Consultant - Gender Specialist

 1. BACKGROUND

Gender Justice through Musalihat Anjuman Project (GJTMAP) is a joint initiative of Federal and Provincial Governments of Pakistan and UNDP to roll out the ADR / MAs mechanism in Pakistan as provided in the Local Government Ordinance 2001. The project is being implemented in the 20 districts (5 districts each in the four provinces) since 2006. The project’s implementation phase is ending on 30 March 2012.

GJTMAP is being funded by multi partners including UNDP, Government of Pakistan, Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) and Royal Norwegian Embassy (NORAD). The Project aims to promote and safeguard the rights and entitlements of women and other vulnerable segments by institutionalizing community supported dispute resolution mechanisms viz. Musalihat Anjumans (MAs), with the goal “To promote and safeguard the rights and lawful entitlements of all, particularly the vulnerable segments of the society, by institutionalizing a community - supported Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism through the entity of Musalihat Anjuman (MA)”.

The Project has the following key objectives:

1. Constitution and mobilization of the Musalihat Anjumans in all Unions Councils in the Project districts (as per LGO, 2001);

2. Musalihat Anjuman’s capacity building to dispense gender justice at the community level through MAs;

3. Partnerships between judiciary, police and Musalihat Anjuman for accountable, fair and equitable dispensation of justice;

4. Community advocacy for legal rights of Women and Men’s role in ending violence.

2. MAIN OBJECTIVES, RESPONSABILITIES AND SCOPE OF WORK

Rationale for the Impact Study:

Baseline Study: At the beginning of the project when MAs were being constituted, a Baseline Study was conducted that measured the responses of people in terms of the availability of and access to and satisfaction with the outcomes of the formal and informal mechanisms of justice. The study also established a baseline on the status of MAs in the surveyed districts with regard to their constitution and functioning. 

Impact Study: This Impact study will be a ‘comparative study’ to compare the pre and post project situations with regards to the institutions of MAs and their performance. This study will be a more objective assessment of the outcomes of the project, i.e. the effectiveness of the MAs in providing access to justice at the doorsteps and reducing gender based violence. 

The main objective of the impact study is to collect and provide relevant and reliable evidence base on public’s access, utilization and satisfaction the informal dispute resolution mechanisms / MAs. The study will compare the pre and post project (GJTMAP) situations focusing on project outcomes and impact rather than outputs and activities.

The Study with the following key objectives:

• To document the expected changes Musalihat Anjumans have made in terms of easy, accessible, inexpensive, effective and efficient dispensation of justice at the grassroots level;  

• To document perceptions of stakeholders regarding Musalihat Anjumans in the project districts;

• To identify any gaps / short comings of the institutions of Musalihat Anjumans and the ADR system in achieving its long terms objectives;

• To assess the extent to which the project succeeded in supporting/assisting the judiciary and other stakeholders in reducing the case-load/pendency in the formal courts;

• To assess the extent to which Musalihat Anjumans molded people’s approach /leaning in terms of giving preference to Musalihat Anjumans over other informal mechanisms of dispute resolution, i.e. traditional jirga and panchayat;

• To assess the effectiveness of Musalihat Anjumans in reducing gender based violence and other inequalities on the basis of sex;

• To assess the effectiveness of woman representation as the member of MA and in influencing the decision making as well as safeguarding the rights of women;

• To analyze (and document any instance) the potential risk, if any, associated with the ADR system / MAs especially with regard to the misuse of this system for individual benefits and violation of human rights.

Selected Impact Study Indicators:

A core set of indicators /variables would be covered under this study including (but not limited to) the following:

1) People’s confidence in accessing MAs in terms of provision of easily accessible, speedy, inexpensive, effective and efficient platform of dispute resolution compared to formal judicial system and traditional mechanisms of disputes resolutions, i.e. jirga and panchyat;

2) Reasons for  not approaching MAs for resolution of their disputes, especially women and in terms of sufficient/insufficient representation to women and in terms of properly hearing them in MAs;

3) Expeditious resolution of their disputes compared to formal and traditional systems;

4) People’s preference using traditional mechanism of dispensation of justice or dispute resolutions in matters relating to types of cases, settlement procedure and implementation & enforceability;

5) Reasons for not approaching a traditional structure (jirga, punchayats, etc.) for dispensation of justice or dispute resolution and difference between the MAs and traditional mechanism of dispute resolution;

6) Proportion of cases - by type and nature- filed by women with state institutions (Police, courts) and traditional structures (jirga, punchayats, etc.);

7) Proportion of cases withdrawn due to perceived difficulty of women in accessing/using the courts or traditional means;

8) People’s awareness, preference and reasons for not using alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to attain gender justice;

9) Any change/betterment in the socio-economic situations, building social harmony, peace and contribution towards poverty reduction.   

3. Scope of work:

The Gender Specialist will work under the supervision of Steering Committee and Team Leader for this study. While overall, the Gender Specialist will be responsible for the preparation of Impact Study (jointly with the other consultants) as per the details given above, more specifically the Gender Specialist will perform the following:

1. Analyze the impact study protocols and methodology through gender lens;

2. Develop gender sensitive indicators for the study to capture the impact of the project on women, men and children;

3. Analyze and compile the impact, results and change brought by the project interventions in addressing violence against women and providing easy, free and accessible justice at their door steps;

4. Study/Analyze the effectiveness and success of female representation as member of Musalihat Anjuman/Musalihat Jarga constituted in the 20 project districts;

5. Assist the team members in Finalizing the sampling framework to ensure proper incorporation of gender perspectives in the framework;

6. Assist the team members in developing/formulation of gender sensitive questions in questioners for interviews, FGDs and other data collection methods;

7. Assist the team in finalizing target population / study respondents and develop guidelines to ensure proper representation of women;

8. Analyse, evaluate the data/information with the project and from the field from gender perspective;

9. Assist the team in preparing and presenting the draft report to the  Steering Committee; &

10. Assist the team in finalising the report for the Steering Committee;

11. Any other task assigned by the team leader.

4. REQUIREMENTS FOR EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

• At least Master Degree in social science preferably in Law, Women / Gender Issues, Development Studies or related field.

• At least 10 years experience in social and gender issues.

• Strong knowledge of International and national laws, conventions, treaties, protocols, resolutions on gender equality, women rights, gender based violence, gender and sexual discrimination and inequalities.

• Substantive knowledge and understanding of gender issues, inequality, discrimination, gender based violence and gender justice.

• Excellent knowledge in current development issues particularly those pertinent to this study.

• Excellent technical skills in Research,

• Previous working experience in impact assessment / surveys / research on similar issues

• Knowledge of local areas, survey tools, methodology and relevant stakeholders, an added advantage; and

• Excellent team work, presentation, interpersonal, computer and analytical skills with good command over spoken and written English.

• Urdu spoken skills. Spoken skills in local languages an asset.

• Previous experience with UNDP will be an additional advantage

Please note that Ex. Project staff members are not eligible to apply.

5. Expected Outputs:

1. Report outline including study protocol and  tools approved by Steering Committee;

2. Draft study report in accordance with the approved report outline and framework;

3. Final report, in which comments received have been incorporated, as appropriate; including a two page executive summary and recommendations for any further qualitative research on specific issues or gaps identified. The report should be reader and user friendly and will include visual aids to facilitate data dissemination to wider audience.

4. Complete documentation (to be annexed to the study report) of  the study implementation, fieldwork procedures and instruments, including problems encountered and any lessons learnt for future studies;

5. Data files in a standard statistical software format (SPSS, Stata, SAS) with complete documentation of variables and a full description of the datasets;

6. Archived questionnaires with inventory; &

7. Camera-ready version of final report (10 hard & soft copies) for printing.

6. Duration of Assignment:

? Contract awarded by 15th March 2012

? Sampling framework,  study protocols and tools agreed / finalized by 20 March 2012

? Field work to be completed by 30th March 2012

? Draft report by 15 April 2012 and

? Final report along with all details finalized by 30th April 2012

 • Strong knowledge of International and national laws, conventions, treaties, protocols, resolutions on gender equality, women rights, gender based violence, gender and sexual discrimination and inequalities. • Substantive knowledge and understanding of gender issues, inequality, discrimination, gender based violence and gender justice. • Excellent knowledge in current development issues particularly those pertinent to this study. • Excellent technical skills in Research, • Previous working experience in impact assessment / surveys / research on similar issues • Knowledge of local areas, survey tools, methodology and relevant stakeholders, an added advantage; and • Excellent team work, presentation, interpersonal, computer and analytical skills with good command over spoken and written English. • Urdu spoken skills. Spoken skills in local languages an asset. • Previous experience with UNDP will be an additional advantage

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