International Consultant to Guide the Implementation of a National Prevalence and Attitudes’ Survey on Violence against Women in Uganda

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.  Placing women’s rights at the center of all its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality are translated into action throughout the world.  It provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts while building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.

UN Women in partnership with Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) through financial support from the DFID is launching this call for applicants to conduct and implement a nation-wide survey on Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) including the in elections. The study will establish the prevalence of physical and sexual violence but also at the consequences of such violence, as well as psychological violence, stalking, sexual harassment, experience of violence in childhood, fear of victimization and its impact and very importantly also at the attitudes and awareness about violence including the in elections. The VAWG survey is led by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD).  The survey will be implemented effective 25th September 2019 to 30th June 2020.

Context

In September 2015 the United Nations Summit adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in New York which includes a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets.  The SDGs cover a very broad range of critical gender issues, including anti-discrimination, violence, unpaid care and domestic work, voice and participation, assets, income, labour, social protection etc.  The agenda highlights women’s rights and gender equality significantly by including the stand alone fifth goal on gender equality in addition to gender-sensitive targets across other goals.  It is imperative to recognize the pathway to achieving the SDGs by calling for gender-responsive and human rights-based approaches.  To monitor gender responsiveness of SDG indicators, UN Women launched 3-year Global Flagship Program on gender statistics, entitled as ‘Making Every Women and Girls Count (MEGWC).  The overall objective of this program is to make enabling environments for the quality production of gender statistics, denting the gender data gaps and ensure accessibility and use of gender statistics.  Uganda was selected as one of the 12 Pathfinder countries of MEWGC. 

 Today, millions of women and girls worldwide suffer from some form of violence, be it domestic violence, rape, female genital mutilation/cutting, dowry-related killing, trafficking, sexual violence in conflict-related situations, sexual harassment in public spaces, or other manifestations of abuse.  Evidence has shown that it affects the health and well-being not only of the women who experience violence but also of their families and communities (World Health Organization, Department of Reproductive Health and Research, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, South African Medical Research Council, Global and regional estimates of violence against women: prevalence and health effects of intimate partner violence and non-partner sexual violence, 2013). It is estimated that 35 per cent of women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or sexual violence by a non-partner at some point in their lives(UN, Violence Against Women: The Situation, available on lineat:http://www.un.org/en/women/endviolence/pdf/pressmaterials/unite_the_situation_en.pdf). However, some national studies show that up to 70 per cent of women experience physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner in their lifetime.  Violence Against Women (VAW) persists in every country in the world as a pervasive violation of human rights and a major impediment to achieving gender equality.

 Domestic Violence Against Women (DVAW) along with the discriminatory practice of child, early and forced marriages remain among the prevalent forms of VAW in Uganda.  According to the 2016 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey (UDHS), half of women (51%) age 15-49 have experienced physical violence since age 15, and 1 in 5 experienced physical violence in the 12 months preceding the survey.  Twenty-two percent of women have ever experienced sexual violence.  Eleven percent of women who have ever been pregnant have experienced physical violence during one or more pregnancies.  Fifty-six percent of ever-married women have experienced physical, sexual, or emotional violence by their current or most recent spouse/partner.  Three in 10 women (33%) sought help to stop violence they had experienced. Five in 10 women (51%) neither sought help nor told anyone about the violence (Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) and ICF. 2018. Uganda Demographic and Health Survey 2016.  The findings of this survey have greatly informed policy making and programming of the government and development partners aimed at ending VAW and domestic violence; as a result, there have been established shelters for GBV victims, nation-wide hotline and a number of awareness raising interventions have been carried out by state as well as civil society actors and development partners to eliminate VAW and on the other existing services and protection mechanisms.  

Justification

Uganda has had three Demographic and Health surveys (in 2006, 2011 and 2016) that collected information on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) including the prevalence, attitudes and other behaviours.  The surveys, however, do not comprehensively cover variables on the VAWG hence the need to conduct a national baseline survey that will inform conducting a main survey on VAWG to inform policy, programming and decision-making processes addressed to gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE).

Therefore, within the framework of the Global Flagship Programme Initiative (FPI) on Making Every Woman and Girl Count (MEWGC); Supporting the implementation and monitoring of the SDG through better production and use of gender statistics, generously funded by the DFID, UN Women in partnership with Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) and in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD) will conduct a nation-wide survey on VAWG including the in elections.  The study will establish the prevalence of physical and sexual violence but also at the consequences of such violence, as well as psychological violence, stalking, sexual harassment, experience of violence in childhood, fear of victimization and its impact and very importantly also at the attitudes and awareness about violence including the in elections.

Objectives of the study

1. To obtain reliable estimates of the prevalence of different forms of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) including the in elections at the national and regional levels in Uganda, committed by intimate partners as well as other perpetrators (including for example family members, employers, colleagues and strangers) in the private as well as public spheres in the lifetime as well as in the last 12 months. This will include sexual harassment in public spaces.
2. To disaggregate and analyse women’s experiences of violence according to variables such as geographic location/region, age, income, ethnicity and/or others as agreed during stakeholder consultations and inception phase.
3. To assess the extent to which VAWG is associated with a range of health and other outcomes.
4. To identify factors that may either protect or put women at risk of violence.
5. To assess the extent to which women are aware of and use services for survivors of violence.
6. To examine men’s and women’s awareness of and attitudes towards issues of VAWG, including its causes, consequences and how it can best be prevented.
7. To establish a research methodology, based on existing best practices, methodologies and ethical considerations for the production of reliable data on VAWG, which can be replicated and to build the capacities of the National Statistics Office (NSO) and other relevant stakeholders to sustainably produce and use such data regularly.
8. To update and broaden the knowledge base on the prevalence of and attitudes to VAWG nationally as well regionally in Uganda, and to use the results to inform policy and legislative formulation/revision, preventative interventions as well as to develop existing and/or new services for survivors of violence.

Scope and methodology

 The conceptual framework for the study is as follows: 1) a quantitative survey conducted through face-to-face interviews in households and 2) a qualitative component which may include, but not be restricted to, desk research, key informant interviews and focus groups.  The study will reflect the situation at the national level, but also allow for comparisons between the regions of Uganda.  To this end, the study will include a representative sample of respondents from each of the 15 statistical regions.  Men will be included as respondents as a minimum in the qualitative component (and possibly also quantitate component), to allow for a reflection of men’s attitudes and perceptions on VAWG.

The survey should be planned and implemented in accordance with globally agreed methodological and ethical standards and guidelines (UN, Guidelines for producing statistics on violence against women - Statistical Surveys, 2014 available online at: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/gender/docs/Guidelines_Statistics_VAW.pdf) and be informed by methodologies such as the one used in the WHO Multi-Country Study on Women’s Health and Domestic Violence that has been replicated in various countries and the most recent Violence Against Women: an EU Wide Survey which was implemented in alignment with the recommendations of the Council of Europe Istanbul Convention.  It is advisable to also reflect in the methodology design and novelties of a gender-based violence survey for EU member states under preparation by EUROSTAT.  It is also important that relevant SDG indicators (Please find the final list of SDG indicators with suggested list of disaggregation variables at this link: http://unstats.un.org/sdgs/indicators/Official20List20of20Proposed20SDG20Indicators.pdf) and definition/frameworks put forward by the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) 57th session, the Declaration on Elimination of Violence Against Women (DEVAW) and the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) General Recommendation #19 are incorporated. 

UN Women is seeking to contract an international consultant who will work closely with UBOS, the national statistics agency which will be implementing the study in collaboration with the MGLSD.  The international consultant will be leading the development of the survey and study methodology, provide technical guidance in the implementation of the study, analytical guidance in the data analysis process and take a lead in the report preparation and writing process.

Duties and Responsibilities

Reporting, quality Assurance and governance

Under the overall supervision of the UN Women Deputy Country Representative and in close collaboration with the Executive Director, UBOS, the consultant will provide technical and administrative support to the national survey process of VAWG

A Reference Technical Working Group (RTWG) comprising relevant partners working on VAWG in the country (i.e. government, UN and other international organizations, CSOs, academia). will be set up.  The RTWG will be chaired by the MGLSD and co-chaired by Deputy Executive Director, Statistical Production and Development (DED/SPD) of UBOS. 

The final VAWG survey report should be compiled and disseminated at a major National Statistical System (NSS) stakeholders’ forum.  Handover of the final report in soft and hard copy together with a communications brief will be made to the Executive Director-UBOS and Country Representative - UN Women Uganda. 

Description of Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of the international consultant are:

1. To be the technical and methodological lead expert in the preparation, implementation and finalization of the Nation-Wide VAWG Study in Uganda.
2. To take the lead in establishing a replicable study methodology, building on international best practices and established methodologies, and through close consultations with UN Women, UBOS and other relevant stakeholders.
3. To take the lead in finalizing survey questionnaires as well as qualitative data collection tools, in close collaboration with UBOS, and UN Women and other relevant stakeholders.
4. To take the lead in developing the tools and the methodology for the training of field workers, building on existing trainings, ensuring that all methodological and ethical considerations are reflected in the data collection process, and to guide and support UBOS in the implementation of the training.
5. To provide technical support to UBOS in the cleaning of survey data.
6. To provide technical support to UBOS in the analysis of results and to take a lead in the preparation of the Draft Report.
7. To trouble shoot and advice on how to overcome any challenges and difficulties in the implementation of the survey methodology and data analysis.
8. To take a lead in the finalization of the Final Report and to quality assure the results.

Deliverables and Timelines

The work of the consultancy is expected to be delivered in 60 working days and will start 1st October 2019 and end in June 2020, when the results and final report will be finalized and presented. This will not be a full-time engagement in Uganda, the consultant may travel to Uganda as/when necessary but will work online in other instances.

• Inception Report: Containing detailed work-plan specifying activities and timelines agreed with UBOS; detailed description of the study methodology including sampling, ethical considerations and data collection tools to be developed, developed in close consultation with UBOS and UN Women and relevant stakeholders. This is expected to be delivered in five days by October 4, 2019.

• Survey Questionnaire, Qualitative data collection tools including Focus Group Discussion Guide and Key Informant Interview Guide: Developed in close consultations with UBOS and UN Women and relevant stakeholders. This is expected to be delivered in five days by October 10, 2019.

• Training of Fieldworkers on survey methodology and Pre-testing the data collection tools: Preparation of training methodology and tools, implementation of 2-3 weeks training in close collaboration with UBOS (requires travel to Uganda) for survey analysts, field workers and data processors.  This is expected to be delivered by October 30, 2019 to facilitate undertaking the pre-test by November 11, 2019.

• Training of Fieldworkers for the main survey: Preparation of training methodology and tools, implementation of 2-3 weeks training in close collaboration with UBOS (requires travel to Uganda) for survey analysts, field workers and data processors. This is expected to be delivered in 10 days by January 31, 2020.

• Guidance in the main Data Collection and Data Cleaning Process: Survey and qualitative data collection implemented, and data cleaned by UBOS with technical support and guidance from the International Consultant.  This is expected to be delivered in five days by February 1, 2020.

• Data Analysis and Draft Report: Quantitative and qualitative data analysed and triangulated in close collaboration with UBOS, Draft Report prepared.  This is expected to be delivered in 10 days by June 15, 2020.

• Final Report Developed and Presented: Finalization of the report in close collaboration with UBOS and UN Women and relevant stakeholders that include Government, UN agencies and donors, CSOs, and partners in English, with relevant annexes in same language as the report and presented to relevant stakeholders in Kampala.  This is expected to be delivered in 10 days by June 25, 2020.

• A Communications Piece with key indicators and recommendations to inform Government on the design of future and similar surveys and studies.  This is part of the final deliverable expected by June 25, 2020.

Inputs

• UN Women, UBOS and partners will provide the consultant with background materials related to the assignment.
• UN Women will provide the consultant with the space and access to the internal institutional documents and staff, as necessary, to undertake the assignment.

Performance evaluation:

• The consultant’s performance will be evaluated against such criteria as: timeliness, responsibility, initiative, communication, accuracy, quality of the products delivered and alignment to agreed principles and standards.  The evaluation will be carried out and cleared by the appointed task force including representation from the RTWG.

Competencies

Core Values and Guiding Principles:

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

Corporate Competencies

• Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN's values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of the UN, particularly relating to gender equality and the empowerment of women;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, sexual orientation, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Treats all people fairly and without favouritism.

Functional Competencies

• Strong analytical, reporting and writing abilities skills;
• IT literacy;
• Demonstrated accuracy and attention to detail;
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate and work well with diverse and multicultural supervisors and staff members;
• Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
• Focuses on impact and result for the partners and responds positively to feedback

Required Skills and Experience

Education

• The International consultant should have a minimum of a PhD in Social Sciences preferably in Gender, human rights, Development Studies, Human Rights, Sociology, Demography or related field, and/or related areas.

Experience:

• A minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible and relevant experience in the fields of human rights, social inclusion, and/or GBV/VAW;
• A minimum of five (5) years of managerial and leadership skills, abilities to plan, coordinate and implement multiple tasks involving different stakeholders and parties;
• A minimum of five (5) years’ experience of research and statistical processes in the area of GBV/VAW;
• Experience of conducting household surveys on GBV/VAW is a requirement;
• Direct experience of implementing the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights Violence Against Women: an EU Wide Survey methodology, the WHO Multi-Country Study on Women’s Health and Domestic Violence Against Women (DVAW) or other internationally recognized survey methodology focusing on prevalence of GBV/VAW will be considered a strong asset;
• Proven training/facilitation expertise in conducting household surveys on the topics of GBV/VAW or related issues;
• Proven experience in supporting or contributing to national statistical processes/offices;
• Proven experience in the use of statistical software (STATA) for the analysis of VAW prevalence surveys.

Language:

• Excellent command of written and spoken English.

Application Procedure

Interested qualified individual consultants must apply online by latest by September 25th, 2019. Candidates should submit one PDF File attachment containing:

1. a letter of interest,
2. a personal CV and
3. UN Women P11 dully filled form with at least three (3) professional references (UN Women Personal History Form (P11), can be downloaded at: http://www.unwomen.org/about-us/employment;
4. technical and financial proposal.

Note: The above documents need to be submitted and uploaded to the online application system as one document.

Evaluation of Applicants

Candidates will be selected based on cumulative analysis of:

• Technical Qualification (100 points) weight [70%]

• Financial/Price Proposal (100 points) weight [30%]

A two-stage procedure will be utilised in evaluating the proposals, with evaluation of the technical proposal being completed prior to any price proposal being compared. Only the price proposal of the candidates who passed the minimum technical score of 70% of the obtainable score of 100 points in the technical qualification evaluation will be evaluated.

1.Technical Qualification evaluation criteria:

The total number of points allocated for the technical qualification component is 100.  The technical qualification of the offer or/individual is evaluated based on following:

Technical Evaluation Criteria/Obtainable Score

• Qualification and background – 20
• Previous experience in the development of institutional training manuals and conducting institutional trainings – 30
• Understanding of gender and VAW/VAC (including online violence) and children in conflict with the law issues, especially in the justice law and order sector – 30
• Experience and familiarity with the UN system, UN Women’s and UNICEF’s work – 10
• Language proficiency - 10

2. Financial Proposal review criteria:

The financial proposal will be reviewed according to the following criteria:

• The total number of points allocated for the price component is 100.
• The maximum number of points will be allotted to the lowest price proposal that is opened/evaluated and compared among those technical qualified candidates who have attained a minimum of 70% score in the technical evaluation. All other price proposals will receive points in inverse proportion to the lowest price.

Application Deadline: All applications to be submitted no later than 25th September 2019.

Note: UN Women is an equal opportunity Employer. Qualified women and men are encouraged to apply.  UN Women reserves the right to accept or reject any bid. The process will be governed by the rules and regulations of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women)