Consultancy - GBV Response capacity building Consultant

Contract type:  International Consultant
Closing date: 22 May 2022
Duty Station: Damascus, Syria (Remotely, with possibility to travel)
Duration: 6 Months 

Purpose of consultancy: 
In Syria, people affected by humanitarian crises, particularly those displaced and/or living in camps and camp-like settings, are faced with specific challenges and vulnerabilities that must be taken into consideration because they face difficulties in accessing health services that were otherwise available before the COVID-19 outbreak.  The most affected and at-risk population groups due to COVID-19 and their vulnerabilities include women and girls who have to abide by sociocultural norms that require the authorization of a male family member to seek health care and receive appropriate treatments, or who lack power to take decisions are at greater risk of not being tested for the disease and treated. Women caring for others, and the predominant role they play as caregivers, health and social welfare responders, are particularly exposed to potential contamination. Risks are also heightened for pregnant women who are more susceptible to contracting many transmissible infections. 
The year 2021 witnessed the ongoing insecurity, a deepening economic crisis, and the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic all converged to further exacerbate the risks of Gender-Based violence (GBV) for women and girls in Syria. According to the GBV advocacy brief for 2022, Women and girls reported higher levels of intimate partner violence in 2021, predominantly associated with men spending longer periods of time at home, either due to COVID-19 restrictions or unemployment. These forms of violence are eroding the resilience of women and girls and causing severe physical and mental health consequences, including unwanted pregnancies, permanent disabilities, and increased levels of psychological distress, which can sometimes result in suicide. Those particularly at risk and in need of immediate humanitarian assistance also include: pregnant and lactating women, widows, children, people with disabilities, the elderly and those whose coping mechanism are drastically diminished.   
Due to the years of conflict, multiple displacements and lack of access to basic health care services, including Reproductive Health (RH) the needs of individuals and communities continue to be dire, and, COVID-19 threatens to significantly increase their vulnerabilities. The pandemic has severely disrupted access to life saving sexual and reproductive health services and hampered the ability to respond to Gender-Based violence, at a time when women and girls need these services most. This is in addition to already-increasing risks of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), particularly, sexual exploitation, forced and early marriage.

UNFPA Syria country office seeks to ensure continuity of services through program re-adaptation while ensuring implementing partners and staff capacities are enhanced. The key three areas of implementation that require continuous capacity building include; GBV response, prevention and information management.  The capacity development initiative will include an in-depth assessment of UNFPA Implementing partners and GBV sub sector capacities in the three areas mentioned above, after which a capacity building strategy and plan will be established.  The strategy will include alternative options for in-person trainings in situations where the capacity building team is unable to travel in country or to a specific governorate to deliver the trainings.   

During the term of this consultancy, incumbent will be expected to perform the following activities: 
Provision of GBV specialized services is one of the key interventions in improving women and girls physical, sexual, and psychological health and also improves women’s access to their right over their sexual and reproductive health.  UNFPA has been supporting the Government of Syria (GoS), by strengthening GBV specialized services, mental health and psychosocial support, first aid, case management and strengthening referral pathways. UNFPA therefore seeks to engage a consultant to support the up scaling of response services and improve the overall capacity of UNFPA implementing partners and GBV sub sector members on GBV case management and response services.  

For this purpose, UNFPA is seeking the professional services of a consultant for the following key tasks and deliverables: 
 
Under GBV Programme:  
•    Development of GBV capacity building strategy, plan for improving the provision of GBV response services.  
•    Standardize the capacity building training manuals used to train GBV case workers and PSS officers. This will include context specific training outline/manual for Core concepts of GBV, PFA, Case Management, and Caring for Child survivors.   
•    Harmonization of GBV case management forms across all UNFPA implementing partners  
•    Rollout of the internal GBV case management SOPs within UNFPA implementing partners.  
•    Support the established GBV case management tasks force at national level and establish the same task forces in selected governorates 
•    Provision of remote technical support on GBV response areas to GBV case workers under UNFPA IPs through the GBV help desk.  

Under GBV coordination 
1. Provision of technical support to the trained sectors to integrate and mainstream GBV in their sectors using the IASC guidelines on GBV mainstreaming. 
2.     Revision of the capacity building plan for the sub sector  
3. Coordinate GBV CM CBI USAID/BHA project as FP as below: 
•    Support the development of an interagency action plan with the GBV coordination group .  
•    Hold regular meetings with the Pool of Trainers to follow up on the implementation of the action plan, availability, feedback on step-down trainings, etc. 
•    Draft or update interagency protocols and procedures (i.e. SoP) to improve practices and standards for GBV case management in consultation with existing GBV coordination groups. 
•    If needed, recommend changes to the Pool of trainers (i.e. is staff are no longer available) or flag to the GBV coordination group and the GBVIMS Global Team any challenges linked to the Pool of trainers (i.e. staff turnover, lack of availability, etc.) 
Capacity Building of service providers 
•    Regularly meet with GBV case management service providers to assess their capacity building needs. 
•    Support in-person or remote delivery of step-down trainings by the Pool of trainers. This includes following up on the disbursement of the funds (if any) to support step-down trainings. When needed, support the adaptation of the content of the training to fit the needs of the participants. 
•    Coordinate the organization of remote or in-person trainings (in-depth or refresher), coordinate coaching and mentoring in collaboration with the GBVIMS Global Team.   
•    Conduct quality checks with case management organizations on tools in place to ensure quality service delivery. This includes forms, protocols and procedures.  
Monitoring & Evaluation 
•    Maintain an updated list of the Pool of trainers (including up-to-date contact information). 
•    Collect training reports, including results of pre- and post-tests for the stepdown trainings. 
•    Track results related to the step-down trainings using the M&E forms provided by the GBVIMS Global Team.  
•    Support the completion of the final evaluation of the GBV CM CBI.  
 
Communication:
•    Hold quarterly meetings with the GBV Coordinator and the GBVIMS Global Team to review the results of the GBV CM CBI and plan for the next steps. 
•    Communicate with the GBV Coordinator and the GBVIMS Global Team on any gaps identified in the present guidelines during rollout. 
•    The consultant will be working within both the GBV Unit and GBV coordination and as part of the team dedicated to capacity development.

    The consultant will be working under the overall guidance of the deputy Rep and the day-to-day supervision by the GBV specialist for deliverables 1-6 and GBV Coordinator for deliverables 7-9, while working with the team and other consultants for GBV capacity development, and in cooperation with the RH, Gender and Youth Units
 
    UNFPA will monitor the progress of the consultancy according to above illustrated dates and deliverables. By the end of the consultancy a detail report should be submitted including the completion of all tasks.
    Expected Travel:  yes

Required Expertise and Qualifications

●    Master-level degree in social sciences, international studies, Mental Health, Public Health or other relevant fields  
●    Proven success in developing and facilitating training and capacity-building on GBV  
●    Knowledge of global standards and tools for GBV response services  
●    Creative thinking and ability to translate global standards into practical 
ONLINE tools and processes for field-based implementation 
●    Native or fluent Arabic speaker (written and oral) with ability to conduct trainings in Arabic preferred; fluency in English required 
●    Strong writing skills
●    Experience working in acute emergency settings 
●    A minimum of 5 years’ experience with either the UN and/or NGO, especially in emergency settings for similar assignments, including experience in translation of training curriculum  
●    Fluency in English and Arabic is required.  
●    High sense of responsibility. Tact, discretion, initiative and good judgment in dealing with staff members, partners and other stakeholders.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates can apply their CVs and Cover Letter to the email: hr.syria@unfpa.org 
PS: The subject of the email must be the (GBV Response capacity building Consultant), otherwise, the email will not be considered to be reviewed.