National Consultant - Comprehensive study of safe space structures and Functionality, Freetown

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.

Sierra Leone, despite achieving relative stability following its civil war, continues to grapple with unacceptably high levels of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). Based on the GEWE mapping exercise on strengthening local governance, evidence indicates that despite Sierra Leone's progressive gender equality framework, including the Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment Act (2022), implementation at local council level remains uneven due to limited institutional capacity, weak coordination, and insufficient resourcing of gender-responsive services. These gaps are particularly evident in social protection, prevention, and referral systems, where women, girls, persons with disabilities, youth, and other marginalized and digitally excluded populations face persistent barriers to accessing timely, survivor-centred support. Safe spaces constitute a key component of community-based GBV prevention and response systems. They provide critical services including protection, psychosocial support, referrals to essential services, and socio-economic empowerment opportunities for women and girls, particularly survivors of GBV.

Although Sierra Leone hosts several safe home and safe space models nationwide supporting over 2,700 GBV survivors annually and a growing number of Ministry-led safe homes at district level, these services remain unevenly distributed, under-resourced, and weakly integrated into local council planning, budgeting, and referral frameworks. The mapping further highlighted the absence of real-time information systems, standardized referral pathways, and institutionalized safe space models within decentralized governance structures, resulting in delayed GBV responses, low awareness of available services, and continued reliance on fragmented, project-based civil society interventions.

In response, the programme seeks to strengthen gender-responsive local governance and inclusive service delivery, by reinforcing integrated community-based social protection and GBV response systems. Central to this approach is the consolidation and scale-up of safe spaces as critical entry points for protection, psychosocial support, referrals, and socio-economic empowerment, leveraging existing community infrastructure and generating evidence-based, costed operational models aligned with international best practices to ensure sustainability and scale.

UN Women, with funding support from the Embassy of Iceland, is implementing Phase II of the programme Empowering Communities Through Gender-Responsive Local Governance: Building Institutional Capacity for Inclusive Service Delivery (2026-2028) in Sierra Leone, in partnership with the Ministry of Gender and Children's Affairs (MOGCA) and the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs (MoLGCA).

The programme aims to strengthen gender-responsive local governance systems and enhance inclusive service delivery for women, youth, persons with disabilities, and other marginalized groups across targeted local councils. Under Outcome 2, the programme focuses on strengthening social protection, prevention, and referral systems to improve access to quality, gender-transformative services, including those addressing gender-based violence (GBV).

To strengthen community-based response systems, the programme intends to leverage existing infrastructure, such as community centres and other locally managed facilities, to serve as safe homes through targeted rehabilitation, coordination, and logistical support. These safe homes are expected to function as part of an integrated referral system, improving access to services for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) while reinforcing linkages with local councils, service providers, and accountability mechanisms.

Against this backdrop, UN Women seeks to engage a consultant to conduct a comprehensive study of safe space structures and functionality in Sierra Leone and to develop a costed, evidence-based business case. The assignment will generate strategic and operational guidance to support sustainable operationalization, scale-up, and institutionalization of safe spaces within decentralized, gender-responsive local governance systems.

Description of Responsibilities /Scope of Work

A. Review of Policies, Frameworks, and Best Practices

• Review national policies, strategies, legislation, and operational frameworks related to GBV prevention and response, social protection, decentralization, and gender equality.
• Review existing studies, assessments, reports, and programme documentation on safe spaces and safe homes in Sierra Leone.
• Review global and regional guidance, toolkits, and standards on safe spaces (e.g., UN, inter-agency, and donor frameworks).
• Analyse international best practices, standards, and models for safe spaces in development, humanitarian, and fragile settings, with a focus on survivor-centred and community-based approaches.

B. Mapping and Functional Assessment of Safe Spaces

• Map existing and emerging safe space and safe home structures in selected districts, including those managed by communities, CSOs, and local authorities.
• Assess functionality, accessibility, inclusivity, safety, quality of services, coordination mechanisms, and sustainability.
• Examine governance and management arrangements, staffing, referral linkages, and alignment with GBV Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs).

C. Linkages with Community-Based Referral and Redress Mechanisms

• Analyse how safe spaces interface with community-based referral and redress mechanisms for GBV, including review of existing SoPs and coordination frameworks (Activity 2.2.4).
• Identify gaps, bottlenecks, and opportunities to strengthen accountability, compliance with gender laws, and effective case management.
• Assess the role of local governance and community oversight structures, including SGBV steering committees, ward development committees, and youth councils, in monitoring service delivery and demanding accountability (Activity 2.2.5).

D. Sustainability and Business Case Development

• Develop practical and context-appropriate safe space operational models for Sierra Leone.
• Define minimum service packages, infrastructure and logistics requirements, staffing, and governance arrangements.
• Develop a business case outlining financing options, sustainability pathways, and institutional ownership, including integration into local government planning and budgeting processes.
• Provide clear policy and programming recommendations to inform the rehabilitation and operationalization of safe homes in three high-risk districts under Activity 2.2.6.
• Provide an overall report.

Consultant's Workplace and Official Travel

This is a home-based consultancy.

Duration

Up to 90 working days over a period of approximately 5 months.

As part of this assignment, there will be frequent visit to the implementing districts as the assignment demand and related travel expenses would be borne by the project.

Reporting and Coordination

The consultant will work under the technical supervision of UN Women Sierra Leone, in close coordination with MOGCA, MoLGCA, and targeted local councils. All deliverables will be reviewed and approved by UN Women.

Key Deliverables

• Inception Report: Detailed methodology, analytical framework, data collection tools, workplan, ethical safeguards, and stakeholder engagement approach.
• Draft Study Report on Safe Space Structures and Functionality: Mapping and functional assessment findings. Analysis of community-based referral and redress mechanisms and governance linkages. Comparative review of international best practices.
• Stakeholder Consultations: Conduct consultations with:
  • National ministries (MOGCA, MoLGCA)
  • Local councils and ward-level structures
  • CSOs and community-based organizations managing safe spaces.
  • Service providers and referral actors.
  • Women, girls, and relevant community representatives (ethically and safely).
  Ensure survivor-centred, ethical, and do-no-harm approaches throughout.
• Business Case for Operationalization of Safe Spaces: Costed model(s), governance framework, sustainability, and financing options.
• Validation Workshop and Final Consolidated draft Report: Presentation of findings to key stakeholders. Incorporation of validation feedback. Submission of final approved reports.

Consultant's Workplace and Official Travel

This is a home-based consultancy.

Duration

Up to 90 working days over a period of approximately 5 months.

As part of this assignment, there will be frequent visit to the implementing districts as the assignment demand and related travel expenses would be borne by the project.

Reporting and Coordination

The consultant will work under the technical supervision of UN Women Sierra Leone, in close coordination with MOGCA, MoLGCA, and targeted local councils. All deliverables will be reviewed and approved by UN Women.

Required Qualifications

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:

• Strong knowledge of gender equality and women's rights issues, political science, law, and development.
• Demonstrated ability to interact effectively with government representatives of Member States as well as CSO representatives.
• Proven networking skills, and ability.
• Strong writing and communication skills.
• Knowledge and understanding of the UN system and familiarity with inter-governmental processes.
• Strong IT skills, including databases, extranet and office software packages.
• Strong analytical and interpersonal skills.

Education and Certification:

• Master's degree or equivalent in Law, Human Rights, Political Science, Gender and Development 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.
• A project/programme management certification would be an added advantage.
• OR Bachelor's degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted.

Experience:

• At least 5 years of experience of relevant work in the field of gender equality and women's rights including proven experience in women's CSOs or gender-based violence.
• Extensive Substantive Experience in Institutional assessments or evaluations.
• Experience in programme design and results-based management.
• Experience in working in a multicultural environment.
• Sound knowledge of international standards on human rights, women's rights and related instruments.
• Experience working with multi-stakeholder organizations is essential: governments, CSOs, and the UN/ multilateral/bilateral institutions.
• Experience in implementing, monitoring, and evaluating development programmes and projects.

Languages

• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of the other UN official working language French is an asset.

The candidates shall provide relevant reports to evidence their experience related to the key activities of this consultancy.

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.)

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.

Tags

• empowerment of women
• gender based violence
• gender equality and social inclusion
• programme management
• violence against women

Skills

• Gender Equality Knowledge
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Analytical Skills
• English Language
• Project Management

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