National Consultant - Conduct a Gender Analysis and Develop Gender Action Plan for UXO Portfolio 2022 - 2026

Background

Guided by the global UNDP Strategic Plan (2022 – 2025) and UNDP Country Programme Document (CPD) for Lao PDR (2022 – 2026), UNDP in Lao PDR works closely with the line Ministries, mass organizations, civil society, development partners, and the private sector at both national and international levels in pursuit of the national socio-economic development priorities defined in Lao PDR’s five-year National Socio-Economic Development Plan (NSEDP) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The UNDP’s work is strongly focused on the provision of policy advice and technical support to the Government of Lao PDR in the design and implementation of national legislation and strategies across four broad Priority Pillars – (1) inclusive growth and reduced inequalities, (2) UXO clearance and risk education, (3) natural resources, climate change and disaster risk reduction, as well as (4) effective, responsive, and accountable governance.

Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) is, per capita, the most heavily bombed country in the world. More than forty years after the end of the 1964-1973 Indochina Conflict, Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) remains a major humanitarian and socioeconomic challenge to the country, causing deaths and injuries, limiting access to potentially productive land, and adding substantial costs to processes of development. The Government of Lao PDR has been active in the process of clearance since shortly after the conflict. Lao PDR has advocated for the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) and hosted the first Meeting of States Parties in 2010. It also embraced the UXO issue as a key development matter by locally establishing the Sustainable Development Goal 18 (SDG18), “Lives Safe from UXO”.

The UXO sector in Lao PDR consists of the National Regulatory Authority (NRA), Lao national Unexploded Ordnance Programme (UXO Lao), humanitarian operators (INGOs), several accredited commercial companies providing UXO services, and humanitarian clearance teams within the Lao People’s Army. The overall coordination / lead from the Government side is mandated to rest with Ministry of Labour & Social Welfare (MLSW) and the Minister is also the Chairperson of the UXO Sector Working Group and NRA Board.

UNDP is the leading development partner in supporting the UXO sector in Lao PDR, since mid-1990s. UNDP with other partners have helped create the two key state institutions in UXO sector – UXO Lao and the NRA, and have been supporting the capacity development of these institutions from the beginning. UNDP serves as Co-Chair of the UXO Sector Working Group, together with the MLSW and the United States. The Government of Lao PDR, with support from UNDP, finalized and endorsed a new long-term sector strategy, Safe Path Forward III (2021-2030) and is in the process of developing associated implementation/work plan (UXO Sector 5-year Work Plan) The Government of Lao PDR and UNDP launched a new strategic Programme, Supporting Effectiveness and Efficiency in the UXO Sector to contribute to the achievement of SDG 18 and Safe Path Forward III (SPF III), 2022- (2022-2026) that will provide the programmatic and technical support necessary for the national institutions within the UXO sector (NRA and UXO Lao) to pursue the targets set out in the Sector Strategy (SPFIII) and UXO Sector Five Year Work Plan 2022-2026.

UNDP support to the UXO sector in Lao PDR has focused on two axes, notably: 1) support to strengthening the capacity and technical competency of the National Regulatory Authority, to be able to oversee and steer the sector in pursuance of national strategic goals and obtaining Lao PDR’s unique UXO Action Sustainable Development Goal, SDG 18: Lives Safe from UXO. 2) To provide capacity support for survey and clearance, through support to UXO Lao and the Humanitarian teams of the Lao People’s Army (Unit 58), thus hastening progress towards clearance in impacted communities.

OBJECTIVE

The Consultant will provide support to the UXO Programme Unit by working closely with the UXO Portfolio Manager, Programme Team and Implementing Partners (NRA & UXO Lao) in key areas of gender analysis and action plan development in the UXO sector for the next four years (2023-2026). The Consultant is expected to thoroughly conduct a gender analysis using intersectional approach in the UXO sector through desk review, literature review and survey in relation to gender context and other social identities with respect to access to power, in order to identify and understand gender inequalities, current state of contextual situation by gender, underlying causes and effects of gender disparities on target groups in the UXO sector. As a result of thorough a gender analysis, the consultant will use it as main input for setting effective measures to eliminate gender disparities, integrating a gender perspective into UXO programme, developing gender-responsive and effective interventions to address gender inequality and meet the different needs of women and men, and ensure female participation in all elements of the UXO programme, engagement in the decision-making process, females in leadership positions and etc

Duties and Responsibilities

SCOPE OF WORK

The Consultant will work under the direct supervision of the UXO Portfolio Manager/Head of UXO Unit and work directly with the UXO Unit, partners and other relevant staff.

The successful applicant will be expected to be responsible for the following:

Task 1: Support the conducting of gender analysis of the UXO Programme

Conduct a robust gender analysis using intersectional approach through desk review, literature review, survey and other form of assessment activities in the UXO sector.
Consider domains such as (1) access, (2) knowledge, beliefs, and perception, (3) practices and participation, (4) time and space, (5) legal rights and status, and (6) power and decision-making between men and women while conducting gender analysis.
Draw on existing qualitative and quantitative report findings as a basic for evidence-based data
Coordinate and work closely with UXO Unit Team, partners and relevant staff to plan for gender analysis and determine methodology of data collection on gender gap and issues in the UXO sector
Identify gender disparities and inequalities at the central and local levels in the sector, and the underlying causes of gender inequalities and seek to examine and address the cause of problem to fully meet the different needs of women and men in the sector.
For thorough gender analysis, may need to travel to target project provinces to identify gender gap and understand comprehensively on current gender situation across all UXO operation units in provinces under UXO programme
Based on key findings of gender analysis, integrate a gender perspective into UXO programme and define concrete measures to be undertaken and provide a clear set of recommendations for reducing gender disparities and inequalities in the sector
Write report on key findings of gender analysis and share it with various stakeholders, UXO Unit Team, Implementing Partners and concerned staff through consultation meeting for collecting feedback, or suggestions for finalization of report

Task 2: Support the development of gender action plan for the UXO Programme.

Based on the analysis of gender, agreed actions and recommendations, develop gender action plan for the UXO sector for the next four years (2023-2026)
Define and set target gender indicators to be achieved in the UXO sector for the next four years and create Gender Results Framework and Monitoring for tracking progress periodically, quarterly and annually on status of gender indicators achievement in the sector
In coordination with UXO Unit Team, implementing partners and relevant staff, assist in drafting, revising and finalization of gender action plan after receiving feedbacks from consultation meeting with all stakeholders, UXO Unit Team, concerned staff and partners.
Provide guidance on implementation of gender action plan for key actors in the UXO sector and recommendations on follow-up, monitoring and tracking progress of gender action plan execution

Estimated number of working days: 50 working days from 1st October – 31 December 2022.

Duty station: Vientiane Lao PDR with travel to project sites

Expected places of travel: Xiengkouang and Bolikhamxai provinces – subject to change. UNDP will cover costs separately for in-country travel.

Competencies

Strong analytical skills
Competency in the usage of computers and office software packages (Microsoft word, Power Point and Excel)
Proven excellent communication and report writing skills in English

Required Skills and Experience

A Master’s degree in Gender and Development Studies, community development, development studies, social sciences, or other related fields

Extensive experiences on gender analysis, gender action plan development and gender mainstreaming into projects and programme.
Minimum 8-10 years relevant experience on gender equality, gender and social inclusion, women empowerment-related issues, women’s right, gender training and etc.

Language : Fluency in both English and Lao languages