International Consultant to Develop a UN Women Strategy and Programme for Humanitarian Action in Myanmar

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 1st of February 2021 military takeover of the civilian government and the democratic reversal in Myanmar present an additional layer to the already pre-existing crises of conflict and COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2022 Myanmar Humanitairan Response Plan targets to reach 6.2 million people in need of life-saving humanitarian support (52% women, 34% children and 13% with disabilities). Clearly the population needing humanitarian support has multiplied in numbers while funding support remains scarce. Maynmar is competing with other complext emergencies across the world with the Ukraine crisis as the predominantly in need of humanitarian support while affecting as well global economy including in Myanmar.

In 2021 Myanmar was one of the 6 UN Women supported countries that received funding from the UNOCHA CERF Fund. As a two years project ending on February 2023, it aims to support humanitarian response for vulnerable and at risk women and girls of GBV with livelihoods and survivor support to facilitate their access to lifesaving humanitarian services and facilitate their voices in promoting GBV accountability in humanitarian contexts..

The international consultant will design UN Women’s strategy and programme on Humanitarian Action building on the UNOCHA CERF funded project (2021 – 2023) and aligned to the UN Women strategic note 2022 – 2023.

Purpose of the service

This assignment is a home-based consultancy. The purpose of this assignment is to design UN Women’s strategy and programme on Gender in Humanitarian Action building on the learnings of the UNOCHA funded CERF project 2021 – February 2023 and aligned to the UN Women strategic note 2022-2023

At the end of the consultancy, a UN Women strategy on GIHA in Myanmar and one project proposal should be completed for resource mobilization.

Duties and Responsibilities

The consultant will work with the MCO under the guidance of the Country Representative a.i. and the GIHA Program Specialist in consultation with the CERF Technical and Financial Leads, and CERF partners When needed, the consultant will also have discussions with CERF Secretariat Headquarters.

The consultant will be expected to deliver on four deliverables:

Deliverable 1: Analysis of the CERF fund accomplishments (completed and current), challenges, gaps and residual needs (as maybe appropriate) along the 3 outcome areas of the project to identify the relevant humanitarian programs, projects and activities that can be continued for a period of at least 2 years.
Deliverable 2: Consultations with CERF implementing partners, including key UN agencies like UNFPA, UNOCHA, WFP and UNHCR to identify possible areas of collaboration aligned to the current context important for programme planning, and project development.
Deliverable 3: UN Women Myanmar Humanitarian Action programme designed and submitted for resource mobilization.
Deliverable 4: Concept note (Project proposal) to be submitted for Resource mobilization building on the lessons learnt and achievements of the UN OCHA funded CERF programme in Myanmar.

In accordance with UN Women guidelines, the consultant will work to:

Deliverable 1:

Conduct a review of documents/reports on the CERF project, implementing partners key accomplishments, materails, policies and projects developed and stated through the support of the CERF Fund. The review should cover and build on existing reports developed by the UN Women Country Office and CERF Headquarters to identify successes and impacts of activities in the target beneficiaries including knowledge and collective gains, to inform the direction of the proposed strategy and programme.
Data collection involving remote consultations (interviews, focus group discussions) with UN Women Country Office CERF Project Team, UN Women’s CERF Implementing Partners and their Sub-Implementing Partners, Rakhine Area Based Project Team, Women Peace and Security Team, UN Agencies, key stakeholders, including but not limited to members of local women organizations, – including representatives of marginalized groups, and relevant stakeholders.
Assessment of the findings:
Examine existing spaces, structures, mechanisms for humanitarian work in Maynmar.
Identify factors of resilience and examples of resilient localities/communities where social cohesion, humanitarian and peace building has been preserved against all odds/indicators and why.
Identify and analyze the gendered dimensions of existing conflicts and multiple crisis situations to help identify structural causes and potential rapid response measures.
Analyze emerging issues, solutions and trends related to humanitarian response, conflict prevention and peacebuilding (social cohesion) in Myanmar, looking at the role of women leadership and participation, gender and innovation and the Localization agenda of the Humanitarian Grand Bargain
Analyze lessons learned of CERF Implementing Partners, UN Women work humanitarian action with a reduced civic-space, as well as related to UN Women’s strategic engagement within the Humanitarian Country Team and the Inter-Cluster Coordination Group including UN System and across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus.
Identify other UN initiatives on humanitarian action in the current context and entry points for UN Women to partner in the frame of UN cooperation frameworks (UN SERRP, HNO, HRP)
Develop a comprehensive report, that presents a systematic and synthesized assessment of findings and provides strategic recommendations at country level that will support the elaboration of a UN Women Country Office humanitarian strategy and programming.
Hold progress, debriefing and validation sessions for UN Women and interview stakeholders to present the findings of the analysis and strategic entry points for potential further UN Women programming. Meetings will serve to showcase and help validate the analysis and include opportunities to further elaborate in the UN Women Myanmar Humanitarian Strategy and Programming.

Deliverable 2

Conduct an analysis of UN Women Country Office humanitarian portforlio, humanitarian projects implemented and completed through desk review and KII with Project Managers/Teams on WPS, WPHF and Rakhine Area Based Project in Rakhine. The analysis should be able to identify specific humanitarian interventions that are not captured by the current projects implemented. It should have a particular focus on a) women and girls protection and access of essential services, b) relief and recovery for women and girls, specifically livelihood support for at risk women and girs, d) enabling environment for humanitarian action (data collection and coordination; formal / informal partner coordination mechanisms). The analysis should be able to identify the collaboration and synergies of the UN Women led humanitarian coordination platforms like the Gender in Humanitarian Action Community of Practice (GiHA CoP), Accountability to Affected Population and the PSEA. It should identify where UN Women has a comparative advantage within the specific context and inform critical gaps and needs in humanitarian coordination and support of these areas to develop the UN Women Myanmar Humantiarian Strategy. The analysis should include the complementarity with other UN Organizations/Agencies like UNFPA, UNOCHA, UNHCR and WFP.
Identify UN Women’s strategic positioning in policy work and within interagency coordination and humanitarian actors in implementing IASC Policy and Framework on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women and Girls.
Identify key recommendations from interview participants (organizations/individuals) to sustain the CERF Project gains and list of recommended new humanitarian projects/activities that UN Women have the comparative advantage.

Deliverable 3

Develop a UN Women Myanmar Humanitarian Strategy and Programmes aligned with the 2023 SN: Work closely with the MCO and the Rakhine, WPHF and WPS team to develop a strategy document, while building on UN Women’s new global and MCO new ad-interim Strategic Plan and Humanitarian Strategic Plan.
The strategy will build on the results from Deliverables 1 and 2 and propose concrete pathways, entry points and adapted tools for UN Women’s programmatic engagement in humanitarian action. It is expected that the strategy will support UN Women’s strategic engagement across the HDP Nexus and within the UN System and the HRP/HNO.
Identify and articulate areas of comparative advantage for UN Women in Humanitarian Action vis-à-vis other key stakeholders (UN and civil society) at state and national level and new entry point for engagement.
Ensure that the strategy is inclusive, and risk informed. Ensure that SN guiding principles, are duly incorporated in the strategy document and that reference is made to the impacts of the political crisis.
In coordination with MCO senior management, organize consultations with stakeholders and donors to validate the RABP Strategy and programme.
Prepare concept note or project document following the consultation and invitations to submit concept notes and /or project documents (upon request).

Deliverable 4: Concept note (Project proposal) to be submitted for Resource mobilization building on the lessons learnt and achievements of the UN OCHA funded CERF programme in Myanmar

No

Deliverable

Activity

No. of Days (anticipated)

Deliverable completion timeframe

Payment Schedule

1

Inception report2

Signing of the contract, completion of kick off meeting and submission of inception report

3 Days

12 January 2023

30% to be paid after submission of 3rd Deliverable

2

Review of documents on Rakhine

3 Days

17 January 2023

3

Data collection and analysis

5 Days

24 January 2023

4

Stakeholder consultations and report (deliverable 1 and 2)

In close collaboration with the UN MCO team who will facilitate consultations

3 Days

27 January 2023

70% to be paid after submission of Final Report

5

Develop and MCO Humanitarian Strategy

Development of draft strategy on the study (first draft) to be submitted to UN Women team for comments and feedback

3 Days

1 February 2023

6

Feedback from UN Women

Development of full-fledged report on the study (final draft)

8 February 2023

7

Develop a successor project to UNOCHA funded CERF project building on the learnings/ achievements of the CERF project

14 days

28 February 2023

Total

31 days

The consultant will be paid against completion of each satisfactory deliverable after it has been reviewed and certified by the UN Women’s Country Representative a.i. and in accordance with UN Women policies and regulations.

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.

Required Skills and Experience

Qualifications

Education

Master's degree in social sciences with a focus on peace and conflict studies, international relations, political science, development studies or a related field is required, 7 years of relevant work experience with at least 4 focused on peacebuilding and conflict prevention, humanitarian assistance. or
Master degree in social sciences or related gender studies

Experience

At least 5 years of relevant experience with focus in crisis-affected countries and gender.
Proven programme development experience in gender and humanitarian or conflict prevention and peacebuilding including in leading multi-stakeholder consultation processes and partner engagements is required.
Demonstrated professional work experience and expertise in Myanmar.
Proven report-writing, and research experience, including project design with the ability to present recommendations supported by findings gathered through desk review.
Result-based Report writing, editin and language skills, excellent reporting skills, knowledge of RBM and result-based reporting.
Experience of working with and in collaboration with UN Agencies, especially UN Women, will be an asset.

Language Requirements

Fluency in English is required.