Job Description

Background:

UN Women exists to advance women’s rights, gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. As the lead UN entity on gender equality, we shift laws, institutions, social behaviours and services to close the gender gap and build an equal world for all women and girls. We keep the rights of women and girls at the centre of global progress–always, everywhere. Because gender equality is not just what we do. It is who we are.

UN Women Sri Lanka is currently in the implementation phase of “THRIVE: Together for Her: Resilience-building, Inclusivity, and Voices for Equality in Sri Lanka”, a five-year project launched in December 2024, set to conclude in November 2029 jointly implemented by UN Women, Chrysalis and FISD and funded by the Government of Australia. THRIVE will operate across six districts: Badulla, Colombo, Kilinochchi, Mannar, Monaragala, and Nuwara Eliya, and is expected to engage diverse-groups, including women-led businesses, producers, MSMEs, community members and leaders on changing gender based social norms and work with national and local government institutions to enhance women’s voices in decision-making, leadership and peacebuilding.

THRIVE’s overall goal is to economically and socially empower marginalized women and ensure their resilience in times of crisis, insecurity, and in a changing climate. Thematically, the project addresses three interconnected areas:

Women’s Economic Empowerment and Climate Resilience: Building capacities and providing resources for women’s enterprises to withstand climate-related and other crises
Social Norms Transformation: Addressing harmful norms and behaviors that perpetuate gender inequality and drive SGBV
Women’s Leadership and Decision-making: Enhancing women’s voice, agency and representation in community governance and institutional processes

These thematic focuses are pursued through three outcomes and six outputs and 30+ indicators to measure the success of the project outcomes and outputs.

The project has defined target groups for its interventions, aiming to reach:

150 women-owned/led/managed micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs)
30 women’s producer groups with a total membership of 900 women small-holder producers
900 women-led sustainable livelihood-level businesses
3,000 beneficiaries (including household members) to promote more equitable relationships
240 community members and leaders engaging in dialogue and developing joint initiatives
2,000 community members designing and implementing community initiatives through Community Action Grants

The Project conducted an initial macro-level Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) and situational analysis of the 6 districts to assess the dynamics of the context, social norms, relations and power dynamics in selected districts during the inception phase. Now, the project is expecting to conduct detailed Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) (Phase II) and situational analysis (including post-Cyclone ‘Ditawh’ effects) to assess the dynamics of the context, social norms, relations and power dynamics experienced by project participants, particularly women, because of their intersecting social identities, including but not limited to gender, age, disability, income, education, religion, race, ethnicity, cast, sexuality, type of household, and migration status in selected districts. This analysis will further explore GEDSI Phase I analysis on intersecting factors which create diverse experiences of exclusion and marginalization, providing a nuanced understanding of systemic barriers. It will then fill the gaps of Phase I critical analysis across these social norms, relations and power dynamics, highlighting where inequalities exist between different social groups; identifying rooted reasons for the existence of these disparities; and pinpointing potential barriers for different social groups in benefiting from the project. Finally, it will provide any deviation to the situational analysis in Phase I considering the recent impacts of Cyclone Ditwah and propose potential solutions to these issues. Based on an intersectional approach, the GEDSI and situational analysis Phase II will assist the THRIVE project in re-recognising people’s different experiences and access to power, which enables the development of better-targeted and more effective programming and informs adaptive management throughout the project lifecycle.

In Phase II, the GEDSI and Situational Analysis will be district- and participant-specific, drawing significantly from (presently ongoing) assessments such as the Baseline Assessment, the Pre-intervention Perception Survey, and other assessments, which will be made available by the project partners.

Accordingly, UN Women seeks to hire a qualified and experienced individual as the National Consultant Researcher to conduct the GEDSI and Situational Analysis Phase II for the THRIVE project, to ensure effective and adaptive, result-orientated programming.

The consultant will report to the Head of Office and will be supported by the Monitoring and Reporting Officer, who will be the point of contact on substantive and administrative issues.

Description of Responsibilities/ Scope of Work

Under the supervision and guidance of the Head of Office, the National Consultant Researcher is expected to undertake the following tasks.

The quality standards of the deliverables of this consultancy will be evaluated based on GEDSI Phase II methodology, data collection and analysis, and the final report. The delivery of the final GEDSI and Situational Analysis Phase II report must further support the THRIVE project’s implementation strategy.

1	Develop the inception report for the execution of the GEDSI and Situational Analysis Phase II. Kick-off meeting with UN Women to gain a comprehensive understanding of the project, clarify any questions arising from the document review (project documents, GEDSI and Situational Analysis Phase I, GEDSI strategies and framework of Donor, Donor feedback for GEDSI Phase I report and baseline inception report, including data collection tools) and inform the drafting of the inception report. The draft inception report should include: An initial desk review. A detailed methodology/framework including comprehensive data collection and analysis tools. A clear design framework. Data Analysis Plan A robust quality assurance mechanism during data and information collection. Clearly defined roles and responsibilities of team members. A draft structure for the final report. Key milestones and timelines with detailed work plans. Crucially, the inception report must also outline measures to address identified risks, challenges or limitations that should be thoroughly identified. The final inception report must be presented to and formally approved by UN Women before commencing data collection activities.
2	Develop data collection and analysis tools. UN Women expects significant use of primary data sources in the GEDSI and situational analysis Phase II, complemented by limited secondary data collection to address information gaps and update the existing information where the data sources are significantly outdated (from before the recent Cyclone Ditwah effects). Data collection tools need to be based on an intersectional approach, in line with the Gender at Work Framework, to collect data to understand the district-specific GEDSI in relation to Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) through MSMEs, empowerment, women’s agency, leadership and men’s engagement in family settings (including family structures beyond traditional settings). In addition, tools should be developed to identify the reference groups that shape the targeted community's understanding of the above-specified areas. The tools need to be developed to collect further data from national and sub-national institutions to understand the current practices of gender-sensitive planning, programming and budgeting, including the current structure, capacity, knowledge, and resources to address the GEDSI-related issues in their programs. Based on the data collection tools, a Data Analysis Plan also needs to be finalised, including data cleaning and storing structures. * The consultant is expected to adhere to the “participatory approaches”, “do no harm principles”, research ethics (access the guidelines here), the guidance provided by the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on GEDSI analysis good practices in their latest publication (access here), Gender strategies and frameworks of Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (access here) and the United Nations Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality (IANWGE) intersectionality-informed gender analysis toolkit (access here). Beyond the general research ethics outlined above, when engaging with vulnerable communities and potentially survivors of violence, the consultants are required to follow the highest standard of ethical principles on researching violence against women and girls as outlined in the World Health Organization’s technical document: https://who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-FCH-GWH-01.1
3	Conduct data collection and analysis. Data collection using data collection tools from agreed-upon target groups identified during the inception phase. The consultant is expected to systematically triangulate data through primary and secondary data sources to enhance validity and reliability. A debriefing session for UN Women will be conducted midway of data collection to identify any emerging gaps, address issues, and discuss preliminary observations. On the basis of the completed data analysis, present the initial findings, preliminary conclusions and recommendations to UN Women. This presentation should serve as a crucial foundation for the subsequent draft reports * The National Consultant Researcher is expected to document FGDs and KIIs during the data collection ensuring the quality of data. * All the logistics required for data collection, including but not limited to accommodation, transport and communication, will be reimbursed by UN Women. * The consultant is expected to proactively coordinate with relevant beneficiaries, national, provincial and district-level local authorities to obtain all necessary permission and approvals for data collection as necessary. If needed, UN Women may provide a letter confirming the engagement of service. * All data collected by the service provider will be requested by UN Women, as it is the property of the UN. Data should be stored properly and anonymized. Data from this research will be stored in the consultants’ Personal Computers with passwords and this raw data will not be shared to any parties outside the commissioning organisation (UN Women). Data presented in this report should be anonymized to ensure confidentiality of the respondents. All data collected by the consultants must be deleted from their devices after the completion of this assignment and anonymised data must be shared with UN Women.
4	Drafting and finalizing the GEDSI and Situational Analysis Phase II report The consultant will prepare a draft report for the GEDSI and Situational Analysis Phase II incorporating UN Women’s feedback from the presentation. The draft report will be thoroughly reviewed by the THRIVE project team and DFAT, who will provide comprehensive feedback for incorporation. * Preparation of final reports: The standard practice involves up to three rounds of feedback before finalising the reports. Additional rounds of feedback may be required if the quality standards are not consistently met and/or donor requires a draft report for their feedback, while fewer rounds may suffice if high quality is achieved promptly. * The report should not exceed 45 pages excluding annexes. * An executive summary should cover research methodology and its main findings conclusions and recommendations. It should read as a “stand alone” document. * The final report must follow relevant UN Women guidelines and processes outlined and formatted in accordance with UN Women branding guidelines for technical publication.

Deliverables

The National Consultant Researcher will remain accountable for the timely submission of the deliverables as per the timeline given below. All deliverables should be finalized in line with the feedback given by UN Women.

	Deliverables	Expected completion time (due day)
01	Inception phase Kickoff meeting Draft an initial methodology and plan Draft inception report Oral presentation of the inception report Incorporate UN Women’s feedback into the inception report Final inception report	22 April 2026
02	Data collection and analysis phase Develop data collection tools Obtain necessary permission and approvals Pre-brief session for project staff (slide deck with data collection and analysis plan) Data collection and analysis Present the initial findings, preliminary conclusions and recommendations (slide deck with preliminary findings from the data collection)	29 May 2026
03	Synthesis and finalizing the GEDSI report Draft GEDSI and Situational Analysis report Incorporate feedback from UN Women and partners Final GEDSI and Situational Analysis report, incorporating all feedback	25 June 2026

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel
The consultancy is expected to start on 8 April 2026 and continue until 30 June 2026. As part of the official duty of this consultancy, if the consultant is expected to travel, this will be processed by UN Women, following the duty travel policy.

Payments
Payments for this consultancy will be based on the achievement of each deliverable and certification that each has been satisfactorily completed. Payments will be made upon submission of deliverables with the approval of the Head of Office of UN Women Sri Lanka. Mobile and internet bills, printing, stationery costs, translation, interpretation, transcription costs and travel cost may be reimbursed based on prior approval from UN Women, and will be processed separately, following the relevant policy.

Intellectual Property
All information pertaining to this assignment (data, analysis, reports, documentary, digital, cyber, project documents, etc.) belonging to UN Women, which the consultant may come into contact within the performance of their duties under this assignment, shall remain the property of UN Women who shall have exclusive rights over their use. Except for purposes of this assignment, the information shall not be disclosed to the public nor used in whatever form, without the written permission of UN Women, in line with the national and International Copyright Laws applicable.

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:

Inclusive facilitation
Expertise in gender and social inclusion
Excellent research and analytical skills
Excellent writing skills
Timely adherence to deadlines
Adherence to research ethics and principles

Required Qualifications

Education and Certification:

Master’s degree or higher in relevant discipline of the technical area is required. (e.g., international development/relations, development studies, law, sociology, social sciences, Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion, climate resilience, gender studies or related field).
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:

Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience leading assessments, research, or reviews, in a development context, particularly with regard to gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Previous experience conducting similar GEDSI and district-level situational analysis is required.
Proven and demonstrated experience in research related to gender equality and women’s empowerment in Sri Lanka is required. Experience in conducting such research in the 6 project districts will be a significant advantage.
Considerable experience in quantitative and qualitative research and analysis (including developing sampling methodology, data collection, data management, quality assurance, and data analysis).
Previous experience in research report writing with excellent writing, presentation and documentation skills (in English).
Previous experience engaging with UN agencies, donors and high-level government stakeholders is preferred.

Languages:

Proficiency in English and one of local languages (Sinhala and/or Tamil).

How to Apply

Interested candidates are encouraged to submit an electronic application through UN Women website and complete all questions with below required documents to upload to the system*.

A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page)
P11 form to be filled online.
A list of 2-3 publicly available research reports or analysis authored by the applicant, similar to what is required in this assignment. Please provide URLs to these reports – kindly do not submit attachments.
The evaluation committee may ask for any other materials relevant to pre-assessing the relevance of their experience, such as reports, presentations, publications, campaigns, or other materials from shortlisted candidates

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.

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