National Consultant for the development of the Costed Implementation Plan of the NAP EVAW

TERMS OF REFERENCE  

Hiring Office:

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Philippines

Purpose of consultancy:

Background and Rationale

Violence against women (VAW) is a violation of fundamental human rights, which undermines women’s integrity and sense of self-worth, and deprives them of the opportunity to participate equally in social and productive endeavours. A significant proportion of women in the Philippines experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. UNFPA data (2023) suggests that lifetime experience of physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner ranged from 11% to 64%, while current experience (experience of VAW in the past 12 months preceding the survey) ranged from 4% to 48% (Source: NAP EVAW). Intimate partners are more likely to inflict violence than other perpetrators. VAW is a manifestation of deep-rooted structural discrimination and the historical unequal gender relations between women and men.

The 2030 Development Agenda’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)-5 aims for gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls, with sub-goal 5.2 specifically targeting the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls. The Philippines has demonstrated its commitment to this goal through legislations such as the Magna Carta of Women (RA9710) and, critically, Republic Act 9262, the Anti-Violence Act.  The government has reaffirmed its commitment to addressing gender-based violence through the National Action Plan on Ending Violence Against Women (NAP EVAW) 2025-2030, designed to operationalise RA 9262.

The NAP EVAW 2025-2030 is a multi-sectoral strategic plan focused on eliminating VAW by strengthening prevention, ensuring survivor access to quality services, and enhancing accountability mechanisms. The Inter-Agency Council on Violence against Women (IACVAW), established under RA9262, serves as the lead coordinating and monitoring body for VAW initiatives in the country.  UNFPA actively supported the formulation of the NAP-EVAW, engaging a diverse range of government and non-government stakeholders across the regions. 

To ensure the effective and efficient implementation of the NAP-EVAW 2025–2030 at both national and local levels, there is a critical need for a comprehensive Costed Implementation Plan (CIP). The CIP will serve as a practical roadmap that translates the strategic priorities of the NAP-EVAW into concrete, time-bound, and resource-aligned interventions. It will guide implementing agencies and partners in planning, budgeting, and sequencing activities, while also promoting coordination, accountability, and sustainability of efforts to address violence against women.  It should also be designed to complement the Results-Based Monitoring and Evaluation (RBM&E) Framework, enabling effective tracking of progress and facilitating data-driven decision-making throughout the implementation period.

In this context, UNFPA, in partnership with the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), is seeking a qualified Individual Consultant (IC) to lead the development of a detailed and gender-responsive CIP. The CIP must align planned activities with corresponding resource requirements, timelines, and implementation responsibilities, ensuring coherence between national objectives and local actions

Scope of work:

Objectives:

1. To specify the actions for the implementation of the NAP-EVAW at the national and local levels
2. To identify and outline financial, human, and logistical resource requirements for each proposed action and interventions, including detailed cost breakdowns (programmatic and operational costs), capacity building and M&E costs, investments in technological advancements, and cross cutting themes (disability inclusion, intersectionality, etc) along with a clear timeline
3. To identify the roles and responsibilities of all relevant stakeholders and implementing agencies involved in the implementation of the NAP-EVAW
4. Financing and resource mobilization strategy that includes government budget allocations, support from international mechanisms like ODA-GAD, private sector engagements and grant or funding opportunities and partnerships.
5. To strengthen institutional capacity and ownership of the CIP by conducting training and orientations to key stakeholders both at the national and local levels

Scope of Work

The consultancy will involve the following key activities:

• Desk review: Review the current NAP EVAW, previous evaluations, and relevant national policies/documents.
• Inception report: Write an inception report detailing the approach, methodologies, a strategic framework, and the work plan. The inception report should also include the proposed outline of the CIP.
• Stakeholder Mapping and Consultation: Conduct a stakeholder mapping exercise. Identify and engage with relevant stakeholders, including national and local government agencies, NGOs, and civil society organisations, to elicit information and inputs and build consensus on the strategies, methodologies, priorities and responsibilities.
• Cost Analysis: Conduct a cost analysis to identify and estimate costs associated with the implementation of various components of the NAP EVAW, including programs, advocacy, capacity-building activities, and monitoring and evaluation.
• Coordination Framework: Design a coordination framework focused on existing structures and mechanisms to foster coordination and harmonization of efforts at the horizontal and vertical levels, enhance efficient use of resources, track progress and results, facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration, promote accountability for results, and enhance sustainability.
• Development of the Costed Implementation Plan: Develop a detailed implementation plan outlining the timelines, responsibilities, and allocation of necessary financial, material, and technical resources from available sources and potential mobilization.
• Resource mobilisation Plan: Develop a resource mobilisation plan for mobilising financial resources in a sustained manner, with an annual financial and program gap analysis to inform resource allocation and mobilisation efforts.
• Report Writing: Present the final report, including the costed implementation plan.
• Validation workshop: Conduct national and regional validation workshops with the relevant government and non-government stakeholders to present and review the draft CIP.
• Finalisation and approval of the Plan: Finalise the plan by incorporating the inputs generated through the validation workshop and ensure the approval of the plan by both UNFPA and PCW/IACVAWC.

Capacity Building and Knowledge Transfer

• Conduct an orientation and training session for IACVAWC, LCAT-VAWCs, and key stakeholders at the LGU level both at the national and sub-national levels on the CIP .

Please note that if the consultant determines that additional experts or personnel are needed to complete all deliverables in this project, all associated expenses, including travel costs, professional fees, and any other related expenses, will be covered by the consultant.

Consultancy Period

The consultancy will involve 30-person days spread over 6 months

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

The Consultant will be paid based on the following deliverables  and  the timeline:

1. The first payment, 20%, will be made upon receipt and acceptance of the first deliverable as per the table of deliverables (electronically);
2. The second payment, 20%, will be made upon receipt and acceptance of the first deliverable as per the table of deliverables (electronically);
3. The third payment, 30%, will be made upon receipt and acceptance of the first deliverable as per the table of deliverables (electronically); 
4. The remaining 30% will be made upon approval by the Assistant Representative and acceptance of the final deliverables as per the table of deliverables (electronically)

A detailed project timeline, including specific deliverables and their associated deadlines, will be mutually agreed upon by the consultant and UNFPA. This timeline will be outlined in an inception report to be submitted by the consultant at the commencement of the engagement.

Place where services are to be delivered:

The consultant will be mostly home-based but will have to report to the UNFPA office when called (upon prior coordination with the Consultant).  The deliverables will be submitted to UNFPA Philippines CO through the Gender/GBV Team and will be closely coordinated with the PCW Secretariat

Kindly note that final site selection for the activities will be undertaken in coordination with PCW and UNFPA. The project is expected to focus in Metro Manila for national-level activities and select province/s for the sub-national level activities.

Location of Activities::

Monitoring, Supervisory, and quality check arrangements: 

The project will be under the overall management of UNFPA Assistant Country Representative with day-to-day technical backstopping from the Gender/GBV Programme Team.  The Consultant is expected to work closely with the UNFPA Country Office for coordination purposes. 

Expected Travel

UNFPA will cover only the travel-related costs for the consultant (1 pax), including airfare, land transportation, daily subsistence allowance, and incidentals related to fieldwork such as consultations, validation activities, and training sessions, in addition to the professional fee. Should the consultant opt to bring additional staff to support the delivery of activities, all associated travel expenses for the additional personnel shall be borne by the consultant.

Required expertise, qualifications, and competencies, including language requirements:

The following experience and qualifications are required for the IC:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in Social Sciences, Gender Studies, Development Studies, Public Policy, Public Administration, Economics, or a related field.
• At least 7 years of progressively responsible experience in strategic and financial planning, with a strong focus on gender equality, women’s empowerment, or prevention and response to violence against women and girls (VAWG).
• Proven experience in developing costed implementation plans, preferably for national action plans or sectoral strategies related to gender-based violence (GBV), women's rights, or other social development areas.
• Solid understanding of programme and project cycle management, including familiarity with results-based management and logical framework approaches in social development or governance sectors.
• Demonstrated in-depth knowledge of Philippine government systems and development planning processes, including public budgeting, inter-agency coordination, and reporting mechanisms at both national and local levels.
• Strong understanding of the legal and policy environment on gender equality and GBV in the Philippines, including key laws such as the Magna Carta of Women (RA 9710), Anti-VAWC Act (RA 9262), Anti-Rape Law, Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, and the Safe Spaces Act.
• Familiarity with the broader gender policy landscape in the Philippines, including national strategies, institutional mandates, and coordination structures.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to present complex ideas clearly and effectively to diverse audiences.
• Strong facilitation skills and experience in leading participatory consultations and workshops with government and civil society stakeholders.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to synthesize qualitative and quantitative data to inform strategic planning and costing.
• Working knowledge of international frameworks on gender equality and women's rights (e.g., CEDAW, SDG 5, Beijing Platform for Action).

Inputs/services to be provided by UNFPA or implementing partner (e.g support services, office, equipment), if applicable:

The PCW Secretariat through coordination with the UNFPA Gender/GBV Unit, M&E unit, and other relevant Country Office teams/units will provide necessary documents and data from the internal CO databases for the Consultant to review.