Terms of Reference
UNRWA, the UN Agency for Palestine refugees, assists a population of some 5 million refugees in the
Middle East. UNRWA’s mission is to create opportunities for refugees to become self-reliant and productive
members of their communities. UNRWA’s services are designed to help Palestine refugees acquire
knowledge and skills, live healthy lives, achieve a decent standard of living, and enjoy their human rights
to the fullest. The Agency’s human development work is about alleviating and reversing the deprivations
that refugees face. Operating in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the occupied Palestinian territory including
East Jerusalem, UNRWA’s range of services covers education, health care, relief and social services,
community support, rehabilitation of camp infrastructure, microfinance programmes, and emergency
assistance, including in times of armed conflict.
CONSULTANCY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE GBV MULTI-SECTORAL PREVENTION
FRAMEWORK
BACKGROUND
GBV continues to be a growing concern where acute humanitarian pressures and violent conflict constitute
aggravating factors for GBV, particularly violence against women and girls. In recent years, increased
knowledge of and attention to GBV in emergencies has brought to light the prevalence and effects of GBV,
further highlighting the global community’s responsibility. In accordance with international standards,
UNRWA has progressively engaged in addressing GBV in emergencies both in the sphere of prevention
and response across its five fields of operation through the establishment of a cross-sectoral referral
system. While these efforts have been instrumental in improving access to services for survivors of GBV,
greater efforts are needed to ensure the wider emergency response sustain and facilitate GBV responses
in emergencies and that UNRWA’s emergency responders build a stronger foundation for understanding
gendered impacts of emergency operations as a means to ensure GBV risks are addressed and risks
mitigation mainstreamed across all sectors of operations.
In this perspective, UNRWA developed the project Building Safety: Mainstreaming GBV Interventions into
Emergency Preparedness, Prevention and Response within the context of the Safe from the Start Initiative.
This project offers an important opportunity to strengthen UNRWA’s preparedness capacity to mainstream
GBV interventions in emergency operations and to incorporate a gender sensitive approach to emergency
response. Specifically, the project focuses on: (i) Developing minimum Standard Operating Procedures
(SOPs) for agency wide and multi-sectoral preparedness and response to GBV in emergency settings (ii)
Strengthening the capacity of UNRWA emergency responders on gender and GBV, both in terms of
understanding and practice; (iii) Developing evidence-based assessments on GBV prevention processes
in emergencies, including the identification of best practices; (iv) Enhancing understanding of GBV among
individuals and communities and enabling active participation of target communities in the framing of
prevention and mitigation efforts, seeking active participation of women, men, boys and girls through
dedicated activities.
The process of strengthening the organizational capacity for GBV emergency preparedness becomes more
solid and consistent when supported and supplemented by reliable, comprehensive analysis of risks
mitigation and prevention interventions. Undertaking in-depth analysis of prevention and mitigation
measures is key to increasing the readiness of the Agency to effectively and timely respond to GBV in
emergencies. UNRWA sees this project as an opportunity to elaborate a systematic approach to GBV
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prevention in emergencies - on the basis of common criteria - with the goal of harmonizing key interventions,
taking stock from their results, and thus identifying best practices.
An in-depth research will aim to map and evaluate current GBV prevention initiatives developed in the
context of emergencies in all fields of operation. The research will facilitate four levels of information (at the
programmatic level, country level, thematic level, and structural level). Each unit of analysis offers distinct
dimensions and specific questions to be measured. Each level of analysis builds on the results of the
previous one, which will ultimately provide a complete and coherent view of overall progress and impact.
As a result of this research exercise, a multi-sectoral GBV risks mitigation and prevention framework
will be elaborated and made available. The framework will highlight strengths, shortcomings and
opportunities connected to the actual prevention programmes, especially in the context of implementation
in emergency settings, and provide a set of recommendations and guiding tools that will inform prevention
quality standards in terms of approach and methodologies. Evidence-based evaluation must be understood
as a part of the prevention framework and as the best way of measuring progress, detecting problems,
correcting them, improving performance and learning at the local and global levels. This course of action
will link with the developments of the community participation component as the research analysis findings
of the prevention framework will progressively feed the community participation component providing inputs
for more effective and impactful ways to mobilize communities and raise their awareness on GBV. As part
of this process a baseline/endline survey will be carried out at the start and conclusion of the project in
order to ensure precise assessment of the initial situation and successive tracking of changes. It will be
designed to measure level of awareness of GBV and change in attitude towards GBV amongst selected
target groups. Best practices and lessons learned on raising awareness and mobilising communities to
address GBV in emergencies and measuring change in resisting setting will be documented through the
production of a final document that will encompass key findings of the GBV multi-sectoral prevention
framework and the other assessments. The final document will be an important tool for learning,
communication and advocacy purposes.
The overall process will be highly participatory in nature and will involve key staff both at the HQ and field
office levels. To this extent, two thematic workshops will be organized as part of the roll out phase of the
GBV multi-sectoral prevention framework. The workshops will be an opportunity to share the findings and
the recommendations enclosed in the GBV the multi-sectoral framework among target staff, and work
towards building a common approach to prevention.
The multi-sectoral GBV prevention framework is a key milestone that will contribute to steadily improving
UNRWA’s prevention efforts in emergencies by ensuring on one hand the application of quality standards,
and on the other end, the best use of available resources in times of emergencies.
A research body will be selected to carry out this assignment and to coordinate the different stages of the
overall process.
1. Objective of the contract
The services offered by the consultants are expected to cover the following objectives:


Contribute to improve UNRWA preparedness and response to GBV in emergencies by developing
evidence based assessment and define best practices of GBV prevention/mitigation processes in
emergencies.
Contribute to systematize UNRWA’s overall approach to GBV prevention and mitigation by developing
a GBV multi-sectoral prevention framework.
2. Scope of Work
The Consultants shall perform tasks related to the following areas:
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






Work with all relevant stakeholders that are engaged in emergency prevention within UNRWA,
particularly at the field level, towards the development of the GBV multi-sectoral prevention
framework, in coordination with the gender unit;
Conduct a in-depth research to map and assess current GBV prevention initiatives developed in
the context of emergencies in all UNRWA fields of operation;
Develop the GBV multi-sectoral prevention framework that will highlight strengths, shortcomings
and opportunities connected to the actual prevention programmes, especially in the context of
implementation in emergency settings, and provide a set of recommendations and guiding tools
that will inform prevention quality standards in terms of approach and methodologies. The
framework will build on the outcomes of the situational analysis and the consultation inputs of all
relevant counterparts involved in the project.
Align work with ongoing prevention efforts and other efforts to standardize emergency
preparedness across sectors.
Conduct/Facilitate meetings and workshops to share information and progress linked to the
development of the framework and to ensure the roll-out of the framework within the Agency.
Carry out a baseline/endline survey at the start and conclusion of the project in order to ensure
precise assessment of the initial situation and successive tracking of changes in relation to
community participation and awareness raising on GBV.
Contribute to overall learning, evidence generation and capacity development in line with the key
objectives of the project.
3. Expected Deliverables/Outputs
The expected outputs and their due dates are as follows:
Tasks
1) Define a detailed work plan outlining
step by step process of the GBV multisectoral
prevention
framework
development
including
technical
approach, methodology and timelines
2) Conduct in-depth research to map
and assess current GBV prevention
initiatives and carry out a baseline
survey within all UNRWA fields of
operation
3) Work on developing the GBV multisectoral prevention framework
4) Finalise the development of the
GBV
multi-sectoral
prevention
framework, with the incorporation of
input or feedback from relevant
counterparts involved in the project
5) Conduct/Facilitate meetings and
workshops to share information and
progress linked to the development of
the framework and to ensure the rollout of the framework
6) Conduct an endline survey to
assess progress against the baseline
Deliverables/ Outputs
A detailed work plan
Target Due Dates
To be determined based on
Consultants’ proposed
workplan and methodology
A report on the findings of the
initial situational mapping and
analysis, and a baseline
survey
To be determined based on
Consultants’ proposed
workplan and methodology
A first draft of the GBV multisectoral prevention framework
submitted for UNRWA review
A final draft of the GBV multisectoral prevention framework
submitted for UNRWA review
To be determined based on
Consultants’ proposed
workplan and methodology
To be determined based on
Consultants’ proposed
workplan and methodology
Relevant material supporting
the roll-out phase of the
framework to be used in
workshops and meetings.
To be determined based on
Consultants’ proposed
workplan and methodology
Endline
report
To be determined based on
Consultants’
proposed
workplan and methodology
survery
and
final
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4. Institutional Arrangement

The Consultants will come under the direct supervision of and reporting to the Gender Advisor and
the Gender Unit at HQ Amman. Due to the nature of the tasks and funding, there are multiple
reviewers for some outputs/deliverables.

UNRWA will try to assist with logistics of travel directly linked to the work. Otherwise, the
Consultants are expected to be self-sufficient in terms of transport.

The Consultants are expected to bring own laptops for the consultancy.
5. Duration of the Work

The work is a long-term task that will be framed into different phases according to the proposed
methodology and within the project timeframe (2015-2016).
6. Duty Station

The consultancy will be a combination of home-based and official travels to UNRWA Field Offices
in West Bank, Gaza, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. As and when official travels is authorized by
UNRWA occurs, applicable UNRWA Travel Subsistence Allowance (TSA) and return ticket/s will
be issued/paid a per the Agency's rules and regulations. As of the time of this tender, the official
UNRWA TSA rates are:
Area
Rate per night
Lebanon
Beirut
Elsewhere Lebanon
$
$
268.00
180.00
Syria
Damascus (Four
Season)
$
274.00
Jordan
Amman
Elsewhere Jordan
$
$
253.00
261.00
West Bank
Jerusalem
Jericho
Elsewhere West Bank
$
$
$
311.00
174.00
160.00
Gaza
$
180.00
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