Team lead - Mid-term Review of She Demines Programme, Home-based, SSA - Home Based

Background:

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

UN Women work in Ukraine focuses on supporting the government and civil society in advancing gender equality and implementation of the national and international commitments on gender equality and women’s human rights. UN Women Ukraine implements interventions on the following four thematic priorities: peace and security, humanitarian action, women’s economic empowerment; governance and participation in public life. UN Women works closely with the UN Country Team in integration of women’s rights and gender equality in all spheres of UN work.

In 2025, the world commemorated the twenty-fifth anniversary of the adoption of the landmark UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), and the Government of Ukraine prepared its third National Action Plan (NAP) 1325 covering the period 2026-2030. WPS agenda is integral for Ukrainian humanitarian mine-action issues and implementation of the National Mine-Action Strategy (2024-2033), especially as the country has entered the fifth year of the full-scale aggression by the Russian Federation, and Ukraine is considered to be the most mine-contaminated country in the world. While UN Women Country Office (CO) continues to support the implementation of the WPS agenda, UN Women is implementing “She Demines” program since February 2025 – funded by the Governments of Canada and Croatia to enhance gender-mainstreaming and women empowerment into the humanitarian mine-action and emergency response sectors, led by the Ukrainian Ministry of Economy and Agriculture in partnership with the Ukrainian Ministry of Interior Affairs with a specific focus on the State Emergency Services (SES), the State Border Guard Service (SBGS), the National Police (NPU) and State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection (SSSCIP). To do this, UN Women seeks an experienced International Consultant to undertake a mid-term review of the Program.

As a result of aggression of Russia against Ukraine, it is estimated that 23% of Ukraine’s territory (roughly ≈139 000 km2[1])[2] is contaminated with landmines and unexploded explosive ordnance from Russia’s full-scale [2] UNN, "War-contaminated areas in Ukraine decreased by 17,000 square kilometers over the year", https://unn.ua/en/news/war-contaminated-areas-in-ukraine-decreased-by-17000-square-kilometers-over-the-year invasion. Consequently, the scale of land contamination is outstripping the existing capacities of national mine action operators.

The UN Women programme She Demines aims to bridge the labor gap in the humanitarian mine action and emergency service sectors by capacitating women and their organizations, state institutions, and focus on overcoming stereotypes and creating access to enabling employment opportunities by adjusting policies to facilitate and retain women within the national operators. At the same time, UN Women supports the Government of Ukraine in fulfilling its commitments to gender equality and women's empowerment. She Demines aims to strengthen women’s meaningful participation in the WPS Agenda in line with the commitments in Ukraine’s National Action Plan 1325 and National Mine Action Strategy of Ukraine (2024-2033), by stimulating more women into operational and leadership roles in the humanitarian mine action and shifting public perceptions about women’s participation in traditionally male-dominated emergency response sector. Together with its partners, She Demines fosters conditions for women’s professional and social development through various technical and capacity development trainings, data collection and evidence-based advocacy efforts.

She Demines is a UN Women Ukraine CO programme combining two complementary-funded projects delivered under a unified delivery framework and a single results matrix (overall duration: 40 months, March 2025 — June 2028):

1. "Ukrainian Women at the Frontlines of Demining and Recovery" – an inclusive programme that mobilizes women, changes gender stereotypes, and creates employment opportunities in demining and emergency services, funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development of Canada (Global Affairs Canada) – Peace & Stabilization Operations Program (28 February 2025 – 31 March 2027)

2. "Promoting Women’s Participation in Mine Action" – a transformative programme for women’s participation and leadership in mine action and emergency response, funded by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia (27 June 2025 – 26 June 2028).

Key beneficiaries: Approximate 3 000 women will receive gender-sensitive mental resilience and community support for integration into male-dominated sectors. At least 300 women from war-affected areas of Ukraine will be certified in humanitarian mine action. The broader societal benefit includes enhanced economic growth, national safety, and gender equality by engaging millions to reshape societal perceptions and break down gender barriers.

Geographical scope: programme is implemented in Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Mykolaiv and Sumy oblasts by two responsible parties: NGO Girls; women’s empowerment, leadership and mental resilience component; Ukrainian Deminers Association (UDA); technical training and certification component.

Technical Partner: BBC Media Action (addressing the social norms and gender stereotypes component).

Programme partners at national level are:

• Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine (responsible for the implementation of the National Mine Action Strategy of Ukraine (2024 — 2033)
• Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine (responsible for the National Action Plan 1325)
• Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine
• National Police of Ukraine
• State Emergency Service of Ukraine
• State Border Guard Service of Ukraine
• State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine.

Relevant Sustainable Development Goals:

5. Gender Equality

10. Reduced Inequalities

16. Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Related National Strategies and Action Plans:

• National Mine Action Strategy of Ukraine (2024 — 2033)
• National Action Plan for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security 2026 – 2030;
• UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework between the Government of Ukraine and UN–Ukraine Development Cooperation Framework 2025–2029 — Priority II Inclusive economic growth and Priority IV Peace, justice and strong institutions;
• State Strategy for Regional Development 2021 — 2027, and
• State Strategy for Ensuring Equal Rights and Opportunities for Women and Men by 2030.

UN Women is seeking to hire an international consultant to lead the team of experts in Monitoring and evaluation of Development programming on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment to undertake the mid-term review (MTR) of the She Demines programme in Ukraine, implemented by UN Women and partners, for an assignment period of October 15, 2026 to February 15, 2027.

He/she will lead the team, supervise the national consultant(s), quality assurance and timeliness of the MTR.

This MTR will involve generating evidence, analysis, consultants, and collecting feedback from the ultimate, primary, and secondary beneficiaries of the program. It will entail meaningful engagement of the stakeholders involved at national, regional, and local levels.

This MTR will cover the programme implementation period from March 2025 (start of the programme) until December 2026.

The consultant will be reporting to WPS team leader and working closely with the Monitoring and Reporting Analyst.

Description of Responsibilities/ Scope of Work

1. Objectives, key questions and areas of inquiry

This mid-term review will assess the programme’s relevance, effectiveness and results, efficiency, coherence, and gender equality, human rights, innovation dimensions, and agility in the given context as well as document lessons learnt, and provide recommendations to enhance results, impact and sustainability of the programme achievements before its end, especially with respect to supporting governmental stakeholders in their implementation of Ukraine’s NAP 1325 for 2026–2030, National Mine Action Strategy and other relevant national strategies

The MTR will support UN Women and national stakeholders’ strategic learning and decision-making for the remaining implementation period and will strengthen accountability to the Government of Canada and the Government of Croatia (co-funding donors), as well as to national counterparts.

The main users of this MTR report include the Government of Ukraine, National Mine Action stakeholders, UN Women Ukraine CO, the Government of Canada (Global Affairs Canada) and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia (co-funding donors), as well as UN counterparts involved in humanitarian mine action, emergency service and related recovery efforts.

The specific MTR objectives are:

• To assess the relevance of the programme design and implementation strategy to the needs of women affected by mine contamination and to national demining, recovery and gender equality priorities, and stakeholders needs;
• To assess progress and results achieved to date (effectiveness) against the programme’s results framework;
• To assess the efficiency of programme delivery, including resource use, management and monitoring arrangements;
• To assess the coherence of the programme with other UN Wome programming, UN system and national mine-action intervention;
• To assess the extent to which gender equality, human rights and innovation have been integrated in programme design and delivery;
• To document lessons learned and good practices;
• To provide actionable recommendations to enhance sustainability and impact during the remaining implementation period. At least 3 case studies are to be included to illustrate how and why the results were successfully achieved or hindere[1][2]. 2. Scope of the assignment The assignment outputs and deliverables of this MTR are as follows: 2.1 Desk review, Inception Report and Planning In consultation with the UN Women Ukraine CO/ WPS team, the MTR team will conduct desk review and develop an inception report presenting a proposed plan for undertaking the mid-term evaluation. The report should be no more than 5 pages, it and should present a review approach (including proposed innovations), methodology, MTR matrix and list of key informants. Detailed workplan and draft data collection tools will be included as annexes. The data collection will be conducted both in-person during the in-country mission to Ukraine and online. Inception report (including annexes) will be finalized with the Ukraine UN Women CO/WPS team. The inception report will be informed by a desk review of documents related to programme implementation. Deliverable: 1. Inception Report (3–5 pages), and annexes 2.2 Data Collection and First Draft Evaluation Report The MTR team will conduct primary data collection, as outlined and agreed in the inception report, and prepare a first draft mid-term review report. Data collection is expected to combine remote and in-country methods, including key informant interviews (in-person and online), online surveys and online focus group discussions. The feasibility of site visits to oblasts will be discussed during the inception phase. The consultant is required to travel to Ukraine to conduct interviews with programme and relevant UN Women CO staff, government counterparts, responsible parties, national mine action operators, programme participants and beneficiaries – including women working in or trained for mine action and emergency response roles – in Kyiv and a purposively selected sample of the programme oblasts. The draft report should cover all areas of inquiry outlined and agreed in the inception report, clearly articulate key findings for each area, and provide actionable recommendations.
  [1] Case studies may include (but are not limited to): model of cooperation between stakeholders to facilitate employment of women in humanitarian mine action and emergency services, processes of engaging and hiring women established by programme partners, evident advances in the sector/ individual women trajectories, institutional commitment/ change of practices etc. [2] Case studies may include (but are not limited to): model of cooperation between stakeholders to facilitate employment of women in humanitarian mine action and emergency services, processes of engaging and hiring women established by programme partners, evident advances in the sector/ individual women trajectories, institutional commitment/ change of practices etc. At least 3 case studies are to be included to illustrate how and why the results were successfully achieved or hindered[1]. Deliverable: 2. First Draft Mid-Term Review Report (20–25 pages) 2.3 Validation Workshop, Final Evaluation Report and Dissemination The MTR team will prepare and facilitate a participatory validation workshop with the WPS programme team and relevant CO colleagues, and, as appropriate, key partners and stakeholders. The workshop will review preliminary findings, lessons learned, good practices and recommendations, and identify priorities for the remaining implementation period. The consultants will then incorporate feedback from the workshop into the final mid-term evaluation report, and dissemination material, including presentation and talking points for selected audiences (as agreed during inception phase). Deliverables: 3.Final Mid-Term Review Report (20–25 pages), including an executive summary and management response matrix; annexes added separately. 4. Dissemination materials, including a PowerPoint presentation and key talking points 3. Evaluation Team Composition and Requirements The MTR team will consist of an international team leader/International consultant, and one or two national consultants. Team leader and team members should have experience in conducting evaluations, gender equality, and Women, Peace and Security, and, ideally, in humanitarian Mine Action. The team leader is responsible for coordination during all phases of the review process, ensuring the quality of outputs and application of methodology, as well as timely delivery of all review products. The team members will support the team leader in all aspects of conducting the review, and contribute the knowledge of Ukrainian context, and logistical support when necessary. In further detail, the duties and responsibilities of the Team Leader/International Consultant are as follows:
• Conducting desk review and developing an inception report
• Leading the data collection, analysis, and reporting
• Overseeing and assuring quality of data collection
• Preparing meetings with the UN Women CO/ WPS team, collaborating closely with Monitoring and Reporting Analyst
• Leading the review of findings, conclusions, and recommendations with stakeholders.
• Leading the preparation of the report and communication products. [1] Case studies may include (but are not limited to): model of cooperation between stakeholders to facilitate employment of women in humanitarian mine action and emergency services, processes of engaging and hiring women established by programme partners, evident advances in the sector/ individual women trajectories, institutional commitment/ change of practices etc. 4. Tentative timeframe and working days distribution
• MTR output Deliverables Tentative Timeframe Working days 1. Inception Report and planning October 15-31, 2026 7 days 2. Desk review, Data Collection and First Draft Evaluation Report November 1 – January 15, 2026 21 days 3. Validation Workshop, Final Evaluation Report and Dissemination January 16, 2026 – February 15, 2027 7 days Total 35 days
  1. Inception Report (3–5 pages), evaluation matrix and data collection tools included as annexes
  1. First Draft Mid-Term Evaluation Report (25–30 pages)
  1. Final Mid-Term Evaluation Report (25–30 pages), including an executive summary and management response matrix; annexes added separately.
  2. Dissemination materials, including a PowerPoint presentation and key talking points

5. Mid-term review approach: ethics, safety and data protection

Although this review is not a full-scale evaluation, it will still adhere to all standards and ethics outlined in the UN Women evaluation handbook[1][2] to data collection and analysis; adhering to confidentiality protocols; ensuring all stakeholders' safety, and following internationally recognized[3].[4]

The evaluation team must ensure informed consent, confidentiality and anonymity of respondents, particularly programme participants and beneficiaries, and apply a Do No Harm approach at all stages of data collection, analysis and reporting. All data collections involving personal or sensitive information must comply with applicable data protection standards. The evaluation team must adhere to UN Women’s policies on the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) and safeguarding and must comply with UN security protocols and any movement restrictions in place for travel to Kyiv and the selected oblasts.

The methodology should be mixed-methods, gender-responsive and participatory, drawing on desk review and analysis of monitoring data, key informant interviews (in-person when feasible, and online), online focus group discussions and interviews with beneficiaries[5], online survey of beneficiaries. The final methodology will be agreed with UN Women during the inception phase.

[1] https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2020/08/evaluation-policy-of-the-united-nations-entity-for-gender-equality-and-the-empowerment-of-women

[2]https://www.unevaluation.org/sites/default/files/file_uploads/2024 UNEG Guidance on Integrating Human Rig