Purpose of consultancy:

Since the influx of Rohingya refugees into Cox’s Bazar in 2017, the situation of gender-based violence (GBV) has remained a significant concern, with women and girls disproportionately affected by various forms of abuse within the refugee camps and in host communities. The cramped living conditions and economic stress within the Rohingya refugee camps contribute to heightened tensions and increased risks for domestic violence. Women and girls are at continued risk of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse within their own households, with limited recourse to support services. Under the leadership of the UNFPA led GBV Sub-Sector, in 2024, a total of 57 GBV actors are providing a range of essential services to prevent and respond to gender-based violence (GBV). These services encompass comprehensive case management and referral services through different service facilities as well as service modalities, including: safe spaces and shelters, healthcare/medical treatment and psychosocial support, legal assistance, community awareness & education, capacity building initiatives for humanitarian workers, GBV prevention activities, and GBV risk mitigation activities with community people and relevant stakeholders. Through these comprehensive interventions, efforts are made to address the immediate needs of survivors, promote their recovery and empowerment, and contribute to the prevention of further violence within the Rohingya refugee community.

The purpose of the consultancy is to

• Conduct comprehensive assessment of the quality and standards of Gender-Based Violence Sub-Sector (GBVSS) members’ service facilities across 33 camps and 11 host community sites. This audit will focus on ensuring that GBVSS member facilities incorporate the 4 activities outlined in the 2024 Joint Response Plan (JRP) for GBVSS, thereby assessing their quality, standards, effectiveness, efficiency, and inclusivity in delivering services to crisis-affected populations.

• Establish systematic service quality assessment across a sampling of GBV service providers in the Rohingya response, in order to establish evidence-informed recommendations, promote transparency and adherence to established standards, fostering a culture of accountability to survivors and the affected populations within service delivery systems.
• Generate a systematic analysis of gaps and recommendations (regarding service quality and standards) for the GBVSS members to improve the GBV services in Cox’s Bazar as a Sub-Sector.
• Inform policy decisions and strategies at local, national, and international levels and to develop evidence-based interventions and allocate resources effectively to address the complex challenges of gender-based violence.

Scope of work:

Under the overall guidance of the Head of the UNFPA Sub-Office in Cox’s Bazar, and the direct supervision of GBVSS Coordinator, the national consultant will lead the service audit in the camps/ host communities.

In consultation with GBVSS partners, its targeted beneficiaries and relevant stakeholders, the consultant will undertake the following tasks and fulfil the following purposes:

1. Review 2020 service assessment methodology, Inter-agency Minimum Standards for GBViE Programming and Essential Service Package (ESP) for Women and Girls Subject to Violence together with GBVSS Cox’s Bazar’s 2023 service audit findings (dashboard).
2. Consultant will turn the GBVSS Cox’s Bazar’s 2023 service audit findings into a brief background report with key infographics and narrative for them to serve as a baseline for the 2024 service audit.
3. The consultant will map out diverse GBV-related service facilities across GBV actors (e.g. Women and Girls Safe Spaces, Multi-Purpose Women Centers, Women Friendly Spaces, Community Centers, Women Led Community Centers, Men and Boys Engagement Centers, Integrated Services like Nutrition Centre and Health facilities integrated with GBV Services) and design a plan to formalise the standardisation of service provision offered at each space. This plan should involve instituting minimum standards and defined best practices across all GBV actors as per facilities.
4. Consultant will create a service audit plan for 2024 service audit (including methodology, sampling, list of thematic categories and questions and field implementation logistics) based on a review of existing documents, practices. In consultation with the GBVSS coordinator, field coordinators and IMO (Information Management Officer) s/he shall validate the plan and verify field relevance.
5. Consultant will conduct the service assessment using the agreed methodology plan.S/he will visit the service facilities including those of GBVSS members and government security actors to audit the services and solicit feedback from the GBVSS staff and GBV SS partners as well as beneficiaries. This will include conducting unannounced service site visits at different times and days.
6. Consult with the relevant stakeholders including GBVSS partners implementing activities directly in the field – including but not limited to other UN agencies and NGOs, relevant Working Groups, relevant government actors (both Cox’s Bazar and Camp level) to examine the needs around harmonisation and standardisation and recommend ways forward.
7. Consult with the GBVSS target groups/ actors and beneficiaries to understand their preferences, accessibility, and satisfaction with services received as well as their preference for providing feedback and complaints.
8. Building on the findings from the field and the evaluation of relevant policies, guidelines and strategies developed for GBV programming in emergency settings, s/he shall provide GBVSS with suggestions to adapt to this changing context without jeopardising standards.

Expected outputs/deliverables:

1. A brief baseline report & service audit plan including proposed methodology and tools
2. Service standardisation table
3. Service audit report
4. Summary report of the service audit results
5. PowerPoint presentation and a dashboard on the service audit results

Required expertise, qualifications and competencies, including language requirements:

The assignment requires an individual consultant with the following qualifications:

• Master or Higher degree in Gender studies, Gender and Human Rights, Development studies, Sociology/Social Development or other related fields.
• 2 years of relevant working experience in Gender, GBV and protection works, research, Monitoring and evaluation, Social Development or other related fields. Working experience in the Rohingya refugee response and/or the development context of Bangladesh is desirable.

• Strong familiarity with IASC Guidelines and minimums standards of GBV Programming in Humanitarian settings, GBV Guiding Principles, Survivor Centred Approach, GBV referral mechanism, Community Feedback Mechanism and GBV Case management processes and other ethical standards and considerations related to protection and GBV. Experience working with child survivors, male survivors, gender diverse populations, and/or people with disabilities preferred.
• Excellent analytical, research, and report writing skills.

The individual consultant should have the capacity to carry out data collection activities in Bangladesh and Rohingya context. S/he should have relevant analysis experience in GBV service standards monitoring, evaluation, service provision capacity assessment, etc.

• Relevant experience conducting research and studies (including on stakeholder engagement, grievance / accountability mechanisms, referral mechanism), ideally in humanitarian settings.
• Experience of Service audit for GBV service facilities is preferable.

• Fluency in English speaking and writing is required. Working knowledge of Chittagonian or Rohingya is highly desirable.
• Strong interpersonal skills, ability to coordinate and synchronise work with people of diverse cultural backgrounds, consensus building, team working and consortium dynamics.
• Flexible and responsive to changes as part of the review and feedback process.