The Arab Region has made significant progress in the past years towards achieving gender parity in education. Many governments in the Arab region are looking for new sources of economic growth and job creation, and to capitalize on the advancements in education by facilitating women’s labour force participation, which, to this day, remains the lowest worldwide at 20%. At the same time, companies are looking to boost growth and innovation in increasingly competitive global and domestic markets. An increase in competitiveness requires attracting and retaining the best talent, and thus focusing on the potential of women in the labour market is a clear opportunity for private sector growth.

There is a growing body of evidence demonstrating that gender diversity supports businesses in performing better. Companies with mixed management teams have reported increased productivity and innovation. Investing in better working conditions for women and men reduces the costs of staff turnover and absenteeism which is found to be relatively high even if often is not captured by the companies. Having better relations and addressing better the needs of women and men in the local community lead to enhanced reputation and gains from expanding and accessing new markets. Women’s engagement and leadership is important driver of development and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Progress towards the achievement of Agenda 2030 and the sustainable development goals (SDG) requires a revived global partnership, expeditious delivery on commitments already made, and an agile transition to a more environmentally sustainable future.

Additionally, UN Women ROAS together with ILO ROAS are jointly implementing a Programme on Promoting Productive Employment and Decent Work for women in Egypt, Palestine and Jordan ending in December 2023. Strategies of the joint initiative include promoting equitable labour market related laws and policies; engaging public, private and community actors with attention to involving men; and reducing the unequal burden of unpaid care work. The programme is working at three levels, macro, meso and micro, reflected in three outcomes:

I: Gender responsive labour laws and related policies in place and effective

II: A gender responsive private sector that attracts, retains and promotes women is supported

III: Gender stereotypes about women and men’s responsibilities concerning unpaid care and household work are challenged

Objective of the Assignment:

The Communications Consultant will lead the planning and implementation of communication activities and media relations related to UN Women ROAS efforts on Women’s Economic Empowerment and the joint programme in specific.

The main objective of the assignment is to develop and oversee the execution of a communications and advocacy strategy for the women’s economic empowerment (WEE) portfolio of UN Women ROAS till the end of 2023. This includes increasing the visibility of the JP, raising awareness of the important role of the private sector to advance gender equality, promoting the WEPs, and supporting UN Women ROAS’ engagement with different stakeholders in advancing women’s economic empowerment

Under the direct supervision of the ROAS Communications Specialist and in close coordination with the ROAS WEE and Communications Teams, the consultant is expected to:

• Manage the implementation of the portfolios’ communication strategy and plan in line with the corporate strategy;
• Develop and oversee the creation of visual communication materials, including brochures, fact sheets, and infographics, to increase awareness and disseminate information about the objectives and achievements of the Joint Programme 'Work4Women' among key stakeholders in the Arab States.
• Regularly update the UN Women ROAS website and social media profiles with relevant news, success stories and other information from the WEE/ROAS portfolio.
• Oversee and maintain regional programme outreach
• Act as the communication focal point and provide support to the Joint Programme country offices
• Oversee the recruitment and supervise any additional supporting consultants and/or companies needed to execute the aforementioned strategy and plan;
• Implement the WEE Comms & Advocacy Strategy including WEPS campaigns, ongoing visibility for WEPS signatories, and the organization of WEPS events;
• Produce periodic communications reports, as per the need.

  Deliverables	Timelines/ Latest by
  Continuous management of the companies/ consultants hired to implement the WEE/ JP communications plan (monthly)	15 December 2023
  Regularly create social media and general communications material as per the communications plan (monthly)	15 December 2023
  Provide continuous technical support to Joint Programme Country Focal Points (monthly)	15 December 2023
  1 final report summarizing the results achieved as a result of implementing the communication plans (monthly)	15 December 2023

  Evaluation Criteria

• Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology: Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points in the technical evaluation would be considered for the financial evaluation.

• Criteria Weight Technical: 70% (70 points)

• Criteria 1: A Master’s degree or equivalent in communications, journalism, media, international relations, international development, gender studies, or a related field (maximum obtainable points 10)
• Criteria 2: At least 2 years of experience in communications, including advocacy, design, digital advertising, video production, media and storytelling (maximum obtainable points: 15);
• Criteria 3: Demonstrated experience in design / implementation of communication campaigns related to sustainable development and/or gender issues. (maximum obtainable points: 15);
• Criteria 4: Demonstrated experience in event management; (maximum obtainable points: 10)
• Criteria 5: Demonstrated experience in overseeing the production of video, animation,  social media content, graphic design. (maximum obtainable points: 10);
• Criteria 6: Experience working with the UN (maximum obtainable points: 5);
• Criteria 7: Fluency in English. Arabic is an asset (maximum obtainable points: 5).

• Financial: Lowest Financial Proposal: 30% (30 points)

  The points for the Financial Proposal will be allocated as per the following formula:

• Contract will be awarded to the technically qualified consultant who obtains the highest combined score (financial and technical);
• The points for the Financial Proposal will be allocated as per the following formula: (Lowest Bid Offered*)/ (Bid of the Consultant) x 30;
• 'Lowest Bid Offered' refers to the lowest price offered by Offerors scoring at least 49 points in the technical evaluation.

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.

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-values-and-competencies-framework-en.pdf

Functional Competencies

• Knowledge of gender issues;
• Demonstrated ability to work in a diverse environment;
• Excellent communication skills;
• Highly effective organization and planning skills and high attention to detail;
• Excellent analytical and research skills;
• Team player;
• Strong knowledge and use of computer office tools;

Excellent drafting and editing skills across a range of reporting formats and requirements.