Jobs - 31494- UN Women: International consultant to formulate a

UN WOMEN: INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANT TO FORMULATE A COMPREHENSIVE UN PROGRAMME ADDRESSING ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
Location :	Home based with one mission to Sarajevo, BiH, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
Application Deadline :	24-Aug-12
Type of Contract :	Individual Contract
Post Level :	International Consultant
Languages Required :	English
Starting Date : (date when the selected candidate is expected to start)	25-Aug-2012
Duration of Initial Contract :	25 August - 25 October, 2012
Expected Duration of Assignment :	20 working days in the given period (25 August - 25 October, 2012)
Background
Background: Based on the agreement between the BiH UN Resident Coordinator, UN Women Sub-regional Office in Bratislava and UN Women Head Quarters, a programme development is to be undertaken with the purpose of developing a Joint UN Gender Programme, led by UN Women. For this purpose UN Women is seeking to form a programme development team by separately engaging one international and one national consultant. This initiative responds to the new mandate of UN Women and builds on the work of several UN Agencies, including their successful development and implementation of a number of joint projects and activities in promoting gender equality. It also follows the increased awareness in the UNCT on the need for an intensified collaboration and joint programming and implementation to counter the mounting obstacles to the socio-economic development in the form of administrative complexities, political stalemate and the increasing donor fatigue. BiH still copes with deep-rooted, patriarchal stereotypes regarding the role and responsibilities of women and men in the family and in society at large. Gaps in the policy development and slow implementation of the adopted legislation constitute important structural obstacles to achieving gender equality. Furthermore the complex division of roles and responsibilities within the different levels of the government presents a significant challenge to applying uniform, holistic approach to gender mainstreaming across the different sectors. Improvements are needed in both strengthening institutional capacities and enhancing cooperation between the gender mechanisms and the key ministries and the civil society organizations in order to increase gender mainstreaming in all aspect of government work, primarily policy development and budgeting as the means for achieving gender equality. Gender inequality in BiH is probably most visible when we examine economic activity, including labour market and entrepreneurship and participation in the economic decision making processes. BiH has the lowest level of female participation in the workforce in the South East Europe – while women are 51.4% of the population, they constitute only 35.6% active labour force[1]. Even in the most feminized sectors, such as health care where women constitute the majority (employees in the health sector and healthcare beneficiaries) women are virtually absent from the management and policy development structures governing the sector. The recent figures on the employment rates for females ages 15 – 64, show the rate of 28.6% for 2010[2]. A significant gender difference can also be observed in the educational structure of the unemployed: 8% of out of all unemployed women have university education, while that percentage among men is only 3%.^{^[3]} Other forms of discrimination influence the level of economic participation of women, most notably the fact that the rights for parental leave are regulated differently in different parts of BiH, as well as the fact that maternity leave is not always paid[4], and that some women are left jobless after becoming pregnant. The precarious economic reality the women are facing was recognized in the latest Concluding Comments (June 2006)[5], of the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Committee) directed to the State Party (BiH). The Committee urged the country to (among other): Ensure women’s participation in all political, economic and social transformation processes. Prioritize data collection and include comprehensive sex-disaggregated statistical data in its next report. Encourage media to project positive images of women and of the equal status and responsibilities of women and men in the private and public spheres. Collect data on incidence of domestic violence against women and, based on such data, continue to develop sustainable strategies to combat this human rights violation. Implement temporary special measures to increase women’s political representation and their representation in all other decision-making positions. Ensure gender equality in educational opportunities, particularly for Roma girls. Bring to justice public and private employers who violate equality provisions under the Law on Gender Equality and labor regulations. Eliminate occupational segregation and narrow the wage gap. Integrate a gender perspective into all health sector reforms; reduce maternal mortality rates; ensure women and girls’ access to information and services regarding sexual and reproductive health. Ensure that all national poverty alleviation programmes fully benefit women, in particular marginalized groups of women. Despite the 2008 signing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) as the first formal step towards realizing the integration goals, the lack of this agreement’s entry into force is an additional signal of the major development challenges. An Alternative report on the Implementation of CEDAW and Status of Women’s Human Rights in BiH (October 2010) prepared by a Network of NGOs^{^[6]}offered a civil society assessment of the progress to date and formulated general recommendations stressing the need to increase women’s access to legislative and policy development at all levels and strengthen the responsiveness of these laws and policies to their needs and rights, including through the formulation of “clearly stated objectives, measures and specific actions with deadlines and clearly identified accountability of state institutions for their enforcement, as well as precisely allocated budget funds and clearly identified sources for financing their implementation” (p. 67). The key obstacles to achieving gender equality in BiH are mirrored in the discriminating social norms and the pervasive lack of knowledge and awareness among the general public about the key correlation between gender equality and socio-economic development^{^[7].}One of the main gaps in the work on gender equality is the lack of data. The absence of statistic and analytical research creates gaps and inconsistencies in the policy and legislative work, and often serves to misdirect available funding. According to the analysis presented in the BiH UNDAF 2010 – 2014, and the Fourth and Fifth Periodic CEDAW Report (2011), women in BiH face a particularly precarious reality – they are excluded from the political and decision making processes, they have disproportionately limited access to employment and many of them are subjected to gender based violence. Advancing women’s economic security and rights is one of the core priorities of UN Women. UN Women supports women to reshape conditions at both ends of the economic spectrum — from boosting women’s participation in economic policy-making to supporting efforts to provide women and their communities with practical skills needed for securing sustainable livelihoods. In more than 40 countries, for example, UN Women supports national and local initiatives to include gender perspectives in budgeting processes, and to collect and use sex-disaggregated data in public policy formulation to ensure that macro-economic policy frameworks address women’s priorities. UN Women also works to strengthen women’s rights to land and inheritance, increase their access to credit and decent work, and empower women migrant workers as well as home-based workers. Potential priority areas of advancing economic empowerment of women in BiH are: Support to the government to develop policies aimed at increasing women’s participation in labor market (including data collection and improvement of the analytical capacities for the active labor market policy development, and gender responsive policies and budgets) Economic empowerment of rural women (needs assessment, land rights, access to active labor market policies) Support to women entrepreneurs (including the cooperation with the private business under the economic empowerment principles); Migration, trafficking and labor Organizational Context: The UN Resident Coordinator will oversee the process of the formulation of the UNCT BiH Joint Programme on the Economic Empowerment of Women and refer to the UNCT Gender Theme Group accordingly. The modalities of the UNCT BiH Joint Programme on the Economic Empowerment of Women will be in compliance with UN rules and regulations. Objective: To develop a UNCT BiH Joint Programme on the Economic Empowerment of Women for funding purposes a programme development team of two consultants (1 international and 1 national) will be established. The purpose of establishing this team of consultants will be for them to jointly assist the UN Resident Coordinator, UN Women Sub-regional Office and the UNCT Gender Theme Group in defining a strategic vision, objectives, partnerships and activities, as well as identifying the design and implementing modalities for the successful development of the UNCT BiH Joint Programme on the Economic Empowerment of Women. [1] BiH Combined Fourth and Fifth Period Reports to the CEDAW, BiH Gender Equality Agency, April 2011 [2] Compared to 49,6 % for men in the same age group. EU Progress Report, October 2011, p.61 [3] BiH Agency for Statistics (2009), Women and Men in BiH. [4] There is no regulation in Bosnia and Herzegovina that deals, on a uniform basis, with the exercising od rights related to pregnancy, delivery and post delivery period of care for a child. Regulating this matter is the responsibility of entities, cantons and Brcko District, while their financial (in)abilities and budget allocation policies directly impact the extent to which these rights will be respected. Unfortunately, a considerable number of women in BiH never manage to exercise these rights, precisely because of the gender unsentitised budgets, whose creators are allocating funds to other „more priority“ issues. [5] The next consideration of the State party report by the CEDAW committee is scheduled for July 2013. [6] Rights for All coordinated the development of the report and the following NGOs participated in its drafting: Cure Foundation, Buducnost Modrica, Lara, Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Banja Luka, Women to Women, United Women Banja Luka and Forum Zena Bratunac. [7] Despite the growing global consensus that “gender equality is smart economics”. See, for example, the World Bank’s 2012 Report Gender Equality and Development that makes a 458-pages long case for why gender equality is central to development.
Duties and Responsibilities
Main Duties & Responsibilities: The tasks for the international consultant will work in close cooperation with Participating UN agencies key staff to: Lead a programme development team composed of international and national consultant to design UNCT BiH Joint Programme on the Economic Empowerment of Women; Design a complete UNCT BiH Joint Programme on the Economic Empowerment of Women based on the latest information received from the UNCT Gender Theme Group and other key stakeholders (governmental and non-governmental at the local, Entity and State levels); Review existing information on the economic empowerment of women in Bosnia and Herzegovina provided by the UN agencies and other stakeholders; Based on the situation analysis and the examples of the international good practice in the economic empowerment of women, provide a menu of suitable activities forming the UNCT BiH Joint Programme on the Economic Empowerment of Women; Meet with the Resident Coordinator and UN Women (Sub-regional Office and the Project Office in BiH) to define the parameters of UNCT BiH Joint Programme on the Economic Empowerment of Women; Conduct a workshop with the UNCT Gender Theme Group and select key national stakeholders. Analyze and incorporate recommendations on the UNCT BiH Joint Programme on the Economic Empowerment of Women provided by the individual UN Agencies. Meet with key partners identified in the process and define their participation (roles and responsibilities) in the UNCT BiH Joint Programme on the Economic Empowerment of Women. Conduct a validation session on the last UNCT BiH Joint Programme on the Economic Empowerment of Women draft with the Resident Coordinator, UN Women Sub-regional Office and the UNCT Gender Theme Group and key stakeholders and adjust accordingly. Submit a high-quality final version of a UNCT BiH Joint Programme on the Economic Empowerment of Women. Indicative Timeline and Deliverables: Desk review of relevant documents (3 working days) – Deliverable: A draft situation analysis of the existing documentation with key issues, challenges and opportunities identified and highlighted Detailed briefings with UN Resident Coordinator, UN Women Sub-regional Office, UN Women Project Office in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the UNCT Gender Theme Group (1 working day) – Deliverable: Minutes of meetings Preparation for the workshop with key stakeholders (1 working day) – Deliverable: Methodology and presentations for the workshop developed and shared with UNCT Gender theme Group Workshop with the key stakeholders (1 working day) – Deliverable: Workshop held Meetings with proposed partners (4 working days) – Deliverable: Minutes of meetings Formulation of the first draft and preparation of the working meeting with the UNCT Gender Theme Group (5 working days) – Deliverable: A comprehensive UNCT Joint Programme on Economic Empowerment of Women drafted Working meeting/workshop with UN agencies and select stakeholders to present the first draft and adjust it. Debriefing with UN Resident Coordinator, UN Women Sub-regional Office, UN Women Project Office in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the UNCT Gender Theme Group (1 working day) – Deliverable: Workshop held Finalization of the document (online) & Mission report (4 working days) – Deliverable: A comprehensive UNCT Joint Programme on Economic Empowerment of Women completed TOTAL: 20 working days
Competencies
Demonstrates integrity and fairness by modeling UN values and ethical standards; Demonstrates professional competence and is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; Display cultural, gender, nationality, religion and age sensitivity and adaptability. Provides constructive and expert feedback and advice; Plans and produces quality results to meet established goals; Conceptualizes and analyzes problems to identify key issues and underlying problems; Contributes creative, practical ideas and approaches to deal with challenging situations; Demonstrates substantive and technical knowledge to meet requirements of the post with excellence; Executes all tasks systematically and efficiently; Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude; Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills; Remains calm, in control and good humoured even under pressure; Responds positively to critical feedback and differing points of view.
Required Skills and Experience
Education: Master’s Degree or equivalent in the social sciences or a related field. Experience: At least 10 years of professional development-related experience working at the international and national levels. Professional experience in addressing economic empowerment of women from various aspects. Experience with high-level programme management and complex national level frameworks involving multiple stakeholders and international agencies. Professional experience in developing/formulating all aspects of multi-stakeholder programmes through a consultative approach (TORs, modalities, budget). Experience with donor agencies in resource mobilization Relevant experience with UN agencies and/or UN joint programming as an asset. Demonstrated ability to work as a member of a team with people of different cultural, ethnic and religious background. Excellent communications skills as well as excellent oral and written communications skills in English. Proven ability to work under pressure and with very demanding deadlines. Computer literacy. Experience of working on gender, development, human-rights or humanitarian issues in region of the Western Balkans will be considered an asset. Experience in assignments requiring the ability to absorb, analyze and synthesize complex information within tight deadlines. Duration of the assignment: 20 working days (25 August – 25 October 2012 estimated one trip to Sarajevo, and up to 15 in-country mission days). Evaluation of applicants: Candidates will be evaluated using a cumulative analysis method taking into consideration the combination of the applicants’ qualifications and financial proposal. Contract will be awarded to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as: Responsive to and compliant with the ToR; and Having received the highest score out of below defined technical and financial criteria. Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points in the technical evaluation would be considered for financial evaluation. Criteria: Technical Evaluation (70%) - Total points 70 Relevant education - 15 points, Relevant experience - 45 points Language – 10 Financial Evaluation (30%) - Total points 30 TOTAL - 100 points The maximum number of points assigned to the financial proposal is allocated to the lowest price proposal. All other price proposals receive points in inverse proportion. A suggested formula is as follows: p = 30 (μ/z) p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated μ = price of the lowest priced proposal z = price of the proposal being evaluated Application Procedure: Qualified candidates are requested to apply online. The application should contain: Cover letter explaining the applicant’s interest in applying for the position. Filled P11 form including past experience in similar projects and contact details of referees (blank form can be downloaded from: http://www.unwomen.org/about-us/employment/); please upload the P11 instead of your CV!); please upload the P11 instead of your CV! Financial Proposal* - specifying a total lump sum amount for the tasks specified in this announcement. The financial proposal shall include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (number of anticipated working days, travel, per diems and any other possible costs). Please note that failure to submit P.11 form will result in automatic exclusion of the application from selection process. UN Women applies fair and transparent selection process that would take into account the competencies/skills of the applicants as well as their financial proposals. *Please note that the financial proposal is all-inclusive and shall take into account various expenses incurred by the consultant during the contract period (e.g. fee, health insurance, vaccination and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services...). Payments will be made only upon confirmation of UN Women on delivering on the contract obligations in a satisfactory manner.

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.