UNFPA/LBN/2024/01- revision 1: Consultancy to Develop an Online Tracking/monitoring Tool/programme in the context of the Sexual Harassment Law in Lebanon

Purpose of consultancy:         

In efforts to combat sexual harassment in Lebanon, the
Lebanese Parliament passed Law No.205/2020 that criminalizes sexual harassment,
penalizes the perpetrators, protects victims and witnesses who testify against
abusers, and creates a specialized fund at the Ministry of Social Affairs
(MoSA) to support victims. Different entities in Lebanon, including
governmental institutions, United Nations agencies, and Civil Society
Organizations are contributing to the implementation of the law through
different initiatives at the levels of policy, law implementation, advocacy,
and service provision. Nevertheless, the coordination between these entities
remains limited which impacts systematic monitoring of the implementation of
the law. Moreover, it may potentially result in the duplication of certain
projects and interventions on the one hand and leaving out some essential parts
of the law on the other hand.

In this context, the Women and Child Parliamentary committee
developed a legislative scrutiny study to assess the implementation of the law
2.5 years after its adoption. The findings and recommendations of the report
were presented and discussed during a workshop organized by the committee in
May 2023.

Following the workshop, and with the aim to ensure the
strengthened implementation of the law and the synergy and complementarity in
the implemented activities, UNFPA Lebanon partnered with the Lebanese
Parliament to conduct a stakeholders’ mapping on the implementation of the law.
The mapping exercise, conducted in 2023, captures and documents the various
initiatives (past and ongoing) in the context of the sexual harassment law and
implemented by different stakeholders, including governmental entities and
Civil Society Organizations as well as supporting UN/international
organizations. The exercise also showcases the scope of the activities,
duration, ongoing status, funding source, and target population for each
initiative. The mapping report highlighted several gaps and challenges
including duplication of efforts, absence of coordination structure, lack of
fundings and resources to name but a few. Finally, the report came up with a
number of concrete recommendations to ensure a more coherent, complementary,
efficient and coordinated approach to implement the law. 

As the implementation of law 205 is a continual process
involving different stakeholders in the implementation of different initiatives
and projects at different levels, the mapping report continues to be a living
document which will require regular updating. Therefore, to maintain the
progressiveness and the up-to-dateness in the implementation of the law, the
mapping exercise will be proceeded by the development of a tool that serves as
a platform to monitor the implementation of the sexual harassment-related
initiatives. This tool will be developed under the ongoing collaboration
between UNFPA Lebanon and the Women and Child Parliamentary Committee in 2024.
This tool will aim at a) monitoring ongoing progress, b) capturing challenges,
c) bridging gaps in implementation of law, d) promoting joint and coordinated
efforts and e) ensuring synergy and complementarity among different
stakeholders and entities. 

The development and operationalization of this monitoring
system would obviously contribute to reinforcing government regulations,
compliance and policy change, enhancing transparency, adopting a
forward-looking view for efficient implementation of the law and realizing a
positive impact on the population at large by eliminating sexual harassment.
Lastly, this tracking system will help in conducting evidence-based policy
analysis and review especially if revision of the law is needed.

As such, UNFPA Lebanon CO seeks to recruit a consultant who
would be engaged in developing the online tracking tool/programme which will be
in the form of web application. The web-application will be a subdomain to the
Lebanese parliaments’ website: www.lp.gov.lb. The web-application will consist
of a homepage that includes Parliament and UNFPA’s logos and the title of the
project Moreover, it will include registration and log-in features, represented
by “register” and “login” buttons. Relevant stakeholders who work on the
implementation of the law will have to register the first time. When a user
clicks on the “register” button, they will be redirected to a registration
form. The registration form will request the following input from the user:
name of the entity, username, and password, and a verification of the password.
After the user registers, they should be notified that they have registered
successfully. Afterwards, users will be able to login by entering the username
and passwords inputted in the registration form. After logging in, users will
be able to enter their activities and interventions that feed to the
implementation of the law through a form.

The form will request users to enter the following
information about their interventions and activities:

 

(1): main areas and Sub-areas of the initiatives:

 (users should
enter their activities under one of the below)

 

A. procedures to prevent and respond to sexual harassment

A.1.: Capacity Building and the Development of Training
Materials

A.2.: Policy Development

A.3: Development of an Implementation Framework

B. Law Reform

C. Law Implementation and Enforcement

D. Advocacy for Support and Buy-in:

D.1: Production and Dissemination of Knowledge

D.2: Awareness Campaigns

D.3: Events and Activities

 

E. Services:

E.1: Provision of Protection and Support to Victims

E.2: Legal Services

E.3: Assistance in Filing Legal Complaints

 

(2): Title of the Initiative

 

(3): Summary of the Initiative

 

(4): Geographical Coverage

 

(5): Implementing Entities

 

(6): Target Population and Reached Population

 

(7): Source of Funding

 

(8): Implementation Status

 

(9): Implementation Date

 

(10): Next Steps

When users enter the relevant data, the web-application will
transform the inputted data into visual representation (charts, graphs,
tables).

 

Scope of work: (Description of services, activities, or outputs)

Under the guidance of UNFPA Lebanon Head of Office and in close collaboration with the Population and Development focal point and the parliament team, the consultant will undertake the following tasks:

-           Conduct an Inception Meeting:

•           Organize and facilitate an inception meeting with UNFPA Lebanon and the assigned Parliament focal points.

•           Ensure a clear understanding of the tasks and deliverables set forth in the Terms of Reference.

•           Discuss and confirm the expected dates of submission for each deliverable.

•           Develop a detailed work plan and timeline based on the discussion.

-           Literature Review and Analysis:

•           Conduct a comprehensive literature review of the mapping report conducted earlier and other relevant materials, including Law 205.

•           Analyze the findings to understand the current implementation status and identify gaps and challenges.

-           Comparative Analysis of Similar Tools:

•           Review and analyze similar monitoring and tracking tools, programmes, and systems related to various laws, bills, regulations, and policies from 4-5 countries.

•           Develop a comparative matrix highlighting key features, functionalities, best practices, and lessons learned from these tools.

•           Provide recommendations based on the comparative analysis for the development of the tool.

-           Infrastructure Assessment:

•           Assess the technical infrastructure needed to operationalize the system once finalized.

•           Identify any hardware, software, and network requirements.

•           Ensure compatibility with existing systems and platforms used by the Lebanese Parliament.

-           Development of the Web Application:

•           Design and develop the web application as per the required structure and features mentioned in the Terms of Reference.

•           Ensure the application is user-friendly, secure, and scalable.

•           Incorporate necessary features such as user registration, data input forms, and data visualization (charts, graphs, tables).

-           Pilot Testing:

•           Conduct pilot testing of the first version of the web application with 2-3 selected entities.

•           Collect feedback from the pilot participants regarding the usability, functionality, and effectiveness of the tool.

•           Document any issues or challenges encountered during the pilot phase.

-           Feedback Incorporation and Finalization:

•           Analyze the feedback from the pilot testing and incorporate necessary changes and improvements into the web application design.

•           Finalize the web application, ensuring all identified issues are resolved and the tool is fully functional.

-           Technical Support and Training:

•           Provide comprehensive technical support and training to assigned Parliament focal points on utilizing the web application.

•           Develop training materials, including user manuals and guides.

•           Conduct training sessions to ensure users are proficient in using the tool.

-           Source Code and Related Materials:

•           Provide the latest working source code and any related materials, such as documentation and user manuals, to UNFPA Lebanon and the Lebanese Parliament.

•           Ensure the source code is well-documented and maintainable.

-           Presentation of the Tool:

•           Present the finalized tool in a technical meeting with UNFPA Lebanon, the Parliament team, and other key stakeholders.

•           Demonstrate the features and functionalities of the web application.

•           Address any questions or concerns raised by the attendees.

-           Data Protection:

•           Ensure that all inputted data is protected and secure.

•           Implement necessary data protection measures, including encryption/hashing when needed, access controls, and regular security audits.

-           Maintenance:

•           Perform regular maintenance on the web application every three months.

•           Ensure the application remains functional, secure, and up to date.

•           Address any technical issues or bugs that may arise.
 

Duration working schedule: 

July 22 to August 12 (15 working days)
 

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

Milestones

Deliverables

Target Delivery Dates and Payment Term

1 - Inception Meeting Conducted:

• • Conduct an initial meeting with UNFPA Lebanon and Parliament focal points.
  • Establish a clear understanding of project objectives and deliverables.

• Inception Report, which includes meeting minutes and key decisions along with a detailed workplan and timeline is developed and submitted.

•  

 

July 23

2 - Revision and Analysis of Mapping Exercise and Other Relevant Materials Carried Out:

• • Review and analyze the mapping report and relevant materials.
  • Identify key findings, gaps, and challenges.

• Revision Report which contains summary of findings from mapping report and recommendations for addressing identified gaps and challenges is submitted.

 

July 25

3 - Revision of Similar Monitoring and Tracking Tools from 4-5 countries carried out:

• • Review similar tools from 4-5 countries.
• Conduct a comparative analysis.

• Comparative matrix which includes a comparison of key features and functionalities of similar tools is submitted.
• Suggested features and best practices for the Lebanese tool is submitted.

 

July 27

4 - Outline of Tracking Tool Developed:

• Develop an initial outline and structure of the tracking tool.

• Outline of Tracking Tool, which contains key components and functionalities, and user interface design and layout, is submitted.
• Draft Design Document, which contains the proposed essential design and architecture of the web-application is submitted.

July 30

5 - First Version of Web Application Developed:

• • Develop and deploy the first version of the web application.
  • Conduct pilot testing with selected entities.

 

• First Version of Web-application, which is a functional prototype of the web-application is developed.
• Pilot Test Report, containing a summary of feedback and issues identified during pilot testing, is submitted.

 

August 4

6 - Final Version of Web Application Developed:

• • Incorporate feedback from pilot testing.
  • Develop the final version of the web application.

 

• Final version of Web Application, which is fully functional is developed, tested, and accessible to users in final design and technical specifications.

 

August 8

7 - Tracking Tool Developed and Functioning:

• Ensure the tracking tool is fully operational and integrated with required features.

 

• Operational Tracking Tool, which is a demonstration of the tool’s functionality and data visualization features is submitted.

 

August 10

8 - Training Sessions Delivered:

• • Conduct training sessions for Parliament focal points.
  • Provide ongoing technical support.

 

• Training Materials: User manuals and training guides developed.
• Training Report: Summary of training sessions and participant feedback is developed.

August 12

100%

Delivery Date: August 12, 2024

All deliverables will be submitted electronically

Required expertise, qualifications and competencies, including language requirements:

The Consultant should fulfil the following requirements:

Education:

• First level degree in computer science, web development and design, or any related field.

Experience:

• Minimum of five years of proven experience in web design and the development of scalable online systems.
• Knowledge and experience related to the development of relevant online tools, platforms, learning modules, and monitoring systems.
• Demonstrable skills in data analysis.
• Demonstrable experience and knowledge with security best practices.
• Ability to deliver a training/communicate with relevant stakeholders the utilization methods of the platform.
• Experience in App Development is an asset.

Language and other skills: Proficiency in oral and written Arabic and English.

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

- Provide all available relevant documents and reports

- Technical support in milestone 3

- Feedback on the first draft of the version

- Logistical support to conduct the training for relevant stakeholders