent programming
• UNICEF Strategic Plan 2022-2025
• GPR toolkit with a focus on adolescent girls
• Annual work plans
• Program monitoring frameworks
• Guides and tools such as the new UNICEF staffing guidance
• Mali Gender Dashboard Report
• Gender Parity Index (HR).

The methodology has to be highly participatory, with the maximum engagement of country program staff. The in-depth analysis should include discussions with key government and civil society actors, girls' and women-led organizations, UN partners, and donors.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Qualifications:

Advanced university degree in relevant social sciences, gender studies, public health, or international development.

Work Experience:

At least 8 years of professional experience of strong technical and analytical skills in gender, research, and ability to support countries, especially on gender assessments or reviews and integrating gender equality in strategic planning processes.

Experience with UNICEF / UN agencies or international development institutions is an asset.

Language skills required:

Excellent written and verbal communication skills in French and English required, with strong interpersonal and presentation skills.

Other skills and attributes required

Substantive and programmatic experience in gender issues, with an understanding of social change

1. Expertise in developing training materials and conducting training and related capacity-building on gender equality programming for transformative results.
2. A proven record of developing tools and guidance for gender analysis and sector-specific gender-transformative programming technical assistance.
3. Demonstrated experience using evidence based on gender in shaping and implementing programme design, monitoring, and evaluation.
4. Strong analytical skills in gender programme design and assessment, ideally at the national level. Previous experience with GPRs is an asset.
5. In-country experience is desirable, particularly in countries in Western Africa.
6. Some prior experience with UNICEF or UN agency programme planning

Other skills and attributes required

Substantive and programmatic experience in gender issues, with an understanding of social change

1. Expertise in developing training materials and conducting training and related capacity-building on gender equality programming for transformative results.
2. A proven record of developing tools and guidance for gender analysis and sector-specific gender-transformative programming technical assistance.
3. Demonstrated experience using evidence based on gender in shaping and implementing programme design, monitoring, and evaluation.
4. Strong analytical skills in gender programme design and assessment, ideally at the national level. Previous experience with GPRs is an asset.
5. In-country experience is desirable, particularly in countries in Western Africa.
6. Some prior experience with UNICEF or UN agency programme planning

Excellent written and verbal communication skills in French, with strong interpersonal and presentation skills

For every Child, you demonstrate

UNICEF Value

• Care
• Respect
• Integrity
• Trust
• Accountability

Core Competencies

• Builds and maintains partnerships
• Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
• Innovates and embraces change
• Drive to achieve results for impact
• Manages ambiguity and complexity
• Thinks and acts strategically

• Works collaboratively with other

• General Conditions Procedures and Logistics:

The Consultant shall be responsible for undertaking suitable insurance for the contract period and taxes on this contract, as necessary. Before commencing the contract, the consultant will be required to sign a Health Statement and document that he/she has appropriate health insurance covering possible evacuation and repatriation. The consultant will be responsible for the accuracy of that statement.

The Consultant will be paid according to the financial proposal submitted and approved by UNICEF Mali. The consultant will use her/his computer and other equipment. The Consultant will be provided regular access to the UNICEF Mali country office in Bamako. UNICEF will fund the international travel to and from Bamako; the ticket cost should be included in the financial offer. Transportation for in-county travels, if required (agreed in advance), will be provided by UNICEF

Expected Deliverables

Deliverables

Estimated # of working days

Deliverable #1: Inception report, including the desk review and analysis results. This should outline how the expected results of the GPR will be achieved, including a detailed work plan, methodology, and tools

7 (remote)

Deliverable #2: Desk review and analysis of relevant data, relevant country-specific documents and studies, and UNICEF programme documents to identify gender inequality issues that impact the outcomes of boys and girls in Mali.

5 (remote)

Deliverable #3: Stakeholder consultation report: survey, KII, FGD completed, and workshop. This should also consider the intersections between gender and other spaces of vulnerability for a comprehensive review of the multiple vulnerabilities that contribute to gender inequality

25 (in-country)

Deliverable #4: Review and feedback provided in writing on SitAn methodology and draft report, ensuring that gender analysis is integrated across the process and within the report- synthesis

2 (remote)

Deliverable #5: Interim GPR report

PowerPoint presentation summarizing the GPR and the principal and specific findings and recommendations for each section.

A draft gender roadmap (including responsible persons, timeframe, and budget).

10 (remote)

Deliverable #6: Final GPR report, including the gender action plan (Word and PDF)

5 (remote)

Deliverable #7: 1 x GPR summary slide deck (PPT) and presentation delivery to key stakeholders.

1 (remote)

Deliverable #8: 5 x sector-specific briefing papers (Word and PDF)

2 (remote)

Total number of working days

57

Remote days

32

In-country days

25

Submission of Applications

Interested candidates should submit their application online on the UNICEF e-recruitment platform, following the advertisement link. They should attach to their application the following documents:(i) Most updated CV/e-profile; (ii) All-inclusive financial offer entailing consultant fee; travel and living costs and any miscellaneous costs; (ii) Most recent university degree

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.

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Added 1 year ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: unicef.org