UNDP Jobs - 58693- UNDP Long Term Agreement: Technical Experts in Gen

UNDP Long Term Agreement: Technical Experts in Gender and Women’s Economic Empowerment

Location :

Home-based

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

21-Aug-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

2 years

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

3 years

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

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 over 170 countries, employing participatory approaches to developing local solutions to national and global development challenges. UNDPs core vision is to help countries achieve simultaneous eradication of poverty and significant reduction of inequalities and exclusion. We do this through three main areas of work are: (1) sustainable development (2) inclusive and effective democratic governance, and (3) resilience.

Addressing gender equality and women’s empowerment is a key aspect of UNDPs approach to achieving its core vision. Gender Equality and Women’s empowerment are seen as goals in their own right and are also central to the achievement of UNDPs development mandate. UNDP is guided in its work by its Gender Equality Strategy 2014-2017 which details how UNDP works towards gender equality in each of the goals and key results set out in the UNDP Strategic Plan 2014-2017.

The Gender Team of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) is the institutional anchor of UNDP’s work on gender equality and women’s empowerment. The Gender Team provides policy advice and technical support to all of UNDP’s Bureaus and leadership on how to mainstream gender across all areas of their work. 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 addition, the Gender Team is responsible for all corporate planning, for supporting corporate programming, reporting on gender and for supporting Senior Management in ensuring accountability for gender mainstreaming. Finally, the Gender Team supports the Administrator and senior management in addressing gender equality and women’s empowerment in their convening and representational functions.

Under the Long Term Agreement contract, the selected candidate(s) on gender and women’s economic empowerment will support the Gender Team within in the area of gender and women’s economic empowerment by providing expert inputs when required.

Duties and Responsibilities

Core Tasks:

The scope of tasks to be undertaken will be agreed with the Technical Expert(s) as the need arises, and may cover, but may not be limited to:

Provide substantive advice and strategic inputs through the drafting of policy briefs, concept notes, project concept notes, issues briefs, and other substantive technical inputs on issues related to gender equality and women’s economic empowerment, women and poverty and related topics. This may include reports to UNDP Executive Board;
Provide substantive input through the drafting of or commenting on project proposals, project evaluation reports, terms of references, or aide memoires;
Provide expert review, comments and inputs into UNDP policy documents to ensure that the gender dimensions are suitably integrated, represent cutting edge knowledge on gender dimensions of women and economic empowerment and women and poverty and are consistent with UNDP's Gender Equality Strategy 2014-2017. This may include, but is not limited to: Post-2015 implementation strategies, Human Development Reports, Regional Human Development Reports, global economic policy processes or any other relevant substantive documentation produced by UNDP;
Provide substantive assistance in the development and facilitation of critical discussions on women’s economic empowerment and the gender and poverty, including UN inter-agency discussions, regional events, lecture series and online discussions as required;
Support specific requests by Country Offices or Regional Centers on integrating gender in their work within other practices;
Undertake capacity development activities on gender-responsive economic policy making and inclusive equitable local development at country, regional and global levels as required;
Provide training for UNDP staff and partners on matters related to gender equality, women’s economic empowerment, poverty, sustainable development and related topics;
Provide substantial input into the development of new training modules for the development of the IELD project and the modules on local and equitable local economic development;
Deliver, on behalf of UNDP, policy advisory and capacity development trainings to targeted country offices and government counterparts on request;
Prepare manuals and other capacity development materials on gender and poverty and advise UNDP on integrating gender dimensions into existing training manuals and initiatives;
Provide advice to the Director of the Gender Team on the strategic direction for the gender team’s work in the field of women’s economic empowerment.

Competencies

Demonstrated analytical skills on issues related to gender, economy and poverty reduction;
Strong understanding of the links between sustainable development and the social and gender issues;
Ability to work with a multi-disciplinary team and in a multi-cultural environment;
Excellent communication, presentation and writing skills in English;
Demonstrated ability to work in an independent manner;
Ability to organize work efficiently and deal with multiple tasks;
Familiarity with the UN system, in particular with UNDP and its mandate and UN interagency cooperation.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced university degree (PhD preferred) in Economics, Public Administration with strong knowledge of gender issues, or related discipline.

Experience:

Minimum 10 years of relevant experience in the field of promoting gender equality and poverty reduction;
Substantive experience conducting research and analysis in the area of gender equality and women’s economic empowerment and at least one other related theme: sustainable development, inclusive economic growth, poverty, livelihoods, social protection, unpaid care work and time use, access to credit and finance, employment, trade, gender responsive budgeting;
Knowledge of and experience in producing substantive inputs to policies on issues concerning gender and poverty at the national, regional and international levels, demonstrated experience in training and advocacy work;
Experience in conducting policy advisory and capacity development services to policy makers at the global regional and national levels;
Working knowledge and experience of UNDP policies and programmes in the area of gender equality.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English (written and oral);
Knowledge of any other official UN language would be an asset.

How to apply:

Interested candidates should follow UNDP Standard online application procedure and send

An updated CV and UN PH 11 form; Link to PH 11 form;
A short summary (up to 1000 words maximum) of their expertise and experience on gender and poverty/economic policy issues (including both policy and programming where applicable), the reasons why they consider themselves the best candidates for the Long Term Agreement;
An all-inclusive daily fee quote in US Dollars.

(In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal should be all inclusive. The term “all-inclusive” implies that all costs (professional fees, communications, utilities, consumables, insurance, etc.) that could possibly be incurred by the Consultant are already factored in the financial proposal.)

Short listed candidates may be requested to participate in an interview with a selection panel.

Contracts based on daily fee:

The financial proposal will specify the daily fee in US dollars. Payments will be made to the Individual Consultant based on the number of days-worked, satisfactory performance and acceptance of the completed work by UNDP.

Evaluation:

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodologies:

Cumulative analysis

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 weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

* Technical Criteria weight; 70

* Financial Criteria weight; 30

The following formula will be 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

Evaluation:

Technical evaluation criteria will be rated with a score (totaling a maximum of 70 points).

Criteria A: Advanced University Degree in Economics/Public Administration or related field with 10 years record of analytical thinking, strong policy research and publication activity. (20 points)

Criteria B: Experience in conducting policy advisory and capacity development services to policy makers at the global regional and national levels. (20 points)

Criteria C: Experience conducting research and analysis in the area of gender equality and women’s economic empowerment and at least one other related theme: sustainable development, inclusive economic growth, poverty, livelihoods, social protection, unpaid care work and time use, access to credit and finance, employment, trade, gender responsive budgeting. (20 points)

Criteria D: Familiarity and policy and programmatic work experience with UNDP and the UN system (10 points)

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 (70%) points on the technical criteria will be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Framework Agreement:

UNDP plans to enter into the Long-Term Agreement (LTA) with eight to ten top ranked successful Individual Contractor/s to assure resources availability at the required timeframe and/or increased demand for services requested.

Please note that the LTA does not form a financial obligation or commitment from UNDP at the time the LTA contract is signed, and that such an agreement is non-exclusive. When a specific need arises, the successful Individual Contractor/s will be approached and be provided with a specific TOR and deliverables (and time frame) but still within the scope of the responsibilities stated in the LTA. The successful Individual Contractor(s) is expected to provide Confirmation of Interest on the specific services required and submit Financial Proposal based on the agreed LTA Daily Rate Consultancy Fee. Financial commitments will only be established each time a Purchase Order for the specific services/TOR for Individual Contractor is committed.

This LTA has a cumulative ceiling amount that may accrue to the individual contractor during the life of the LTA, but said amount shall remain as an upper limit, and must not and cannot be interpreted nor understood as neither a financial commitment nor guarantee of business volume.

The duration of LTA will be for period of two years with possibility of extension up to one additional year subject to satisfactory performance and UNDP’s demand in services.