International Consultant – Policy and Technical Support for National Prevention Frameworks on VAWG

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.

The Fiji Multi Country Office (MCO) covers 14 Pacific countries, with field offices/presence in 6 countries, and five ‘focus countries’ (Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Samoa). Each field presence is led by a national Country Programme Coordinator. UN Women, in partnership with Pacific Islands Governments, regional organizations, CSOs, donors and UN agencies, focuses on delivering within four interlinked programme areas: 

• Ending Violence against Women and Girls (EVAWG); 
• Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE); 
• Gender and Protection in Humanitarian Action; and
• Governance and Participation in Public Life (GPPL) 

Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) is a central barrier to gender equality and a cause of widespread violation of human rights across the Pacific[1]. To respond to the rates of violence in the Pacific, UN Women has developed a comprehensive elimination of violence against women and girls (EVAWG) programme which takes a transformative approach to prevent violence against women and girls at multiple levels (regional, national and community), and to ensure survivors have access to quality response services.  The approach to preventing and responding to VAWG also takes into account the context of the Pacific, which requires an integrated approach to addressing VAWG across the humanitarian – development nexus. The Fiji MCO EVAWG programme is one of the largest UN Women EVAWG programmes globally. The most substantial programme under UN Women’s EVAW programme is the Pacific Partnership to End Violence Against Women and Girls (hereafter, Phase I) which is an ambitious, five year joint programme, with UN Women, the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, which brings together governments, civil society organizations (CSO), communities and other partners to change the social norms that allow violence against women and girls to continue; to ensure survivors have access to quality response services; and to support national and regional institutions to meet their commitments to gender equality and prevention of violence against women and girls. 

The Pacific Partnership has completed its first phase of implementation (2018 – 2023) and is expanding into Phase 2 (2023 – 2027). The Pacific Partnership Programme Phase 2 is funded primarily by the Government of Australia, the European Union (EU) and UN Women.

Phase II builds on the achievements of Phase I and of the Spotlight Initiative Pacific Regional Programme (2019-2023), which are comprehensive, multi-faceted programmes, grounded in an aligned theory of change. The Action is informed by the lessons and key recommendations of the Pacific Partnership Phase I Mid-Term Evaluation and the Spotlight Initiative Mid-Term Assessment. It expands on Phase I results and wide-ranging regional and national partnerships. It will complement and ensure harmonization with other GE programmes in the region, including the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) "Pacific Women Lead" and other major initiatives on GE and EVAWG.

UN Women Fiji MCO is looking for an international consultant to provide dedicated policy and technical support to the UN Women EVAW team, with a focus on national prevention frameworks. 

Description of Responsibilities / Scope of Work

The consultant will be responsible for supporting the technical development of National Prevention Frameworks in priority countries across the Pacific, supported through the Pacific Partnership to End Violence Against Women and Girls Phase II. The consultant will also provide technical advisory services linked to key areas related to National Prevention Frameworks, for example primary prevention. The consultant’s key roles and responsibilities will include:

Develop a technical package to support the development of costed National Prevention Frameworks in priority countries:

• Develop a package of tools, guidance and materials to support the development of National Prevention Framework (e.g. Facilitation guide, activity materials, costing guidance)
• Develop guidance on the staged use of the package from planning through to endorsement and implementation of National Prevention Frameworks, including on contextualization
• Work closely with colleagues and key stakeholders to seek feedback and finalize the package by contract end. 

Provide technical advisory services on National Prevention Frameworks, and VAWG prevention and response more broadly:

• Provide technical support on VAWG prevention and response, including on key areas of focus in National Prevention Frameworks for UN Women colleagues and key stakeholders, as relevant 
• Support the review of multi-sector services including protocols as a linked component of National Prevention Frameworks 
• Lead the drafting of National Prevention Frameworks including collation and analysis of feedback from key stakeholders collected through consultations as well as the lead technical writing of the frameworks/strategies

Support training and capacity building on VAWG prevention and response linked to the National Prevention Framework process:

• Develop a learning needs assessment and linked training and capacity building plan to inform ongoing technical assistance for the development and implementation of National Prevention Frameworks
• Support learning on VAWG prevention with UN Women colleagues and key stakeholders including developing technical materials and co-facilitating training.
• Provide guidance to country coordinators in delivering technical support to national stakeholders, ensuring policy and programme coherence across the Pacific region.

Lead knowledge management on National Prevention Framework to document promising practices and lessons learned:

• In close coordination with relevant UN Women staff, establish a knowledge management strategy and accompanying tools to fully document the process of developing National Prevention Frameworks, including promising practices, lessons learned and standard monitoring and evaluation data. 
• Support the development of knowledge management products related to National Prevention Frameworks

Institutional Arrangement

The selected consultant will report to and work under the direct supervision of the EVAW Programme Technical Specialist, a UN Women staff member. They will work closely with UN Women colleagues, including EVAWG Country Coordinators, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialists and other EVAWG technical and programme management staff, as relevant. 

Travel to and from duty station will be covered by UN Women in line with UN Women Duty Travel Policy.

Duration of the Work 

The duration of this assignment will be for 12 months work assignment, as with a possible start date from April 9, 2025, until April 8, 2026.

Duty Station

The consultancy is based in Suva, Fiji, UN Women Multi-Country Office. 

Travels to other Pacific countries will be covered by UN Women and will be agreed between the consultant and the supervisor.

Performance Evaluation

The Consultant’s performance will be evaluated based on timeliness, responsibility, initiative, communication, accuracy, and quality of the products delivered.

Financial Arrangements

Payments will be disbursed to the consultant on a monthly basis, upon submission and approval of monthly reports, including the progress on the scope of the consultancy aligned to the “Descriptions of Responsibilities and Scope” section of the ToR, timesheets and certification by the EVAW Program Manager that the services have been satisfactorily performed.

Competencies :

Core Values:

• Integrity;
• Professionalism;
• Respect for Diversity.

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 Values and Competencies Framework: 

Functional Competencies:

• Understanding and knowledge in the EVAWG thematic area; substantive knowledge on GBV/GBViE response and prevention, administrative data, intervention research;
• Excellent communications skills,
• Ability to write clear and convincing policy analysis and ability to advocate with senior representatives from government and other partners and provide policy advice in the context of global initiatives;
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills;
• Ability to establish and foster strong relations with government counterparts, UN agencies, donors, and NGO partners;
• Good knowledge of UN Women, especially in the Pacific and the UN system.

Required Qualifications:

Education:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in social sciences, human rights, gender/women studies, law, international development, or a related is required.
• A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree) in similar fields with combination of additional 2 years of qualifying experience will be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience and Skills:

• At least 7 years (with Master’s degree) or 9 years (with first-level university degree) of proven experience working in the area of ending violence against women and girls.
• Minimum 3 years developing policies and frameworks for the prevention and ending of VAWG.
• Experience in providing technical advisory services on EVAWG and gender equality that is tailored and pragmatic for Government and producing clear, well-articulated written and verbal advice.
• Experience working in low and middle-income countries, preferably in the Pacific
• Strong interpersonal skills and experience working with diverse groups of people with sensitivity and inclusivity, including effective communication.

Language:

• Fluency in verbal and written English is required.

Statements :

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.

Diversity and inclusion:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel 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.)

How to Apply:

• All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from: https://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employment/application-process 
• A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page)
• Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment. 
• Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.
• 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.

Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.