National Individual Consultant: Assessment of the C4D interventions on FGM/C in The Gambia

Contract

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Country Background Context

In The Gambia, FGM/C is carried out on girls at different ages despite of the fact that the FGM/C was legally banned through the Women’s Act 2015 in December 2015, amending the Women’s Act 2010 to prohibit female genital mutilation in all its forms. Nonetheless, the practice, highly rooted in cultural norms and practice, still continues in silence and sometimes across the border into Senegal.

UNICEF and UNFPA have been supporting the Government of The Gambia to implement programs towards the elimination of FGM/C for over 4 years. These include institutional strengthening for coordination and enforcement of legislation, increased capacity of service providers to improve access and quality, as well as social and behavioural change communications. The publication of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2018 showed some good signs of progress. The opening of discussions channels has translated into an increasing number of women (49%) declaring that FGM/C should stop. Progress is also reflected in a sharp reduction of the practice as evidenced by the fact that 76 per cent of women between 15 and 49 years of age have gone through FGM/C, while the younger population between 0 to 14 years reveals a lower number of 51 per cent, and 27 per cent of children between the age of 0 and 4 years old1. This decrease among the young population clearly shows the impact of the work of the recent years. However, accelerated efforts are required as

27 per cent of children violated by FGM/C is still too high contrasted with the national goal of total eradication.

How can you make a difference?

The main objective of the consultancy is to assess the effectiveness, efficiency and impact of the different interventions towards changing communities and individual behaviors on FGM/C. The consultant will use a participatory methodology to collect perceptions and feedback from the communities (including the key stakeholders who acted as the catalyst for change such as children’s parliament, religious leaders, teachers, Peer Health Educators, Mother’s clubs, among others.) targeted by the Joint Programme interventions. It is recommended that the consultant conduct focus groups discussions (FGDs) in areas where programmes were implemented for each intervention (target group) and focus groups discussions in areas where interventions were not conducted to assess the difference.

The specific objectives of the assessment are to:

• Assess the efficiency and effectiveness of the holistic approach adopted by the Joint Programme interventions for the acceleration of the abandonment of FGM/C.
• Provide recommendations, identify lessons learned, capture good practices, and generate knowledge to inform the refinement of the programme approach as well as to inform the shape of future programming on FGM/C and related programme initiatives.
• Develop a theory of change (TOC) on FGM/C for future design of the programme intervention.

Methodology

The consultant will conduct a desk review of the MICS data and of the different programmes implemented under the FGM/C Programme supported by UNICEF and UNFPA. This will be followed by focus groups discussions (FGD) in areas where programmes were implemented for each intervention (target group) and focus groups discussions in areas where interventions were not conducted to assess knowledge and practice of FGM/C (control group). As the programme did not start with impact evaluation method with pre-defined control group, the consultant needs to propose a practical method to identify the comparison group in her/his technical proposal.

Roles and Responsibilities

The consultant will work under the supervision of the Protection and Inclusion of Children (PIC) Manager of the UNICEF country programme in strong collaboration with the team from UNFPA and the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Welfare. The consultant is expected to propose a qualitative methodology using open ended questions, consultations and key informant interviews to gather vital information from various stakeholders throughout the consultancy period. In addition, the consultant will need to organize information sharing sessions with the relevant government bodies. This will lead to a final report produced and validated.

The consultant will be in-charge of the following tasks:

• Conduct a literature review, focus groups and interview with key participants including stakeholders from Government, civil societies, local leaders and key members of the targeted communities.
• Presentation of the results of the assessment to government and main stakeholders.
• Finalize and present the final report with clear orientations for a programme development.

Deliverables and Duration of Contract

This consultancy is expected to last for a period of 70 days starting from the day of the signature of the contract. The exercise is expected to commence on 1st of June and end 15th August 2021.

The proposed consultant is expected to provide the following products/deliverables:

• A detailed inception report and work plan
• Submission of First Draft Report
• Submission of Power Point Presentation summarizing the draft report and preliminary findings
• Submission of final report and final PowerPoint Presentation accepted by UNICEF

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

• Master’s degree in Monitoring and Evaluation, Social Sciences, or related child rights/well-being disciplines
• Demonstrated expertise and capability in conducting programme reviews, assessment or evaluations using rights-based approaches with specific reference to children and women
• Experience with UNICEF/UN agencies and other international development organizations will be an advantage
• Professional experience in development context or in Africa will be an asset
• Excellent communication and interview skills, excellent report writing and organization skills.
• Proficiency in English Language
• Demonstrated ability to deliver quality results within strict deadlines, through a proven track record

How to Apply:

The Selection Committee will review applications and make a final decision of a successful application based the quality of the Technical Proposal about 4 – 6 pages (70%) and the Financial Proposal (30%). All applications should contain the following documents:

I. Technical Project Proposal, which would include at least:

• Statement of how to address each of the questions;
• Conceptual framework of the methodologies to be used
• Consultant’s profile/portfolio
• Proposed timeframes (days/weeks)
• Names and contact details of reference persons.
• List of publications or analytical reports (if applicable)
• Sample of publications to be attached (if available)

• Any other additional information to support the application (optional).

  II. Financial Proposal:

• Detailed budget breakdown (in US Dollars).

*Please note that all applications are to be done strictly online, the TOR is attached for your reference and further information on payment terms and conditions of service TOR Assessment interventions FGM.pdf

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

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UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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.