UNWomen: International Consultant- Conducting mid-term review of the Governance Peace and Security Regional Framework in Asia and the Pacific, Home-Based

Background/Context

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works 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. Its mandate is anchored in three key functions: normative support, by helping to establish and monitor international standards and agreements; coordination, by leading and coordinating the United Nations system's efforts to advance gender equality; and operational programming, by implementing high-impact initiatives to address pressing gender equality challenges at global, regional, and national levels.

The portfolio of UN Women’s work on Governance, Peace and Security (GPS) in Asia-Pacific is based on “The Regional Framework Towards Peaceful, Inclusive Societies: Advancing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda and Inclusive Governance in the Asia Pacific Region (The GPS Regional Framework)” (2023-2027)[1]. The framework stands on two pillars of programming: 1) Women, Peace and Security (WPS); and 2) Inclusive Governance. The former focuses on implementing the WPS agenda to the specific context of Asia-Pacific region, such as development and implementation of WPS national action plans; conflict prevention and building peace and resilience; women’s participation and leadership in emerging or non-traditional security issues such as climate change, cybersecurity and peacebuilding in the digital space. The latter covers women’s access to justice; gender responsive budgeting and planning; women’s leadership, including women’s political participation. 

Through the GPS Regional Framework, UN Women is employing the following overarching strategies:

• Ensuring that women’s and young women’s leadership are at the core of governance and peace efforts across the region.
• Providing technical support and advocating for the adoption and implementation of gender-responsive rule of law mechanisms which tackle root causes of institutionalized inequalities.
• Adopting intersectional solutions to existing and historical inequalities, ensuring that inequalities, including those based on race; sexual orientation; religion; national, ethnic or social origin; displacement; marital, birth, disability or another status, are redressed.
• Employing a whole-of-society approach to governance and peace efforts, engaging a wide spectrum of stakeholders including civil society and the public and private sectors.
• Ensuring that women are fully engaged as equal partners in change-making processes by supporting network and coalition building and leveraging women’s expertise and local knowledge.
• Employing evidence-based and innovative strategies, by conducting diligent and regular context analysis while exploring opportunities for cross-sectoral collaboration.

Description of the programme

Programme title: The Regional Framework Towards Peaceful, Inclusive Societies: Advancing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda and Inclusive Governance in the Asia Pacific Region (2023-2027)

Geographical Coverage: South and Southeast Asia, and the Pacific with particular attention to Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam.

Programme period: January 2023 – December 2027 (5 years)

Key partners: At the regional level, UN Women partners with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA). In parallel, UN Women co-chairs the United Nations WPS Coordination Group in Bangkok with DPPA. The group included representatives from the United Nations Development Coordination Office (UNDCO), the Office of the United Nations Special Envoy on Myanmar, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). At the country level, UN Women partners with government and non-government organizations and academia. 

Targeted beneficiaries: Women and men, youth, CSOs, women’s groups and networks, and government institutions.

Programme management structure: The programme is managed by the Governance Peace and Security (GPS) unit at UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP), in close coordination with County Offices and presences. The Regional Policy Advisor for Governance, Peace and Security is responsible for providing technical advice to ensure implementation of programme objectives. The total budget is approximately 7 million USD.

Expected Results:

Impact: Women advance inclusive governance and build sustainable peace and security and resilient communities; and women and girls benefit equally from sustained peace and gender-responsive laws, policies, budgets, services, and accountable institutions in Asia and the Pacific (Linked to Strategic Plan (SP) 2022-2025[2] Impact 1 & 4)

Outcome 1 (WPS Pillar): Women meaningfully participate and lead in peace and security processes that contribute to sustaining peace and resilience in Asia and the Pacific (Linked to SP 2022-2025 Impact 4 and Outcome 1 & 5)

Output 1.1: Regional and national state actors are capacitated (technical support, skills-building, research and data) to implement commitments on WPS, with UN Women’s support (Strategic Note (SN) Output 1.1.5, linked with SP Outcome 1)

Output 1.2: Regional and national women’s rights organizations and movements are supported (platforms for dialogue, coordination mechanisms) to engage with state actors in promoting regional and national commitments on WPS (SN Output 1.1.6, linked with SP Outcome 1)

Output 1.3: Capacities of women’s rights organizations at regional, national and community levels are strengthened (skills-building, networking support, technical and financial assistance) to ensure women’s meaningful participation and leadership in peace and security, in development and crisis-affected contexts (SN Output 1.4.1, linked with SP Outcome 5)

Outcome 2 (Inclusive Governance Pillar): Women and girls fully and equally participate in leadership and decision-making and benefit from gender-responsive governance in Asia and the Pacific (Linked to SP 2022-2025 Impact 1 and Outcome 1,4 & 5)

Output 2.1: Regional and national actors and mechanisms are supported (technical and policy advisory support, skills building, research/data and tools) to ensure women’s meaningful participation and leadership in advancing gender-responsive and inclusive laws (including fiscal laws), policies and institutions, in line with international human rights standards (SN Output 1.1.1, linked with SP Outcome 1)

Output 2.2: Capacities of women’s rights organizations at regional, national, and community levels are strengthened (skills building, networking support, technical and financial assistance), to ensure women’s meaningful participation and leadership in governance, in development and crises-affected contexts (SN Output 1.4.1, linked with SP Outcome 5)

Output 2.3[3]: Regional, national and community level justice institutions and other governance actors have increased awareness and capacities (technical skills, data and tools), to apply a gender-responsive people-centred and inclusive approach to governance, including access to justice, in development and crisis-affected contexts (SN Output 1.3.1, linked with SP Outcome 4)
 

• [1] For more information, please visit ROAP GPS website: https://asiapacific.unwomen.org/en/focus-areas/peace-and-security/governance-peace-and-security
• [2] https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2021/09/un-women-strategic-plan-2022-2025
• [3] Activities under this output ended in 2024

Projects linked with the GPS Regional Framework:

The following projects are linked to the GPS Regional Framework and are expected to be reviewed as part of the MTR. 

Project title Geographical Coverage Period Linked Output(s) Remarks Partnerships for Peace – Commemorating 25 Years of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda South Asia and the Pacific Jan 2025-Dec 2027 Output 1.1 The project is ongoing.  Women, Peace and Cybersecurity in Southeast Asia and the Pacific and Southeast Asia: Promoting Women's Peace and Security in the Digital World

SEA: Cambodia, Philippines, Timor Leste

Pacific: Solomon Islands, PNG and Pacific in general

Jan 2025- Jun 2026 Output 1.1, 1.2 & 1.3 The project is ongoing. Beijing+30 Activation: Strengthening Women's Leadership to Accelerate Progress on Women's Rights in South and South-East Asia Bangladesh, Cambodia and Nepal Nov 2024-Apr 2026 Output 2.1 & 2.2 The project is ongoing. Women, Peace and Security: Tackling the Surge of Cyber-Facilitated Trafficking of Women along the Thailand-Myanmar Border Thailand Mar 2024-Mar 2025 Output 1.2 & 1.3 The project has been completed. The final review report is available to be reviewed. Sustaining Peace in Partnership: Women’s Leadership in Community Oriented Policing Bangladesh, Pakistan, Philippines and Thailand Jan 2023-Jun 2024 Output 1.1 & 1.2 The project has been completed. The final review report is available to be reviewed. Women, Peace and Cybersecurity” in Asia and the Pacific Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam  Jan 2021 – Dec 2023 Output 1.1, 1.2 & 1.3 The project has been completed. The final review report is available to be reviewed. Enhancing Access to Justice for Women in Asia and the Pacific: Bridging the gap between formal and informal systems through women’s empowerment in Asia and the Pacific Region  Nepal, Timor Leste, Solomon Islands, Philippines Indonesia, Thailand May 2018-Oct 2024 Output 2.1 & 2.3 The project has been completed. The final evaluation report is available to be reviewed.

Scope of Work/Description of Responsibilities

The purpose of the MTR is to enhance organizational accountability, provide evidence-based information for decision-making and to contribute to learning on gender equality and the empowerment of women, especially on advancing the WPS agenda and Inclusive Governance. It will facilitate an understanding of UN Women’s programming on GPS in Asia and the Pacific, achievements, the opportunities and challenges as well as gaps in programming and results. The primary intended users of the MTR are the UN Women ROAP GPS team, senior management and programme staff at the regional and country levels with an interest in or working in WPS and Governance. The review may be useful for other actors working in WPS and Governance, including partner governments, CSOs, UN agencies, INGOs, NGOs, and donors.

Overall Scope: Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Policy and Programme Specialist, Governance Peace and Security, and in close collaboration with the Monitoring and Reporting focal point, the international consultant will conduct a comprehensive Mid-Term Review (MTR), assessing relevance and coherence, effectiveness, organizational efficiency and sustainability while providing actionable recommendations for enhancing programme outcomes in alignment with the new UN Women Strategic Plan (SP) 2026-2029 and ROAP Strategic Note (SN) 2026-2029. It will focus on understanding the programme’s current status and identifying opportunities for mid-course adjustments. 

Geographic Scope: The assessments will evaluate regional-level interventions alongside country specific interventions.

Thematic Scope: Women Peace and Security - specifically, conflict prevention, peacebuilding, women’s participation and leadership in emerging or non-traditional security issues such as climate change and cybersecurity and peacebuilding in the digital space; women’s access to justice; gender-responsive budgeting and planning; and women’s leadership, including women’s political participation.

Description Of Responsibilities:

No.Duties And Responsibilities

1

Analyze the “The Regional Framework Towards Peaceful, Inclusive Societies: Advancing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda and Inclusive Governance in the Asia Pacific Region (2023-2027)” including programmes and projects are referring to the framework with a particular focus in regional level work and may include a focus in several countries (TBD by the reviewer).

• It is expected that the consultant will perform a desk review, reviewing key documents such as Project Document, Annual Work Plan and Budget, light reviews, evaluation, the progress report of UN Women, progress reports of UN Women implementing partners, the studies, the research and outcome documents from conferences that have been conducted within the framework of the programme
• Interviews are also anticipated to be conducted with key stakeholders involved in the programme. UN Women will provide a list, and the consultant can also contact other stakeholders.

Remarks:

The timeframe of the MTR will cover from January 2023 to the conclusion of the review. 

2

Assess the relevance and coherence, effectiveness, organizational efficiency, sustainability and impact of the programme and how the human rights approach and gender equality principles are integrated with a view to responding to the following questions:

Relevance and coherence: The extent to which the programme contributed to addressing the needs and problems identified in the design phase

Specific Questions Could Include:

1. Is the programme design articulated in a coherent structure? Is the definition of impact, outcomes and outputs clearly articulated? 
2. To what extent does the programme align with regional and national priorities?
3. To what extent was the programme design coherent with UN Women Strategic Plan 2022-2025 and its priorities?
4. Were the recommendations from the past light reviews and evaluations of the programmes and projects taken into consideration for this programme?

Effectiveness: The extent to which the programme has delivered projected outputs to benefit targeted population, beneficiaries, participants -whether individuals, communities, institutions. 

Specific Questions Could Include:

1. What has progress been made towards the implementation of the Outputs and the Outcomes?
2. Were there any unexpected results /unintended effects (negative or positive)?
3. What are the reasons for the achievement or non-achievement?
4. To what extent are the intended beneficiaries participating in and benefitting from the programme?  
5. To what extent have the capacities of duty-bearers and rights-holders been strengthened as a result of the programme? 

Organizational Efficiency: The extent to which the programme has been implemented efficiently and delivered quality outputs, in line with what was originally planned or subsequently revised.

Specific Questions Could Include:

1. Have the outputs been delivered in a timely manner?
2. Have UN Women’s organizational structure, managerial support and coordination mechanisms effectively supported the delivery of the programme?
3. How does the programme utilize existing local capacities of right-bearers and duty-holders?

Sustainability: The extent to which the programme took measures to ensure the sustainability of outcomes

Specific Questions Could Include:

1. Are national and local stakeholders (government, civil society, women’s organizations) sufficiently engaged to promote ownership and ensure the continuity of programme outcomes?
2. To what extent have partnerships with local women-led organizations and networks been strengthened to sustain interventions beyond the programme’s duration?

Impact: The extent to which the programme has been contributed to long-term changes

Specific Questions Could Include:

1. To what extent has the programme generated institutional and normative changes that support women’s leadership and decision-making in peace and governance processes?

Human rights approach and gender equality principles: The extent to which the programme applied the human rights-based approach and identified and engaged the most marginalized groups (e.g. women with disabilities, LGBTQI persons, religious and ethnic minorities).

Specific Questions Could Include:

1. To what extent do the intended and unintended benefits meet the needs of disadvantaged women? 
2. To what extent has the programme actively identified and addressed the social norms that are driving gender inequalities specific to Governance, Peace and Security space?
3. To what extent are the inputs and outputs equally distributed between different groups of women, and have the potentials of disadvantaged women (poor, racial, sexual, ethnic, and disabled groups) been fully utilized to realize the outcomes?

Methodological Approach:

Anticipated approaches to be used for data collection and analysis by the consultant are desk review, interviews with key stakeholders, and other participatory techniques. The MTR must integrate gender and human-rights perspectives throughout each of these areas of analysis and within its methodology. This is particularly important to understand and assess projects addressing complex, intersectional issues in women’s rights. 

Limitations:

This is a home-based consultancy, and the review will need to be reliant on secondary data sources and online forms of data collection, and the consultant may not be able to reach the same number of individuals through primary data collection. The timeframe for the review is also very tight, thus the review will need to be strategically scoped to deliver more in-depth information.

Expected Deliverables And Target Dates:

No.Tasks & DeliverablesTarget dates  Payment

1

1. Conducting desk review of key documents

Deliverables: List of documents for desk review, name lists and contact details of key stakeholders

20 October 2025

25%

2

2.1. Meeting (virtual) with key stakeholders

2.2 Drafting MTR report and submission of draft

Deliverables: Draft MTR report 

2.3 Incorporating comments from UN Women and finalizing the MTR

Deliverables:  The MTR report that contains following element:

• Cover Page
• Title page, table of contents, acronyms
• Executive summary (maximum 2 pages)
• Project description 
• Assessment purpose and intended audience
• Assessment objectives, scope and methodology (including constraints and limitations on the study conducted)
• Findings and Analysis
• Conclusions
• Recommendations (prioritized, structured and clear)
• Lessons Learned 
• Annexes, including interview list (without identifying names for the sake of confidentiality/anonymity) data collection instruments, key documents consulted, TOR)

Remark:

• The review should not exceed 20 pages excluding annexes.
• An executive summary will include a brief description of the project, its context and current situation, the purpose of the MTR, its intended audience, its methodology and its main findings, conclusions and recommendations. The Executive Summary should “stand alone” and will be translated to ensure access by all stakeholders if needed. 

31 January 2026

75%

Consultant’S Workplace And Official Travel:

This is a home-based consultancy. No official travel is required as part of this assignment.

III. 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

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies:   https://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employment/application-process#_Values    FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES: 

• Strong interpersonal, teamwork and communication skills;
• Ability to work independently and proactively solve problems;
• Capacity to plan, prioritise and deliver tasks on time;
• Capacity to engage with national and international staff, provide clear feedback and maintain effective rapport with different kinds of people;
• Ability to research, analyse and present complex information;
• Ability and willingness to work as part of a team to meet tight deadlines and produce high-quality work.
• Excellent analytical skills with strong drive for results and capacity to work independently.

Ethical Code Of Conduct[1]:

The MTR is to be carried out according to ethical principles and standards established by the United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG).

• Anonymity and confidentiality. The evaluation must respect the rights of individuals who provide information, ensuring their anonymity and confidentiality.
• Responsibility. The report must mention any dispute or difference of opinion that may have arisen among the consultants or between the consultant and the heads of the Programme in connection with the findings and/or recommendations. The team must corroborate all assertions, or disagreement with them noted.
• Integrity. The evaluator will be responsible for highlighting issues not specifically mentioned in the TOR, if this is needed to obtain a more complete analysis of the intervention.
• Independence. The consultant should ensure his or her independence from the intervention under review, and he or she must not be associated with its management or any element thereof.
• Incidents. If problems arise during the fieldwork, or at any other stage of the evaluation, they must be reported immediately to the manager of the evaluation. If this is not done, the existence of such problems may in no case be used to justify the failure to obtain the results stipulated in these terms of reference.
• Validation of information. The consultant will be responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the information collected while preparing the reports and will be ultimately responsible for the information presented in the evaluation report.
• Intellectual property. In handling information sources, the consultant shall respect the intellectual property rights of the institutions and communities that are under review. 
• Delivery of reports. If delivery of the reports is delayed, or in the event that the quality of the reports delivered is clearly lower than what was agreed, the penalties stipulated in these terms of reference will be applicable. 

IV. Required Qualifications

Education And Certification:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in International Development Studies, Social Sciences, Politics, Law, Human Rights, Gender, Women Studies, Economics, Monitoring and Evaluation or a related field is required.
• 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:

• At least 5 years’ relevant experience undertaking evaluations, assessments or reviews is required.
• Substantive experience in evaluating or assessing projects with a strong gender focus is required.
• Substantive experience in evaluating or assessing similar development projects in the area of Women Peace and Security and/or Gender-responsive Governance would be considered an asset.
• Experience working in Asia and the Pacific is preferred.

Languages:

• Fluency in English is required.
• Excellent English communication and writing skills.
• Knowledge of other UN official languages is an asset.

V. How to Apply

Submission Package Includes:

• A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) outlining relevant work experience

Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.)

Diversity and Inclusion Statement 

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 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. 

 [1] Please review http://www.unevaluation.org/ethicalguidelines 

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.