Background
The Gender Team is at the forefront of UNDP's commitment to gender equality and women's empowerment. The Gender Team is part of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) which provides policy advice and technical support to all of UNDP’s operations. The Gender Team works to implement gender equality as a core objective of UNDP through a two-pronged approach (i) mainstreaming gender in all core practices; and, (ii) dedicated interventions that empower women and promote gender equality. In order to advance UNDP’s mandate in this area, the Gender Team is finalizing the UNDP Corporate Gender Equality Strategy 2014-17 which outlines in detail how UNDP will work towards gender equality in each of the goals and key results set out in the UNDP Strategic Plan 2014-2017. In addition to addressing the gender dimensions of each focus area, the Strategy sets out institutional arrangements which are aimed at ensuring that there are adequate human and financial resources as well as effective senior management oversight to achieve the expected gender equality results. To this end, several initiatives have been launched, such as the gender equality seal, the gender marker, which help strengthening accountability for gender equality results in the organization.
The Gender Equality Seal is a corporate quality assurance mechanism that measures and certifies the achievements and competence of Country Offices, as well as regional service centres and Headquarters Units in advancing women's rights and gender equality. The Gender Equality Seal has three levels of certification (Gold, Silver, and Bronze) and Country Offices/ Regional Service Centres / Headquarter units are awarded a certain level of certification according to their gender equality accomplishments.
The Gender Team is looking for a consultant to coordinate key interventions of the Gender Equality Seal initiative during 2015, finalizing the current Pilot phase and launching the next Gender Equality Seal Certification Round.
In addition, the consultant will support the Gender Team in refining the gender marker tool. UNDP has pioneered the Gender Marker in the UN system as a tool to monitor investments for gender equality. Developed and rolled out in 2009, the UNDP Gender Marker is a key instrument in the Atlas financial system that enables UNDP to track and monitor how gender responsive each financial allocation and expenditure is. The Gender Marker requires managers to rate projects against a four-point scale.
Since the roll-out of the Gender Marker, UNDP has focused on building an understanding of the Gender Marker as a tracking and reporting tool and developing staff capacity to use it. Global analysis of the UNDP Gender Marker data has been compiled, providing valuable insights into the size and proportions of budgets and expenditures contributions to gender equality
Under the new Gender Equality Strategy, UNDP plans to refine, revamp the gender marker and continue building staff capacities to use the Gender Marker as a planning as well as a reporting tool. In addition the consultant will support the design and start-up of the UNSWAP gender marker help desk. This help desk will provide support to UN sister agencies to keep a set of harmonized standards in the implementation of the Gender Marker tool.
Duties and Responsibilities
Scope of work
The consultant will undertake the following tasks under the direct supervision of the Policy Advisor on Gender Mainstreaming of the UNDP Gender Team in New York.
UNDP Gender Equality Seal Coordination:
- Finalization of Gender Equality Seal 1st Round;
- Develop the strategic planning of the project for the next round of the Seal;
- Update supporting package for Country Offices for the second round;
- Coordinate the update the Gold benchmarking matrix and complementary tools;
- Monitor and support offices applicants in each step of the Seal providing technical advice through skype, email and/or technical missions;
- Review self-assessments and pre-certification reports and deliver recommended level of certification;
- Support planning and launching of the World Food Programme Gender Equality Seal under the UNDP/WFP agreement;
- Support the development of the RBA baseline using the Seal assessment tool.
Organizational Effectiveness:
- Support development and start-up of UN-SWAP gender marker help desk.
Expected Deliverables/Outputs:
UNDP Gender Equality Seal (January-December 2015):
- Gender Equality Seal 1st Certification completed: certification reports delivered; ceremony event coordinated, briefings developed (January-March 2015);
- Gender Equality Seal 2nd Round designed: project work plan designed (April 2015);
- Launching of the 2nd Round coordinated: communication materials developed, emails and briefings prepared (March-April 2015).
- Updated supporting package for Country Offices for the second round: guidance note for CO developed, Checklist updated, Briefings updated; online tool updated;
- RBA baseline report coordinated and delivered (March 2015);
- Country office self-assessment, action plans implementation supported and monitored (April-December 2015);
- Pre-certification reports reviewed and reports with recommended level of certification delivered (April-December 2015);
- Gender Equality Seal technical support and appraisal missions coordinated (January- December 2015);
- Support the development of a methodological packaged for capacity development and accountability for gender mainstreaming and women’s empowerment implementation of “WFP Gender Equality Certification Programme” fully designed and developed.
Organizational Effectiveness:
Start-up of UN-SWAP gender marker help desk developed.
Competencies
Functional Competencies
- Demonstrated capacity for strategic thinking, and expertise in global gender equality and mainstreaming strategies;
- 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;
- Excellent oral and written communication and reporting skills in English, strong capacity in communications and/or reporting fields;
- Substantive knowledge of women's rights and gender issues globally;
- Ability to use critical thinking, conceptualize ideas, and articulate relevant subject matter in a clear and concise way;
- Ability to communicate effectively with and relate to people of different cultures, demonstrating an ability to see issues from other perspectives;
- Outstanding networking, team-building, organizational and communication skills;
- Capacity to work with diverse partners including governments, civil society and women's groups;
- Good interpersonal and diplomacy skills; Openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
- Ability to work under pressure and meet strict deadlines.
Corporate Competencies:
- Demonstrated integrity by upholding the United Nations' values and ethical standards; Treats all people fairly;
- Promotes UNDP vision, mission and strategic goals;
- Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age-based sensitivity and adaptability;
- 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:
- Master's degree in social science with strong knowledge of gender issues, or related discipline; or
- A Bachelor’s degree with more than 10 years of experience in development.
Experience:
- Minimum of 3 years of comprehensive work experience and knowledge in gender and development, institutional development and gender mainstreaming or related fields; and field experience;
- Experience with UNDP and strong understanding of the UNDP, operations and structures, particularly those related to gender equality and women’s empowerment and field experience;
- Experience leading complex projects, including with a diverse range of constituencies;
- Proven expertise on gender audits, evaluations and capacity assessments for gender mainstreaming;
- Knowledge in Organizational change with specific emphasis in Gender Equality and Women’s empowerment;
- Experience in gender sensitive budgeting and monitoring, ideally with the Gender Marker systems.
Language:
- Proficiency in English language for report writing;
- Working knowledge of French and/or Spanish is desirable.
Appliction submiession process:
Applicants must submit their application through this online system using the following steps:
STEP 1) Click “Apply Now” button and fill in the necessary information on the first page. You must:
- Explain why you are the most suitable candidate for the work (300 words maximum online);
- Provide brief description of the approach you will take to accomplish this work (500 words maximum online);
- Provide Names, titles and contact details (telephone and e-mails) of 3 references. UNDP retains the right to contact references directly;
- Upload CV or P11 to this online system ;
- Submit a non-negotiable all-inclusive daily rate in USD.
STEP 2) Upload your CV or Personal History (P11) Form and then “Submit Application.” Please note only one document can be uploaded (scan all your documents into one single PDF file to attach). If you upload you CV we might request the P11 Form at a later date. A completed PH 11 Form will be required at the time a consultant signs an Individual Contract (IC) or his/her employer (if employed) signs a Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA) for work associated with this assignment.
UN Personal History form (UN PH11) can be downloaded from here http://sas.undp.org/documents/P11_Personal_history_form.doc
Financial Proposal (daily rate).
Contracts is based on daily fee.
Please submit an all-inclusive lump sum daily fee in United States Dollars (USD).
Financial proposals must be all inclusive and must be expressed on the basis of a daily fee. The term ‘all inclusive” implies that all costs (professional fees, communications, utilities, consumables, insurance, etc.) that could possibly be incurred by the Contractor are already factored into the daily fee.
In the case of unforeseeable duty travels, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses will be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be paid to the consultant.
Evaluation:
Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology:
Evaluation of Applicants:
Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the Cumulative Analysis methodology [weighted scoring method], where the award of the contract will 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 pre-determined set of technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.
Technical Criteria weight: 70%.
Financial Criteria weight: 30%.
UNDP applies a fair and transparent selection process that would take into account both the technical qualification of Individual Consultants as well as their price proposals. The contract will be awarded to the candidate obtaining the highest combined technical and financial scores.
The following criteria will be used in the Technical Evaluation:
Technical Criteria (70 points):
- Criteria A: Minimum of 3 years of work experience and comprehensive knowledge in gender and development, institutional development and gender mainstreaming or related fields; and field experience: 20 points;
- Criteria B: Experience with UNDP and strong understanding of the UNDP, operations and structures, particularly those related to gender equality and women’s empowerment and field experience: 20 points;
- Criteria C: Proven expertise on gender audits, gender marker, evaluations and capacity assessments for gender mainstreaming: 30 points.
Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 (70%) points on technical part will be considered for the Financial Evaluation.
Annexes and References:
Individual Consultant's General Terms and Conditions are provided here: