Terms of Reference (ToR) To conduct an Assessment on Existing Accountability Mechanisms for the Protection, Prevention, and Response to SGBV and CRSV (OPEN)

Background about NEWA

The Network of Ethiopian Women’s Associations (NEWA) is a non-partisan, non-governmental national network established in 2003. Currently, NEWA has 50-member local associations and organizations working together for a strong advocacy voice for gender equality and women’s political, socio-economic, and legal advancement.

NEWA has a twofold goal:

1. To synchronize the of women’s associations into a cohesive collective effort, fostering synergy to achieve common goals for gender equality.
2. To launch robust public campaigns aimed at promoting, advocating for, and lobbying for women’s rights.
3. NEWA is guided by its Five-Year Strategic Plan, and research and evidence-based advocacy is one of the overarching and strategic objectives. NEWA has made significant strides in addressing the gender gap across the nation and amplifying women’s voices in collaboration with both local and international partners.

With the financial support from the UN Trust Fund, NEWA is implementing a project titled “Improving legal and service response to SGBV in conflict affected areas of Ethiopia.” It is designed to enhance the implementation of legislation, policies, national action plans, service standards, and accountability systems to prevent and end SGBV in Ethiopia.

The project is to be implemented at both national and regional levels, specifically in Amhara, Tigray and Benishangul-Gumuz regions. To effectively and efficiently implement and meet the set objectives and outcomes of this intervention, NEWA will engage and collaborate with relevant stakeholders at all levels and phases.

This ToR is therefore prepared to call an expression of interest for consultant/s or firm to apply and provide the consultancy service.

• Background
  While significant progress has been made in developing laws and policies addressing Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) and Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV), the challenge of ensuring accountability and effective implementation remains profound. Survivors frequently encounter barriers in accessing justice, limited protection mechanisms, and inadequate coordination among actors.
  
  This assessment seeks to examine how accountability mechanisms function in practice, identifying strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for enhancing institutional and community-level systems that ensure prevention, protection, and response to SGBV and CRSV. It will also explore how these mechanisms can better measure progress and outcomes in delivering survivor-centered justice.
  
  Despite the existence of multiple policies and institutional frameworks, there is often limited integration, inconsistent data management, and weak monitoring systems that hinder accountability. Strengthening these systems is critical for building trust, ensuring justice, and promoting long-term prevention efforts. This study will therefore analyze the structure, capacity, and effectiveness of existing accountability mechanisms and identify opportunities for sustainable improvement.
• Purpose of the Assessment
  The purpose of this assessment is to generate credible and evidence-based insights that inform policy and programmatic actions to strengthen Ethiopia’s response to conflict-induced sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and sexual /gender-based violence (S/GBV).
  
  This assessment aims to examine how existing accountability mechanisms function in practice; evaluating their effectiveness, transparency, and responsiveness to survivors’ needs.
  
  It will assess whether these systems adequately promote justice, coordination, and the prevention of recurrence.
  The findings will inform evidence-based policy reform and program development, strengthen institutional accountability and ensure that SGBV and CRSV prevention and response mechanisms are more survivor-centered, transparent, and effective.
• Objectives
  1. Major objective
     The main objective of the assessment is to assess the existing accountability mechanisms that measure and strengthen protection, prevention, and response to SGBV and CRSV at the federal level and across the three regions (Amhara, Tigray, and Benishangul-Gumuz)
  2. Specific objectives
     The specific objectives include:
     1. To map institutional, policy, and community-based accountability mechanisms for SGBV and CRSV.
     2. To assess how these mechanisms ensure justice, transparency, and survivor participation.
     3. To evaluate monitoring and evaluation systems used to track prevention, protection, and response outcomes.
     4. To identify gaps and good practices in coordination, data collection, and survivor-centered service delivery.
     5. To recommend strategies to strengthen accountability systems at both national and regional levels.
• Scope of Work
  The consultant/firm will be responsible for the following tasks:
  The consultant will be responsible for conducting a comprehensive and participatory assessment of existing accountability mechanisms that address Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) and Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV). The assignment will combine an extensive desk review with consultative engagements to ensure evidence-based and inclusive findings. Specifically, the consultant will:
  
  • Review and analyze existing accountability frameworks including judicial, administrative, and community-based mechanisms to evaluate their structure, effectiveness, and responsiveness to survivors’ needs.
  • Assess coordination mechanisms at national and regional levels, such as GBV sub-clusters, inter-ministerial committees, and survivor support networks, to identify functional strengths, overlaps, and gaps.
  • Examine data management and performance monitoring systems related to SGBV and CRSV prevention, protection, and response, with attention to the quality, accessibility, and utilization of information.
  • Conduct II, FGD and KII with key stakeholders, including justice sector representatives, law enforcement bodies, service providers, survivors’ groups, and civil society organizations, WRO, ensuring that diverse perspectives inform the analysis. 
  • Identify and propose policy and institutional reforms aimed at enhancing accountability, transparency, coordination, and survivor-centered service delivery across national and regional systems.
• Methodology
  The consultant is expected to adopt a mixed-method and participatory approach to ensure that the assessment is comprehensive, evidence-based, and inclusive. The following methods, but not limited to, are suggested, including applying a conflict-sensitive, survivor-centered, and mixed-methods approach:

Specifically, the consultant will:

• Conduct a desk review of national and regional legal, policy, and institutional frameworks relevant to SGBV and CRSV, including strategic plans, progress reports, and accountability tools.
• Map existing accountability mechanisms that can be formal and informal and analyze their structure, effectiveness, and alignment with international and regional standards.
• Carry out key informant interviews (KIIs) with representatives from government institutions, justice and security sectors, survivor support organizations, civil society actors, WROs, and development partners.
• Facilitate focus group discussions (FGDs) with survivors, women’s rights organizations, and community-based actors to capture lived experiences and local perspectives.
• Apply both qualitative and quantitative analysis to triangulate findings and draw practical, context-specific recommendations.
• Quantitative data will be collected through structured surveys to complement and substantiate the qualitative findings.
• The methodology should prioritize ethical standards, including confidentiality, informed consent, and sensitivity to the experiences of survivors and vulnerable groups.
• Deliverables

The Consultant will deliver:

• Technical and financial proposals, and then the below after winning the bid.
• Inception Report (outlined methodology, data collection tools, sampling strategy, and work plan).
• Draft Assessment Report, including findings and preliminary recommendations
• Final Assessment Report, incorporating given inputs and comments, with actionable recommendations, annexes (data collection tools, stakeholders consulted, service maps)
• 3 Policy Briefs (8–10 pages), summarizing key findings and policy recommendations for policy makers, Justice sectors /actors and regional stakeholder
• Duration and Level of Effort

• The assignment is expected to be completed within three months from the date of contract signing.

• Reporting

The consulting company/ firm is expected to work closely and in consultation with the staff of NEWA to meet the objective of the assignment and shall report to the GBV program coordinator. All the reporting, data compilation, and organization shall be in the English language.

Required Qualifications and Experiences

Professional Qualification and Experience of the Consultant(s)

The consultant(s) or firm expressing interest for the Assessment has the following key Professional Qualification and Experience of the Consultant(s):

• The Consultant company must have a minimum of 7 years of proven experience in gender, SGBV/CRSV related programming, accountability system, or justice system reform
• The consulting firm must have a team of experts, with genuine women’ representation, proven experience in conducting legal and policy, particularly with in regional context
• For the purposes of this study, the lead consultant is required to be a woman.
• Understanding of Ethiopia’s justice system, protection and accountability frameworks, health, psychosocial, and legal systems, and humanitarian coordination structures.
• Strong qualitative and quantitative research skills
• Knowledge of ethical research standards for working with GBV survivors.
• Research and assessment that have strong analytical and report-writing skills.
• The team must have strong communication and facilitation skills.
• Familiarity with the local context and language of the selected regions is preferred.
• Familiarity with international and regional gender and protection frameworks is essential.
• The team must have a minimum of MSc. /MA degree in the fields of Law, Gender Studies, sociology, Peace and Security, Human rights, social policies, or other related fields
• The consultant has a proven track record of successfully conducting and managing similar activities and providing at least two testimonial letters.
• If a firm involves more than one expert, please provide description of the duties and responsibilities of teammates
• Excellent writing and facilitation skills in English and Amharic (knowledge of additional local languages an asset)
• Renewed license, VAT registration and TIN number.

NB. The consultants, as well as data collectors, and others who will be part of the assessment are also obliged to sign the safeguarding and child protection policy of NEWA, February 2020,