Midterm Review of the Kenya Country Office Strategic Note 2019-2022

Consultant Human Rights

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Background

UN Women Strategic Note (SN) 2019 -2022 was developed in 2018 and was informed by rigorous participatory processes that began with the development of the 2018 – 2022 UNDAF and the CPE of the 2014-2018 SN involving representatives of women organizations, the Civil Society Advisory Groups, research institutions, donors and Government agencies.

The four-year SN contributes to the national development priorities in Kenya’s Vision 2030 as articulated in its 3rd Medium Term Plan (MTP) (2019-2023) and President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Big 4 Agenda. The plan is aligned to the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) for Kenya (2018-2022), the UN Women Global Strategic Plan’s (2018-2021) five Strategic priorities,? the UN Women Africa Strategy, and the AU Agenda 2063. Key lessons, evaluations, and recommendations from the previous UN Women Kenya SN were also incorporated.

As part of the results-based management approach for monitoring, reporting, and evaluation, UN Women included, in its Monitoring, Evaluation and Research Plan (MERP 2019-2022) a provision to conduct a Midterm Review of the strategy that includes an assessment of the programme design and results framework, results achieved, effectiveness and efficiency in achieving the vision outlined in the SN as well as the sustainability of the interventions.

The SN has prioritized the following four objective areas: 1) Women in Leadership and Decision Making, 2) Women’s Economic Empowerment, 3) Ending Violence Against Women and Girls and 4) Women, Peace and Security, and Humanitarian Action1) A comprehensive and dynamic set of global norms, policies, and standards on gender equality and the empowerment of women is strengthened and implemented; 2) Women lead, participate in, and benefit equally from governance systems; 3) Women have income security, decent work, and economic autonomy; 4) All women and girls live a life free from all forms of violence; 5) Women and girls contribute to and have greater influence in building sustainable peace and resilience, and benefit equally from the prevention of natural disasters and conflicts and humanitarian action.

The impact areas are interlinked, interdependent and complementary in that the transformational change sought in each result area is essential to achieving the desired change in the other areas.? For example, economic empowerment interventions strengthen women’s agency to claim rights and take advantage of opportunities that enable them to occupy public decision-making spaces and processes for social transformation.? Economic empowerment fosters independence and the ability to live a life free from all forms of gender-based violence. Furthermore, empowered women who actively participate in peacebuilding and security at all levels are enablers of growth and sustainable development.

Context

This Midterm Review process takes place at a pivotal moment, as the next UN Women Global Strategic Plan (2022-2025) is drafted and the development of the new Kenya United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2023-2027 is kick-started. In addition, the year 2020 marked the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action and the Generation Equality campaign which UN Women launched. Further 2020 marked the 10th anniversary of UN Women’s establishment and the 20th anniversary of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325.

The alignment between these processes and UN Women current strategic priorities, particularly in terms of UN Women’s support to the implementation of the UNDAF 2018-2022, the 3rd Medium Term Plan, President’s Big Four Agenda and the Global 2030 Agenda will be critical in the review process.

At the same time, these developments take place in the broader context of major national, regional and global challenges in Kenya that directly impact the gender equality and women’s empowerment agenda and UN Women. These notably include the upcoming general elections in 2022,?the Covid-19 pandemic, devolved governance challenges and opportunities, climate variability and its impact on food security and women’s livelihoods, the continued threat of violent extremism and threat to national security and the youth dividend.

The Midterm Review also assesses the important KCO institutional developments undertaken since the past two Strategic Notes: The light review of the SN in early 2020, the implementation of the programmatic approach and improving the cross-thematic linkages between programme areas, the adoption and implementation of a new communications strategy, continuous efforts to develop monitoring and reporting functions for the office, adoption of resource mobilization strategy and having a dedicated team to implement the plan, continuous efforts to improve risk monitoring across teams, finalization of second knowledge management strategy and kick-starting its implementation and launching a call for proposals to establish new partnerships with relevant civil society organizations to implement programmes. All these should be considered during the Midterm Review of the SN.?

Objectives

With this background and context in mind, the Midterm Review of the SN 2019-2022 will have the following objectives:

More specifically, the objectives include reviewing e.g. but not limited to the following: If KCO is on course with the desired results in the SN including the progress made against planned results, if the SN design is still relevant if something has changed drastically in the operating context which KCO needs to respond to[1], if there is anything KCO should drop and/or reprioritize; if SN is compatible with national development priorities (Vision 2030, Medium Term Plan goals, Presidential Big Four among others); If KCO has mobilized sufficient amount of resources to achieve the desired SN results and if not, which targets should/could be revised to align to the financial reality; If KCO partnership strategy is sufficient to implement the change KCO wishes to see and if gaps which Implementing Partners are missing and/or KCO should deprioritize; If KCO is delivering an integrated programme or it is still very much in silos? What are some of the good practices for delivering an integrated programme can we learn from? Note and recommend ways in which the different UN Women Kenya programmatic units (DG, WPS, EVAW, WEE) and other enabling units (coordination, communication, M&E, knowledge management and operations) may increase effectiveness, delivery and better results for women and girls in Kenya; If KCO? delivers its’ results through JPs aligned to UN Delivering as One as much as possible- are we on course and where do we need to up our game; If KCO operational systems supporting or inhibiting achievement of SN results; If KCO is on course for the key deliverables stated in our SN: human resources; finance, resource mobilization, procurement, coordination, communication?; If KCO is on course for the key deliverables in terms of Monitoring and Evaluation, as KCO has made several undertakings on monitoring, donor reporting, integrated planning etc. If something needs to be done differently for the remainder of the SN? Document lessons learnt challenges and future opportunities, and provide recommendations for improvements or adjustments in strategy, design and/or implementation arrangements.

1. To provide the office and partners (both programme and operations) with a point of reflection and strategic analysis, distinct from the normal everyday process of programme and project management.
2. To take stock of changes in the programming context (including normative developments) and operational context, to facilitate alignment of the SN with the context and key UN Women strategic priorities and take corrective measures where gaps are identified.
3. To analyze and reflect on the progress of the programme and the validity of UN-Women’s strategy in Kenya and re-examine the SN theories of change for each of the relevant impact areas (Women in Leadership and Decision Making, Women’s Economic Empowerment, Ending Violence Against Women and Girls and Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action).
4. To check in on key management issues, such as availability of data and evidence to allow informed and credible analysis of performance, and the ‘evaluability’ of the programme.
5. To develop practical recommendations based on findings to address major gaps in the current Strategic Note and more importantly to inform UN Women’s engagement with the new United Nations Cooperation Framework and UN Women’s Strategic Note 2023-2026.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Midterm Review will be conducted under the guidance of the “Midterms Review Managers” who are the UN Women Kenya Deputy Country Director and the Planning, Monitoring and Reporting Specialist. Under the supervision of the “Midterm Review Managers”, the Consultant will:

• Conduct a Desk Review of key documents relevant to the work of the KCO such as the 2019-2022 SN and AWPs, 2019 and 2020 Annual and relevant Donor Reports; select recent studies related to Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment in Kenya and East Africa region; Kenya Vision 2030 and the III Medium Term Plan 2018-2022, National Gender Policy; UN Women Strategic Plan (2018 - 2021), and the related theories of Change for the different thematic areas; UNDAF 2018– 2022; relevant KCO reviews and evaluations; among others.
• Conduct staff and partners’ surveys based on template questionnaires drafted by the Consultant and approved by the Midterm Review Managers.
• Review and use position papers submitted to the Consultant by all KCO thematic areas that will guide the Midterm Review Meeting.
• In collaboration with the Midterm Review Managers, the Consultant will analyze and present the results of staff and partners’ surveys at the?Midterm Review?meeting and will incorporate partners and staff feedback in order to reflect the results in the new Strategic Note.
• Facilitate the strategic note Midterm Review meeting
• Produce the final report on the Strategic Note Midterm Review
• Make two sets of recommendations: 1) On immediate changes, which should be light and very pressing, to the current Strategic Note, which are essential to achieve the SN goals; 2) On medium-term changes for the new Strategic Note 2023-2026, which are critical to include to achieve better results in line with UN Women mandate and context in Kenya.

The Midterm Review will be a highly consultative and participatory process, as well as an iterative learning exercise that targets full participation and engagement of all UN Women staff and select key stakeholders. The process shall be facilitated by the Consultant with the support of the “Midterms Review Managers”. The consultant will prepare and submit an Inception Report that further refines the overall scope, approach, design, and timeframe, and provides a detailed outline of the methodology. The consultant will work from home as per the agreed schedule.

The table below elaborates the tasks, tentative schedule and estimated number of working days to be followed.

Activity

Tentative Timeline

Estimated number of working days

1. Conduct a desk review; draft and finalize an inception report. Development of tools to be used for the Midterm review e.g (but not limited to): survey questions, the structure of analysis report, positioning paper and final report, agenda of the 3-day Midterm Review meeting.

May 2021

4

1. Conduct an online survey for UN Women staff and key stakeholders and draft and finalize analysis report on the results of the staff and partner survey

May-June 2021

3

1. Review and give feedback on the position papers developed by KCO thematic teams

June 2021

2

1. Conduct consultations with UN Women staff and key stakeholders

June 2021

6

1. Facilitate a 3-day Midterm Review meeting with UN Women and last day with partners using KCO position papers

July 2021

4

1. Draft and finalize the MTR Report with clear recommendations for immediate and medium-term actions by KCO

July-August 2021

6

1. Deliverables

The key deliverables of the Midterm Review are:

• An Inception Report
• An analysis report of the Staff and Partners Survey
• Review and utilization of position papers provided by KCO thematic teams to guide the MTR meeting
• A Midterm Review report
• An updated Strategic Note

Competencies

Core Values and Guiding principles:

Integrity:

• Demonstrate consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UN Women in actions and decisions, in line with the UN Code of Conduct.

Professionalism:

• Demonstrate professional competence and expert knowledge of the pertinent substantive areas of work.

Cultural sensitivity and valuing diversity:

• Demonstrate an appreciation of the multicultural nature of the organization and the diversity of its staff. Demonstrate an international outlook, appreciating differences in values and learning from cultural diversity.

CORE COMPETENCIES:

Ethics and Values:

• Demonstrate and promote ethics and integrity by creating organizational precedents.

Organizational Awareness:

• Build support for the organization and ensure political acumen;
• Development and Innovation: Support staff competence development, and contribute to an environment of creativity and innovation.

Work in teams:

• Build and promote effective teams;
• Demonstrate ability to work in a multicultural, multi-ethnic environment and to maintain effective working relations with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.

Communication and Information Sharing:

• Create and promote an environment for open and effective communication;
• Facilitate and encourage open communication and strive for effective communication;
• Excellent oral and written skills;
• Listen actively and respond effectively.

Self-management and Emotional Intelligence:

Stay composed and positive even in difficult moments, handle tense situations with diplomacy and tact, and have a consistent behavior towards others

Required Skills and Experience

Education and certification:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in Social Sciences, International Development Studies, Law, Human rights, Politics, Gender, Women studies or related field.

Experience:

• At least seven years of planning, programming, reviews, and/or evaluation experience, five years of which in planning/reviews in development programs related to human rights, gender, and results-based management;
• Knowledge and experience with the national development, policy, and legislative frameworks;
• Extensive experience with UN programming, especially the UNDAF, and delivering as one;
• Understanding of the Kenyan context with specific regards to the gender priorities and role of UN Women;
• Knowledge of issues concerning women’s human rights and gender equality;
• Familiarity with the relevant context in Kenya.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in written and oral English is essential

Timeline

The consultancy will be for a period of 25 working days between May and August 2021. Detailed timelines will be shared during the inception meeting.

Payment Modalities

The consultancy fees shall be paid in installments as follows;

• 1st installment - 15% upon signing of the contract and submission of the inception report
• 2nd installment - 30% upon the submission of the approved MTR Report clearly showing changes to be made to the SN
• 3rd installment - 65% on submission of the Final MTR Report and Updated Strategic Note

Application Procedure

Applicants are required to upload an electronic application in one single PDF on the UNDP job website not later than the date of the application deadline. The application should include the following documents/information.

1. Cover letter outlining experiences relevant to this assignment and availability for assignment
2. Personal History Form - P 11” which can be downloaded from http://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employment indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of at least three professional references.
3. The technical proposal includes:

• A brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment;
• Methodology including a timeline of how the candidate will conduct the exercise

4. Financial proposal that indicates an all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs including daily consultancy fees in United States Dollars as per template provided (Annex II)

Annexes:

• Annexes 1 and II – may be downloaded from the UNDP procurement notice website – http://procurement-notices.undp.org

Ethical code of conduct

UNEG Ethical Guidelines for Evaluation (Midterm Review) in the UN System

The evaluation of the project is to be carried out according to the following ethical principles and standards established by the United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG), available at http://www.unevaluation.org/document/detail/102 :

• Anonymity and confidentiality. The evaluation must respect the rights of individuals who provide information, ensuring their anonymity and confidentiality.
• Responsibility. The report must mention any dispute or difference of opinion that may have arisen among the consultants or between the consultant and the heads of the Project in connection with the findings and/or recommendations. The team must corroborate all assertions, or disagreement with them noted.
• Integrity. The evaluator will be responsible for highlighting issues not specifically mentioned in the TOR, if this is needed to obtain a more complete analysis of the intervention.
• Independence. The consultant should ensure his or her independence from the intervention under review, and he or she must not be associated with its management or any element thereof.
• Incidents. If problems arise during the fieldwork, or at any other stage of the evaluation, they must be reported immediately to the Secretariat of the MDGF. If this is not done, the existence of such problems may in no case be used to justify the failure to obtain the results stipulated by the Secretariat of the MDGF in these terms of reference.
• Validation of information. The consultant will be responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the information collected while preparing the reports and will be ultimately responsible for the information presented in the evaluation report.
• Intellectual property. In handling information sources, the consultant shall respect the intellectual property rights of the institutions and communities that are under review.
• Delivery of reports. If delivery of the reports is delayed, or in the event that the quality of the reports delivered is clearly lower than what was agreed, the penalties stipulated in these terms of reference will be applicable

The consultant will sign the UN Women Evaluation Consultants Agreement Form available at https://unw-gate.azurewebsites.net/resources/docs/SiteDocuments/UNWomen%20-%20CodeofConductforEvaluationForm-Consultants.pdf

Please follow the links below for further details to the UN Women Evaluation Consultants Agreement Form, UNEG Ethical Guidelines and Code of Conduct for Evaluation in the UN system.

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Added 3 years ago - Updated 3 years ago - Source: jobs.undp.org