I. 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 the United Nations system in advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women. It provides strategic leadership, technical expertise, and capacity-building to ensure that international commitments are translated into national actions, and builds effective partnerships with governments, civil society, and other key actors. In this role, UN Women plays a central part in supporting Member States to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 5 on gender equality and SDG 16 on peace, justice and strong institutions, recognizing their interdependence as mutually reinforcing pillars of inclusive and sustainable peace.

In Liberia, UN Women contributes to this global mandate by supporting the Government, civil society, and development partners to advance women’s equal participation and leadership in all areas of political, economic, and social life. Its programs promote women’s human rights and gender equality as essential for sustaining peace and consolidating democratic and developmental gains in the post-conflict context.  Additionally, UN Women in Liberia prioritizes support to the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 and its subsequent resolutions, which form the cornerstone of the WPS agenda.

Adopted unanimously in October 2000, UNSCR 1325 reaffirmed the vital role of women in conflict prevention and resolution, peace negotiations, peacebuilding, humanitarian response, and post-conflict reconstruction. It called for the full and equal participation of women in decision-making processes and for the integration of gender perspectives in all peace and security efforts. Subsequent resolutions, including UNSCR 1820, 1889, 1960, 2122 and 2242, further reinforced commitments to preventing conflict-related sexual violence, strengthening women’s leadership in peace processes, and ensuring accountability for gender-related commitments. Collectively, these resolutions created the WPS agenda, which is now globally recognized as a critical framework for advancing inclusive peace, justice, and security.

Liberia has been a leader on the continent in localizing this agenda. As one of the first African countries to develop a National Action Plan (NAP) on UNSCR 1325, Liberia has demonstrated sustained political commitment to advancing women’s role in peace and security. The first NAP (2009–2013) laid the foundation, while the second NAP (2019–2023) was informed by lessons learned from the first NAP, the Global Study on UNSCR 1325, and recommendations from the CEDAW Committee’s concluding observations on Liberia.

In July 2025, the National Steering Committee of the NAP Implementation Structure approved an extension of NAP-WPS II until December 2025. This extension was critical to allow for the completion of outstanding commitments and to maintain continuity while Liberia prepares to transition to its third NAP (NAP-WPS III). The development of the new plan comes at a strategic moment, as Liberia assumes a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for the period 2026–2027. Launching a third NAP will therefore not only guide national action but also reinforce Liberia’s leadership in championing the WPS agenda on the global stage.

To ensure the third NAP is evidence-based, participatory, and aligned with Liberia’s national priorities and commitments, the UN Women in collaboration with the MoGCSP, seeks to recruit a national consultant to work closely with the international consultant to develop the Third NAP-WSP for Liberia.

Objectives of the assignment

The overall objective of the assignment is to support the process of developing and validating Liberia’s third NAP-WPS.  Specifically, the National Consultant will ensure that the process is well-coordinated at the national level, inclusive of diverse stakeholders, and reflective of Liberia’s context and priorities. The consultant, under direct supervision from UN Women Deputy Country Representative, will provide organizational, and substantive support to the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection. 

The National Consultant will undertake the following tasks:

Task 1: Desk Review and development of the Inception report 

• In consultation with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and UN Women, compile existing reports, policies relevant to gender and WPS.
• Conduct preliminary desk review to provide inputs to the inception report, including practical recommendations for the consultancy plan.
• In coordination with the MGCSP and UN Women, map the relevant stakeholders that should be consulted, develop a contact list, and work closely with the NAP Secretariat to set up meetings with key stakeholders.

Task 2: Facilitate national and local participatory consultations for development of NAP III

• In consultation with the MoGCSP, and in coordination with UN Women, organize and conduct  in depth interviews, FGD (ensuring inclusive participation and contextual relevance) , & KII at national and county levels with government ministries, agencies and commissions, civil society, women’s and youth groups, security actors, media, development partners, and community-level actors selected Government focal points from security sector institutions and entities, development partners as well as Civil Society Organizations involved in WPS initiatives and the implementation and monitoring of the NAP WPS II.
• Provide contextual analysis and recommendations to complement other assessments conducted.
• Support the presentation of assessment findings to the NSC and other implementation structure of the NAP WPS.
• Document proceedings and consolidate stakeholder input into consultation summaries.

Task 3. Development of NAP-WPS III

• Provide substantive inputs and contextual recommendations to ensure the draft NAP III reflects national priorities and realities.
• facilitate a drafting workshop to develop the outline and content of NAP III.
• Assist in aligning stakeholder feedback with the strategic priorities, objectives, and results framework of NAP III.
• Support integration of cross-cutting issues (e.g., youth inclusion, gender-responsive budgeting, humanitarian–development–peace nexus) from a local perspective.

Task 4: Validation and Finalization 

• Organize and coordinate validation workshops for the final assessment findings and outline of NAP III.
• Provide facilitation support during validation sessions.
• Document and consolidate stakeholder feedback during validation workshops.
• Support finalization of the NAP-WPS III by ensuring national perspectives are accurately captured.
• Support final copy of NAP WPS III for editing and graphic design.
• Provide final consultancy report with all annexes.

Institutional Arrangement

Under the overall guidance of the National Steering committee of the NAP-WPS, direct supervision of UN Women Deputy Country Representative and coordinating closely with designated programme team member. 

Duration of the Work 

The duration of this assignment will be for up to 50 days within a 5-month work assignment, tentatively from 2^nd January 2026 to 1^st June 2026. The estimated number of days is a guideline only and does not determine the assignment completion. Completion and payment depend solely on the submission and approval of deliverables by the UN Women Deputy Country Representative.

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

This consultancy will be home-based in Monrovia, Liberia. The consultant will engage in regular meetings with the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, UN Women, and other stakeholders in Monrovia as required. The consultant will be required to travel to designated counties to gather data. Travel will be facilitated in consultation with UN Women and following UN Women rules and procedures governing duty travel.

Performance Evaluation

The Consultant’s performance will be evaluated based on timeliness, responsibility, initiative, communication, accuracy, and quality of the products delivered.

Financial Arrangement

Payments will be disbursed to the consultant on a deliverable-based arrangement aligned to the “Expected Deliverables” of section of the ToR and certification by the Deputy Country Representative, that services have been satisfactorily performed.   

II. 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

• Strong knowledge of gender equity and women’s empowerment issues 
• Strong knowledge of UN system and understanding of inter-agency coordination processes 
• Demonstrated ability to interact effectively with government representatives of Member States (donor and programme)
• Proven networking skills, and ability to mobilize support on behalf of UN Women
• Strong knowledge of results-based programme planning and management 
• Strong negotiation skills
• Ability to promote and monitor inclusion of gender-specific objectives, indicators, targets and activities in the UN agencies programmes 
• Strong analytical and interpersonal skills
• Strong workshop facilitation skills

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.