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.

The Constitution of Kenya, 2010, the National Police Service Act, and related policy frameworks require the National Police Service (NPS) to uphold the rule of law, protect and promote human rights, and provide professional, accountable and gender-responsive policing services.

In recognition of the centrality of gender equality, child protection and inclusion in policing, the Government of Kenya has established institutional mechanisms including the State Department for Gender and Affirmative Action and the Directorate of Gender and Children Affairs within the National Police service. These institutions work closely with the NPS to strengthen prevention and response to gender-based violence (GBV), violence against children (VAC), sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), and other forms of discrimination and harm.

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are a key instrument for translating laws, policies and service standing orders into concrete, user-friendly guidance for police officers. However, evolving legal frameworks, new policy commitments, emerging forms of violence (including online abuse), and lessons from practice have created a need to review and update existing SOPs and/or develop more robust, harmonized procedures, particularly in relation to:

• Gender-based violence and violence against children;
•  Handling of survivors, witnesses and children in contact with the law;
• Inter-agency coordination and referral pathways;
• Accountability, ethics and human rights standards in policing.

Within this framework, UN Women is supporting the Task Force under the State Department for Gender and Affirmative Action and the Directorate of Gender and Children Affairs, of the National Police service, to review and strengthen the Kenya National Police SOPs to ensure they are aligned to national, regional and international standards and are practical for use at station and community levels.

Objectives

The assignment will pursue the following specific objectives:

1. Assess the current Kenya National Police SOPs (and related instruments) to identify gaps, overlaps, inconsistencies and areas needing clarification, particularly in relation to gender equality, GBV and VAC.
2. Ensure alignment of the SOPs with the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, national legislation and policies, Service Standing Orders, and relevant regional and international standards on policing, gender and child protection.
3. Integrate cross-cutting issues including human rights, gender equality, children’s rights, disability inclusion, survivor-centred approaches, community policing, accountability and integrity.
4. Propose clear, practical revisions and additions to the SOPs, including structure, content, tools and language to enhance usability at all levels of the NPS.
5. Support a participatory review and validation process with the Task Force and key stakeholders, and incorporate their inputs into the final SOPs.

Description of Responsibilities/ Scope of Work

Under direct supervision of the EVAWG Programme Manager, and overall guidance of the Task Force under the State Department for Gender and Affirmative Action and the Directorate of Gender and Children Affairs, Ministry of Interior and National Administration, the consultant will undertake (but not be limited to) the following tasks:

1. Inception Phase

• Participate in an inception meeting with UN Women and the Task Force to clarify expectations, methodology, scope and timelines.
• Review all relevant documentation, including:
• Existing Kenya National Police SOPs and Service Standing Orders;
• Relevant legislation (e.g. Constitution of Kenya, NPS Act, Sexual Offences Act, Children Act, Protection Against Domestic Violence Act, Victim Protection Act, etc.
• National policy frameworks (e.g. GBV, VAC, gender, policing and justice policies);
• Existing guidelines, circulars and directives relating to GBV, VAC and human rights in policing;
• Previous assessments, evaluations or reviews related to police procedures on GBV/VAC/human rights.
• Prepare an Inception Report setting out:
  • Understanding of the assignment;
  • Proposed methodology and tools;
  • Detailed work plan, including key milestones and deliverable dates within the 20 working days.

2. Desk Review and Technical Analysis

• Conduct a detailed technical review of the existing SOPs and related instruments, assessing:
• Legal and policy alignment (national, regional and international);
• Coherence and consistency across units and thematic areas (e.g. GBV, VAC, child-friendly procedures, referrals);
• Operational clarity and practicality for use at station and field level;
• Integration of human rights, survivor-centred and child-sensitive approaches;
• Map gaps, inconsistencies, duplications, terminology issues and outdated provisions.
• Identify areas where new or strengthened SOPs may be required (e.g. digital evidence in GBV/VAC cases, online exploitation of children, coordinated case management, interface with health and justice actors, etc., depending on the material provided).

3. Stakeholder Consultations

• In collaboration with UN Women and the Task Force, develop a stakeholder consultation plan.
• Conduct focused consultations (virtual and/or in-person) with:
  • Relevant NPS directorates/units (including gender and child desks where applicable);
  • The State Department for Gender and Affirmative Action;
  • The Directorate of Gender and Children Affairs, Ministry of Interior;
  • Other government actors as relevant (e.g. ODPP, Judiciary, Children’s Department, Health facilities, etc.);
  • Oversight and support institutions (as relevant);
  • Civil society organizations, survivor support services and child protection actors, where appropriate.
• Document key findings, recommendations and practical challenges identified by stakeholders to inform revisions.

4 Drafting and Revision of the SOPs

• Prepare a Draft Technical Review and Recommendations Report summarizing key findings from the desk review and consultations, and recommending structural and content changes to the SOPs.
• Draft revised SOPs (or provide an annotated version of existing SOPs), ensuring:
   
  • Clear, step-by-step procedures for key processes (e.g. survivor reception, initial response, statement taking, evidence handling, referrals, protection measures);
  • Clear roles and responsibilities at all levels;
  • Integration of appropriate referral pathways and inter-agency coordination mechanisms;
  • Inclusion of practical tools such as checklists, forms, flow charts and templates, where useful;
  • Use of simple, clear and accessible language that can be easily understood and applied by officers.
• Propose improvements to the structure, layout and presentation of the SOPs to enhance accessibility and training use.

5 Validation and Finalization

• Present the draft findings and revised SOPs to the Task Force and key stakeholders during at least one technical validation meeting/workshop.
• Facilitate discussions, capture feedback and support consensus-building on key provisions.
• Incorporate agreed inputs and submit:
• Final Technical Review and Recommendations Report;
• Final Revised SOPs in editable format (and any annexes/tools).

Deliverables

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

This is a home-based consultancy with consultants expected to be physically present at the various consultative meetings /convenings to be held in Nairobi.

Competencies :

Core Values:

• Integrity;
• Professionalism;
• Respect for Diversity.

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
• Accountability;
• Creative Problem Solving;
• Effective Communication;
• Inclusive Collaboration;
• Stakeholder Engagement;
• Leading by Example.

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework: 

Functional Competencies:

• A good grasp and personal experience around the area of family and personal law through litigation, and research.
• Practical knowledge of conflicting court decisions on matters family and personal law.
• A good understanding of the Intersectionality of Culture, Religion, Personal and Family Laws.

Required Qualifications

The consultant should meet the following minimum requirements:

Education and Certification:

• Advanced university degree in Law, Criminology, Security/Police Studies, Human Rights, Gender and development or a related field is required.
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

At least 7 years of relevant professional experience in one or more of the following:

• Police reform, security sector governance, or criminal justice sector;
• Development, review and drafting of SOPs, guidelines or policies for law enforcement or justice institutions;
• Gender-based violence, violence against children, human rights and/or access to justice programming.

Demonstrated knowledge of:

• The Kenyan legal and policy framework on policing, GBV, VAC, human rights and related areas. 
• Regional and international standards and instruments relevant to law enforcement, gender equality and child protection.
• Proven experience in designing and facilitating multi-stakeholder consultations and validation processes.
• Excellent analytical, legal drafting and editing skills, with ability to translate complex legal/policy issues into practical operational guidance.
• Familiarity with survivor-centred, child-sensitive and gender-responsive approaches in policing and justice.
• Strong interpersonal, communication and report-writing skills.
• Previous experience working with UN entities, government ministries or security institutions in Kenya or the region will be an added advantage.

Languages:

• Fluency in English and Kiswahili is required.

Statements :

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.

Diversity and inclusion:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)

Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.