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.

The UN Women Country Office for Egypt works in close collaboration with the Government of Egypt, the UN Country Team, civil society, and international development partners to advance the women’s national agenda and to promote women’s empowerment and gender equality. To support the achievement of its strategic and programmatic objectives, the Country Office develops and executes goal-oriented communications and outreach strategies.

UN Women Egypt is seeking research, writing and editorial services to research and draft compelling content in line with the organization’s mandate and to support the implementation of the Egypt Country Office’s Strategic Plan 2023- 2027. The consultant will be offered a retainer contract, up to 150 days for three years, however, the services required from the consultant will be based on an agreed plan with the Country Office management and to respond to unexpected needs and opportunities.

The consultant will work under the supervision of the Deputy Country Representative and working closely with programme units particularly the Communication and Advocacy Unit.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Research, write and edit a range of high-quality content, including press releases, articles, information sheets, brochures, newsletters, reports, briefing notes, and key messages.
• Identify and develop a storyline for media outreach (e.g. op-eds, policy papers, thematic briefs, press releases).
• Write speeches on behalf of the UN Women Egypt Representative that are appropriate for the national context and adequately articulate the position of the organization across various thematic issues.
• Edit, revise, and rewrite documents as needed to produce high quality, timely, results-based progress and project reports aligned with UN Women established standards and formats.
• Produce summaries and briefs of reports and knowledge products for further dissemination among different audiences.
• Conceptualize and draft other relevant documents as requested.

Deliverables

• Draft and final draft quality briefs, policy papers, speeches, communication products, reports, etc.
• Proofread and edit reports, knowledge products, articles, brief and other documents.
• Research and draft analytical reports, briefing notes, background papers, summaries, analysis, and talking points.

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel: 

This is a home-based consultancy.  

Competencies

Core Values

• Respect for Diversity;
• Integrity;
• Professionalism.

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 Core Values and Competencies: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-values-and-competencies-framework-en.pdf

Functional Competencies

• Excellent facilitation and coordination skills;
• In-depth knowledge of gender equality and women’s rights issues;
• Ability to communicate sensitively across different focal points;
• Demonstrates excellent oral and written communication skills;
• Knowledge and understanding of the UN system and familiarity with inter-governmental processes.

Required Skills and Experience

Education and Certification

• Master’s degree or equivalent in journalism, communications, international affairs, social sciences, or other relevant areas of expertise is required.
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience

• At least 15 years of relevant professional experience in copy and content writing, research, editing, creative writing, journalism, or related fields, required.
• Experience of working with the UN System or other international organizations in similar assignments, is required.
• Solid understanding of gender equality and women’s empowerment issues is required.
• Familiarity with the Arab States region and/or Egypt a strong asset.
• Excellent analytical skills with strong drive for results and capacity to work independently, required.
• Excellent English communication and writing skills (written and oral) required.

Language Requirements

• Fluency (written & spoken) in English is required;
• Knowledge of the other UN official working language is an asset.

Evaluation Criteria:

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology: Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points in the technical evaluation would be considered for the financial evaluation.

Criteria Weight Technical: 100% (100 points)

• Criteria 1: Master’s degree in journalism, communications, international affairs, social sciences or other relevant areas of expertise or bachelor’s degree with 3 additional years of relevant work experience. (15 points)
• Criteria 2: 15 years of relevant professional experience in copy and content writing, research, editing, creative writing, journalism, or related fields. (25 points)
• Criteria 3: Experience of working with the UN System or other international organizations in similar assignments. (20 points).
• Criteria 4: Solid understanding of gender equality and women’s empowerment issues. (25 points)
• Criteria 5: Familiarity with the Arab States region and/or Egypt is a strong asset. (15 points)

Application:

Interested Individual Candidate must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

• All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11). UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from http://www.unwomen.org/about-us/employment; make sure that you sign the form, and
• Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment, and
• A cover letter with a brief presentation of your consultancy explaining your suitability for the work and link to portfolio of work.
• Personal CV.

The above-mentioned documents MUST BE merged in a standalone file including all them, since the online application submission does only permit to uploading one file per application.

You can merge your documents by using Online resources. 

Incomplete submission can be a ground for disqualification. Make sure that you provide a valid email address for future communications.

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.)