Background

Background
 
The United Nations Development Fund for Women Office for Central and Eastern Europe (UNIFEM CEE) launched a sub-regional programme “Gender-Responsive Budgeting (GRB) in South East Europe: Advancing Gender Equality and Democratic Governance through Increased Transparency and Accountability” in late 2006. The programme includes Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, FYR Macedonia, and Serbia, and is implemented with funding from Austrian Development Cooperation and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in FYR Macedonia. Its overall goal is to strengthen democratic governance and promote women’s human rights through support for policy planning and budgeting processes to incorporate a gender perspective.
 
In each of the countries where it is implemented, the Programme has utilized specific to the context capacity development and partnership building approaches. Pilot gender responsive budgeting (GRB) initiatives have been launched at national, regional and local levels, which have included development of analytical tools and methodologies for application of GRB, various awareness raising and capacity development efforts, and advocacy for consideration of gender issues when policies and budgets in different areas are developed. These pilot initiatives have been carried out in partnership with both government entities and civil society organizations.  
 
In Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), in the past two years, with the support of USAID and DFID-funded projects, efforts have intensified to produce more coherent and policy-responsive Budget Framework Paper[1] and assist all BiH municipalities with functional and fiscal decentralization to create an environment conducive to democratic government. As a result, program budgeting has been introduced in several Ministries at a number of levels. To ensure the sustainability of policy reforms at local level USAID funded phase two of a Governance Accountability Project (GAP) which is designed to build the capacity of a critical mass of municipalities to better serve their citizens within a policy and fiscal framework of good governance. This shift towards program budgeting and strengthening of the local-level governance mechanisms has enabled UNIFEM and its partners to promote the inclusion of gender in programming and budget planning at the municipal level. and assist all BiH municipalities with functional and fiscal decentralization to create an environment conducive to democratic government. As a result, program budgeting has been introduced in several Ministries at a number of levels. To ensure the sustainability of policy reforms at local level USAID funded phase two of a Governance Accountability Project (GAP) which is designed to build the capacity of a critical mass of municipalities to better serve their citizens within a policy and fiscal framework of good governance. This shift towards program budgeting and strengthening of the local-level governance mechanisms has enabled UNIFEM and its partners to promote the inclusion of gender in programming and budget planning at the municipal level.
 
Although solid basis for working towards GRB is provided by the national policy frameworks, it is a relatively new concept in the country, with little knowledge of its practical application by policy-makers and advocates, in particular at the municipal level. In consideration of this, in 2009 one of UNIFEM priorities in the country is work at municipal level in cooperation with USAID GAP Project, on strengthening municipal level officials’ capacities for gender and results-oriented budgeting. In June 2009, GAP trainings for representatives of 56 municipalities took place, where UNIFEM partook in supporting training sessions on GRB for mayors and municipal finance directors. Building on this, UNIFEM is planning to support trainings for municipal representatives involved in budget making in 3 “fast track” municipalities. These trainings would introduce municipal staff with the links between local budgets and gender equality, but would also aim to provide them with practical skills needed to take into consideration gender issues when developing 2010 budget and related monitoring procedures.
 
In Serbia, UNIFEM has been supporting gender budgeting initiatives at the local and the provincial level since 2007. In February 2009, “National Strategy for the Improvement of the Position of Women and the Advancement of Gender Equality” was adopted which defines the government’s overall commitments towards gender equality and women’s human rights. An Action Plan to implement the Strategy is to be prepared by September 2009. Gender responsive budgeting is referred to in general terms in the Strategy as a tool for the integration of a gender perspective in public spending programmes, and for honoring national gender equality commitments.
 
Building on the results achieved on GRB thus far and in order to support implementation of the National Strategy, UNIFEM has entered into Memorandum of Understanding with the Gender Equality Directorate (GED) of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, which envisages cooperation in the area of introducing GRB as a tool for monitoring commitments to gender equality at national level, and establishing a basis and entry points for more extensive GRB efforts in the following years. An initial activity in this direction is a baseline study commissioned by UNIFEM which would provide overview of specific aspects of the public finance and budgetary and planning systems in Serbia and identify relevant entry points. The study is currently in process and should be finalized in August 2009. The study will be followed by consultations and a workshop with national stakeholders, which will inform defining the types and sequencing of interventions in the field of policy making and budgeting for gender equality for the period 2010-11.
 
In FYR Macedonia, UNIFEM initiated work at the local level in late 2008. Partnerships with two selected pilot municipalities - Tetovo and Bitola – were established and studies carried out on the entry points for gender responsive policy making and budgeting as well as surveys on women and men’s main needs and priorities and satisfaction with services that are provided by each municipality. The studies revealed that entry points exist for GRB at the local level, some of which are rooted in the existing legal and institutional framework (i.e. the Law on Equal Opportunities between Women and Men, which defines the role of municipal Commissions for Equal Opportunities), and others – in the ongoing decentralization process, wherein the government is committed to increasing the capacity of municipalities to carry out evidence-based policy making and cooperate with the civil society sector. GRB implementation at the local level, however, is a long-term process that need to start with intense sensitization to the basic concepts of gender and gender mainstreaming for different relevant stakeholders and should be sequenced in a way that takes into account existing capacities, data gaps and the ongoing reform process. UNIFEM is therefore planning to support training for local stakeholders that would introduce them to the links between local budgets and gender equality, and strengthen their skills to take into consideration gender issues when developing or monitoring policies.
 
 
To support capacity development efforts planned under each of the above initiatives, UNIFEM is seeking to recruit an international expert on gender responsive budgeting.
 
BFP - medium-term expenditure framework which was prepared for the first time for the period 2006 -2008.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Compile a training module on integration of gender in municipal policies and budgetary processes for staff from municipal finance departments involved in USAID funded GAP project in BiH in consultation with UNIFEM staff, USAID, DFID and partners.
• Lead three trainings sessions on GRB for civil servants (gender focal points, budget officials, officials responsible for development of municipal plans) in each of the 3 “fast-track” municipalities supported by the USAID GAP project. The training will aim at building knowledge on gender integration in the budgetary process and will be part of longer trainings carried out by experts of the GAP project on transparency, accountability and results-oriented budgeting at municipal level (sessions during 2-day trainings in each of the 3 municipalities, to take place between 2^nd week of September-4^th week October).
• Provide comments for integration of gender in the 2010 budgets of the 3 municipalities

• Training module and all relevant materials (power point presentations, handouts, etc).
• Brief report which describes the consultant’s evaluation of the training completed and provides recommendations to UNIFEM about continuation of work at the municipal level
• Comments to 3 municipal budgets

• On the basis of review of previously conducted assessments (to be provided by UNIFEM), and in cooperation with local expert, develop training concept and materials for GRB training for local level stakeholders
• Serve as co-trainer, together with local expert, for training involving representatives from the Municipalities of Tetovo and Bitola: local gender equality commissions, councilors, policy makers, budget officials and NGOs. The training should have sessions tailored to each of these target groups and should aim at developing their capacities for integrating gender into policy and budget making processes and monitoring budgets from gender perspective. The training should be introductory on gender mainstreaming and GRB, in light of most of these stakeholders’ only basic familiarity with the concepts (3-4 day training in the 1^st week of November?).
• On the basis of documentation review and training outcomes, support the two municipalities and UNIFEM in developing action plan for further work on GRB at local level.

• Training agenda and materials
• Brief report which describes the consultant’s evaluation of the training completed and provides recommendations to UNIFEM about future capacity development needed for each of the target groups. As a source of preparing the report, the consultant should utilize post-training evaluations filled in by participants after the training.

• Facilitate workshop with representatives of key stakeholders (Ministry of Finance, line ministries; different policy coordination bodies of the Serbian Government; National Employment Service, National Statistical Office, and others) which would focus on presentation of baseline study and discussion of further steps how GRB can be initiated at the national level in the period 2010-2011. (2-day workshop during 1^st or 2^nd week of November).
• At the workshop, lead a session on worldwide experiences on GRB, with focus on EU countries and lessons from the consultant’s direct experience on GRB, which could be relevant to the Serbia context.
• Support the GED and UNIFEM in developing an outline of an action plan with identified key steps for introducing gender-responsive budgeting at the national level in Serbia in the period 2010-2011.

• Training agenda and materials
• Brief report which describes the consultant’s evaluation of the workshop completed and provides recommendations to UNIFEM about future steps for taking forward the work on GRB in Serbia (drawing on the action plan outline developed)

The consultancy will involve altogether 25 days of work in the period September 7 - November 20, 2009. Distribution of days among countries is as follows: For BiH: 9 days including 1 field mission, For Macedonia: 10 days including, 1 field mission, For Serbia: 6 days including, 1 field mission.

Competencies

• Demonstrates integrity and fairness by modeling UN values and ethical standards
• Demonstrates professional competence and is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability

• Communication: Excellent communication skills, including the ability to convey complex concepts and recommendations, both orally and in writing, in a clear and persuasive style tailored to match different audiences.
• Client orientation: Ability to establish and maintain productive partnerships with national partners and stakeholders and pro-activeness in identifying of beneficiaries and partners’ needs, and matching them to appropriate solutions.

Required Skills and Experience

• Advanced degree in Economics, Gender Studies; Public Administration, Public Policy, or related field
• At least 7 years of relevant work experience
• Substantive technical expertise on gender budgeting, preferably from EU country context.
• Hands-on experience from the application of various GRB tools and methods at different levels – local, regional and national
• Experience in applying adult learning methodologies and workshop facilities skills;
• Fluency in spoken and written English
• Ability to work in an independent manner and organize the workflow efficiently
• Familiarity with the UN system, in particular with UNIFEM and its mandate.
• Understanding/experience in South Eastern Europe, especially with regards public administration and gender equality, is considered an asset;

• Filled P11 form (the form can be downloaded from http://www.unifem.sk/uploads/doc/P11.doc
• Short letter of interest and a price offer that states lump sum (in USD) requested for the work envisaged including estimated travel/accommodation expenses.