International Consultant to Support the implementation of the Security Sector’s Gender Mainstreaming Strategies

Background:

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.

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. Placing women’s rights at the center 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 supporting Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors. UN Women is leading the global efforts related to the women, peace and security (WPS) agenda. One of the key areas of work for the UN Women Jordan Country Office (CO) is providing technical support to Jordanian National Commission for Women (JNCW) and other government stakeholders such as Jordan Armed Forces (JAF) and Public Security Directorate (PSD) in the implementation of the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda, including the Jordanian National Action Plan (JONAP) on United Nations Security Council resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS). Towards the promotion of the WPS agenda, JONAP advances gender equality and women’s empowerment while also responding to Jordan’s latest security challenges. JONAP priorities well align with other national development priorities and with Jordan’s commitments to promote and respect human rights, justice, equality, and participation embodied in various national frameworks such as the National Strategy for Women 2020-2025, Gender Mainstreaming Policy, Jordan Response Plan for the Syria Crisis 2020-2022 and Comprehensive National Plan for Human Rights 2016-2025. In 2019, UN Women and JNCW launched the pooled fund programme for the implementation of the JONAP with the support of a donors’ consortium consisting of Canada, Norway, Finland, Spain, Cyprus and the UK. In just four years, the pooled fund programme has paved the way for significant achievements in women’s participation and representation in the security sector, in local pandemic recovery planning, and in fostering a culture promoting gender equality and tolerance.

Under the JONAP I phase, the national security sector in Jordan has strengthened systems and mechanisms to advance gender responsiveness of the police and military operations and peacekeeping missions after capacity-building and policy adoption with the support of UN Women. There is positive progress towards changing the masculine institutional culture to support women’s increased participation at the Public Security Directorate (PSD) and Jordan Armed Forces (JAF). The percentage of national security sector personnel who are women increased by an average of 2 percentage points across all security institutions. Jordan has contributed to gender mainstreaming in UN peacekeeping missions by increasing the number of women for the last four years. The Government of Jordan (GoJ) boosted the national ownership of the WPS agenda and drafted the JONAP II phase (2022-2025) with coordination from the JNCW, political backing from the Inter-Ministerial Committee for Women’s Empowerment (IMC) and technical support from UN Women. UN Women will continue providing technical support to implement the JONAP II in partnership with JNCW and national stakeholders through the pooled fund modality including providing technical support to JAF and PSD in continuing the gender mainstreaming in their policies and operations and implementing the GMS and respective work plans under JONAP II. GMSs, which are aligned with JONAP and other national gender equality policies, aim at providing a roadmap to translate global commitments on WPS and gender equality into concrete actions through enhancing institutional capacity for gender responsiveness and removing barriers to the full and meaningful participation of women in the military and security sectors. In that context, in 2020, PSD approved the Gender Mainstreaming Strategy (2021-2024) and launched it in 2021. PSDs GMS it is informed by the findings of a Training Needs Analysis (TNA) conducted by PSD in early 2020, and a Gender Self-Assessment (GSA) completed in September 2020. Likewise, JAF’s Gender Mainstreaming Strategy 2021-2024 has been drafted as a national policy framework with the current efforts to support security and stability at the national and regional levels. JAF’s GMS was also informed by the findings of a Training Needs Analysis (TNA) conducted by JAF in early 2020, and a Gender Self-Assessment (GSA) completed in November 2020. UN Women will hire an international consultant to lead the thorough assessment and strategic evaluation of gender mainstreaming within Jordan's Armed Forces and Public Security Directorate, conducting a comprehensive approach from desk-review, questionnaire preparation to on-site interviews and the subsequent drafting of recommendations.

Objective of the Assignment: 

The consultant will assess the implementation of gender mainstreaming strategies within Jordan's Armed Forces and Public Security Directorate. The specific objectives of the review are:

• To assess the relevance, effectiveness, and efficiency of the current Gender Mainstreaming Policy.
• To determine the level of understanding, and implementation of the policy across JAF and PSD.
• To identify challenges and barriers to effective policy implementation.
• To document positive achievements and lessons learnt from the implementation.
• To provide recommendations for policy revision and strategies to strengthen gender mainstreaming within the organization. 

Following the development of the plans, the consultant will work closely with the national consultant for the SS, and the focal points from the security and military agencies to evaluate the impact of the implementation of JONAP 1325 since 2018 to date. Under the overall guidance of the Deputy Country Representative and the direct supervision of the WPS programme specialist, and will be supported by Security National consultant,

Description of Responsibilities/ Scope of Work 

•  Preparation of Methodology and Tools 

  Task: Develop a comprehensive methodology and data collection tools based on desk reviews, tools should be aligned with institutional requirements and global best practices to addresses the goals of gender integration under JONAP II. Completed within the first 2 weeks of the consultancy. 

  • Desk Review 

    Task: Analyze existing policies, strategies, and frameworks related to gender mainstreaming, including national strategies (e.g., JONAP II) and institutional policies. Expected to submit a report summarizing key findings and gaps. Completed by week 4.

    • Data Collection 

      Task 1: Administer a detailed gender questionnaire to JAF and PSD: cover recruitment, retention, gender equality in operations, and related issues. Distributed within weeks 4–6. 

      Task 2: Conduct on-site interviews with diverse stakeholders (male/female officers, leaders). To cover contributions and impact to UNSCR 1325, gender operations, and policy implementation. Conduct at least 6 key informative interviews across all identified institutions, conducted over weeks 7–9. 

      • Capacity Building and Strategic Support 

        Task 1: Develop and deliver monthly workshops to build capacity on gender mainstreaming, focus on leadership roles, gender in operations, and peacekeeping. Conduct at least 9 workshops by the end of the assignment. 

        Task 2: Provide technical assistance to implement institutional gender policies. Support revision of gender advisor roles, training of gender focal points, and development/amendment of operational gender manuals.

        •  Reporting and Recommendations 

          Task 1: Compile findings from data collection into a comprehensive evaluation report. Include insights, challenges, and practical recommendations for gender integration. Delivered by week 12. 

          Task 2: Draft and finalize a monitoring and evaluation framework for gender strategies. Include indicators, tools, and processes for sustainability. Delivered 2 months before the end of the consultancy. 

          •  Final Product: Contribute to the Quarterly and annual reports 

            Task: Detail contributions to UNSCR 1325, gender integration progress, and recommendations. Quarterly progress updated and one final completed by consultancy end. 

            Deliverables:

            📚 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗮 𝗝𝗼𝗯 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗡 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯! 🌍🤝 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗡 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗨𝗡𝗛𝗖𝗥, 𝗪𝗙𝗣, 𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗙, 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗦𝗦, 𝗨𝗡𝗙𝗣𝗔, 𝗜𝗢𝗠 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀! 🌐

            ⚠️ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐰: 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐚 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐍𝐎𝐖!

            Deliverables Deliverables  Expected Completion Time (Due Date)  Payment Schedule  Preparation of Methodology and Data Collection Tools  Week 2  10% upon submission and approval of methodology and tools.  Desk Review Report  Week 3  10% upon submission and approval of the desk review report.  Gender Questionnaire Distribution and Data Collection  Week 6  10% upon submission of data collected and summary of responses.  On-site Interviews with Key Stakeholders  Week 9  10% upon completion of interviews and submission of detailed interview notes.  Workshops and Knowledge Sharing Sessions  Ongoing (minimum 9 sessions completed by Week 12)  20% upon completion of all workshops and submission of summary reports for each session. 

            Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel 

            This is a home-based consultancy with potential missions requiring intermittent presence at the UN Women office in Amman for coordination and on-site engagements. As part of this assignment, there will be occasional trips to Amman, with the duration varying depending on the nature of the activities. These trips will be for purposes such as:
            • Conducting on-site interviews with stakeholders, including representatives of the Jordan Armed Forces (JAF) and Public Security Directorate (PSD).
            • Facilitating workshops and knowledge-sharing sessions.
            • Participating in key meetings and consultations with UN Women and national counterparts.
            • Presenting findings and recommendations during interim and final stages of the consultancy. The intermittent presence ensures effective collaboration and direct engagement with stakeholders while optimizing time and resources.

            Competencies :

            Core Values:

            • Integrity;
            • Professionalism;
            • Respect for Diversity.

              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 Values and Competencies Framework: 

                Functional Competencies:

                • In-depth knowledge of gender issues and gender mainstreaming in the security sector.
                • Strong analytical and research skills.
                • Effective communication with diverse stakeholders.
                • Efficient planning and organizational skills.
                • Proficient in facilitating open discussions.
                • Awareness and adaptability in cultures.
                • Detailed note-taking and clear reporting.
                • Effective collaboration with diverse teams.
                • Flexible approach to unexpected challenges.
                • Adherence to ethical research standards.

                Required Qualifications

                Education and Certification:
                • Master’s degree or equivalent in law, political science, social sciences, gender studies, public administration 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 is required.
                • A [project/programme management] certification would be an added advantage.
                 

                Experience:
                • At least 7 years of progressively responsible work experience in in formulating, designing, implementing, and facilitating reviews of gender mainstreaming plans and strategies is required.
                • Excellent analytical skills with strong drive for results and capacity to work independently is required.
                • Excellent English communication and writing skills; (Samples of previous work will be required.)
                 

                Languages:
                • Fluency in English is required.
                • Knowledge of Arabic any other UN official language is an asset.

                Statements :

                In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.

                Diversity and inclusion:

                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 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.)