Consultant on Social and Gender Norms Change to Prevent GBV

Job Purpose:

The purpose of this consultancy is to map and document social and gender norms change interventions aimed at preventing and addressing Gender-Based Violence (GBV) within the Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) region.

The consultant will develop a comprehensive “What Works” documentation framework, regional guidance, and a practical Social Norms Assessment Tool to support UNFPA Country Offices in designing, implementing, monitoring and measuring social and gender norms change interventions for GBV prevention.

You would be responsible for:

Under the direct supervision of the Regional Gender Adviser, the consultant will:

Conduct a comprehensive literature review of global, regional and country-level documents and publications, both internal to UNFPA and external, assessing and providing guidance on “what works” in social and gender norms change to prevent and address GBV.

Identify and document specific tools, indicators and methodologies that have demonstrated effectiveness in supporting social and gender norms change for GBV prevention and response.

Map existing social and gender norms change interventions at Country Office (CO) and Regional Office (RO) levels, with particular focus on interventions addressing and preventing GBV. This will include:

• Developing an inventory of active and past CO/RO social norms change programmes;
• Analysing thematic focus areas and challenges;
• Identifying regional best practices; and
• Identifying critical programmatic gaps in addressing GBV-related norms.

Draft a comprehensive regional guidance document on social norms change for GBV prevention, mapping available evidence, successful strategies and lessons learned and aligning these with UNFPA’s social norms interventions in EECA.

Develop guidance to support UNFPA Country Offices in designing, implementing and scaling contextually relevant social and gender norms change interventions aimed at GBV prevention, aligned with global evidence and strategic priorities in the EECA region.

Formulate standards for monitoring and measuring the effectiveness of social norms change initiatives to prevent and address GBV.

Develop a user-friendly and actionable Social Norms Assessment Tool tailored to Country Offices to support the planning, monitoring and measurement of normative change. The tool should:

• Measure qualitative and quantitative shifts in social and gender norms among beneficiaries over time;
• Include suggested core indicators and standards for measuring sensitive social norms shifts while maintaining ethical and safety standards; and
• Where relevant and feasible, include practical instruments such as rapid assessment scorecards, baseline/endline survey templates and community dialogue tracking guides.

Duration and working schedule:

• The consultancy will be for approximately 50 working days over a period of three months.

Place where services are to be delivered:

• Remote / Home-based.

Delivery dates and how work will be delivered (e.g. electronic, hard copy etc.):

The consultant will be responsible for completing the following key deliverables:

Inception Report – 5 working days
Methodological approach, conceptual framework, scope of the mapping and proposed design of the Social Norms Assessment Tool.

Deliverable 1: Global & Regional Evidence Review on “What Works” in Social & Gender Norms Change for GBV Prevention – 15 working days
A comprehensive, evidence-based desk review and matrix synthesizing global, regional and country-level literature, including internal UNFPA documents and external scholarly and institutional publications, on effective strategies to shift social and gender norms to prevent and address GBV.

Deliverable 2: EECA Regional & Country Office Interventions Mapping Report – 25 working days
A structured mapping document detailing existing social and gender norms change initiatives currently or recently implemented across UNFPA Country Offices and the Regional Office in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, with a focus on GBV prevention.

Final Regional Guidance & Tool – 5 working days
Final regional guidance and practical assessment tool for supporting, monitoring and measuring social and gender norms change interventions for GBV prevention.

Total: 50 working days.

Monitoring and Progress Control:

• The consultant will provide short monthly email updates highlighting progress against agreed deliverables, challenges encountered and any support required.
   
• All draft products and final deliverables will be reviewed and approved by the UNFPA Regional Gender Adviser.

Supervisory Arrangements:

• The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the UNFPA Regional Gender Adviser for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, with technical support and collaboration from the extended Gender Team and gender focal points from Country Offices.

Expected Travel:

• No travel is foreseen.

Qualifications and Experience:

Education:  

• Advanced university degree (Master’s or Ph.D.) in Gender Studies, Sociology, Social Anthropology, Public Policy, International Development, or a related social science field.

Knowledge and Experience:

• Minimum of 7–10 years of relevant professional experience in programming and evaluating gender equality, social norms change, or harmful practices initiatives.
   
• Demonstrated experience in designing programmatic assessment tools, monitoring frameworks, or minimum standards for social change.
   
• Strong familiarity with the Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) regional context and UN/UNFPA programmatic frameworks.
   
• Excellent research, analytical, writing, and communication skills.
   
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and deliver high-quality outputs within strict timelines.

Language: 

• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.
• Working knowledge of Russian is a distinct advantage.

Required Competencies: 

Values:

• Exemplifying integrity, 
• Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system, 
• Embracing cultural diversity, 
• Embracing change

 Core Competencies: 

• Achieving results,
• Being accountable,
• Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen,
• Thinking analytically and strategically,
• Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships,
   

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. 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.

Disclaimer:

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements. 

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts. 

Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.