Background

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) is the UN’s Global Development Network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 166 countries, employing participatory approaches to developing local solutions to national and global development challenges.

UNDP has a longstanding commitment to mainstreaming gender equality and promoting women’s empowerment in its work. As the UN’s lead development agency, with extensive field presence, UNDP has facilitated the integration of gender equality in the work of Country Offices through core and non-core fund investments, has initiated and implemented numerous innovative initiatives, and has supported both government and civil society work on gender issues.

The Gender Team of the Bureau for Policy and Programmes (BPPS) is the institutional anchor of UNDP’s work on gender equality and women’s empowerment. As the UN’s lead development agency, UNDP facilitates the integration of gender equality in the work of its Country Offices (CO) through core and non-core fund investments and has initiated and implemented numerous innovative initiatives that support program county work on gender equality and women’s empowerment. The Beijing Platform guides UNDP’s work on gender for Action (BPFA), Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the frameworks provided by the Millennium Declaration and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The UNDP Gender Equality Seal is a corporate certification programme led by the Gender Team of BPPS that recognizes the good work of UNDP Country Offices, as well as Regional Service Centres and Headquarters Units in advancing women's rights and gender equality. The certification process of the Gender Equality Seal initiative is also a learning platform that helps UNDP Country Offices / Regional Service Centres /HQ Units establish a baseline, fine-tune strategies, identify and address gaps and challenges, document innovations and showcase the impacts of interventions for gender equality.

The UNDP Gender Equality Seal has three levels of certification and applicants are certified according to their gender equality accomplishments. After a successful initial pilot phase to test the Seal’s methodology in three country offices, UNDP launched an extended pilot phase in June 2013. A total of 30 UNDP Country Offices applied for the Seal certification and will get certified by 2014.

Regional Bureau for Africa Baseline

The Regional Bureau for Africa, as part of a comprehensive gender action plan that calls for an acceleration of strategies to bolster gender equality and women’s empowerment work in country offices, has encouraged all countries to participate in the Gender Equality Seal process and get certified. By doing this, RBA will ensure that offices meet minimum standards and requirements to deliver “engendered” development results, and will improve organizational effectiveness and greater consistency of performance across Country Offices.

First, a regional baseline will be developed –using the Seal online assessment tool- to allow RBA to better identify weaknesses and strengthens of offices, and  tailored strategies and actions for improvement.  In addition to the baseline, a set of actions will be implemented to prepare RBA offices to apply to the UNDP Gender Equality Seal, and accompany those offices through each step of the certification process.

Partnership with the WFP

UNDP certification programme success has resonated within WFP as it is currently conducting internal discussions to improve on its gender equality and empowerment of women initiatives. The establishment of a recognition programme is also one of the requirements of the UN System Wide Action Plan (UN-SWAP) that calls for all UN entities to put in place a system of recognition for excellent work promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment by 2017.

In June 2014, WFP and UNDP entered into a strategic partnership for the establishment of a WFP Gender Equality Certification Programme. UNDP will contribute to the programme through sharing of experience and knowledge transfer for the piloting of the initiative in three country offices and one HQ Division.

This implies the provision of services and technical assistance for the definition of a general framework, tools and processes for the design and implementation of standards and benchmarks, a self-assessment tool, the facilitation of trainings and workshops, organization of support missions to WFP HQ and the pilot countries.

In this regard UNDP Gender Team is looking for a consultant to support these two strategic areas of work, and support any other priorities of the UNDP Gender Equality Seal Programme.

Duties and Responsibilities

As part of the support provided by the Gender Team to RBA, the consultant – in close coordination with HQ Seal team and Addis Ababa Regional Service Center- will:

• Support country offices in the preparation for the online self-assessment by communicating with them via emails and answering their questions regarding the benchmarking matrix;
• Support countries during the uploading of evidences process including interaction with OIST on any IT related technical difficulties;
• Review Country Offices/Units uploaded documents/evidences from the online assessment tool of the Gender Equality Seal
• Score each benchmark based on evidences uploaded;
• Write the baseline report with graphs showing where RBA countries stand on the seven areas of the gender equality seal, indicating areas for improvement and strategies.

In line with the signed agreement between WFP and UNDP the gender expert work with the Gender Mainstreaming advisor to deliver the following duties:

• Support the review of accountability mechanisms, tools and gender indicators including SWAP results;
• Help to refine a draft of key areas and set of indicators for the Gender Equality Certification programme;
• Prepare the draft outline of the Gender certification programme methodology;
• Subsequently develop a zero draft Concept Note of the methodology by reviewing notes and outcomes of discussions between UNDP and WFP;
• Support the design of a Briefing/supporting package on the Certification Programme initiative to send to Country Offices pilot;
• Lead the writing and editing of package tools/services developed by UNDP for the initial pilot phase;
• Support the design methodology and tools for the scoping and appraisal visit in three country offices pilot and one Division at WFP headquarter in collaboration with the Gender Team Institutional Development advisor;
• Manage and monitor interchanges between UNDP and WFP and ensure workplan timely delivery;
• Provide administrative support, procurement, and logistic arrangements related to the UNDP/WFP agreement.

Expected Outputs:

• COs self-assessment supported (October 2014-February 2015);
• COs Assessment Matrix and Reports produced (February 2015);
• RBA baseline report on gender equality standards produced and disseminated (February-2015);
• The review of WFP accountability mechanisms, tools and gender indicators supported (Mid-August 2014);
• Draft Concept Note of the methodology for the WFP certification programme developed. (January 2014);
• Validation workshop in Rome organized;
• Briefing/supporting package on the Certification Programme initiative designed for Country Offices pilot of the WFP (December 2014);
• Memorandum of understanding between UNDP and WFP monitored and timely executed(31 July 2015).

Travel

The expert is not expected to travel.

In the case of unforeseeable travel, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between UNDP Gender Team and the Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed.

In general, UNDP does not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the expert wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

• Demonstrated capacity for strategic thinking, and expertise in global gender equality and mainstreaming methodology;
• Proven capacity to produce high quality qualitative research and ability to absorb, analyze and synthesize large amounts of complex information within tight deadlines;
• Demonstrated ability and willingness to work with people of different cultural, ethnic and religious background, different gender, and diverse political views.

Corporate Competencies

• Demonstrated integrity by upholding the United Nations' values and ethical standards;
• Promotes UNDP vision, mission and strategic goals;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age-based sensitivity and adaptability;
• Treats all people fairly;
• Demonstrating consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UNDP in actions and decisions, in line with the UN Code of Conduct;
• Demonstrate an international outlook, appreciate differences in values and learning from cultural diversities.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Masters or PhD in a development related discipline: women’s studies or gender and development.

Experience:

• Minimum of 3 years of comprehensive working experience in gender mainstreaming, in particular linked to internal institutional development/organizational change, accountability and capacity building in developing organizations. Gender in humanitarian settings will be an asset;
• International development experience and field experience;
• Proven experience producing high quality qualitative research on gender issues and ability to absorb, analyze and synthesize large amounts of complex information within tight deadlines.
• Understanding of the UN agencies, operations and structures, particularly those related to gender equality and women’s empowerment;
• Experience with UNDP, the UN System and the international development landscape.

Language:

• Proficiency in English language;
• Proficiency in French is desirable.

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology:

Cumulative analysis

When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract should be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

• Responsive/compliant/acceptable; and
• Having received the highest score out of a predetermined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

Technical Criteria weight: 70

Financial Criteria weight: 30

The following formula has been used to evaluate financial proposal: p = y (µ/z)

p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated

y = maximum number of points for the financial proposal

µ = price of the lowest priced proposal

z = price of the proposal being evaluated

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 59 points would be considered for the Financial Evaluation

Criteria    Weight           Max. Point

Technical   (maximum 70)    

Desk review (70):

• Criteria A: Minimum of 3 years of working experience in gender mainstreaming . (Max 20);
• Criteria B:Experience with UN operations agencies/developing organizations. (Max 15);
• Criteria C:Experience in accountability and capacity building for gender equality (gender audits, assessments, research data, evaluation, gender indicators, monitoring and evaluation, organizational change) (Max 20);
• Criteria D: Experience in producing relevant research on gender mainstreaming issues (15).

Interviews may be conducted.

Financial    (maximum 30)

Applicants are required to fill and sign a P11 Form and submit it together with Curriculum Vitae on the online application. The P11 Form can be obtained at http://sas.undp.org/Documents/P11_Personal_history_form.doc.