International consultant for developing a handbook for MOD

Hiring Office:

Title:

Purpose of consultancy:

              The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.  UNFPA’s new strategic plan (2022-2025), focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. UNFPA Turkmenistan supports the government in achieving the respective SDGs and in the implementation of the joint programme of cooperation for 2021-2025, in which the youth development agenda is a cross-cutting programme area, requiring scaling up.

              Since the latter half of 2023 the UNFPA Country Office in Turkmenistan initiated partnership with the Ministry of Defense of Turkmenistan on cooperating on advancing the role of young men in human rights and gender related issues. 

              The intervention focuses on introducing human rights based, youth-friendly and gender-sensitive approaches to the 2-year military conscription service, targeting the military educators/psychologists working with young conscripts, as well as young men in the military conscription service. The military conscription service is an important environment for the education and socialization of young men, while at the same time constituting a challenging transition phase for many. Consequently, the intervention seeks to promote intergenerational dialogue, strengthen young men’s well-being and life skills during the military, empower young men to make informed choices about their future post-military, and, importantly, catalyze their potential to advance gender equality, tackle toxic masculinity – in other words to combat harmful gender practices and gender-based violence (GBV), and to promote more equal gender relations.

              In doing so, the intervention seeks to mainstream rights and gender considerations (and potentially other life skills) into military-related policies and programmes and enhance the military sector’s awareness and response to the needs and roles of men, women, girls and boys. This goal is supported by Turkmenistan’s National Action Plans on Gender Equality and Human Rights (2021–2025), which prioritize strengthening the legal framework and institutional arrangements for gender equality, gender-responsive healthcare, and countering gender-based violence against women and girls. The plan also addresses the development of a counseling system for young people on family planning, reproductive health, and healthy lifestyle skills. Furthermore, Turkmenistan's National Plan for the Development of Social Services (2024–2028) aims to enhance the social service system to better serve vulnerable groups, including addressing issues related to gender-based violence and reproductive health and rights. Current social services in Turkmenistan prioritize interventions with women and girls, giving less attention to the role of men and boys. This intervention seeks to strengthen overall efforts to increase consciousness on human rights and gender equality, and promote positive masculinity through the engagement of young men. 

              In addition, the initiative contributes to the Youth, Peace and Security agenda (UNSCR 2250 (2015)), a priority thematic area for the government and the UN. The Government of Turkmenistan has demonstrated a strong interest in the development and empowerment of its young population, which constitutes approximately 40% of the population, as evidenced by the recent State Youth Policy (2021–2025) and the President's commitment to investing in young people and recognizing their potential for positive change. Most recently, Turkmenistan’s commitment to promoting young people’s agency and participation is demonstrated in the Strategy for International Cooperation of Turkmen Youth, approved in 2023.

              The military plays a pivotal role in shaping young men into responsible adult citizens. In many countries, including Turkmenistan, a significant percentage of young men undergo conscription, estimated at approximately 90%. Recognizing the unique position of the military in shaping the lives of young men, UNFPA maintains the partnership with the Ministry of Defense to advance the role of young men in fostering positive masculinity attitudes, increasing consciousness in human rights and gender equality, and equipping them with holistic life skills. This partnership particularly emphasizes the domains of social, gender, and psychological training that will help young men cope with life challenges and become full-fledged, responsible citizens.      

Against this background, and as part of the educational improvement around mental health and psychosocial wellbeing of young conscripts, UNFPA is planning to develop a handbook for military educators, and psychologists responsible for the mental and psychosocial wellbeing of young military conscripts. 

The consultancy will take place in August-October 2024, and will include the following:

• Desk review of the country context and the structure of the military conscription service with a focus on the psychological education of the conscripts. 
• Consultations with the representatives of the Ministry of Defense on the content of the handbook.
• Developing a handbook that will be applicable to the military system of Turkmenistan, the content of which will be useful for military psychologists/educators to educate/sensitize/support young military conscripts with the knowledge and skills to address human rights, gender issues and habits to tackle toxic masculinity. Another important focus is to equip young men with the tools to build resilience and develop healthy habits during their military service. It's essential to acknowledge that the intensity of military discipline, while often beneficial, can sometimes lead to unintended negative impacts. By proactively addressing these potential challenges, we can empower young men to navigate their military experience successfully, focusing on the positive aspects of discipline and minimizing any adverse effects. Empowering young military personnel with essential skills and knowledge should enable their successful transition from military to civilian life and addressing various aspects of their psychological well-being.

The Handbook must include, but not limited to, the following topics:

Modern approaches and methods in educating young people, and building educator-attendee relationships, especially in the military:

• Understanding the youth: Developmental stages, common concerns, and motivations
• Modern educational approaches: Interactive learning, peer-to-peer education, storytelling
• Building trust and rapport: Establishing a safe space for dialogue, active listening skills
• Military-specific considerations: Adapting teaching methods to the hierarchical structure, respecting military values while promoting open communication. 

Women rights:

• Civilian Rights: 
• Right to health (including mental health) and access to healthcare.
• Right to education and continued personal development during military service.
• Freedom from discrimination based on ethnicity, religion, or other grounds.
• Right to fair treatment and due process in disciplinary matters.

Gender related issues:

• Gender social norms and its role in the military and civilian contexts.
• Understanding gender-based stereotypes and their impact on individuals and society, including cultural considerations and gender norms in Turkmenistan.
• Promoting respectful and equitable relationships between men and women.

Addressing Toxic and Promoting Positive Masculinity: 

• Identifying toxic masculinity (harmful behaviors) traits, exploring their roots, as well as addressing gender-based violence and its prevention.
• Strengthening positive aspects of masculinity through educating young conscripts and better-targeted interventions in the education system to promote and consolidate gender-equitable attitudes and behavior. 
• Possible measures to mitigate the impact of military discipline and training on young men in terms of internalizing violence or developing violent tendencies.

Supportive role of men in women reproductive health:

• Understanding of the family planning, sexual and reproductive health.
• Promote men's shared responsibility and their active involvement in:
• responsible parenthood, sexual and reproductive behavior, including family planning prenatal, maternal and child health.
• prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV
• prevention of unwanted and high-risk pregnancies
• shared control and contribution to family income, children's education, health and nutrition

Emotional intelligence and  Mental Health:

• Identifying common mental health challenges faced by young military personnel, as well as promoting mental health well-being in the military environment.
• Emotional management, including healthy emotional expression and conflict resolution.
• The psychological impact of military service and transitioning to civilian life.
• Adapting military skills, experiences, and habits for transitioning to civilian life.

Monitoring and evaluation of interventions with young military conscripts:

• Conducting impact evaluation studies in the aftermath of interventions on addressing gender (equality) issues, including masculinity issues.
• Samples of evaluation tools: Surveys, focus groups, interviews.
• Tools for measuring changes in attitudes, knowledge, and behavior. 

Practical Resources:

• A list of recommended readings, websites, and multimedia resources for further learning and personal development.
• Case studies, stories, as well as sample scenarios and role-playing exercises to facilitate interactive learning and discussion.
• Worksheets and self-assessment tools to help young conscripts reflect on their personal experiences and development.
• A glossary of key terms related to human rights, gender, mental health, and reproductive health.

The handbook should equip its readers with essential skills and knowledge:

• in the areas of gender equality, sexual reproductive health and rights, promotion of positive masculinity and prevention of gender-based violence.
• to support young conscripts’ successful transition from military to civilian life by providing training and support on social integration.
• to address various aspects of the mental health well-being of young military personnel through counseling, stress management techniques, and promotion of positive masculinity.

Note: Topics and format of the handbook are subject to be agreed with the National Partners and modified as per the desk review and the feedback. 

The International Consultant will work in a collaborative manner with the UNFPA Country Office’s programme and operations staff, a dedicated UNFPA national consultant, main stakeholders, and the UN agencies.

Scope of work:

(Description of services, activities, or outputs)

The International Consultant will carry out the following assignments and produce the respective outputs (online):

• Consultations with relevant stakeholders and meetings with representatives of the Ministry of Defense of Turkmenistan (1 day)
• Conducting desk review of existing studies on the topic and current practices related to gender equality, mental health support, social integration, and career development among young military personnel (5 days)
• Develop a detailed outline of the handbook, including key topics, learning objectives, and structure, based on the findings of the desk review (3 days)
• Draft comprehensive content for the handbook, addressing the required topics and incorporating relevant examples, case studies, and practical exercises (15 days)
• Submission and presentation of the first draft of the handbook to the relevant stakeholders and receive feedback (1 day)
• After the revision of the first draft of the handbook by UNFPA team and relevant stakeholders, incorporate feedback and suggestions from reviewers, making necessary revisions to ensure the handbook meets the needs and expectations of its target audience (9 days)
• Provide a final report summarizing the consultancy process, and recommendations on developing a user-friendly layout and design for the handbook, ensuring it is visually appealing and easy to navigate. (1 day).

The total number of days - 35 working days.

Expected Outcomes and Deliverables:

The IC is expected to deliver all services and outputs to the UNFPA Country Office in Turkmenistan via online mode. At the same time, the consultant will be expected to achieve the following overall deliverables:

Deliverable 1: Outline of the handbook developed and agreed with the Ministry of Defense by August 31, 2024. 

Deliverable 2: First draft of the handbook developed and presented for revision, by September 30, 2024

Deliverable 3: Final version of the handbook presented and delivered by October 25, 2024.

Deliverable 4: Final Consultancy Report to UNFPA the by October 31, 2024. 

Duration and working schedule:

Place where services are to be delivered:

Delivery dates and how work will be delivered (e.g., electronic, hard copy etc.):

Monitoring and progress control, including reporting requirements, periodicity format and deadline:

Supervisory arrangements:

Expected travel:

Required expertise, qualifications, and competencies, including language requirements:

• At least master’s degree in social sciences, Gender/youth Studies, Law, State Service or equivalent.
• At least 7 years of experience in international policies and practices in gender equality and gender mainstreaming in the law enforcement and security sectors, youth development with a focus on positive masculinity and life skills training, participation and working in the intersection of youth and gender equality and women empowerment issues.
• Strong experience in developing and conducting education programs, especially within military or similar settings.
• Familiarity with modern educational approaches, including interactive learning, peer-to-peer education, and storytelling techniques.
• Strong knowledge of the work and approaches in gender, human rights and youth related programming used by UN agencies, including Youth, Peace and Security programming and normative framework.
• Strong ethical standards and commitment to confidentiality.
• Knowledge of UN Turkmenistan operational environment would be an asset.
• Excellent English speaking and writing skills required. Russian language is an asset. 
• Excellent facilitation, communication skills and development of methodological guidance.
• Familiarity with Central Asian contexts, particularly Turkmenistan, preferred.

Inputs / services to be provided by UNFPA or implementing partner (e.g., support services, office space, equipment), if applicable:

Other relevant information or special conditions, if any:

The consultancy fee will be calculated based on the P4 level of the UN Salary Scale for Professional and higher categories, effective 1 January 2024 and will be paid in a lump sum upon quality provision of the deliverables.