National Consultant, Coordinator of the National Training Centre on GBV Prevention and Response under the High School of Public Governance to Advance CRSV Capacity-Building

Purpose of consultancy:

Over the past decade, the UNFPA GBV Prevention and Response Programme has been instrumental in building a comprehensive national system to address domestic and gender-based violence (GBV) in Ukraine. This initiative prioritizes human dignity, gender equality, and the rights of women and girls, with a sharpened focus on localization and capacity building to ensure life-saving services reach those most in need in conflict-affected communities. Key achievements include supporting legislative advancements, piloting specialized services for GBV survivors, including survivors of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), strengthening the role of law enforcement, and establishing a multi-sectoral response at national and community levels.

An essential element of this effort is the imperative to address CRSV. Following the full-scale invasion in 2022, the UN and the Government of Ukraine signed a Framework of Cooperation (FoC) on CRSV Prevention and Response to coordinate national efforts across five critical pillars: countering trafficking in persons, providing survivors with comprehensive support, ensuring justice and accountability, strengthening the capacities of security and defense sector, and securing reparations. As the humanitarian situation remains complex, building resilience and sustaining these response systems has become a priority under the Women, Peace and Security Agenda. UNFPA in Ukraine has been working closely with the UN Country team, government counterparts, civil society and other key partners to support the operationalization of the FoC and development of its Implementation Plan. Also, UNFPA has been co-implementing a range of CRSV response-focused initiatives, the EU-funded Joint Programme on CRSV Response. In this capacity, UNFPA continues to support efforts related to the coordination, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of the FoC, including through the secondment of national consultants to the select government agencies under the current Phase II of the mentioned Joint Programme. This support aims to strengthen government ownership, ensure harmonized and impactful programming, and promote sustainable institutional leadership in the CRSV response.

Building on Phase I, and in close coordination with the GoU, while addressing identified gaps and incorporating lessons learned, Phase II of the Joint Programme (2025-2026) places greater emphasis on strengthening national and subnational coordination; institutionalising CRSV prevention and response capacities; supporting accountability through the implementation of the Law of Ukraine No. 4067 on social and legal protection and reparations (https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/4067-20#Text); expanding access to inclusive, multi-sectoral services; and strengthening monitoring, documentation, and reporting on CRSV. It is implemented by the UN in Ukraine (specifically, UNDP, UN Women, UNFPA, OHCHR), OSRSG-SVC in partnership with the GoU and is aligned with the current iteration of the FoC IP (2026-2027). It adopts a survivor-centered approach, emphasizes localization, and ensures complementarity with other UN and international partner efforts. Phase II intends to further expand regional and local-level coordination, embedding survivor-centred approaches and integrating women-led and survivor-led organizations in service delivery, oversight, and policy feedback loops. Phase II aims to strengthen subnational systems by expanding local coordination platforms, equipping regional actors with survivor-centred tools and referral frameworks, and connecting them to national decision-making. Sustained partnerships with regional and local public authorities and women-led civil society is considered critical to building community-based support systems. 

To facilitate the replication of effective GBV response practices, including those addressing CRSV, UNFPA in partnership with the High School of Public Governance (HSPG) established the National Training Centre for GBV Prevention and Response (NTC) in July 2023. The NTC serves as a vital knowledge hub for modern, survivor-centered prevention and response strategies. Between 2024 and 2026, the NTC developed and certified 22 specialized training programmes on GBV and CRSV, equipping over 6,000 professionals – including social workers and law enforcement – with the skills required to provide unified, rights-based support nationwide.

As the NTC moves toward greater institutionalization and sustainability, a critical next step is to ensure that its curricula and training offer are grounded in an accurate, up-to-date understanding of the CRSV-specific knowledge and skills gaps among the professionals it serves. UNFPA is therefore seeking a