RFQ No: UNFPA/BRB/RFQ/23/001 - Consultancy to develop and pilot an online self-paced course to strengthen the regional institutional health sector capacity to respond to family violence in the Caribbean

THE UNITED NATIONS POPULATION FUND (UNFPA)

UNFPA Sub-Regional Office for the Caribbean invites interested Consultancy Firms / Consultancy Teams to apply.

I.    BACKGROUND 

Every CARICOM country has dedicated domestic violence legislation and laws that advance child protection. Many have drafted national plans and strategies to address gender-based violence, in which ending family or domestic violence is prioritized. While these laws have improved some women’s access to justice, recent prevalence surveys suggest that a significant number of women experience intimate partner violence and that the majority of survivors do not report to police, or access services to protect and prevent the recurrence of violence. Policy making and programme development is not sufficiently informed by research and a coordinated approach to administrative data across sectors does not exist in most countries.

Alongside and feeding into system inadequacies, a culture of gender inequality persists and, along with other bases of inequalities, contributes to high levels of gender-based violence against women and girls. This culture and the associated inequalities impede quality, effective and non-discriminatory access to services. Gender norms that associate masculinity with power over and control of women are harmful as is the association of discipline of children with corporal punishment.

However, with the sustained demand by women’s and human rights organisations, including UN agencies, there is now readily apparent greater resolve to address GBV through systemic approaches. Key inter-governmental and regional institutions have prioritized ending gender-based violence in the period coinciding with the Spotlight Initiative. These include CARICOM and its institutions, OECS Commission and the Caribbean Development Bank.

Complementing the Spotlight country programmes in six Caribbean countries, and taking into account the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts, the Spotlight Initiative (SI) Caribbean regional programme will increase policy coordination and functional cooperation across the region to address family violence. It will set regional standards for essential services delivery, for monitoring the implementation of regional and national family violence laws and policies. The regional programme aims to advance best practice models for prevention; and ensure the engagement of women’s organizations in regional accountability frameworks.

More specifically,

• Under pillar 2, regional intergovernmental institutions will be supported to strengthen capacities to drive improvements in national-level delivery of essential prevention and response services to address family violence.
• Under pillar 3 an evidence-based Caribbean model of cultural and behavior change across the life course will inform primary family violence prevention and sexual and reproductive rights programming across the region.
• Under pillar 5, regional protocols and standards for family violence data management systems will be developed or strengthened to improve timely and cross-sectoral analyses and programmatic responses at national level.
• Under Pillar 6, civil society and women’s organizations will be more enabled and empowered to monitor and support family violence responses and prevention programming and have the capacity and connectedness to advocate for state and intergovernmental accountability to end family violence.

There is widespread recognition that violence against women and their children is a critical public health problem with adverse consequences for their physical and mental health. While, preventing and responding to violence requires a multi-sectoral approach, the health sector has a key role to play in addressing violence. Recognizing the importance of the health sector’s role, the Spotlight Initiative for the Caribbean includes specific activities aimed at strengthening the institutional capacity of the health sector to respond to family violence.

II.    EVALUATION CRITERIA 

All proposals submitted will be assessed and evaluated based on an Evaluation Criteria contained in the Request for Quotations document.   

III.    BID SUBMISSION 

• Please visit our website: https://bit.ly/UNFPAOLC for detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) and RFQ documents related to this solicitation for the bid submission procedures
• Deadline for Enquiries: Friday, April 28, 2023 via tallen@unfpa.org.  Questions will be answered in writing and shared will parties as soon as possible after this deadline. 
• Deadline for submission: Friday, May 05, 2023, 17:00 hrs (Jamaica time).
• Only bids that conform to the bid submission procedures contained in the RFQ documents will be accepted
• Bids shall remain valid for a period of ninety (90) days from the RFQ expiration date.

Please use the link below to download a copy of the price quotation form that is to be submitted.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1BsEt_xqGBATMCOg_GHQFEdJHHSGzuo2M/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=116499045270193266243&rtpof=true&sd=true

Note:

• There is no application, processing or other fee at any stage of the application process. 
• UNFPA does not solicit or screen for information in respect of HIV or AIDS and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status. 
• UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, teamwork, respect for diversity, integrity and a healthy balance of work and life. We are committed to maintaining our balanced gender distribution and therefore encourage women to apply.