Organization: UN Children's Fund
Country: Senegal
Closing date:
04 May 2018UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.
Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.
And we never give up.
Background and contextSchool related gender based violence (SRGBV) is one of the serious barriers hindering the full realization of the Sustainable Development Goals 4 on Education for all, but also SDG 3 on Health and SDG 5 on Gender equality. It is a violation of fundamental human rights as well as the right to education. An estimated 246 million children are victims of SRGBV every year in and around schools. This has a serious effect on children's psychological, social and physical wellbeing and affects their ability to access, learn and stay in school. Both girls and boys can be victims of SRGBV, but the scope and type of violence is in general different. Due to gender inequality and gender norms girls are unequally affected by psychological and sexual abuse and violence, whereas boys suffer mainly from corporal punishment. SRGBV leads to poor performance in school and can cause dropouts.
SRGBV can be defined as acts or threats of sexual, physical or psychological violence occurring in and around schools, perpetrated as a result of gender norms and stereotypes, and enforced by unequal power dynamics, and it is pervasive, cuts across cultural, geographic and economic differences in societies.
UNICEF is in charge of coordinating a regional project financed by the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE) through the “Fonds de Solidarité Prioritaire†(FSP)-mechanism for a 2-year period from December 2016-December 2018 in Togo, Cameroon and Senegal for an amount of 1 500 000 euros. It is implemented through a multi-partner approach with UNESCO, PLAN International and UNICEF. An initial project to end SRGBV was financed by the MEAE in Cote d'Ivoire, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso from 2012 to 2014, implemented by UNICEF.
The current project is using a cross-sector and multi-layer approach and with each of the implementing partners (UNESCO, Plan International and UNICEF) undertaking a specific area of intervention. It focuses on:
strengthening capacities in and through the educational systems (UNESCO),conducting advocacy and mobilization at community level (Plan) and;establishing local protection and referral systems for victims of SRGBV (UNICEF).The project furthermore has a transversal component on coordination and communication, which includes the capitalization of good practices and knowledge management activities coordinated by UNICEF WCARO. This consultancy therefore aims to document case studies of the implementation of SRGBV initiatives in these three countries (Togo, Cameroon and Senegal) as a learning tool for other countries and partners on the benefits of a cross-sector and multi-layer approach.
In addition, findings of a recent review of research evidence by University College of London on SRGBV policy and practices[2] through the initiative “Ending gender violence in schools†coordinated by UNGEI and UNICEF show that documentation of SRGBV actions are often undertaken during the project period (which is often short for SRGBV projects) without comparative analysis and linkages with former projects and good practices. In this regard a case study from Cote d’Ivoire will be included, which was part of the 1st FSP-project, to draw lessons and document the good practices as a result of the FSP-mechanism within a broader time frame. The specific case of Cote d’Ivoire will furthermore be included in the Global Progress Report on School Violence and Bullying led by UNESCO (details will be provided to the consultant at the inception meeting).
The three implementing partners, UNESCO, PLAN International and UNICEF work in line with national priorities. In Senegal UNICEF and its partners have worked with the government on the National Child Protection Strategy to formulate recommendations for prevention and response to SRGBV as well as the integration of monitoring of violence affecting pupils into the management system of the education system (SYMEN). The diagnostic study of the education sector's response to SRGBV enabled to develop a joint working plan with the ministerial partners.
In Cameroon UNICEF and its partners have focused on the collaboration with the ministerial partners from the education sector to ensure integrating of the activities on SRGBV in the national biennial work plan 2018-2020, which has recently been approved and take into account the awareness raising at community level.
In Togo UNICEF and its partners have contributed to the ongoing revision of the Children’s Code, as well as support to the Education Management Information System (EMIS) to revise data collection tools to integrate SRGBV. In this regard the reporting system on violence against children (Allo 1011) has been reinforced by the introduction of an SMS option.
In addition to the national partnerships UNICEF wishes to ensure that the case studies build on existing documentation on this issue, and reflect the needs and interests of the wider SRGBV community, the development of these case studies will be carried out in collaboration with the Global working group to end SRGBV, hosted by UNGEI/UNICEF. Two representatives from the SRGBV group will participate in a review group, contributing on the preparation and draft versions of the case studies. This coalition promotes knowledge generation, evidence and standards of response, and undertakes global advocacy efforts and dissemination of a wide range of tools and resources on SRGBV, and is therefore a key partner in this process.
Definition of Good practiceA “good practice†is understood in this context as a practice that has shown results and positive impact in the field of SRGBV. Furthermore, it is technically feasible in other contexts with strong potential for adaptation and easy to implement as a model.
The documentation of a good practice should contain an analysis of the success factors and constraints, lessons learned, sustainability, indicators of replicability and up-scaling and recommendations. It should take into account a gender perspective throughout the analysis.
ObjectiveThe suggested practices to document should allow to showcase the benefits levels of a cross-sector and cross-dimensional approach to end SRGBV. As the current FSP-project has a short implementation period, it has been decided to also include the case of Cote d’Ivoire who benefitted from the 1st FSP-project.
The specific objective is therefore as follows:
Capitalize good practices on prevention and response of school related gender based violence (SRGBV) through case studies that documents the complementary benefits of a cross-sector and multi-dimensional approach.Expected outcomeFour case studies on good practices to prevent SRGBV are produced in English and French on the following cases:
Creating community awareness - identifying local forms of SRGBV in schools at community level, Cameroun (PLAN);Analyzing SRGBV in education policies – using the “AnImRSâ€, tool Senegal (UNESCO);Practical approaches to local protection and referral systems of children “Allô 1011â€, Togo (UNICEF);Integration of SRGBV indicators into the EMIS, Cote d’Ivoire, (UNICEF/1st FSP-Project);Target audienceThe case studies are to be destined for relevant policy makers and authorities, in particular education and social affairs, development agencies and Non-Governmental-Organizations (NGO) and other stakeholders who are implementing actions to end SRGBV. It is meant to document good practices that are successful and easy to implement so these practices can inspire other stakeholders on their implementing strategies to end SRGBV.
Methodology of the consultancyA consultant will be hired for a period of 35 working days to be planned in the period between beginning of April and till mid-June 2018 (tentative dates). The consultant will undertake field visits to countries to conduct interviews with key informants, and review relevant documentation to prepare one case study per country. The approach to interview and nomination of key informants will be developed in collaboration with partners in country and the review group members. The drafts will be reviewed by review group members and partners at country level.
An inception meeting will take place, piloted by the coordinator of the project together with the review group, where the consultant will present a methodology and analytical framework to document the case studies. Following the inception meeting, the consultant will undertake field visits to countries to document four specific cases, conduct key informant interviews and focus group discussions with relevant stakeholders in four countries to document the good practices, and on this basis, elaborate a zero draft. The draft report and field notes should be submitted within 1 week of the consultant’s return from the field. The draft report is expected to be ready for the regional workshop on good practices that will take place in Dakar on the 19-20 June 2018.
The implementing partners will ensure validation of the good practices at local level with the partners involved, following which the consultant will finalize the document. The consultant will be assisted at national level by the implementing partners (UNICEF, UNESCO, PLAN International) and at regional level by the coordinator of the FSP-project.
The implementing partners will ensure national validation of the good practices with the partners involved, and the small group will provide its observations following which the consultant will finalize the document. The final report to be submitted 1 week after receipt of consolidated feedback from the partners.
UNICEF WCARO will provide the administrative and logistical support necessary for the consultant to undertake the activities. The consultant will be under the technical supervision of the coordinator of the FSP-project
VII - Expected outputs
The consultant is expected to deliver the following outputs electronically (detail and length will be decided at the inception meeting):
Production of an inception report including an outline of the methodology and analytical framework, interview guides (with list of potential interviewees/key informants), a timeframe with dates for deliverables and the travel arrangements to the field;Produce a draft report, identifying key findings, and lessons learned from the FSP-project for the four identified cases,Produce a final report in French and English, incorporating feedback from national and regional consultations (to be carried out by the implementing partners),Produce an executive summary in French and English of the case studies not exceeding two pages,Produce a specific three-page report summarizing the qualitative findings for the Cote d’Ivoire case study:Produce a PPT presentation in French and English of the key findings to be used with governments and other stakeholders.VIII - Timeline
April: Literature review, preliminary interviews, analytical framework and methodology, inception meeting delivered (5 working days) => ConsultantApril/May: Field visits conducted ( 20 working days (5 days for each case) => Consultant, field offices of implementing partnersMay: Zero draft of case studies delivered (7 working days) => ConsultantMid-June: Final version of report, executive summary and PP presentations delivered (3 working days) => ConsultantIX - Desired qualifications, experience and technical competencies of the consultant
An Advanced University Degree in education, sociology, gender, international development or other social science field is required;Strong experience (min. six years) in education or child protection programmes, monitoring and evaluation, research with focus on gender equality and education;Proven experience in carrying out participatory research, case studies/documentation of good practices and institutional analysis;Knowledge and understanding of school related gender based violence and related tools and guidelines is highly desirable;Proven record of working with a broad range of stakeholders (CSO, government, international development agencies...) through a consultative approach;Familiarity with West and Central Africa context;Proven ability to deliver efficiently and on time and drive to achieve results;Proven ability to work independently with guidance and supervision as required;Excellent writing skills and fluency in English and French mandatory.Conditions of workThe consultancy will be home-based, and the consultant will be using his/her own office materials and resources. Four missions are to be conducted. Periodic discussions with UNICEF WCARO will be held and WCARO feedback will be integrated into consultant’s final outputs. Submission of outputs will be electronic and per the above timeline.The service provider is not allowed to use the materials gathered for this assignment in any other work assignment without the explicit written permission of UNICEF.Flight costs will be covered at economy class rate as per UNICEF policies, and per diems during field missions in accordance with UNICEF DSA rates.The selected candidate will be governed by and subject to UNICEF's General Terms and Conditions for individual contractsThe consultant will be paid 25% upon delivery of analytical framework and methodology, another 25% upon delivery of the first draft and the rest upon validation of the final deliverables. No advance payment is allowed.Remarks:
Payment will only be made for work satisfactorily completed and accepted by UNICEF.
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.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
How to apply:UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organization. To apply, click on the following link http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/?job=512590