National Consultant for Partnership and Stakeholders Mapping Consultancy

Background

Grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, UN Women will work 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 centre of all its efforts, UN Women will lead and coordinate United Nations System efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It will provide strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.

Context

After years of protracted crisis, Sudan plunged into a conflict of alarming scale in mid-April 2023 when fighting between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group, broke out initially in the capital Khartoum, and quickly expanded to other areas across the country. The current bout of insecurity has resulted in human casualties, with more than 10,400 fatalities.1 Khartoum has been the site of heavy fighting, while intense violent clashes have also been reported in the greater Darfur and Kordofan regions. The widespread hostilities have resulted in extensive damage to critical infrastructure and facilities, the collapse of banking and financial services, and frequent interruptions to electricity supply and telecommunication services.

The conflict also created massive displacement at a larger scale than the previous 2003 Darfur crisis,2 with over 6.1 million people forced to leave their homes in search of safety elsewhere. Of this, 1.3 million crossed the border to neighbouring countries, while 4.85 million were internally displaced (54 per cent women) – the majority of whom were originally from Khartoum areas, and over half were children (under 18 years of age)3. In addition to the 3.8 million internally displaced persons (IDPs ) resulting from past internal conflict, Sudan currently faces the largest internal displacement crisis in the world, and also the most significant child displacement crisis, with 3 million children displaced inside and outside the country. These distressing trends highlight the breakdown of the rule of law and institutions to protect the civilian population, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the country. The protection of civilians remains a significant concern, with reports of escalating use of sexual and gender-based violence, targeted attacks on – or harm against – civilians, based on ethnicity, grave violations of children’s rights, family separations, theft, abduction of girls, and extortion in all regions affected by the hostilities as fighting rages on.

The hostilities have triggered a significant deterioration in humanitarian needs across the country, including in the areas previously not affected by conflict. People who were unable to safely move away from active fighting or decided to remain in place are reported to be without food, water, adequate shelter, and other basic services. Those who moved and became internally displaced – some of whom lost their homes due to fighting – experience daily and significant challenges to obtain the basic necessities for survival. The surge of newly displaced people across Sudan has overwhelmed public services and resources in the areas of arrival, creating appalling living conditions, particularly in hundreds of gathering sites where new IDPs continue to arrive. Increasing demands for shelter among the displaced prompt the creation of new sites. Reports of conflict-related sexual violence are widespread in all the states where conflict is ongoing. The breakdown of families due to separation, and lack of kinship support, forced women to spend long hours outside their homes, increasing their vulnerability to opportunistic attacks and assaults. Men, on the other hand, face a greater risk of intentional killings, injury, or detention.4

UN Women Sudan has been fully engaged in humanitarian response during the ongoing crisis in Sudan. As a result, we have observed intensified demand for support in gender expertise, to ensure that the coordinated efforts of humanitarian efforts incorporate gender equality and women’s empowerment focus in their programming and operations. The increased participation of women-led organisations has not only assisted UN Women in executing its humanitarian mandate but has also expanded the reach for those in need of lifesaving goods and services. These partners have a long-standing relationship with UN Women and understand the importance of gender-responsive humanitarian programming.

The situation in Sudan is dire due to the escalation of violence in states previously considered safe such as Wad Madani which has been serving as a hub for humanitarian operations since the conflict in Sudan started eight months ago. It is against this backdrop that UN Women has embarked on partner mapping to identify existing key partners, and potential partners, who directly and indirectly impact our work and to create a plan to develop/expand relationships where needed. The goal is to optimize UN Women partner ecosystem.

Duties and Responsibilities

Working arrangements:

Under the overall guidance of a Gender and Humanitarian Action Specialist, Programme Specialist – Humanitarian Action and WPS, the Gender and Statistics Advisor, Programme Specialist WEE, and working in close collaboration with field colleagues, the incumbent will contribute to the effective implementation of Partners Mapping Exercise in Sudan.

Overall Objective:

Conduct a Partnership Mapping in Sudan, including civil society (NGOs, CSOs, INGOs, academia, women rights advocates, and different state-level stakeholders already partnering/or have the potential to partner with UN Women, Sudan Country Office.

The consultant will assess these actors according to importance and suitability in executing UN Women’s Mandate in Sudan.

Expected Deliverables:

The mapping should be carried out based on desk research, the consultant’s knowledge of

Sudan’s current context, and at least one phone conversation with a key informant.

Produce draft for review and final mapping reports:

a) Mapping report: The report should aim at identifying key partners/stakeholders and provide their levels of participation, interest, and influence in their various fields; and determining how best to involve them and engage with them.

b) Partners/Stakeholders Map: A visual representation of the partners/stakeholders and their connections/relationships with each other.

The expected deliverables should cover at least the following:

1. List of key state-related agencies;

Names, contact details, and a brief description of their role, position, and activities in relation to your organisation area of work.

2. List of women-led, youth, and men-led organisations working in humanitarian response

a) Names of the organisation and contact details,

b) Names of the Director/Head of the Organisation

c) Brief description of the organisation role/activities, and locality/localities where they operate.

3. Other information to be captured by the consultant

a) Description of their achievements in humanitarian, development or peace work and current work in Sudan

b) Their specialisation(s) in their field of focus.

c) Description of their plans/activities.

d) Describe the number of staff, and, to the extent possible, organisational capacity (Expertise,

e) governance systems, and the amounts of funds they work with).

f) Description of ability to receive local or foreign funding.

g) Brief on their history of cooperation with UN Women, or any other UN Agency and other international organizations

h) Describe their reputation among like-minded NGO communities.

i) Based on consultant expertise; ranking and recommendations of the partners/stakeholders in the list.

Competencies

Core Values:

• Respect for Diversity
• Integrity
• Professionalism

Core Competencies:

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

Functional Competencies

• Excellent information management, analytical and research skills.
• Strong understanding of and commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment and its policy implications.
• Excellent writing skills.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Excellent knowledge and experience of gender-related humanitarian issues in the country.
• Strong knowledge and use of computer office tools and statistical software.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team and in a cooperative and productive fashion both with internal and external colleagues.
• Excellent interpersonal and networking skills, and ability to work in multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary environments.
• Ability to work under pressure on multiple projects whilst maintaining high-quality and timeliness.
• Self-management.
• Continuous awareness of political and gender sensitivity

Required Skills and Experience

Education

•      Master’s degree in Gender and Development Studies, Political Science, Economics, Social Science, or any other related field of studies.

Experience

•  A minimum of 10 years of professional experience in working with gender equality and women’s economic empowerment.
•  Demonstrable experience working on gender issues in Sudan will be an asset.
• Previous experience working with different levels of government, civil society, and development partners. Experience working with the UN system is a considerable asset.

Languages: 

•  Fluency in written and oral English and Arabic is required.

Addtional Requirement:

•  The ability to handle documents and the information contained therein with the strictest confidentiality is a non-negotiable requirement.

Please note that applications without a completed and signed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.

UN Women Personal History form (P-11) can be downloaded from .

UNWOMEN is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

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, colour, 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.)

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