UN WOMEN Jobs - 64013- UN Women - National Consultant to provide assistan

UN Women - National Consultant to provide assistance in the implementation of the Project. “EIDHR/2013/335-757“Preventing and addressing violence against women and girls in Albania

Advertised on behalf of

UN WOMEN

Location :

Tirana, ALBANIA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

07-Mar-16 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

National Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

5 workdays per month, over 6 months period

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

UN Women has supported the National Government in developing policy framework for gender equality and fighting violence against women. It contributed to the development of the legal framework and tools to address violence against women. UN Women intends to implement activities and deliver assistance to the Albanian Government in addressing gender inequalities, discrimination and violence, in implementation of its international commitments and the National Strategy on Gender Equality and against Gender-Based and Domestic Violence (2011-2015).

In this framework UN Women and the European Commission have started in 2014 a joint programme on Preventing and Addressing Violence against Women and Girls. The programme which supports initiatives by national institutions and civil society organizations in the country, is financed through a contribution from the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) and contributes to the overall goal of preventing and addressing violence against women and girls. In Albania the project supports the provision of services for the integration/reintegration of women victims/survivors of violence, primarily increasing their knowledge on economic opportunities, training them to become self-employed and providing start-up support for businesses.

The programme is in line with the Memorandum of Understanding between the European Union and UN Women signed on 16 April 2012, which aims to consolidate, further develop and structure cooperation towards the shared goals of gender equality and women’s empowerment. The programme is in line with the UN Women Strategic Plan (SP), 2014-2017, i.e., Impact 3: Women and girls live a life free from violence. Finally the program is in line also with the “Program of Cooperation 2012-2016” between the Government of Albania and the United Nations, Outcome 4.1: The rights of disadvantaged individuals and groups are equally ensured through legislation, inclusive policies, social protection mechanisms and special interventions, Output 4.1.5: Action taken at national and local level to implement improved legislative and policy framework on combating gender based violence.

To this end, UN Women will need the services of a National Consultant to assist the National Programme Coordinator in the implementation of this Project. The National Consultant is expected to work at the Ministry of Interior premises and cooperate closely with the Ministry staff and the Office of National Coordinator for the Fight against Trafficking in Human beings. The Consultant is expected to employ a collaborative approach to ensure that the different components are integrated and that inputs from as wide a cross section as possible are incorporated to facilitate successful implementation of the programme. He/she will be responsible for providing critical technical input into project implementation and management of the project.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the guidance and supervision of the National Program Coordinator, the National Consultant will be responsible for the implementation, coordination, monitoring and reporting of all activities related to work-plans at local and central level in relation to the relevant outputs of EIDHR/2013/335-757 “Preventing and addressing violence against women and girls in Albania, Mexico and Timor Leste”. In particular, the National Consultant will be undertaking the following tasks:

Manage the day-to-day operations of the Project Management including the keeping of financial and other records to facilitate audits of the project;
Monitor project implementation against the established indicators detailed in the project Action Plan;
Liaise with each implementing agency and target institution of the project: IOM, UNDP, EC Delegation in Albania, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Social Welfare and Youth, Ministry of Education – and coordinate project actions to ensure that the activities in each results area are implemented in accordance with the project agreement;
Liaise with implementing agencies to ensure the timely submission of project reports and that financing contributions are provided as agreed in the project documents;
Conduct field visits as required to verify project activities relative to stated targets;
Prepare monitoring reports (technical and financial) for submission to UN Women according to timelines agreed upon by UN Women and EC;
Facilitate troubleshooting options with the relevant agencies to remove any bottlenecks that might arise during project implementation;
Plan and coordinate activities with the implementing agencies for project visibility according to the guidelines of EC;
Plan and arrange Project Coordination meetings and serve a Technical Secretary;
Organize and facilitate stakeholder consultations and project review meetings as required;
Undertake closing out activities for the project which include final financial and technical reports, and the handing over of documents as necessary.
Undertake any other activity that may be necessary for the effective management of the project;
Maintain close relationship with key stakeholders (state and non-state) and ensure adequate information flow.
Provision of quality advisory services to the Ministry of Interior in relation to the project activities and facilitation of knowledge building and management;
Identification of sources of information related to policy-driven issues. Identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learned directly linked to project context and respective interventions;
Participation and sound contribution to knowledge networks, national events and activities related to the issue of trafficking in human beings in Albania;
Any other responsibilities as assigned.

Expected Outputs and Deliverables

Implementation of project activities as per action plan, through giving input, drafting, follow up, reporting and monitoring – 17 days throughout the assignment.
Input on all project related reporting formats required from EC or UN Women (Quaterly reports, etc) -3 days, throughout the assignment, in respect of the set deadlines
Preparing the project final narrative report in EU reporting format - 7 days, during the last 2 months of the assignment
Continuous backstopping notes/conversations by email/skype as required and requested - 2 days, throughout the assignment
Submission of monthly timesheets
A final report (in English) highlighting the expert’s work, outputs - 1 day, end of the assignment

Institutional Arrangement:

The national consultant will work under direct supervision of the Project Manager, who will also be responsible for approval/acceptance of outputs and performance evaluation. The national consultant will effectively work together with the project team.

The contractor is required to submit Deliverables as per the table specified in Section D. Overall reporting will occur at the end of the assignment.

Duration of the Work:

The national consultant will be contracted for a maximum of 30 (thirty) days to perform the specified tasks from March 1st until August 31st 2016.

Duty Station:

The successful contractor will perform tasks from home (desk-based) and in-field whenever there are activities to follow or monitor.

Competencies

Core Values:

Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment.
Acting as a team player and facilitating team work.
Creating synergies through self-control
Learning and sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of others.
Informed and transparent decision making
Staff supervision and management

Key functional competencies:

Contributes into results through primary research and analysis
Assesses project performance to identify success factors and incorporates best practices into project work
Researches linkages across project activities to identify critical points of integration
Maintains an established network of contacts for general information sharing and to remain up-to-date on partnership related issues
Generates new ideas and approaches, researches best practices and proposes new, more effective ways of doing things
Documents and analyses innovative strategies and new approaches
Demonstrated technical skills on issues related to human rights including women’s rights, gender equality, combating and preventing violence against women and domestic violence;
Strong presentation, reporting and writing abilities in English and Albania
Diverse organizational skills in various settings
Proven ability to work within limited time constraints in the preparation of high quality documents
Ability to work in a team, develop synergies and establish effective working relations with government counterparts, donors, NGOs and other development and humanitarian partners
Strong interpersonal and communication skills, resourcefulness, initiative, maturity of judgment, tact, and negotiating skills, and the ability to cope with situations that may pose conflict
Sensitivity and adaptability to culture, gender, religion, nationality and age;
Demonstrated ability to work in an independent manner
Ability to accommodate additional demands on short notice
Ability to organize work efficiently and deal with multiple tasks
Demonstrates integrity by modelling UN Women’s values and ethical standards

Required Skills and Experience

Academic requirements:

Advanced degree in social studies, preferably gender studies or related disciplines.

Work Experience:

At least 5 years of experience of work on gender issues and economic development, domestic violence and trafficking in women and girls;
A minimum of 3 years of relevant professional experience in project implementation of similar scope project;
Previous employment experience with UN, international organizations and knowledge on the implementation of EC projects is an asset;
Previous implementation experience of EU tenders/projects and familiarity with EC rules and regulations on Project Cycle management is an asset.
Proven experience with organization, facilitation and engagement of multiple partners in national projects;

Language Requirements:

Strong writing and communication skills in English and Albanian.

Criteria for Selection of the Best Offer:

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/compliant/acceptable; and
Having received the highest score out of below defined technical and financial criteria.

Applications will be assessed according to the following technical criteria:

Advanced degree in social studies, preferably gender studies or related disciplines (weight 10, max. points 10);
At least 5 years of experience of work on gender issues and economic development, domestic violence and trafficking in women and girls (weight 20, max. points 20);
A minimum of 3 years of relevant professional experience in project implementation of similar scope project; (weight 20, max. points 20);
Previous employment experience with UN, international organizations and knowledge on the implementation of EC projects; (weight 20, max. points 20);

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% (49 points) in the technical evaluation would be considered for financial evaluation. For more detailed information on the technical criteria please refer to the link ref. 1496 http://www.undp.org.rs/jobs_new.html.

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. The calculation formula applied is as follows:

p = 30 (µ/z); where: p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated; µ = price of the lowest priced proposal; z = price of the proposal being evaluated.

Recommended Presentation of Offer:

Qualified and interested candidates are asked to submit their application no later than 23rd February 2016. Applications should include:

Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UN WOMEN;
Brief description explaining why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment;
P11 including past experience in similar assignments. Can be downloaded at http://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employment;
Financial Proposal Specifying a total lump sum amount in ALL Albanian Lek for the tasks specified in this announcement. The financial proposal shall include a breakdown of the lump sum amount into the number of anticipated working days.