Background

Project Title: Women’s Economic Empowerment Initiation Plan.

Objectives:

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Bangladesh and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (UN Women) Bangladesh plan to develop and implement a joint five-year programme on women’s economic empowerment. In order to develop a relevant, catalytic, and transformative programme, the programme’s design and development will be based on a foundation of evidence and analysis that will help establish programme objectives, design and expected impact. Terms of Reference (TORs) have been developed for research papers on the following four areas:

  • Macroeconomic analysis: A gender-based macroeconomic analysis and a high-level demographic summary of women in Bangladesh;
  • Social institutions analysis: Analysis of the influence of social institutions on women’s economic opportunities and constraints;
  • Opportunities analysis (A) – Market: Deep dive on unmet labor supply in the economy with high-potential opportunities for women;
  • Opportunities analysis (B) – Policy: Deep dive on the current space for policy action, identifying opportunities to promote policy that would positively influence women’s economic empowerment.

Research Paper 1 will provide the overall gender landscape analysis of economic trends and policies to understand the current situation in Bangladesh as well as a high-level demographic summary of the situation and condition of women that will provide a common set of data and information for all the papers. Research Paper 2 will analyze the ways in which social, economic and political institutions (for example, the household and family, local and national various state institutions) influence women’s choices and constraints to engage in the available opportunities for economic empowerment. Research Papers 3 and 4 will then identify and describe specific market and policy opportunities that offer potential to be considered for the proposed joint programme, given UNDP’s and UN Women’s mandates and comparative advantages. Market, in this context, refers to opportunities for paid work and entrepreneurship in the public and private sectors. Policy, in this context, refers to state policy (and in some cases, policies of large, influential private actors like large employers and community organizations).

This is the TOR for the third research paper. Based on a targeted, focused assessment of economic opportunities given labor needs across the public and private sectors, this paper will identify specific opportunities to be considered by UNDP and UN Women given both organizations’ mandates, comparative advantages and the goals of the proposed joint programme. The opportunities articulated will also be made available to other interested actors and stakeholders.

Background:

Since 1972, UNDP has been partnering with the people and communities of Bangladesh at various levels to build a resilient nation with a strong focus on sustainable human development-led growth. Since its inception, UNDP and its partners accomplished key results in the areas of governance, poverty reduction, environment, energy and climate change, disaster management, and achievement of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Over the years of dedicated partnership with government agencies and partners, UNDP Bangladesh is viewed as an honest broker, bringing about transformational changes in the lives and livelihoods of the people of Bangladesh.

UN Women is the UN organization dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. Starting in 2005 as part of a regional programme on the economic empowerment of migrant workers, the UN Women Bangladesh Country Office today works on national programmes across all six impact areas. Working in partnership with the government, civil society and other UN agencies, UN Women Bangladesh seeks to impact women’s leadership and participation across all sectors and levels by improving laws and policies, developing and delivering catalytic programmes, leading and coordinating the UN country team’s response on gender equality and women’s empowerment, and supporting and convening civil society actors.

For the purpose of this exercise, women’s economic empowerment can be considered as the process which increases women’s real power over economic decisions that influence their lives and priorities in society. Researchers contend that for work to be empowering for women there must first be a change in how women perceive themselves in terms of their material security and well-being; their capacity to engage in existing, and in new relationships. Consequently, women’s economic empowerment requires changes in material conditions and structural constraints as well as overcoming individual and collective obstacles to women’s agency including those that pertain to the symbolic order.

Investing in women’s economic empowerment sets a direct path towards gender equality, poverty eradication and inclusive economic growth. Women make enormous contributions to economies but they also remain disproportionately affected by poverty, discrimination and exploitation. Gender discrimination means women often end up in insecure, low-wage jobs, and constitute a small minority of those in senior positions. It curtails access to economic assets such as land and loans. It limits participation in shaping economic and social policies.

While economic growth has been found to be most positive when accompanied by greater gender equality in education and employment, economic growth in and of itself has mixed impact on gender equality, sometimes increasing opportunities for employment and greater freedom, sometimes having no impact at all (especially if it is driven by industry verticals that offer little access to women workers) and at other times, exacerbating entrenched gender roles (for example, export-driven manufacturing growth often solidifies entrenched ideas of women’s and men’s skills and capacities).

Therefore, to be substantive and sustained, economic empowerment for women must go beyond narrow definitions of income and resources to integrate dimensions of access, terms of engagement and agency that produce durable transformations in current and future generations of women and girls.

This package of research will seek to identify opportunities for women’s economic empowerment in Bangladesh based on this context and goal. An opportunity in this context is considered higher value, higher-income paid work or entrepreneurship that works towards building long-term assets and increased access to resources (both material and non-material). To be considered as an opportunity, the work must move beyond subsistence income and be linked to growth in future earning potential and valuing women as citizen and economic actors.

Finally, the research papers will include assessment of and consideration of mechanisms of social protection that are (or can/ should be) available to and used by women as protection against extreme poverty and the circumstances and events that make women and girls particularly vulnerable to it.

Research Paper 3 – Context:

Research Paper Three will provide a targeted, focused assessment of economic opportunities available for women in Bangladesh. This assessment will be based on a clear understanding of the labor needs across the public and private sectors, focusing especially on those industries and sectors that women face less obstacles in entering.

The goal of this paper is to identify specific opportunities to be considered by UNDP and UN Women given both organizations’ mandates, comparative advantages and the goals of the proposed joint programme to establish a path-setting, sustainable way forward for women’s economic empowerment in Bangladesh.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Services, Expected Outputs and Target Completion:

Scope of Services:

A framework that enables an assessment of economic opportunities for women across the various sectors of the economy. Economic opportunities, in this context, refers to paid work that establishes women on the path to establishing long-term assets and greater access to resources. Sector, in this context, refers to the traditional definition of primary, secondary and tertiary sectors. This research will look at those sectors and subsectors where employment provided by the private sector is growing.   Of specific interest are manufacturing and service industries as their share of contribution to GDP is increasing in Bangladesh.

Set of criteria for assessing economic opportunities, including but not limited to:

  • Required skill levels and available skill levels of women and education and training opportunities to gain skills;
  • Current gender wage gap and available opportunities for mitigating or eradicating;
  • Extent to which non-work responsibilities like family and child care are incorporated into work requirements and environments;
  • Growth potential and government support/ interest; and
  • Lessons and insights from global examples of successful initiatives for women’s workforce participation and leadership in specific sectors and industries.

Prioritized assessment of economic opportunities for women in Bangladesh, with a focus on women with less access to formal paid work.

Recommendations of the most likely opportunities to be considered for the proposed joint programme with advantages and challenges to be overcome.

Expected Outputs:

Research paper that assesses high-potential, high-value economic empowerment opportunities for women in Bangladesh based on a consideration of gender-based priorities and constraints and high-growth potential sectors and subsectors that have a demand for labor. The paper will provide:

  • Framework for assessing economic opportunities for women based on economic and gender-based factors;
  • Set of criteria that will enable prioritization and ranking of economic opportunities for women in the next 5-10 years;
  • Set of recommendations on highest potential areas to consider for a proposed joint programme by UNDP and UN Women, given both organizations’ mandates and comparative advantages;
  • Evidence-based proposals for areas of advocacy to engage with key actors (state, Chambers of Commerce, industry associations and community organizations) to increase women’s workforce participation and leadership.

Target Completion:

  • Methodology (including proposed framework) and Detailed Work plan (Duration: 10 days);
  • Presentation on draft findings in an internal sharing session delivered (Duration: 25 days);
  • Submission of preliminary findings (Duration: 10 days);
  • Submission of mid-term report & rough draft of final report (Duration: 15 days);
  • Presentation of draft final report (Duration: 30 days);
  • Approval of final report (Duration: 30 days).

*Please note that some of this work will be done concurrently.

Institutional Arrangement:

The Researcher will be under the overall supervision of the WEE IP Manager (PM), working closely with the project Technical Support Committee.

Duration of the Work:

The assignment’s total duration is four (4) months, beginning from the contract signing date. The PM will sign-off on payments based upon the criteria for deliverables. The contract is expected to begin 1 November 2015.

Duty Station:

The main duty station is in Dhaka (in their own office). The assignment may require travel in and outside Dhaka for conducting survey, interview and other data collection procedures. The potential contractor will need to visit the UNDP Country Office to participate in sharing and progress related meetings as per requirements.

Tentative payment schedule:

  • 1st payment: 10% of total contract value will be paid within 15 November 2015 after submission of proposed methodology (including proposed framework) and detailed workplan;
  • 2nd payment: 35% of total contract value will be paid within 1 December 2015 after submission of preliminary findings;
  • 3rd payment: 35% of total contract value will be paid within 31 December 2015 after submission of mid-term report & rough draft of final report;
  • 4th payment: 20% of total contract value will be paid within 28 February 2016 upon approval by UNDP of final report.

Competencies

Corporate: 

  • Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN System’s values and ethical standards (human rights, peace, understanding between peoples and nations, tolerance, integrity, respect, results orientation impartiality (UNDP core ethics);
  • Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of the UN system; and
  • Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Functional:

  • Development and gender equality knowledge;
  • Knowledge of national level planning frameworks;
  • Proven research capacities;
  • Knowledge of Bangladeshi policies, and the social, political and economic context for women and girls;
  • Proven ability to write very high quality reports (in the English language);
  • Excellent communication skills (written and oral);Focuses on impact and results for the client and responds positively to critical feedback;
  • Focuses on impact and results for the client and responds positively to critical feedback;
  • Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback, timely responses queries;
  • Demonstrates excellent oral and written communication skills;
  • Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
  • Builds consensus from across broad range of views; and
  • Demonstrates ability to maintain strategic focus and achieve strategic decisions from broad range of competing perspectives.

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications:

  • Master’s degree or an advanced degree in Economics, Business, Commerce, International Development, Gender Studies, or relevant Social Sciences.

Experience:

  • Minimum 10 years of experience working economic policy analysis, industry and commerce analysis, economic growth analysis and projections, with specific experience in issues of inclusion and inequality, especially on gender;
  • Professional experience in developing/emerging economy contexts, with particular knowledge of macroeconomic, private sector and policy analysis in the South Asia context, experience in Bangladesh is desired;
  • Demonstrated experience writing high level research papers.
  • Ability to work independently and with minimal supervision.

Language:

  • Excellent analytical and writing skills in English.

Application procedure:

Financial Proposal will be prepared on lump sum basis and would include:

The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount that includes professional fee, travel and logistics cost in alignment with proposed work plan and methodology. The financial proposal will include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (including travel cost, per diems, and professional fees).

Evaluation of the Candidates:

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology.

Cumulative analysis:

The award of the contract will be made to the individual consultant up on Cumulative Analysis/evaluation 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.

Only candidates obtaining a minimum 70% mark in technical evaluation will be considered eligible for financial evaluation.

Technical Evaluation Criteria (Total 70 marks):

  • Experience and qualification of researcher (10 marks);
  • Previous experience conducting similar type of assignment (8 marks);
  • Overall understanding of the proposed assignment in terms of work planning (6 marks);
  • Examples of Related Work Done (minimum 2) (6 marks);
  • Relevance and appropriateness of methodology and approaches in responding the ToR (10 marks);
  • Mentioned relevant techniques and tools for data collection and analysis (10 marks);
  • Work planning and time frame (10 marks);
  • Monitoring, quality assurance technique (10 marks).

Financial Evaluation (Total 30 marks):

All technical qualified proposals will be scored out 30 based on the formula provided below. The maximum points (30) will be assigned to the lowest financial proposal. All other proposals received points according to the following formula:

p = y (µ/z)

where:

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

Documents to be included when submitting the proposals:

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications. Proposers who shall not submit below mentioned documents will not be considered for further evaluation.

Please group all your documents into one (1) single PDF document as the system only allows to upload maximum one document.