National Individual Consultant to Design the Framework for Gender Accountability at United Nations Development Programme: (Deadline 18 June 2025)

Procurement Office – procurement.rw@undp.org

1.Background

InRwanda,theframeworkforCivilSocietyOrganization(CSO)accountabilityisbuiltupona robustlegalandregulatoryfoundation.TheRwandaGovernanceBoard(RGB)playsacentral roleinemphasizingCSOs’contributionstoeffectiveservicedelivery,policydevelopmentand reform, and citizen empowerment. While the Rwanda Civil Society Platform (RCSP) is primarilyresponsibleforcoordinatingcivilsocietyactivities,CSOsarealso mandatedtohold both the public and private sectors accountable on various socio-economic issues.

Civil SocietyOrganizations (CSOs) in Rwanda play a vital role in advancing gender equality andaccountabilitythroughadvocacy,awarenesscampaigns,anddirectcontributiontoservice delivery. Their efforts have contributed to policy reforms, improved access to resources, and the empowerment of marginalized groups, particularly women and girls. However, there remains a critical need for a structured framework to systematically promote gender equality and strengthen accountability mechanisms across the civil society sector.

Accordingto a2020mappingstudybythe RwandaCivilSocietyPlatform (RCSP),datafrom theRwandaGovernanceBoard(RGB)revealedthat1,508CivilSocietyOrganizations(CSOs) were operating across the country, including 1,335 national NGOs and faith-based organizations,and173internationalNGOs.Thissignificantpresenceunderscorestheneedfor clear and structured guidelines to effectively promote gender mainstreaming and enhance gender accountability within the civil society sector.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in collaboration with the Gender Monitoring Office (GMO) and the Private Sector Federation (PSF), have been implementing theGenderEqualitySeal(GES)certificationprogram.Todate,morethan40entities,including large corporations, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and public institutions have been certified.Thisprogramhasmadeasignificantcontributiontopromotinggenderequality andwomen’sempowermentintheworkplaceasitprovidesastructuredframeworkthatenables participating organizations to assess their current gender-related practices, identify areas for improvement, and implement changes that foster more inclusive and equitable work environments.Additionally,thedimensions,standards,andbenchmarksoftheGenderEquality SealhavebeenintegratedintothenewlydevelopedRwandaStandardsBoard’s(RSB)Gender Equality Standard, RS 560: Gender Equality – Requirements for Promotion, Implementation, and Accountability.

Against this backdrop, UNDP intends to hire a national individual consultant to support the Gender Monitoring Office (GMO) to develop a comprehensive framework and define clear guidelinesforpromotinggenderequalityandgenderaccountabilitywithincivilsociety

organizations in Rwanda. The goal is to enhance organizational effectiveness and foster inclusive citizen participation.

2.ObjectivesoftheConsultancy Overall objective:

The overall objective of the consultancyis to develop a comprehensive framework for gender accountability within Rwandan civil society, aimed at strengthening gender-responsive governance among CSOs. The framework will provide clear principles and guidelines for gender-responsive programming, strengthened transparency, promotion of inclusive participation, institutional capacity strengthening, and socio-economic transformation.

TheframeworktobedevelopedwillbeusedbybothrelevantregulatoryinstitutionsandCSOs themselves to advance gender equality. It will be informed by the dimensions of the national genderstandard(RS560:2023-GenderEquality:RequirementsforPromotion,Implementation, and Accountability).

Specificobjectives:

Specificobjectivesforthisassignmentincludethe following:

·Assess existing gender accountability practices and gaps within Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Rwanda, including governance arrangements, programming, and service delivery

·Define clear principles and standards that will guide CSOs in integrating gender equality and accountability across all levels of their operations, including planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation in civil society activities

·Proposemechanismsand standardsforinstitutionalizinggenderaccountabilityincivil society organizations, including the roles of regulatory bodies such as RGB, RCSP, GMO, and other stakeholders in oversight and enforcement

·Promote inclusive participation and representation of women, youth, and people with disabilities in CSO governance and decision-making processes.

·Align the framework with national and international gender equality standards, including the national gender standard RS 560:2023 as well as other national laws regulating CSOs in Rwanda.

3.Scopeof work:

TheConsultant is expected to provide thefollowingdeliverables:

·Conduct a comprehensive review of relevant national policies, strategies, legal frameworks,andinternationalcommitmentsrelatedtogenderequalityandcivilsociety in Rwanda;

·Conductstakeholderconsultations togatherinputsfromkeyactors,includingrelevant CSOs,RCSP,RGB,GMO,PSF,developmentpartners,andcommunityorganizations;