National Consultant : Conducting an external service audit for GBV service facilities across Rohingya refugee camps/ host community sites

The Position:

National Consultant: Conducting an external service audit for GBV service facilities across Rohingya refugee camps/ host community sites.

Hiring Office: UNFPA Cox’s Bazar Office, Bangladesh.

Purpose of consultancy:

Since the influx of Rohingya refugees into Cox's Bazar in 2017, the situation of gender-based violence (GBV) has remained a significant concern, with women and girls disproportionately affected by various forms of abuse within the refugee camps and in host communities. The cramped living conditions and economic stress within the Rohingya refugee camps contribute to heightened tensions and increased risks for domestic violence. Women and girls are at continued risk of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse within their own households, with limited recourse to support services. Under the leadership of UNFPA led GBV Sub-Sector, in 2024, a total of 57 GBV actors are providing a range of essential services to prevent and respond to gender-based violence (GBV). These services encompass comprehensive case management and referral services through different service facilities as well as service modalities, including: safe spaces and shelters, healthcare/medical treatment and psychosocial support, legal assistance, community awareness & education, capacity building initiatives for humanitarian workers,  GBV prevention activities, and GBV risk mitigation activities with community people and relevant stakeholders. Through these comprehensive interventions, efforts are made to address the immediate needs of survivors, promote their recovery and empowerment, and contribute to the prevention of further violence within the Rohingya refugee community.

The purpose of the consultancy is to 

• Conduct comprehensive assessment of the quality and standards of Gender-Based Violence Sub-Sector (GBVSS) members’ service facilities across 33 camps and 11 host community sites. This audit will focus on ensuring that GBVSS member facilities incorporate the 4 activities outlined in the 2024 Joint Response Plan (JRP) for GBVSS, thereby assessing their quality, standards, effectiveness, efficiency, and inclusivity in delivering services to crisis-affected populations.
• Establish systematic service quality assessment across a sampling of GBV service providers in the Rohingya response, in order to establish evidence-informed recommendations, promote transparency and adherence to established standards, fostering a culture of accountability to survivors and the affected populations within service delivery systems.
• Generate a systematic analysis of gaps and recommendations (regarding service quality and standards) for the GBVSS members to improve the GBV services in Cox’s Bazar as a Sub-Sector.
• Inform policy decisions and strategies at local, national, and international levels and to develop evidence-based interventions and allocate resources effectively to address the complex challenges of gender-based violence.

 

Scope of work::

Under the overall guidance of the Head of the UNFPA Sub-Office in Cox’s Bazar, and the direct supervision of GBVSS Coordinator, the national consultant will lead the service audit in the camps/ host communities.

Specifically, and in consultation with GBVSS partners and its targeted beneficiaries and along with relevant stakeholders as necessary, the consultant will undertake the following tasks and  fulfil the following purposes:

1. The consultant will review 2020 service assessment methodology, Inter-agency Minimum Standards for GBViE Programming and Essential Service Package (ESP) for Women and Girls Subject to Violence together with GBVSS Cox’s Bazar’s 2023 service audit findings (dashboard). 
2. Consultant will turn the GBVSS Cox’s Bazar’s 2023 service audit findings into a brief background report with key infographics and narrative for the key findings, to serve as a baseline for the 2024 service audit.
3. The consultant will work to map out the diverse types of GBV-related service facilities that exist across GBV actors (e.g. Women and Girls Safe Spaces, Multi-Purpose Women Centers, Women Friendly Spaces, Community Centers, Women Led Community Centers, Men and Boys Engagement Centers, Integrated Services like Nutrition Centre and Health facilities integrated with GBV Services) and design a plan to formalise the standardisation of service provision offered at each different space. This plan should involve instituting minimum standards and defined best practices across all GBV actors, as per facilities.
4. Consultant will create a service audit plan for 2024 service audit (including methodology, sampling, list of service audit thematic categories and questions, field implementation logistics) based on a review of existing documents, practices, and consult with GBVSS coordinator, field coordinators and IMO (Information Management Officer) to acquire verification of field relevancy.
5. Consultant will conduct the service assessment using the agreed methodology plan by visiting the service facilities including those of GBVSS members and government security actors to audit the services and solicit feedback from the GBVSS staff and GBV SS partners as well as beneficiaries. This will include conducting unannounced service site visits and visits at different times and days.
6. Evaluate relevant policies, guidelines and strategies developed for GBV programming in emergency settings and provide GBVSS with suggestions for how to adapt to this changing context without jeopardising standards. Consult with the relevant stakeholders including GBVSS partners implementing activities directly in the field, other UN agencies and NGOs, the Relevant Working Groups, relevant governments (both Cox’s Bazar and Camp level) and examine  harmonisation, standardisation, needs and recommended  ways forward.
7. Consult with the GBVSS target groups/ actors and beneficiaries to understand their preferences, accessibility, and services received as per their needs as well as their preferences for providing feedback and complaints.

Expected outputs/deliverables:

1. A brief baseline assessment report & service audit plan including proposed methodology and tools
2. Service standardisation table
3. Service audit report
4. Summary report of the service audit results
5. Powerpoint presentation and a dashboard on the service audit results

Duration and working schedule:

The duration of this consultancy is 55 working days (within 3 months) and expected starting date is as soon as possible.

 

Place where services are to be delivered:

The consultant will be based at UNFPA Cox’s Bazar Office.

 

Delivery dates and how work will be delivered:

Expected tasks delivery dates are dependent on contract signing date.

The consultant is expected to collaborate to produce the following deliverables: 

• A brief baseline assessment on GBVSS service quality based on reviewing the 2023 service audit findings (dashboard) with infographics and narrative for the key findings, to serve as a baseline for the 2024 service audit.
• A service standardisation table (including the mapping and standardisation of the diverse types of GBV-related service facilities that exist across GBV actors) and a plan to formalise the standardisation of service provision standards across all GBV actors and each type of facility.
• A proposed safety audit plan with contextualised service audit methodology (including sampling) and data collection tool(s) in annexes.
• Evaluation criteria and an analysis plan.
• Records of site-specific audit assessment result using the tools designed in the inception report.
• An analytical report of the collected information collected from the tools designed in the inception report.
• Present a debriefing (Power Point) incorporating the main primary findings, conclusions, and suggestions of the evaluation to be placed and discussed with the GBVSS team during the consultancy.
• A detailed draft final evaluation report, followed by a second draft that incorporates account comments/inputs from UNFPA Cox’s Bazar.
• An approved final report (with annexes) based on comments expressed with the GBV SS team and actors' response.
• Presentation of service audit findings to GBVSS members.
• Share final report and final power point presentation with incorporating feedback from GBVSS members.

 

The final outputs in English are to be delivered to the UNFPA Cox’s Bazar Office. All versions of the final documents should be delivered in electronic format using Google Suite Tools or MS Office. The quality of the deliverables will be evaluated by the GBVSS Coordinator.

 

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

The consultant will work in close collaboration with the GBV Sub-Sector team and will communicate with the teams within the UNFPA Cox’s Bazar Sub- Office in fulfilling the responsibilities outlined in the Terms of Reference.

Regular written updates and progress reports will be provided by the consultant to GBV Sub-Sector, and meetings will be organised as necessary to share updates, discuss needs, and address any challenges.

The quality and completion of the deliverables will be evaluated by the GBV Sub-Sector Coordinator and other team members of GBVSS and UNFPA Bangladesh.

In the event of any anticipated delays, the consultant must promptly inform UNFPA, providing sufficient advance notice before the deadlines to allow for necessary adjustments to the consultancy schedule. Effective communication and timely reporting are essential to ensure the smooth implementation of the rapid evaluation and its alignment with the timeline.

 

Supervisory arrangements: 

The consultant will report to the GBVSS Coordinator of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.

 

Expected travel:

This consultancy is based in Cox’s Bazar with expected travel during the data collection period to Rohingya Refugee camps under Ukhiya and Teknaf, and a few host community sites.

 

Required expertise, qualifications and competencies, including language requirements:

The assignment requires an individual consultant with the following qualifications:

• First-level degree or higher in Gender studies, Gender and Human Rights, Development studies, Sociology/Social Development or other related fields. Master’s degree in a relevant field is highly desirable.
• Minimum 6 years of relevant working experience in Gender, GBV and protection works, research, Monitoring and evaluation, Social Development or other related field. Working experience in the Rohingya refugee response and/or the development context of Bangladesh is desirable.
• Strong familiarity with IASC Guideline and minimums standards of GBV Programming in Humanitarian settings, GBV Guiding Principles, Survivor Centred Approach, GBV referral mechanism, Community Feedback Mechanism and GBV Case management processes and other ethical standards and considerations related to protection and GBV. Experience working with child survivors, male survivors, gender diverse populations, and/or people with disabilities preferred.
• Excellent analytical, research, and report writing skills.

The individual consultant should have the capacity to carry out data collection activities in Bangladesh and Rohingya context. The specific requirements for the individual consultant are:

• Relevant analysis experience: in GBV service standards monitoring, evaluation, service provision capacity assessment, etc.
• Relevant experience conducting research and studies (including on stakeholder engagement, grievance / accountability mechanisms, referral mechanism), ideally in humanitarian settings.
• Service audit for GBV service facilities experience required.
• Fluency in English speaking and writing is required. Working knowledge of Chittagonian or Rohingya is highly desirable.
• Strong interpersonal skills, ability to coordinate and synchronise work with people of diverse cultural backgrounds, consensus building, team working and consortium dynamics.
• Flexible and responsive to changes as part of the review and feedback process

 

Inputs / services to be provided by UNFPA:

Consultant will be required to have their own laptop for working purposes.

The consultant will be stationed at UNFPA Cox's Bazar Office. UNFPA will facilitate logistical support for field visits and provide office space for the consultant. 

 

Payment Instruction: 

Payment will be made in tranches upon the satisfactory completion of agreed deliverables as agreed by the GBV Sub-Sector coordinator. Each payment will be based on a predefined and formal agreement between UNFPA and the consultant and will be disbursed based on satisfactory completion of agreed deliverables described in the deliverable timeline above.

The payment terms for this consultancy will be as follows:

Deliverables	Payment
Deliver Inception report	30%
Deliver draft report	30%
Deliver final report included with power point presentation	40%

 

The consultancy fee will be negotiated before contracting. 

No DSA and airfare will be provided since the Consultant will be based in Cox’s Bazar.

 

Level of the Consultant:  

The consultancy is classified as a GS-7 level vacancy.

 

Other relevant information or special conditions, if any:

UNFPA Bangladesh, in accordance with UNFPA contract procedures, will issue an Individual Consultant (IC) contract and will pay consulting fees following UNFPA's procedures and standard fee schedule.

 

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.