Call for Proposals: Capacity Development Support for Elected Women Representatives

Deadline: 23-Aug-23

UN Women is accepting proposals to promote leadership and substantive participation of elected women representatives in governance structures and processes.

The initiative also aims to strengthen the capacities of duty bearers and right holders across governance structures to promote gender responsive and inclusive governance.

Scope of Work

To achieve the aforementioned objectives, the responsible party (RP) is expected to carry out the below activities in close collaboration with UN Women Nepal and provincial and local government agencies.

Objective 1: To promote leadership and substantive participation of elected women representatives in governance structures and processes.
- Activity 1.1: Develop a capacity development plan based on the comprehensive capacity need assessment of the elected women representatives.
  - The responsible party will develop a capacity development plan based on the capacity need assessment of the EWRs and other duty bearers (elected male representatives, key government officials and service providers) in the seven project LGUs from two provinces.
- Activity 1.2: Develop/adapt training manual(s) on women’s political empowerment and gender-responsive and inclusive governance, including key thematic areas.
  - The responsible party will review and adapt the training packages developed by UN Women and its partner from past project interventions on capacity strengthening of EWRs and other duty bearers. The suggested training package will include:
    - Training on Feminist Leadership and Advancing Women’s Political Empowerment and
    - Gender Responsive and Inclusive Governance.
- Activity 1.3: Deliver comprehensive capacity development support to all elected women in selected LGUs from two project provinces.
  - The RP will develop and roll out comprehensive capacity development support to all EWRs in the select LGUs of Madhesh and Sudurpaschim Province. The RP shall facilitate regular trainings that take into account the different needs and circumstances among EWRs in different positions and with different backgrounds.
  - The RP will deliver the following capacity development activities for all elected women representatives in select LGUs in Madhesh and Sudurapashchim Province:
    - Capacity development support to women Mayors/Deputy Mayors/Chairs/Vice Chairs in selected LGUs from two provinces.
    - Capacity development support to all elected women ward members from seven project LGUs.
    - Peer-support and mentoring to elected women representatives.
    - Psycho-social support and counselling.
- Activity 1.4: Networking among elected women representatives within and cross provinces:
  - Organize interactions between women Mayors/Deputy Mayors/ Chairs/Vice Chairs of selected LGUs from two provinces.
  - Organize interactions between elected women ward representatives in seven project LGUs.
- Activity 1.5: Experience sharing/learning platforms between current and former elected women representatives (mayors/deputy mayors/Chairs/Vice Chairs).
  - Create networks of former women mayors/Deputy Mayors/Chairs/Vice Chairs in two provinces. Each network will include a minimum of 10 influential former women deputy mayors/vice chairs in each province from diverse political ideology.
  - Organise interaction meetings between former and current women mayor/deputy mayors/Chairs/Vice Chairs in each project province for experience sharing and learning.
- Activity 1.6: Learning Visits
  - Organise four learning visits (two from each province) for EWRs (Deputy Mayors, elected women representatives in the Executive Committee and key government officials including representatives from Social Development Department) of project LGUs to other LGUs/provinces to gain first hand understanding of different aspects of gender-responsive and inclusive governance.
Objective 2: To strengthen capacities of other duty bearers (elected male representatives, government officers and other service providers) across governance institutions to promote and advance gender-responsive and inclusive governance.
- Activity 2.1: Strengthening institutional capacity of Social Development Department (SDD) of LGUs to advocate for gender equality and social inclusion across LGUs policies, programming and planning:
  - Conduct capacity development training to key government officials and representatives from Social Development Department (SDD) including gender focal points to equip them with necessary knowledge and skills to mainstream GESI/GRB across sectors in LGUs.
  - Need based accompaniment and mentoring support: Regular coaching and mentoring support will be provided to staff/focal point of Social Development Department on the substantive and technical aspects of GESI mainstreaming across sub-sectors in the LGUs policy formulation, planning, budgeting and programming.
- Activity 2.2: Conduct reflective dialogue sessions in each LGU with elected male and female representatives, civil servants and community members on key challenges to adopt/implement GESI policy/strategies and promote gender equality and women empowerment (in total 21 sessions, 3 dialogues for LGUs).
- Activity 2.3: Promote a pool of ‘Gender Equality Champions”: The responsible party will engage with male representatives and civil servants, male political leaders/community leaders and identify a pool of male representative who are gender responsive.
- Activity 2.4: Provide Technical support to draft/implement GESI policy/strategies to project provinces and LGUs.
  - Technical support to project LGUs
  - Technical support to two project provinces
- Activity 2.5: Strengthen the capacity of the members of the Local Coordination Committee and other duty bearers to advance the rights of persons with disabilities.
Objective 3: Strengthen capacities of women’s organizations and networks, as well as disabled people’s organizations, to effectively engage with sub-national governments and hold them accountable.
- The responsible party will identify new grassroot women’s organisations/organisations of persons with disabilities including Community based organisations (CBOs) and user’s groups in seven project LGUs from two provinces for capacity development and networking initiatives.
- Activity 3.1: Capacity development training to women’s organisations and networks including disabled people’s organisation on leadership and gender responsive and inclusive governance processes.
  - Design and deliver a training on feminist leadership for representatives of women’s rights organizations from intersectional identities including women with disabilities (maximum 35 participants) with a focus on advocacy and accountability of GEWE.
  - Training on gender and disability responsive planning and budgeting for representatives of women’s right organisations and Organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) from project LGUs to enable them to effectively participate in local planning and budgeting process and hold local government accountable to gender equality, disability inclusion and women empowerment agendas.
- Activity 3.2: Conduct public dialogues on GEWE: The responsible party will conduct four public dialogues in each project LGUs on local level plan, budget and services from gender and disability inclusion lens to hold government accountable to their commitments on gender equality and women’s rights.
- Activity 3.3: Conduct provincial level dialogue on Women’s leadership and Gender responsive and inclusive governance bringing together elected representatives, key policy makers from provincial and local level governments, political leaders and parliamentarians and women’s leader and relevant development partners working in the province.
- Activity 3.4: Capacity development support to potential women candidates on political leadership and candidacy.
- Activity 3.5: Conduct federal level dialogues on Women’s leadership and Gender responsive and inclusive governance bringing together elected representatives and key government officers from all three tiers of governance, representatives from women networks/organisations and development partners working on gender equality and women’s empowerment.
- Activity 3.6: Knowledge products and IEC materials: The responsible party will document the key GESI issues and develop knowledge products and IEC materials for advocacy campaign and dissemination of best practices. The RP will conduct the following during the project duration.

Funding Information

The budget range for this proposal should be USD 240,000 – USD 260,000.
Time Frame: 24 months (October 2023- September 2025).

Outputs

Reporting against these will be mandatory. Other project specific indicators may be proposed in consultation with UN Women.
- NPL_D_1.4: By 2027, more people, especially women, youth, and the most marginalized and poor increasingly participate in and benefit from coordinated, inclusive, accessible, participatory, transparent, and gender-responsive governance, access to justice and human rights at federal, provincial, and local levels.
- NPL_D_1.4.1: Government officials (including justice actors) and elected representatives have adequate capacities to formulate or reform gender-responsive laws, policies and plans for the advancement of human rights and inclusive governance in line with international/national normative frameworks, in support of Nepal’s transition to federalism, and with the participation of the most marginalized and poorest population.
- NPL_D_1.4.3: Women, girls and LGBTIQ+ persons, especially from excluded groups, have adequate capacities to meaningfully engage and influence governance processes at all levels.
Relevant Indicators:
- NPL_D_1.4.1A: Number of government officials, justice actors and elected representatives with increased capacity to implement and monitor gender responsive laws, polices, plans and budgets with support from UN Women.
- NPL_D_1.4.1C: Number of gender responsive laws, polices, strategies and plans drafted/revised with support from UN Women to advance GEWE at all levels.
- NPL_D_1.4.3A: Number of rights-holders with knowledge and understanding on gender responsive and inclusive governance and justice, social accountability and feminist leadership in UN Women project locations.

Geographical Locations

The initiative will be rolled out in seven LGUs of Madhesh (Rautahat district) and Sudurpaschim provinces (Kailali and Doti). The Responsible party is requested to propose seven Palikas from Rautahat (3 LGUs) and Kailali (2 LGUs) and Doti (2 LGUs). Priority will be given to those LGUs which include women representatives in the leadership position (Mayor/Deputy Mayor/Chair/Vice Chair).

Competencies

Demonstrable organizational experience designing and implementing capacity development activities to elected representatives and key government officials on women’s leadership and political participation to advance gender responsive and inclusive governance.
Proven technical competencies in application of human rights-based and feminist approaches to advance gender equality and for ensuring their voices and needs as rights-holders.
Demonstrable organizational experience of forming and supporting networks of excluded groups, including at the community level.
Sound knowledge of the governance system of Nepal, in particular the new context of federalism.
Past experience working with provincial and local government on GESI policies and strategies, gender mainstreaming would be an added value.
Demonstrated experience in implementing programmes on gender equality and women’s empowerment, and in formulating result-oriented programme, monitoring programme based on indicators and quality reporting.
Proven organizational experience in building strategic partnerships, connections, and networks with relevant partners, including women-led organizations, CSOs and government agencies at all levels.
Demonstrated commitment to working with women, girls, other genders that are economically, socially, culturally, or otherwise excluded, excluded and/or marginalized.

For more information, visit UN Women.