Background

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

The Fiji Multi Country Office (MCO) covers 14 Pacific countries, with field offices/presence in 6 countries, and six ‘focus countries’ (Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Tonga and Samoa). Each field presence is led by a national Country Programme Coordinator with a Programme Officer in Tonga. UN Women, in partnership with Pacific Islands Governments, regional organizations, CSOs, donors and UN agencies, focuses on delivering within four interlinked programme areas:

• Women’s Political Empowerment and Leadership (WPEL)
• Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE)
• Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (EVAWG)
• Gender and Protection in Humanitarian Action (GPiHA) and Disaster Risk Reduction

The incidence of violence against women and girls in the Pacific Islands is amongst the highest rates in the world. For example, 64% of women in Samoa who have ever been in an intimate relationship have experienced physical and/or sexual violence by a husband or intimate partner over the course of their lifetime. Violence against women and girls is a central barrier to gender equality and a cause of widespread violation of human rights across the Pacific.

To respond to the rates of violence in the Pacific, UN Women is implementing a comprehensive EVAWG programme which takes a transformative approach to prevent violence against women and girls at multiple levels (regional, national and community), and to improve survivors’ access to quality response services.

The programme is planning a series of Regional Convenings as well as country specific learning events for which extended administrative and logistical support is needed and therefore UN Women is looking to recruit an experienced consultant who knows very well the UN system as well to support the team.

Purpose of the consultancy

The Events and Administration Support Consultant position is located in UN Women’s Fiji Multi Country Office and will work under the day-to-day supervision of the EVAWG Deputy Programme Manager and Programme Associate based in Suva, Fiji . S/He will provide logistical and operational support towards preparation to the upcoming series of National Consultations and Regional Convenings scheduled in Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu.

Objectives of the assignment

The main objective of this consultancy is to support the EVAW Programme in providing immediate support on Administration, Financial clerical support, and Logistics in preparation to the upcoming series of National Consultations and Regional Convenings scheduled in Fiji, Solomon , Kiribati, Vanuatu Tonga and Samoa.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under overall guidance of the UN EVAW Programme Manager and direct supervision of the UN Women Fiji MCO EVAW Deputy Programme Manager, the consultant will perform the following tasks:

Summary of key functions:

Provide support to programme operations and administrative matters performing a variety of standard administrative processes ensuring high quality and accuracy of work, including:

• Prepare logistical notes for the meetings
• Liaise with participants to get required information for their travel and be a focal point for all matters related to their travel
• Update the vendor profiles in the system
• Identify best itineraries for traveling and liaise with travel agencies
• Prepare Travel Request Forms
• Support meetings participants fill in F10 forms
• Liaise with programme team members to get most updated agenda and programme to align logistics to it
• Keep timely, constant and clear communication with meetings participants on logistics
• Support programme team during the meetings with ad hoc requests from participants and changes in the programme to align logistical support to that
• Support with small purchases relate to the regional and national convenings and meetings using Micro-Canvassing forms and liaise with vendors on that
• Photocopying, rapporteuring, assisting with secretariat support for meetings

The Temporary support staff works in close collaboration with the Programme team and Office Operations Team in finalizing travel, conference arrangements and logistical supports for the following events:

• National Consultations on the Successor Programmes
• Divisional SDP Consultations
• Regional Prevention Summit
• Fiji NAP Launch
• other meetings as may be required

Duration of the Assignment

The duration of this assignment will be up to a combined 120 working days over a period of 6 months as per the schedule of deliverables below. All deliverables must be completed by 28 February 2023.

To successfully fulfill the assignment, the Consultant is required to be based in the UN Women Fiji MCO, Suva Fiji.

Expected Deliverables

The assignment should be carried out within a period of 6 months, not exceeding 140 working days, with the incumbent being responsible for delivering the following outputs:

The assignment should be carried out within a period of 6 months, not exceeding 120 working days, with the incumbent being responsible for delivering the following outputs:

• Monthly reports on major tasks performed and the results, including support provided as well as administrative and logistical tasks completed.

All the deliverables should be agreed with UN Women and be provided in English electronic copy (hard copy when required).

All the documents and deliverables should be agreed with UN Women, and reports should be submitted in written English language.  

Upon receipt of the final deliverables and prior to the payment of the instalment, the deliverables, related reports, and documents will be reviewed and approved by UN Women at least within one week of submission.  All materials, including images will remain property of UN Women and cannot be used without UN Women’s permission.

Note: The mentioned number of working days has been estimated as being sufficient/feasible for the envisaged volume of work to be completed successfully and is proposed as a guideline for the duration of assignment. It cannot and shall not be used as criteria for completion of work/assignment. The provision of envisaged deliverables approved by the EVAWG Deputy Programme Manager shall be the only criteria for local consultant’s work being completed and eligible for payments.

Inputs

UN Women will provide the consultant with necessary information on the activities and materials for a better understanding of the context and for the successful fulfilment to the above-mentioned tasks.

The individual is expected to work remotely using her/his own computer(s) but may access the UN Women office for printing of relevant documents or should he/she be required to work on-site at any point during the assignment.

UN Women will cover the costs of printed materials as required throughout the duration of the assignment.

Management Arrangements:

The National Consultant will work under the direct supervision of UN Women EVAWG Deputy Programme Manager and day to day monitoring by the Programme Associate. 

The National Consultant will be provided by UN Women with the necessary information, materials and logistics as well as office space. The selected candidate is expected to have his/her own laptop and phone, while UN Women will provide access to other equipment for the fulfillment of their tasks (such as printer, copier).

Performance evaluation

The Consultant’s performance will be evaluated based on timeliness, responsibility, initiative, communication, accuracy, and quality of the products delivered.

1. Financial Arrangements

Payment will be disbursed on a monthly basis, upon submission and approval of monthly reports with indication of progress and actual deliverables as well as timesheets with actual days worked certified by the EVAWG Programme Deputy Manager that the services have been satisfactorily performed. It is estimated to have 6 installments to be paid to consultant on a monthly basis.

No relocation costs will be provided for the position. 

1. Travel

This is a Suva, Fiji based consultancy.  As such, it is anticipated that there may be travel within Fiji, however all travel will be pre-agreed and authorised by the UN Women Fiji MCO.

In case authorised, all travel, accommodation costs by the individual related to this assignment only, will be covered by UN Women in line with UN Women Duty Travel Policy.

Location:

The position is based in Suva, Fiji.

Competencies

Core Values

• Respect for Diversity;
• Integrity;
• Professionalism.

Core Competencies

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
• Accountability;
• Creative Problem Solving;
• Effective Communication;
• Inclusive Collaboration;
• Stakeholder Engagement;
• Leading by Example.

Functional Competencies

• Ability to think conceptually, strategically and analytically;
• Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
• Results oriented, flexible and problem-solving skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Required experience and qualifications

The Consultant should fulfil the following requirements:

Education:

• Completion of secondary education required.
• Completion of Certificate / Diploma at tertiary level is an asset.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business or Public Administration, Social Science and other related fields is an asset.

Experience and Skills:

• At least 5 years of progressively responsible experience in administrative or programme management/ support;
• Minimum of 3 year of relevant experience in programme/office assistant activities such as procurement, basic finance (submitting payments, requesting payments);
• Minimum 3 year of experience in working with United Nations system in administration support functions;
• Experience in supporting a team is an asset;

• Experience with organisations working for gender equality, ending violence against women and girls or related issues is a strong advantage;
• Experience in working in a computer environment using multiple office software packages.

Language and other skills:

• Fluency in English is required;
• Knowledge of the other UN official working language is an asset.

Evaluation

Initially, individual consultants will be short-listed based on the following minimum qualification criteria:

• Completion of secondary education required;  Completion of Certificate / Diploma at tertiary level is an asset;  Bachelor’s degree in Business or Public Administration, Social Science and other related fields is an asset.
• At least 5 years of progressively responsible experience in administrative or programme management/ support.

The shortlisted individual consultant will be further evaluated based on a cumulative analysis process, with a total score being obtained upon the combination of weighted technical and financial attributes.

Cost under this method of analysis is rendered as an award criterion, which will be 30% out of a total score of 100 points.

Evaluation of submitted offers will be done based on the following formula:

where:

Technical evaluation will be represented through desk review of applications. Interviews and/or written tests will be organized if needed only, depending on the short-listed candidates’ qualifications.

• Technical Qualification Evaluation Criteria: The technical part is evaluated based on its responsiveness to the Terms of Reference (TOR).

• Financial Qualification Evaluation Criteria: In the Second Stage, the financial proposal of candidates, who have attained minimum 70% score in the technical evaluation (at least 49 points), will be compared.

WINNING CANDIDATE

The winning candidate will be the candidate, who has accumulated the highest aggregated score (technical scoring + financial scoring).

Submission of application

Interested candidates are requested to submit fully completed application on the UNDP Vacancy Site. 

Submission Package:

• Cover letter explaining the suitability of the consultant: applicants are encouraged to address experience and qualifications listed in the ‘criteria for technical evaluation’.
• Duly filled Personal History Form (P11) and/or Curriculum Vitae (CV) of Consultant including records of experience in similar assignments and specific outputs obtained; P11 can be downloaded at: https://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employment
• Financial proposal – specifying a total lump sum amount for the tasks specified in this Terms of Reference.  The financial proposal shall include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (daily rate and number of anticipate working days and any other possible costs).

Please read, use and complete ANNEX I and ANNEX II below to provide your financial proposal.

Applications without a complete financial proposal will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.  UN Women reserves the right to accept or reject any bid.

The consultancy recruitment process will be governed by the rules and regulations of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women).

UN Women Statement on Diversity and Inclusion:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need. 

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application. 

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United  Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check).

Deadline of all submission: 12th August 2022

Annex I

Price Proposal Guideline and Template

The prospective Individual Contractor should take the following explanations into account during submission of his/her price proposal.

Lump Sum Amount

The daily price proposal should indicate a "lump sum amount" which is "all-inclusive"; All costs (professional fees, living allowances, communications, consumables, etc.) that could possibly be incurred by the Individual Contractor needs to be factored into the proposed price.

UN Women will not withhold any amount of the payments for tax and/or social security related payments. UN Women shall have no liability for taxes, duties or other similar charges payable by the Individual Contractor in respect of any amounts paid to the Individual Contractor under this Contract, and the Contractor acknowledges that UN Women will not issue any statements of earnings to the Individual contractor in respect of any such payments.

Contract price is fixed to activities/deliverables indicated in the ToR, regardless of the changes in the cost components (such as days invested for completion of the deliverables.)

Travel costs

No travel is envisaged for the implementation of the current assignments.

Daily Subsistence Allowance

Not applicable.

Currency of the price proposal

The applicants are requested to submit their price proposals in FJD.   

In case of proposals in other currency, these shall be converted into FJD using the official UN exchange rate for currency conversion at the date of applications’ submission deadline.

Annex II

Price Proposal Submission Form

[ Mandatory document for the Consultant to complete and submit]

To:          United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women

Ref:         National Consultant – Events and Administration Support, EVAWG Programme,

                UN Women Fiji MCO

Dear Sir / Madam,

I, the undersigned, offer to provide professional consulting services to UN Women within the scope of the referred Assignment.  Having examined, understood, and agreed to the Terms of Reference and its annexes, the receipt of which are hereby duly acknowledged, I, the undersigned, offer to deliver professional services, in conformity with the Terms of Reference.

My maximum total price proposal for the assignment is given below:

Estimated Costs (in FJD$)

I confirm that my financial proposal will remain unchanged.  I also confirm that the price that I quote is gross, and is inclusive of all legal expenses, including but not limited to social security, income tax, pension, etc., which shall be required applicable laws.

I agree that my proposal shall remain binding upon me for 60 days.

I understand that you are not bound to accept any proposal you may receive.