UNDP Jobs - 29196- Consultant - Human Rights Mainstreaming Mechanism'

Consultant - Human Rights Mainstreaming Mechanism's Case Study Project

Location :

New York (Home Based), UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

30-Apr-2012

Application Deadline :

14-Apr-12 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

2 Months

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

In November 2009, in the framework of the implementation of the Secretary General’s Policy Committee decision on human rights and development, the UNDG endorsed the establishment of the UNDG human rights mainstreaming mechanism (UNDG-HRM). The UNDG HRM aims to reinforce the accomplishments of the Action 2 programme and to further strengthen system-wide coherence, collaboration and support for Resident Coordinators and UN country teams on human rights mainstreaming.

The UNDG-HRM has outlined four broad priorities for its work:

Promoting a coordinated and coherent UN system-wide approach towards the integration of human rights principles and international standards into UN operational activities for development;
Providing coherent and coordinated support to Resident Coordinators and UN country teams in mainstreaming human rights;
Developing a coherent UN-system wide approach, through cooperation and collaboration among UN agencies, to providing support towards strengthening national human rights protection systems at the request of governments; and
Contributing to the integration of human rights issues in the overall UNDG advocacy on development agenda and global issues.

These four priorities provide the framework for the UNDG-HRM’s three year work plan. Knowledge management is a central tool for achieving these objectives. The importance of strengthening the collection of experiences and case studies in the area of human rights mainstreaming was underlined in the 2011 UNDG-HRM Survey to UNCTs. UNCTs asked for less generic guidance on human rights based approaches and more concrete and practical material that illustrates “how” to do so. Furthermore, it is not only the UNCTs and UN staff asking for more examples and case studies. Member States are increasingly demanding for examples of what a human rights based approach entails in practice and the value it can bring to UN programming.

While there is a high demand for case studies, their availability across the UN system is low. As the 2011 UNDG-HRM Mapping of UN resources on human rights mainstreaming revealed, only 4 % of resources developed across the UN system are case studies or lessons learned. To address this gap, the UNDG-HRM Team in DOCO in collaboration with DOCO’s Knowledge Management Team, proposes to carry out a case study documentation exercise on human rights mainstreaming across the UN.

Duties and Responsibilities

Objective:

The case study documentation exercise aims to illustrate the value of and means by which human rights can be mainstreamed in practice. In doing so, it aims to contribute to:

Learning and training on HRBA for UNCTs and partners;
Advocacy and communication messages across the UN system and with donors and member states on the value of human rights mainstreaming;
Knowledge across the UNDG-HRM on country level impact and challenges with human rights mainstreaming.

There are therefore multiple audiences for this initiative: UNCTs and their national partners (learning); member states (advocacy and communication messages); UN senior management (advocacy).

A draft format for case studies has already been developed which should serve as the basis for this work, but which may be adapted to cater to these different objectives and audiences. For all purposes the case studies will focus on the impact of the initiative, as well as any lessons learned or good practices that might be useful to improve future work in this area.

Process:

Under the overall guidance of the DOCO Policy Adviser, Human Rights and the DOCO Team Leader, Knowledge Management and the direct supervision of the DOCO Policy Specialist, Human Rights, the consultant will draft 10 good practice examples that have been selected. The case studies will form the basis of a flagship publication/primer on human rights mainstreaming. The drafting process will comprise of the following steps:

The consultant will review the available background information of the 10 case studies presented by UN country teams and UN Agencies;
The consultant will collect any relevant background documents, tools, photos and resources that would complement the information submitted by the UNCT;
The consultant will help design an interview framework to obtain additional information required for the case studies, and conduct interviews with the UNCT/UN Agency focal point(s), and where relevant national partners;
Using the background documents, interviews, feedback and comments from the DOCO HRM Team, the consultant will draft the 10 case studies. The case studies should include foot notes and hyperlinks to relevant tools and resources that were used, as well as photos;
The case studies will be reviewed by UN DOCO and the consultant will revise the case studies based on any comments received.

The consultant should aim for an accessible, non-bureaucratic style that ensures clarity and ease of understanding for a non-technical audience.

The consultant should follow the UNDP style manual (to be supplied). Spelling follows the Concise Oxford English Dictionary (Ninth Edition).

Deliverables:

10 case studies drafted following the UNDG-HRM draft format for the case studies and focusing on the impact of the initiative and lessons learned. The case studies should be written in an accessible and clear style. They should also include foot notes and hyperlinks to tools and resources used as part of the initiative documented, as well as photos.

Timeframe:

The assignment will commence 30 April to mid-June (approximately 40 days).

Competencies

A minimum of 5 years of work experience in the area of development and/or human rights;
Excellent writing and analytical skills (in English);
Knowledge and experience in the field of human rights and human rights based approach to programming;
Good knowledge of the UN’s work in the area of human rights;
Knowledge of UN Reform, in particular Common Country Programming (namely the UNDAF);
Prior experience with similar projects, with demonstrated ability to write clearly and accurately in an accessible style on development issues. Proven ability to work under pressure and to meet tight deadlines.

Required Skills and Experience

Master’s Degree or equivalent in human rights, development, international law, political science, or related fields;
Fluency in English is essential. Knowledge of French or Spanish is an advantage;
Must be computer literate and well versed in the use of Word, Excel;
Knowledge of United Nations policies and practices is an asset.

Application Documents/Submission*

Interested candidates must include the following documents in their application;
1. Curriculum Vitae
2. Two most recent and relevant samples of written work
3. Two references including name, email and telephone contacts

*Please note that you can only upload one document (your CV) during the application process. Applicants are therefore advised to attach the written samples (No. 2 above) to the CV prior to submission.

A two-step procedure will be utilized in evaluating the candidate’s suitability for the assignment based on the assigned criteria weights. The total score is the weighted sum of both the technical and financial scores. The candidate with highest total score will be recommended for the award of contract. The maximum total score is 100 points.

Step 1: Technical assessment (Weight 70%): Appraisal of the candidate’s CV, sample work and written test*. The minimum score required to pass the technical assessment is 70%. Aspects of the technical evaluation will include but are not limited to the following:

a) Experience and expertise relevant to the assignment;
(b) Excellent technical writing and editing skills;
(c) Knowledge of and experience with the United Nations on human rights and development issues;
(d) Ability/availability to complete the assignment within the prescribed timeline.

*Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the written test.

Step 2: Financial evaluation (Weight 30%): The lowest financial offer will receive the assigned maximum financial points (100). All other financial offers will receive points in inverse proportion.
Only those candidates that pass the technical assessment will be contacted to submit their financial offers.