Consultancy for the Review & Update of National Standard Operating Procedures for Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Response in Lebanon

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) works to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. In Lebanon, the UNFPA Country Office is at the forefront of addressing gender-based violence, reproductive health, and population dynamics within the framework of national and United Nations strategic documents. UNFPA in Lebanon maintains a longstanding partnership with the Ministry of Social Affairs (MOSA), recognizing MOSA's crucial role in social protection, Gender equality, GBV prevention and service provision across the country. This collaboration is multifaceted, primarily focusing on enhancing social welfare, particularly for vulnerable populations in development, humanitarian interventions,
and addressing critical issues such as GBV, reproductive health, and multi-sectoral service provision.

To ensure quality, specialized, coordinated, and standardized GBV services at the national and sub-national level, UNFPA, in collaboration with MOSA and the GBV sub-sector, has planned to review and update the GBV Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in a mixed setting (development and humanitarian model) built on the existing SOPs and other essential guiding documents. The existing national SOPs in Lebanon developed in 2023 require consolidation, clarification of roles, and alignment with emerging GBV trends and needs and global and national best practices. This consultancy will support MOSA and key national and international stakeholders in updating and consolidating, the GBV SOPs to produce a concise, user-friendly, and operationally clear document in line with the 2023

Global GBV SOPs Resource Package.
Rationale and Purpose:
The MOSA lead National GBV SOPs will ensure:

• To standardize responses: Ensure a consistent, high-quality approach and models to GBV across different organizations and sectors operating in development and humanitarian setting.
• To improve coordination: Facilitate collaboration between government institutions, NNGOs, WLOs, CSOs, Women Networks, Private and Public associations, INGOs, and other stakeholders to work together effectively.
• To enhance service delivery: Create a clear referral pathway to ensure survivors are connected to appropriate specialized services as needed, including health, shelter, legal aid, mental health support, basic assistance, among others.
• To promote survivor-centered approach: Emphasize the needs and safety of the survivor throughout the response process, including ensuring privacy and confidentiality.
• To guide prevention and intervention: Provide a framework for both preventing GBV and responding to incidents when they occur.
• To ensure accountability: Define the specific roles and responsibilities of each actor involved in the response.

Scope of work:

Under the overall supervision of UNFPA and MOSA, the consultant willperform the following deliverables closely working with the GBV Working Group, GBV Core Group, Protection Sector, Child Protection Sub-Sector, and other essential Task Forces such as GBVIMS, CMR, among others.

1. Review of Existing Resources and Gap Analysis:

• Develop a detailed action plan and time framework for process of SOPs review and update
• Review available research and documentation to gather information about GBV needs, risks, available resources, services and gaps – GBVIMS+ Service Mapping
• Conduct a comprehensive review of National GBV SOPs, protocols, service mapping, roles, and interlinkages between sectors and GBV sub-sector, and referral pathways, and relevant assessments.
• Identify gaps, redundancies, and areas requiring further development or adaptation.
• Identify complementarity and nexus with other sectors SOPs, such as protection, child protection, combating of trafficking SOPs to ensure coordinated responses.
• Develop inception report and present to the Reference groups about identified gaps, lessons learned, good practices, and way forward.

2. Establish GBV SOPs Reference Group in collaboration with MOSA and the GBV Core Group:

• Identify key actors (National and International) specialized in GBV interventions to facilitate the SOPs update, revision, and validation. These actors should include the co-chairs of the GBV sub-sector, GBV Core Group, and the GBV Working Group members, as well as focal points from relevant ministries.

3. Collect primary data from specialized and non-specialized
GBV actors through FGD, survey, and/ or KII:

• Collect and analyze primary data from GBV actors across Lebanon focusing on available specialized and non-specialized GBV services, gaps and challenges related to standardization of specialized GBV services at different levels.
• Map existing actors and services: Use existing inter agency service mapping tools to identify and evaluate existing GBV actors and services.
• Conduct consultation and focus group discussions with different groups of vulnerable groups including men, boys, girls and women within Women and Girls Safe Space (WGSSs), Safe shelters, Social Development Centers (SDCs), and other centers providing GBV services.
• Conduct consultation meetings with GBV Case management/GBVIMS TF among others to ensure GBV SOPs incorporates differential needs of vulnerable groups.

4. Incorporate Emerging Forms of GBV and Diverse Needs:

• Ensure SOPs address emerging GBV forms (e.g., technology- facilitated GBV) in development and humanitarian settings.
• Include guidance for at-risk groups such as women and girls with disabilities, adolescent girls, older persons, and other vulnerable populations.
• Ensure that SOP is designed in such a way that promotes GBV interventions addressing intergenerational needs and intersectionality of GBV risks.

5. Facilitate SOPs Review Meetings:

• Lead structured consultations with MOSA, GBV sub-sector co- chairs, GBV Core Groups, the GBV Reference Group, and other stakeholders to review SOPs sections.
• Ensure a participatory, transparent, and survivor-centered SOP development process.
• Consultant ensures that SOPs are reviewed and updated through a collaborative, multi-sectoral process that includes GBV specialists, local organizations, government representatives, and other relevant sectors like health, law enforcement, and child protection.
• The consultant is responsible for organizing and facilitating meetings with the GBV coordination mechanism and reference groups to manage negotiations and revisions.

6. Draft and Finalize the GBV SOPs Document:

• The consultant drafts the SOPs using standardized templates, ensuring they are adapted to the local context and reflect the specific needs and risks of the population, based on2023 GBV SOPs Resource Package as guidance.
• Develop a first draft of SOPs, share it with the GBV Reference group and other technical team for the feedback and incorporate and address their inputs.
• Present the draft for validation to MOSA and the GBV coordination body, including the GBV Core Group and the GBV Working Group.
• Incorporate feedback to produce the final, concise, user-friendly SOPs document, including flowcharts, role matrices, Service mapping, referral pathways, etc.

7. Oversee the translation of the GBV SOPs into Arabic.

• The purpose is to have the GBV SOPs in both languages English and Arabic. The translation will be subcontracted to an expert during the Month of March 2026.

8. Sign and Disseminate the Final Endorsed National GBV

• SOPs: MOSA Minister and Heads of agencies and organizations sign the document to demonstrate their commitment to the GBV SOPs.

Milestones

1. Inception & Stakeholder Engagement Framework: Detailed work plan, list of documents reviewed, stakeholder mapping - Dec 24
2. Review and Gap Analysis Report Comprehensive report:  highlighting gaps, redundancies, and best practices in existing SOPs - Jan 9
3. Draft Inter- Agency GBV SOPs: Single, consolidated draft SOP with flowcharts, role matrix, service Mapping, referral pathways, and user-friendly language, developed through consultations - Feb 28
4. Validation Workshop & Final SOPs: Facilitate a validation workshop and submit final, concise, accessible SOPs in English - Mar 10
5. Oversee & review translation of the Final SOPs in English & Arabic: Final SOPs in English and Arabic - Mar 31

Work Modality: This consultancy is Home-based, with required in-person presence for stakeholder workshops, consultations, and validation meetings.

Supervisory & guiding arrangements: The consultant will work under the supervision of MOSA focal point and UNFPA GBV Specialist , and under technical support of GBV WG coordinators. The assignment will be carried out under the guidance of MOSA focal point who shall provide the following support to the consultant: Provide all available relevant documents and reports & Provide all the logistical support to conduct relevant events.

Required qualifications

• Education: Advanced degree (Master’s or higher) in Social Sciences, Public Health, Gender Studies, International Law, or related field.
• Proven experience (at least 8 years) in multi-sectoral GBV prevention and response programs at the policy and programmatic levels including humanitarian settings and the “four pillars” (Safety/Security, Health, Psycho-Social, Justice/Legal).
• Strong GBV research background and previous experience in developing strategies, policies, SOPs, protocols and guidelines in development and humanitarian contexts.
• Strong knowledge of the situation of GBV in Lebanon, and the overall social and economic context in Lebanon, and the
• emergency context.
• Strong knowledge of the relevant governmental and non-governmental institutions that work on GBV in the country, in particular, the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Ministry of Public Health, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Education, the National Commission for Lebanese Women (NCLW), etc...
• Demonstrated ability to manage and coordinate diverse events across multiple stakeholders, including government, UN agencies, NGOs and OPDs.
• Strong analytical, writing, and communication skills for translating complex procedures into accessible language.
• Fluency in English and Arabic.