The second phase of the “EU 4 Gender Equality: Together against gender-stereotypes and gender-based violence” project (UN Women/UNFPA), funded by the European Union operates in countries of Eastern Partnership (Armenia, Azerbaijan [In Azerbaijan, UNFPA Country Office concluded its operations since May 2025, hence all of the programme-related activities there have been discontinued. ], Belarus [ In compliance with EU’s request to terminate activities in Belarus, the programme work there is significantly reduced and limited to digital campaigns to run until June 2026.], Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine) since January 2024. The programme aims to reduce gender discriminatory attitudes and practices between women and men in institutional and community spheres, including unpaid domestic and care work, by continuing and upscaling successful initiatives and interventions from the phase I, including but not limited to creating new and upscaling previously created Papa Schools/Fathers’ Schools/Dad Clubs, building capacity of facilitators and gender advocates, advocating for equal sharing of care work and domestic responsibilities by promoting family-friendly policies in the national legislation and among the non-state actors, etc. The prevention of gender-based violence is an integral component under the objective.

Since the first phase of the programme in 2020, 68 Fathers Schools/Dad Clubs were established in Armenia (3), Azerbaijan (14), Belarus (6), Georgia (8), Moldova (30) and Ukraine (7), reaching over 8,700 men. Four knowledge products were produced in partnership with Equimundo, global leader in advancing gender equality by engaging men and boys, and further adapted and applied in countries. Those were the Manual on Papa School, Resource Package and Training Package on “Engaging Men during Pregnancy and Childbirth” and a Compendium on Fatherhood Programmes.

Training of trainers (ToTs) and other capacity building actions were conducted at the regional and country levels. A regional ToT for master facilitators of Fathers’ Schools brought together 22 master facilitators from six countries and strengthened their knowledge and confidence in delivering training activities. Follow-up webinar series were conducted on key areas of interest identified by the facilitators such as gender transformative methodologies, the health and wellbeing of men, integrating prevention of gender-based violence and SOGI issues into training programmes, etc. These sessions facilitated exchange of best practices between the countries and provided networking opportunities for facilitators.

The Fathers Schools continue to be implemented in programme countries in different modalities with different partnership mechanisms. 

UNFPA is seeking to recruit an International Consultant to develop a knowledge product suitable for external audience, documenting the programme’s experience, what works, lessons learned and recommendations on design and implementation of Fathers’ Schools/Papa Schools/Dad Clubs.

Scope of work:

The consultant will review the programme’s different models and approaches to the Fathers Schools in each country, including from their establishment started in phase 1 and current implementation modalities in phase 2.

The assignment will include, but not limited to, the following tasks:

• Desk review of the documentation of the programme’s work under Fathers’ Schools and overall men engagement during phase 1 and ongoing work and plans under the phase 2.
• Collect data from UNFPA country offices (using in-depth interviews or other qualitative tool) to identify their implementation modalities, challenges, what works, lessons-learned, approaches to ensuring sustainability and further plans. 
• Collect qualitative information, including stories, from key partners implementing Fathers Schools to document challenges, what works, lessons-learned and sustainability plans.
• Apply a suggested qualitative tool to assess the changes in gender norms on the distribution of unpaid domestic and care work, and fatherhood in the beneficiaries of the programme.
• Analise the data and evidence and prepare a knowledge product, describing the Fathers School initiative; what works and how it works, lessons-learned, and the approaches used. The document should include conclusions summarizing key learnings from this work, including overall approach to engaging men and institutionalization of Fathers’ Schools and related good practices in countries.

All the materials are to be elaborated in English language and agreed with UNFPA EECARO.  

Home-based

Travel-related expenses, in case needed, will be covered separately in accordance with UNFPA travel policy.

The consultant is expected to deliver the following deliverables, which are to be produced and submitted to UNFPA EECARO in electronic format within the timeframe of this assignment:

• Deliverable 1 – Detailed methodological approach and timeline for the assignment, including suggested structure for the knowledge product – 5 days
• Deliverable 2 – All data from Country Offices colleagues and partners collected. Concise summaries of each discussion and interviews prepared – 10 days
• Deliverable 3 – First draft of the knowledge product – 10 days
• Deliverable 4 – Final version of the knowledge product – 5 days

Total number of days under this consultancy – 30.

Qualifications Education:

• Advanced (Masters) degree in sociology, social or political sciences or relevant field to the requirements of the TOR. 

Experience:

• At least 10 years of relevant experience, including at senior level, in conducting research and analysis specifically on gender transformative programming, positive masculinities, gender and social norms unpaid care and domestic work, and men’s engagement in unpaid care and fatherhood.
• Experience in writing analytical documents on discriminatory gender/social norms, engaging men and boys for gender equality, positive masculinities, and fatherhood.
• Experience of work with gender equality and women’s empowerment issues in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
• Previous professional experience with development agencies and/or the United Nations is an asset.

Languages and other skills:  

• Proficient in written and oral English.
• Computer literacy and ability to effectively use computers for concise communication and development of complex written documentation.
• Excellent analytical, writing and presentation skills.

UNFPA will provide all the relevant background materials. The expert is responsible for relevant equipment and connectivity means required to perform above mentioned tasks.

Payment will be made in 2 instalments upon satisfactory completion of related deliverables and acceptance by UNFPA as following:

First instalment (deliverables 1 and 2) – in the amount corresponding to 15 workdays by December 2025

Second instalment (deliverables 3 and 4) – in the amount corresponding to 15 workdays by March 2026