National Consultancy: Media Empowerment and Capacity Building on GBV and SRH

TERMS OF REFERENCE  

Hiring Office:

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Philippines

Purpose of consultancy:

Background and Rationale:

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in the Philippines is committed to advancing gender equality, human rights, and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). As part of its 9th Country Programme (CP), UNFPA recognizes the critical role that media plays in shaping public perception and influencing social norms. Traditional and digital media platforms have significant reach and potential to either perpetuate harmful stereotypes or become powerful drivers of positive social change.

The National Action Plan to End Violence Against Women (NAP-EVAW) 2025-2030  highlights the need to strengthen the capacity of media organizations to report on gender and SRHR issues in a manner that is sensitive, rights-based, and transformative. Leveraging existing resources such as the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) Media Guidebook and UNFPA’s global and regional guidelines, this initiative aims to support national media organizations in promoting responsible reporting and contributing to the elimination of discriminatory and harmful social and gender norms.

To support this goal, UNFPA is seeking an individual consultant to lead efforts in media and development communication by developing tailored training materials and mobilising national-level media organizations. These materials will draw from the PCW and UNFPA guidelines and be designed to enhance the capacity of media professionals to produce and promote content that reflects gender equality and upholds human rights. In coordination with technical experts from UNFPA including experts from Asia and the Pacific Regional Office (APRO), the consultant will receive technical guidance, learn from successful models in other countries and adapt relevant approaches to the Philippine context.

This initiative contributes to the goal of establishing a pool of media champions who are capacitated to promote positive gender and social norms across different platforms and within their respective networks.

Objectives

The overall objective of this consultancy is to adapt existing national and international guidelines on engaging media for responsible reporting into contextualized training materials and to build the capacity of media organizations to become champions in promoting positive gender and social norms. This initiative contributes to establishing a pool of media champions equipped to effectively advocate for and promote these norms across diverse media platforms. Specifically, the consultant will:

1. Develop training materials based on the PCW Media Guidebook and UNFPA guidelines on responsible reporting, tailored to the Philippine media context.
   
   
    
2. Map, mobilize and engage national-level media organizations in the use and integration of these training materials.
   
   
    
3. Facilitate capacity-building of media professionals and organizations through the training materials with guidance from UNFPA experts. 
   
   
    
4. Support the establishment of a pool of media champions and propose a plan for sustaining their engagement, including mechanisms for coordination, profiling, and future involvement in promoting positive gender and social norms.
   
   
    
5. Coordinate closely with UNFPA experts for technical guidance and draw from best practices and lessons from similar initiatives in other countries.

The outputs of this consultancy will contribute to achieving UNFPA 9th Country Programme commitment, ensuring that media platforms play a pivotal role in promoting gender equality and social transformation.

Scope of work:

The Consultant will be responsible for the following key tasks:

Review and Situational Mapping

• Review the PCW Media Guidebook and relevant UNFPA guidelines on gender-sensitive and responsible reporting and communication.
• Scan existing training initiatives and gaps in media reporting on gender, SRHR, and human rights.
• Identify and map potential media organizations and individuals for engagement and capacity-building.

Development of Training Materials

• Draft training materials (modules, presentations, resource kits) tailored to different media platforms (print, broadcast, digital).
• Ensure that materials are practical, context-specific, and aligned with both national government and UNFPA international standards.
• Integrate technical inputs and guidance from UNFPA experts and concerned teams and draw from successful country experiences in applying the UNFPA guidelines.

Media Mobilization and Capacity Building

• Organize and facilitate orientation sessions and training workshops (in-person) using the developed materials in close coordination and guidance from UNFPA experts and concerned teams. 
• Provide technical support and mentoring to participating media organizations on how to embed gender-transformative content in their reporting practices.

Support the Establishment and Sustainability of a Pool of Media Champions

• Identify and establish partnerships with media professionals and organizations with interest and potential to serve as advocates for positive gender and social norms.
• Support the establishment of a pool of media champions and propose a plan for sustaining their engagement, including mechanisms for coordination, profiling, and future involvement in promoting positive gender and social norms.
• Facilitate networking and knowledge-sharing opportunities among these media champions during the training

Monitor and Evaluate Progress

• Provide technical support to UNFPA in monitoring and evaluating the progress of media organizations in applying key concepts, protocols, principles, and lessons learned from the training based on national and international media guidelines. This includes developing a user-friendly M&E tool, along with practical strategies and mechanisms to track the integration of gender-transformative practices and assess the impact of capacity-building efforts.

Reporting and Knowledge Documentation

• Submit a brief inception report outlining the methodology and work plan.
• Provide progress updates and activity reports during the implementation period.
• Submit a final report detailing the training materials, capacity-building sessions conducted, list of engaged media organizations and champions, and recommendations for future engagement.

Please note that the consultant will closely collaborate with UNFPA experts and concerned teams throughout the duration of the project to ensure technical guidance and alignment, with a focus on GBV, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), and the integration of ethical, gender-sensitive, and transformative approaches in media reporting and content development.

 In addition, if the consultant determines that additional experts or personnel are needed to complete all deliverables in this project, all associated expenses, including travel costs, professional fees, and any other related expenses, will be covered by the consultant.

Work Schedule Arrangements:

The consultancy entails a commitment to accomplish the project, commencing promptly upon contract approval. This includes consultation workshops and back to back meetings with UNFPA lead programme teams. Bulk of the work can be efficiently carried out via virtual means, facilitating a flexible home-based work environment.

The consultant is expected to produce the following deliverables :

Inception Report

• A concise report detailing the methodology, work plan, and timeline.

Situational Analysis and Mapping Report

• A summary of the review of relevant guidelines, existing initiatives, gaps, and a mapped list of media organizations and key individuals for engagement.

Training Materials Package

• Contextualized training modules, presentations, and resource kits tailored to Philippine media platforms and aligned with UNFPA and PCW standards. 

Capacity Building Sessions

• Completion of effective orientation and training workshops with national-level media organizations. 

Pool of Media Champions Established

• Identification and engagement of media champions, including a documented plan for sustaining their involvement and mechanisms for coordination and profiling. 

Monitoring and Evaluation Tool

• A practical M&E tool including strategies and mechanisms designed to track the integration of gender-transformative practices and assess capacity-building impact.

Progress Reports and Final Consultancy Report

• Periodic progress updates and a final report summarizing outputs, activities conducted, lessons learned, and recommendations for future engagement.

Consultancy Period

The consultancy will involve 50-person days spread over a duration of 6 months

Duration and Delivery dates, Proposed Payment Schedule and how work will be delivered (e.g. electronic, hard copy etc.):

The consultant will be paid on a per deliverable basis, following the schedule below:

1. The first payment of 40% will be made upon receipt and acceptance of the first deliverable as per the table of deliverables (electronically);
2. The second payment of 30% will be made upon acceptance of the second deliverable as per the table of deliverables (electronically);
3. The remaining 30% will be made upon approval by the representative and acceptance of the third deliverable as per the table of deliverables (electronically).

A detailed project timeline, including specific deliverables and their associated deadlines, will be mutually agreed upon by the consultant and UNFPA. This timeline will be outlined in an inception report to be submitted by the consultant at the commencement of the engagement.

Place where services are to be delivered:

Please note that locations may change depending on the agreements during the Inception Phase.

Target locations for the activities:

Please note that the travel costs for the consultant (1 pax), including airfares, land transportation expenses, daily subsistence allowances, and incidentals for fieldwork such as consultations, validations, and data gathering, will be covered by UNFPA in addition to the professional fee.

Monitoring, and quality check arrangements: 

The UNFPA Gender/GBV Programme and Communications Team will work hand in hand to monitor the progress of all deliverables and the entire consultancy.

Supervisory Arrangements:

The project will be under the overall management and supervision of UNFPA Assistant Representative as the head of programme with day-to-day technical backstopping from the Communications and Gender/GBV Programme Teams. The consultant is expected to work closely with parties involve

UNFPA Programme team will have frequent interactions with the consultant at various stages to:

1. Brief the consultant and provide clarity on the assignment; the process, and the deliverables;
2. Provide key documents relevant to the deliverables;
3. Introduce and facilitate the consultant to work with key stakeholders and counterparts if necessary; and
4. Provide feedback and get agreement on the next steps of the assignment.

Required expertise, qualifications, and competencies, including language requirements:

The following experience and qualifications are required for the IC:

Education:

• A Bachelor's degree in Development Communication, Media Studies, Gender Studies, Social Sciences, or a related field.
• At least 2 years of experience in media and communication, gender advocacy, and capacity-building within media organizations.
• Strong understanding of gender equality, SRHR, and human rights issues, particularly in the context of media.
• Proven ability to develop training materials, particularly related to communication and gender and social norms.
• Experience in delivering training programs, workshops, and mentoring for media professionals.
• Familiarity with the media landscape in the Philippines and experience working with national media organizations.
• Strong analytical, writing, and communication skills.
• Fluency in english is required

Inputs/services to be provided by UNFPA or implementing partner (e.g support services, office, equipment), if applicable:

UNFPA will manage the logistical aspects required for the activities outlined in the Terms of Reference, including arranging the venue and accommodations (if necessary), and meals. 

UNFPA will provide essential reports, databases, research, and other relevant documents to support the development of the communication guidelines and capacity building for media organizations.