National Consultant – Advancement of Women, Peace and Security

Background

Grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, UN Women 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. Placing women’s rights at the centre of all its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates the efforts of the United Nations system to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. UN Women provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.

UN Women in partnership with Global Affairs Canada (GAC) is implementing the regional project, “Empowering Women for Sustainable Peace: preventing violence and promoting social cohesion in ASEAN” (The project). The project aims to support select ASEAN Member States to advance and strengthen Women Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, including through preventing violence against women and girls and promoting social cohesion in the region. The project will ultimately contribute to the achievement of gender equality through inclusive and sustainable peace and development in the region. Although the project largely focuses on advancing normative frameworks, capacity building and exchange of knowledge and good practices, it encompasses country-level implementation, where synergies between the regional and country-level interventions can be enhanced and leveraged. Thailand is one of the targeted countries to advance the WPS agenda.

UN Security Council resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325), unanimously adopted in October 2000, stressed the importance of the equal participation and full involvement of women in all efforts to maintain and promote peace and security. In the years since, nine additional resolutions on WPS have been adopted. That created a robust framework for implementing the WPS agenda and reinforced global, commitments, treaties and conventions on women’s rights, including the 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

The decade-old conflict in the Southern Thailand border provinces of Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat and four districts of the neighbouring Songkhla which has re-emerged and is increasingly violent since 2004 has forced a great number of citizens to live out their lives under the spectre of violence. It has also hampered socioeconomic and human development in the region and women and other marginalized groups have suffered the heaviest casualties. Women have been made widows and heads of households but are deprived of their opportunities to earn the necessary income and raise their young families in a secure environment. The underlying problems are complex, sensitive, and multi-dimensional. Major factors generally considered as causes of the insurgency include historical background, ethnicity, religion, identity, and culture, including people’s desire to seek the recognition of their unique identity. Despite the fact that the insurgency might have calmed down and the violence has continued to decrease, there are still ongoing tension and threats.

The Royal Thai Government (RTG) has mainstreamed WPS issues into the existing national tools and instruments on security, justice and development and also developed the Measure and Guideline on Women, Peace and Security in 2017. In addition, the Coordination Center for Children and Women in the Southern Border Provinces (CCCW-SBP) was established in 2019 by the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Center (SBPAC) in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (MSDHS), and in partnership with UN Women and UNICEF. The CCW-SBP coordinates the implementation of the Measure and Guidelines on Women Peace and Security and to address the needs of women and children. In 2020, the Sub-Committee on Advancement and Monitoring of the Implementation of The Measure and Guideline on Women, Peace and Security was established to monitor the implementation of Measure and Guideline on WPS and to advance WPS agenda in the country. However, as the Measure and Guideline on WPS have a specific duration from 2017 – 2021, which came to an end in 2021, Thailand may need to consider having the Measure and Guideline extended or having a National Action Plan on WPS developed depending upon its needs.

Against this background, UN Women Thailand seeks to hire a national consultant to support the RTG assess the implementation of Measure and Guideline on Women, Peace and Security and draft a new policy framework that will facilitate the implementation of the Women Peace and Security Agenda at National Level.

Objectives of the assignment

The main objective of this consultancy is to support the Royal Thai Government in the assessment of the implementation of the Measure and Guideline on Women, Peace and Security and the development of the National Action Plan on Women Peace and Security or a second phase of the Measure and Guideline on Women Peace and Security, as well as inform relevant stakeholders about the significance of developing the NAP on WPS.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of work and tasks

Under the overall guidance, supervision and management of Programme Analyst (Thailand) in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (MSDHS) (Department of Women’s Affairs and Family Development and the Sub-Committee on Advancement and Monitoring of the Implementation of Measure and Guideline on WPS), the Consultant will perform the following tasks:

Task 1. Desk Review and development of and inception report and consultancy plan

Conduct a desk review of existing relevant documents
Conduct preliminary consultations with, MSDHS and UN Women to develop a draft plan of consultancy activities (virtual or in person).
Develop an inception report and consultancy work plan; the Inception Report should be structured as follows:

Introduction
Table of Contents
Background information (findings from desk review)
Proposed research design (Description of research methodology and research questions, research tools etc.)
Proposed field schedule (Data collection, consultative meetings and in- depth interviews)
Preliminary list of persons to be interviewed

Task 2. Conduct consultative meetings and workshops to support the Government to assess the Measure and Guideline on WPS and the development of a new WPS policy framework

Conduct in-depth interviews with civil servants in the security sector and other relevant government entities, and with development partners as well as Civil Society Organizations involved in the implementation and monitoring of the Measure and Guideline on Women Peace and Security (Measure and Guideline on WPS) to assess the effectiveness of the implementation structure, assess implementation status and evaluate lessons learned and challenges.
Develop concept notes for a series of consultative meetings in the Southern border provinces (Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, or Songkhla) and at sub-regional level, and appropriate tools and materials to facilitate consultative meetings
Support the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security organizing and facilitating the consultative meetings at National and Sub-regional level including drafting of invitation letters.
Draft a report with the findings and recommendations from the consultative meetings.
Analyze data and information collected in the consultative meetings and in- depth interviews
Draft a report of the review/assessment with the recommendations from the validation workshops and in-depth interviews; The report should be structured as follows:

Background and purpose of the assessment
Context / Background
Objectives and scope
assessment methodology and limitations
Findings: relevance, effectiveness of the implementation structure and coordination mechanism, sustainability, implementation status, challenges
Conclusions
Recommendations
Lessons learned

7. Submit the assessment report to UN Women, MSDHS, SBPAC, and CCCW for inputs

Task 3. Conduct a validation workshop of the assessment.

Develop concept notes for a validation workshop with the Sub-Committee and relevant stakeholders in Bangkok and at sub-regional level.
Develop appropriate tools and materials to facilitate validation workshop.
Facilitate validations workshop;
Incorporate inputs/comments from participants into the assessment report

Task 4. Organize and facilitate an Inter-Governmental Agency meeting to raise awareness on the importance of developing a WPS policy framework

Develop a concept note and draft agenda for an Inter-Government Agency meeting
Develop appropriate tools and materials to facilitate the meeting
Deliver a presentation and facilitate the workshop.

Task 5. Draft a WPS policy framework on WPS as per the findings of the assessment

Draft a WPS policy framework which will include a clear implementation and monitoring structure.
Draft a result based logical framework which will include clear indicators, targets, baseline, responsible institutions, and estimated budget
Develop Terms of Reference for the proposed implementation structure.
Submit the draft WPS policy framework to UN Women MSDHS, SBPAC, and CCCW for inputs

Task 6. Conduct a validation workshop of the draft WPS policy framework.

Develop concept notes for a validation workshop with the Sub-Committee and relevant stakeholders in Bangkok and at sub-regional level.
Develop appropriate tools and materials to facilitate a validation workshop.
Facilitate a validation workshop;
Incorporate recommendations and agreements from validation workshop into the draft WPS Policy Framework;
Finalize and submit the final version of the WPS framework.

Expected deliverables and timelines ?

The National Consultant will produce the following deliverables:

No.

Deliverables

Indicative Deadline

1

Inception report and detailed consultancy activity plan agreed upon with UN Women and MSDHS. The Inception report should be structured as follows:

Introduction
Table of Contents
Background information (findings from desk review)
Proposed research design (Description of research methodology and research questions, research tools etc.)
Proposed field schedule (Data collection, consultative meetings and in- depth interviews)
Preliminary list of persons to be interviewed

25 June 2022

2

Draft Concept notes to conduct a series of consultative meetings at national and sub-regional level, and a validation workshop

25 August 2022

3

Validated assessment report which will include findings of the interviews, consultative workshops and recommendations, and relevant information to develop a WPS policy framework. The report should be structured as follows:

Background and purpose of the assessment
Context / Background
Objectives and scope
assessment methodology and limitations
Findings: relevance, effectiveness of the implementation structure and coordination mechanism, sustainability, implementation status, challenges
Conclusions
Recommendations
Lessons learned

20 October 2022

4

Concept note and draft agenda for an Inter-Government Agency meeting

15 November 2022

5

Draft WPS policy framework . The draft will include a result based logical framework which will capture clear indicators, targets, baseline data, implementation timeline, responsible institutions, and estimative budget.

20 December 2022

6

Final report of the consultancy which will include a summary of the activities delivered. The report will capture recommendations, and will include annexes such as, questionnaires, tools, concept notes, materials developed for the consultative and validations workshops and the final WPS policy framework

15 January 2023

Note

All the deliverables, including annexes, notes and reports should be submitted in writing in Thai.
Upon receipt of the deliverables and prior to the payment of the first installment, the deliverables and related reports and documents will be reviewed and approved by UN Women. The period of the review is one week after receipt.

Inputs

UN Women will provide the Consultant with background materials relevant to the assignment
Consultant is expected to work using his/ her own computer.
UN Women will cover costs of translation of materials
DSA out of the consultant’s place of residence would be paid based on UN financial rules and regulations and the mission’s duration.

Scope of bid price and schedule of payments

The contract price is a fixed deliverable-based price regardless of extension of the contract duration. Payment will be done once deliverables detailed in section II are submitted and approved by UN Women.

The lump sum costs should include a consultancy fee, administration costs, communication costs, and expenses related to the consultancy. All prices/rates quoted must be exclusive of all taxes. The lump sum costs must be accompanied by a detailed breakdown of costs calculation using the template in Annex 1.

Supervision

The consultant will be supervised and managed by the Programme Analyst (Thailand), UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific who will be responsible for the quality assurance of the deliverables.

Performance evaluation:

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

Competencies

Core Values:

Respect for Diversity
Integrity
Professionalism

Core Competencies:

Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues
Accountability
Creative Problem Solving
Effective Communication • Inclusive Collaboration
Stakeholder Engagement
Leading by Example

Functional Competencies:

Excellent analytical skills
Strong networking skills
Strong inter-personal skills, communicate effectively with staff at all levels of the organization
Ability to work in a highly pressured environment
Computer literacy and ability to effectively use office technology equipment, Internet and email.
Excellent facilitation and training skills

Required Skills and Experience

The Consultant should fulfill the following requirements:

Master’s degree in the field of Political Science, international relations, international development, gender studies, conflict/humanitarian action or other related areas with at least three years of experience in coordinating a project/programme in the area of peacebuilding and deradicalization in the Southern Border Provinces of Thailand.

At least 2 years of experience in providing policy advice and technical assistance on women, peace and security to government institutions.
Proven experience facilitating high level consultative workshops for Governmental Institutions and CSOs
Knowledge about gender equality and peace and security in the Southern Border Provinces of Thailand.
Proven experience in conducting research in the area of WPS
Familiarity with UN agencies, government agencies and/or non-profit organisations in the southern border provinces of Thailand is preferred.

Language and other skills:

Fluency in English and Thai. Knowledge of Bahasa Melayu/Malay is an asset.
Strong research and writing skills, with strong coordinating skills.

Evaluation:

Applications will be evaluated based on the cumulative analysis:

Technical qualification (100 points); weight: (70%)
Financial proposal (100 points): weight (30%)