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.

In Ukraine, UN Women supports government and civil society partners in implementing national and international commitments on gender equality and women’s human rights, with programming focused on peace and security, humanitarian action, women’s economic empowerment, and governance and participation in public life. 

Ukraine’s third National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace and Security covers 2026-2030, while the National Mine-Action Strategy covers 2024-2033. The WPS agenda is closely linked to humanitarian mine action and emergency response in the context of Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine and the extensive contamination of Ukrainian territory by mines and exploded ordnance. Against this backdrop, UN Women has implemented the “She Demines” programme since 2025 to strengthen gender equality and women’s meaningful participation in humanitarian mine action and emergency response. 

An estimated 23 per cent of Ukraine’s territory (approximately 139,000 km2)[1] is contaminated by landmines and unexploded ordnance, placing significant demands on national mine-action capacities. 

“She Demines” seeks to increase women’s participation and leadership in humanitarian mine action and emergency response by addressing institutional and social barriers to their recruitment, employment and retention. The programme combines technical and capacity-development support, women’s empowerment and resilience interventions, institutional engagement, data and evidence generation, and efforts to challenge gender stereotypes in traditionally male-dominated sectors. In doing so, it contributes to implementation of Ukraine’s WPS commitments to gender equality and women's empowerment and the National Mine Action Strategy.

“She Demines” brings together two complementary donor-funded projects delivered under a unified implementation framework and results matrix, with an overall programme period of March 2025 – June 2028:

[1] 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

  1. “Ukrainian Women at the Frontlines of Demining and Recovery”, funded by Global Affairs Canada through the Peace and Stabilization Operations Program (28 February 2025 – 31 March 2027); and
  2. “Promoting Women’s Participation in Mine Action”, funded by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia (27 June 2025 – 26 June 2028).

The programme aims to provide approximately 3,000 women with gender-responsive resilience and community support and to support at least 300 women from war-affected areas to obtain certification in humanitarian mine action. It also seeks to influence wider public perceptions of women’s roles in mine action and emergency response.

The programme is implemented in Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Mykolaiv and Sumy oblasts. NGO Girls leads the women’s empowerment, leadership and mental resilience component, while the Ukrainian Deminers Association (UDA) supports technical training and certification. BBC Media Action serves as the technical partner for the social norms and gender stereotypes component.

Key national institutional partners include:

  • Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine (responsible for the implementation of the National Mine Action Strategy of Ukraine) 
  • 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.

The programme is aligned with the following key national frameworks:

  • 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 2025-2029 (Priority II on Inclusive economic growth and Priority IV on 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 2030UN Women will undertake a mid-term review (MTR) of “She Demines” covering implementation from March 2025 through December 2026. The MTR will generate evidence on programme progress and performance, capture lessons and stakeholder perspectives, and inform strategic and management decisions for the remaining implementation period. 

To support the MTR, UN Women seeks to engage two National Consultants for the period 15 October 2026 to 15 February 2027.

The MTR team will comprise an International Consultant/Team Lead and two National Consultants. The National Consultants will contribute Ukrainian contextual expertise and support the review design, stakeholder consultations, data collection and analysis, development of case studies, formulation of findings and recommendations, and preparation and validation of MTR products. The review will engage programme participants and beneficiaries, implementing partners, government institutions and other relevant stakeholders at national, regional and local levels. 

The National Consultants will report to the MTR Team Lead and will coordinate their work with the Monitoring and Reporting Analyst as required. 

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, efficiency, coherence, integration of gender equality and human rights, innovation, and adaptability to the evolving context. It will document lessons learnt and good practices, and provide actionable recommendations to enhance results and sustainability during the remaining implementation period, including in relation to the programme’s support to government stakeholders in implementing Ukraine’s NAP 1325 for 2026-2030, the National Mine Action Strategy, and other relevant national frameworks.

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

The main users of the MTR will include the Government of Ukraine, national mine-action stakeholders, UN Women Ukraine CO, the Government of Canada (Global Affairs Canada), the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia, and relevant UN counterparts involved in humanitarian mine action, emergency response and related recovery efforts.

The specific MTR objectives are:

  1. To assess the relevance of the programme design and implementation strategy to the needs of women affected by mine contamination, national demining, recovery and gender equality priorities, and stakeholder needs;
  2. To assess progress and results achieved to date (effectiveness) against the programme’s results framework;
  3. To assess the efficiency of programme delivery, including resource use, management and monitoring arrangements;
  4. To assess the coherence of the programme with other UN Women programming, relevant UN system interventions, and national mine-action efforts;
  5. To assess the extent to which gender equality, human rights and innovation have been integrated into programme design and delivery;
  6. To document lessons learned and good practices;
  7. To provide actionable recommendations to strengthen results, sustainability and programme’s potential for longer-term impact during the remaining implementation period.

At least three case studies will be developed to illustrate how and why selected results were achieved or constrained, including relevant enabling and hindering factors.[1]

2. Scope of the assignment

The National Consultants will contribute to the MTR process and team deliverables 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 a desk review and develop an inception report presenting the proposed approach and plan for undertaking the mid-term review. The report should be no more than five pages and should present the review approach, methodology, MTR matrix and list of key informants. A detailed workplan and draft data-collection tools will be included as annexes. Data collection will combine in-person and online methods, as feasible and appropriate. The inception report, including annexes, will be finalized in consultation with the UN Women Ukraine CO/WPS team and informed by a desk review of relevant programme implementation.

[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.

The National Consultants will contribute to the desk review, provide contextual inputs to the MTR design and matrix, support identification of relevant stakeholders and key informants, and contribute to the development and contextualization of data-collection tools.

Contribution to Deliverable 1: Substantive inputs to the Inception Report, MTR matrix, workplan and data-collection tools, including contextual analysis and inputs related to assigned thematic and/or geographic areas.

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 MTR report (20-25 pages). Data collection is expected to combine remote and in-person methods, as feasible, including key informant interviews, surveys, focus group discussions and other methods agreed during the inception phase. The consultants may be required to travel to selected oblasts of Ukraine to conduct interviews and other data-collection activities with programme stakeholders, 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 programme oblasts. The feasibility and scope of site visits will be determined  during the inception phase and will remain subject to security conditions and applicable UN security requirements. The draft report should cover all areas of inquiry agreed in the inception report, clearly articulate key findings for each area, and provide actionable recommendations. 

The National Consultants will conduct assigned data-collection activities, systematically document and analyze the evidence collected, contribute to triangulation of findings, prepare analytical inputs and assigned case studies, and provide substantive inputs to the draft MTR report, including findings, conclusions and recommendations.

The National Consultants will contribute to the development of at least three case studies, in line with the approach agreed during the inception phase.[1]

Contribution to Deliverable 2: Completed and documented assigned data collection; analytical summaries of evidence collected; assigned case study/case studies; and substantive inputs to the First Draft MTR Report. 

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, 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 relevant feedback from the workshop into the final MTR report and dissemination materials, including presentation and talking points for selected audiences as agreed during the inception phase.

The National Consultants will support preparation and facilitation of the validation workshop, respond to feedback related to their assigned areas of analysis, finalize relevant case studies and analytical inputs, and contribute to the final MTR report and dissemination materials.

Contribution to Deliverable 3: Finalized analytical inputs and case studies; substantive inputs to the Final MTR Report (25-30 pages), including incorporation of validation feedback; and contributions to the presentation and key talking points.

3. Evaluation Team Composition and Requirements

The MTR team will consist of an International Consultant/Team Lead and two National Consultants. Team members should have experience in evaluation or review processes, gender equality and relevant expertise in Women, Peace and Security and humanitarian mine action and/or emergency response. The Team Lead will be responsible for coordination during all phases of the review process, ensuring the quality of outputs and  application of the agreed methodology, as well as timely delivery of all MTR products. The National Consultants will support the Team Lead throughout the review and contribute Ukrainian contextual and institutional knowledge, substantive analysis and primary data collection.

In selecting the two National Consultants, UN Women will seek complementary profiles to ensure that the MTR team collectively brings strong expertise in gender equality/WPS and humanitarian mine action and/or emergency response.

In further detail, the duties and responsibilities of the National Consultants will include:

  • Contribute to the desk review and provide Ukrainian contextual and institutional analysis for the inception phase;
  • Contribute to the development and contextualization of the MTR matrix, data-collection tools and stakeholder mapping;
  • Conduct assigned key informant interviews, focus group discussions, consultations and other data-collection activities in accordance with the agreed methodology;
  • Systematically document, synthesize and analyse evidence collected through assigned data-collection activities;
  • Contribute to triangulation of qualitative and quantitative evidence and identification of emerging findings;
  • Develop assigned case studies and contribute to documenting lessons learned, good practices, and enabling and hindering factors;
  • Provide substantive inputs to findings, conclusions and actionable recommendations;
  • Contribute to preparation of the draft and final MTR reports and dissemination materials;
  • Participate in and support the validation workshop and incorporation of relevant stakeholder feedback; and
  • Undertake other analytical tasks within the scope of the MTR, as agreed with the Team Lead and UN Women.

4. Tentative timeframe and working days distribution

MTR output

Deliverables

Tentative Timeframe

Working days

1. Inception Report and planning

1.Contribution to Inception Report (3-5 pages), MTR matrix, workplan and data-collection tools

15 - 31 October 2026

4 days

2. Desk review, Data Collection and First Draft Evaluation Report

2. Completed assigned data collection and analytical inputs, case study/case studies, and substantive contribution to the First Draft MTR Report (25-30 pages)

1 November 2026 - 15 January 2027

20 days

3. Validation Workshop, Final Evaluation Report and Dissemination

3. Finalized analytical inputs and case studies; contribution to the Final MTR Report (25-30 pages), validation process and dissemination materials

16 January -

15 February 2027

6 days

Total

15 October 2026 - 15 February 2027

30 days

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

Although this review is not a full-scale evaluation, it will adhere to relevant UN Women evaluation standards and ethical principles[1] including those related to data collection and analysis, confidentiality, stakeholder safety, safeguarding and internationally recognized ethical guidance.

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 collection 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, focus group discussions, beneficiary[2] consultations, surveys and other appropriate qualitative and quantitative methods, using in-person and/or remote modalities as feasible and appropriate. The final methodology will be agreed with UN Women during the inception phase. 

[1] https://www.unevaluation.org/sites/default/files/file_uploads/2024%20UNEG%20Guidance%20on%20Integrating%20Human%20Rights%20and%20Gender%20Equality%20in%20Evaluations%20-%20Final.pdf

[2] In the current context of Russo-Ukrainian war, surveys and focus group discussions with beneficiaries in Ukraine need to be conducted online due to security constrains.

6. Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel 

This is a home-based consultancy. The consultant will use their own equipment, internet access, and other necessary tools to undertake the assignment. As part of this assignment, the Consultant may be required to undertake up to one trip to Kyiv and up to two trips to selected regional centers, subject to operational requirements, security conditions and applicable UN security requirements.

Required Qualifications 

Education and Certification: 

  • Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in social sciences, development studies, gender studies, evaluation or another related field is required. (pass/fail)
  • A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent) in combination with two additional years of relevant professional experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience: 

  • At least five years of relevant professional experience contributing to evaluations, reviews, assessments and/or applied research of development or humanitarian programmes, preferably for UN entities or other international organizations is required (Applicants should submit two samples of evaluation, review or other relevant analytical products to which they have substantially contributed). 
  • At least three years of experience in gender equality and women’s empowerment is required. 
  • At least two similar assignments conducting evaluations, reviews, research and /or data collection in conflict-affected or crisis settings, including application of ethical, safety and “Do No Harm” principles is required. 
  • Demonstrated knowledge and/or experience related to the Women, Peace and Security agenda is an asset. 

  • Demonstrated knowledge and/or experience related to humanitarian mine action and/or emergency response is an asset. 

    Languages: 

Fluency in Ukrainian and English is required. (pass/fail)

Competencies :

Core Values:

  • Integrity;
  • Professionalism;
  • Respect for Diversity.

Core Competencies:

  • Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
  • Accountability;
  • Creative Problem Solving;
  • Effective Communication;
  • Inclusive Collaboration;
  • Stakeholder Engagement;
  • Leading by Example.

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework: 

Functional Competencies:

  • Methodological rigor
  • Gender-responsive and human rights-based evaluative practice
  • Ethical judgement, safeguarding and risk management
  • Evidence synthesis and analytical judgement
  • Strong qualitative data-collection 
  • Strong analytical, facilitation, report-writing, and presentation skills

Statements :

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.

Diversity and inclusion:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)

Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.


 

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