NATIONAL CONSULTANT- SEAH Prevention Coordinator, UNFPA Bangladesh
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
CONSULTANT Consultancy Locallly Recruited How you can make a difference:
UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.
In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.
UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.
Job Purpose:
UNFPA, in partnership with the Global Women’s Institute (GWI), aims to create a global platform and virtual toolkit to equip aid actors with standardized, evidence-informed tools to prevent Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (SEAH). The Project will catalyze a paradigm shift for the humanitarian system, from reactive, compliance-driven efforts to a proactive, prevention framework, fostering a safer and more effective humanitarian system for aid workers and affected populations. The Project will offer 3 core pillars: SEAH risk mitigation; safe programming focused on the leadership of women and girls; and addressing root causes through cultural and organizational change. Bangladesh is one of the three pilot countries globally.
The National Coordination Consultant is responsible for supporting and coordinating the co-creation and implementation of the SEAH Prevention Toolkit and Knowledge Hub pilot in Bangladesh. The consultant serves as the primary liaison between the UNFPA Country Office, national women’s rights organization (WRO) partner(s), other local stakeholders, and supports UNFPA Bangladesh in coordinating with global project teams at UNFPA HQ and the Global Women’s Institute (GWI) at the George Washington University. The role ensures meaningful engagement of WROs as equal partners across all pilot phases, supports contextual tool adaptation and/or development, supports with the design of the digital platform, manages the piloting and field-testing of these tools and the platform, and facilitates integration of prevention approaches from across the toolkit’s three pillars - SEAH risk mitigation, safe programming, and organizational and culture change - into country-level programming and coordination structures.
You would be responsible for:
Under the direct supervision of the UNFPA Bangladesh GBV Cluster Coordinator, the incumbent will ensure day to day management of the ECHO PSEAH pilot project in consultation and coordination with the UNFPA Bangladesh team. Specifically the consultant will be responsible for the following tasks:
1. In-Country Pilot Coordination and Budget Management
1. Lead day-to-day coordination and financial management of project activities with participating WROs/CSOs, and sector partners, ensuring alignment with the 31 October 2027 implementation deadline and all applicable rules and regulations.
2. Represent the project in national PSEAH-related coordination bodies, including the in-country PSEA network, the GBV Cluster/sub-sector, and other relevant humanitarian clusters and/or sector working groups.
3. Facilitate through the UNFPA Country Office (CO) communication flows between country actors and global project teams.
2. Partner Engagement & Support
1. Support identification, selection, and onboarding of WRO/CSO partner(s) in collaboration with the CO Operations Manager and/or relevant IP workplan managers.
2. Establish and maintain equitable partnership arrangements and uphold gender transformative, participatory principles throughout implementation.
3. Co-develop a pilot workplan with the WRO/CSO partner that defines their role and activities in the co-creation, field-testing and validation of the SEAH Prevention Toolkit and digital platform pilot.
4. Conduct regular monitoring of the partner’s work plan activities to track progress, ensure equality of outputs, and provide technical support as needed.
5. Coordinate capacity strengthening activities for partners with GWI, including tool testing, feedback cycles, and participatory workshops.
3. Co-Creation & Pilot Testing of Tools and Platform
1. Coordinate the co-creation, including the contextualized adaptation, of SEAH prevention tools across the three prevention pillars and digital platform (e.g., Contextualization Toolkit, digital knowledge hub platform, SEA risk mitigation guidance, organizational and culture change SEAH prevention actions, community-led feedback mechanisms), by facilitating country-level workshops and engagement activities between GW and the WRO/CSO partner(s).
2. Facilitate participatory consultations with women, girls, humanitarian personnel and marginalized groups.
3. Ensure the toolkit and platform are translated into and validated in local languages to promote meaningful participation and uptake.
4. Coordinate the pilot testing of the tools and platform.
5. Document adaptations, lessons learned, and promising practices.
6. Coordinate the in-country validation workshop.
4. Data, Learning, Visibility & Reporting
1. Support ethical, safe data collection, in line with UN data protection policies, and documentation of risk factors, prevention opportunities, and emerging needs.
2. Compile country inputs for quarterly and annual reporting to UNFPA HQ and consortium partners.
3. Coordinate local contributions to global learning events, webinars, and evidence reviews.
4. Support the Country Office Communication Unit in collecting inputs for the communication products in line with donor visibility and acknowledgment requirements.
5. CO-level Project Management & Accountability
1. Monitor contextual risks, ensure safe referral pathways, and support partners to adhere to ethical, survivor-centred approaches.
2. Ensure all project actors comply with PSEAH and safeguarding standards, including reporting obligations.
Duration and working schedule: 11 Months
Place where services are to be delivered: Dhaka, UNFPA Bangladesh
Delivery dates and how work will be delivered (e.g. electronic, hard copy etc.):
Deliverables: NB: these are approximate dates and updated/detailed deliverables will be discussed and agreed upon onboarding of the consultant
● Country pilot implementation workplan (with WRO/CSO partner(s)
● Stakeholder mapping and engagement plan
● Contextualized SEAH Prevention Toolkit plus co-design and contextualization summary & adaptation notes, in English and translated into local language
● Digital Platform User-Testing Report
● Pilot Report
● Pre-Post Evaluation
● Country Validation Report
● Quarterly progress reports and case studies
● Documentation of lessons learned and promising practices
● To be developed after on-boarding of the consultant
All deliverables will be provided digitally through email and shared drive.
Monitoring and progress control, including reporting requirements, periodicity format and deadline: The consultant will work closely with the GBV Cluster Coordinator, PSEA Coordinator, UNFPA Humanitarian and other programme teams, the Operations team in carrying out the responsibilities of the ToR.
The consultant should adhere to these deadlines without exception. The consultant should inform UNFPA of any anticipated delays well in advance of the deadlines.
Supervisory arrangements: The consultant will work under the supervision of the GBV Cluster Coordinator.
Expected travel: The consultant will be required to travel within Bangladesh.
Qualifications and Experience:
Education:
Master's degree or equivalent in Social Sciences, International Development, Gender Studies, Human Rights, or a related field.
Knowledge and Experience:
- Minimum of five years of progressively responsible professional experience in PSEAH, safeguarding, GBV prevention, response or coordination, protection, or related fields within humanitarian settings.
- Demonstrated experience coordinating and reporting on multi-partner initiatives.
- Specific experience in managing ECHO Humanitarian Implementation Plans (HIP) or similar DG ECHO-funded actions.
- Experience working with women’s rights organizations and community-based actors.
- Deep understanding of the humanitarian and cultural contexts of Bangladesh is required.
- Strong commitment to and experience in applying gender-transformative, inclusive, participatory methodologies and AAP (accountability to affected people) principles.
- Familiarity with humanitarian coordination systems and IASC PSEAH vision and strategy preferred.
- Experience and knowledge of UN systems, especially UNFPA, is an advantage.
- Proficiency in English and predominant local language (oral and written) is required.
Required Competencies:
Values:
Inputs/services to be provided by UNFPA or implementing partner (e.g. support services, office space, equipment), if
applicable: The consultant is expected to have all necessary resources, logistical facilities, and equipment that are required to fulfill the responsibilities detailed in the ToR.
Payment Instruction: Payment on a monthly basis
UNFPA Work Environment:
UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.
