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.

Under the framework of strengthening strategic partnership component, UN Women Albania Office provides technical assistance and capacity building support to national partners (government, non-governmental institutions) and international partners in the implementation of existing international and national commitments to women’s rights and gender equality; it facilitates networking and exchange of good practices and advocates for women’s rights and gender equality in all areas of life.

UN Women Albania Office is currently implementing the regional programme “Transformative financing for gender equality towards more transparent, inclusive and accountable governance in the Western Balkans.” The programme is supported financially by Swedish Development Agency (SIDA) and supports governments and other actors to fulfil and achieve gender equality commitments and women's economic empowerment in the upcoming four years in Kosovo[1], Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia.

In Montenegro, UN Women is engaged as Non-Resident Agency and is working closely with the UN Country team to support national stakeholders in advancing gender equality agenda in line with the objectives and priorities set in the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2023-2027, in particular outcome 3 on “Social Cohesion, People-Centred Governance, Rule of Law and Human Rights”. Since January 2023, UN Women Albania oversees the Montenegro portfolio and is engaged in relevant outcome groups and interagency coordination mechanisms such as the Gender Theme Group and the UNCT.

Building on the rich experience accrued through the implementation of the Regional GRB programme, UN Women Albania is looking to hire an international consultant to conduct a review of the legal and policy framework governing gender-responsive budgeting processes in Montenegro and assess the existing Montenegro Public Finance Management System vis-à-vis its response and readiness for the integration of GRB. The legal review should also provide relevant recommendations on any necessary change that ought to be introduced to facilitate the overall implementation of the GRB in Montenegro. The recommendations will serve as a roadmap for future interventions in this area.

The review should focus on the Public Finance Management (PFM) and on Montenegro’s current legal and policy framework on Gender Equality. The review and the corresponding proposed recommendations should aim to cover the following key areas: institutional arrangements, statistics and information management, public finance management and knowledge sharing.

 In this respect, the review should provide at a minimum the following:

1. A gender gap analyses of PFM including budget development processes and the Public Investment Programme (PiP). The analysis should make reference and comparison with international standards, including EU directives on gender equality;
2. Include reference to GRPEFA framework and GRB principles, while assessing the actual PFMS with gender lenses and design the recommendations for improvement;
3. Well-argued recommendations and proposed changes that will contribute to a more gender responsive PFM in Montenegro, which should serve as a road map for future interventions.

[1] All references to Kosovo shall be understood to be in the context of Security Council resolution 1244 (1999).

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision of UN Women Albania and the technical guidance of the regional GRB adviser, the international consultant will be expected to undertake the following tasks:

1. Carry out a desk review of various Montenegro legal and policy documents and relevant studies on Montenegro PFM and other relevant and related subjects,
2. Ensure stakeholders participation through interviews, etc., mainly carried out through online consultations but potentially also through travel, as needed.
3. Drafting the report including a set of recommendations/roadmap, and gather inputs on the draft document and incorporate stakeholders’ feedback.
4. Submit final study report with all comments addressed.
5. Present the study report at a dedicated meeting with relevant local stakeholders.

Expected Deliverables

• Submission of a workplan/methodology for the assignment (1 working day)
• Carry out a desk review of various Montenegro legal and policy documents and relevant studies on Montenegro PFM and other relevant and related subjects including EU directives (3.5 working days)
• Develop a stakeholder list/mapping, and conduct stakeholders’ interviews (2 days)
• Develop first draft report and share it for feedback to relevant stakeholders, including UN Women (5 days)
• Develop a final report that reflects comments/suggestions of all stakeholders and UN Women (1.5 days)
• Validate the findings and present the report at a dedicated multi-stakeholder consultation (2 days)

Notes:

• Technical inputs and other on-demand reports on specific initiatives when requested will be evaluated by peer review for quality.
• Quality of relationships with UN Women team and partners is central to success and will be assessed.

Competencies

Core Values:

• Respect for Diversity
• Integrity
• Professionalism

Core Competencies:

• 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: UN-Women-values-and-competencies-framework-en.pdf (unwomen.org) 

Functional Competencies:

• Proven research, analytical and drafting skills,
• Demonstrated ability to interact effectively with various public and non-public stakeholders including in the areas of gender equality
• Excellent writing skills in English;
• Strong interpersonal skills;
• Strong initiative-taker;
• Focuses on impact and results for the partner;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude.

Required Skills and Experience

Qualification/education:

• Master's degree in finance/public finance management, public policy/ administration economics, international development, gender or a subject related to the requirements of the TOR.

Work experience:

• At least 5 years of professional experience in policy making and budgetary processes, including from a gender equality perspective and with a focus preferably on the Western Balkan region.
• Experience in working on central government finance policies and processes – including medium-term budgeting program (MTBP), budgeting methodologies and approaches.
• Experience with carrying out legal/policy analysis from a gender equality perspective.
• Experience in working on gender equality issues, including gender analysis and gender mainstreaming.
• Previous experience with UN system or similar international organisations would be an advantage.

Language requirements:

English shall be the working language of this assignment. The documents shall be submitted in English language. All written communication shall be conducted in English. Knowledge of Montenegrin and/or Serbian would be an added advantage.

Schedule of Payments:

Payment will be made as per the payment schedule in the contract upon (i) satisfactory completion of tasks; (ii) provision of deliverables specified in the ToRs; (iii) submission of the respective certification of payment.

Recommended Presentation of Offer:

Qualified and interested candidates are asked to submit their application no later than July 26th.

The application should contain:

• Cover letter explaining the applicant’s interest in applying for the position.
• Filled UN Women Personal History Form (P11 form) including past experience in similar assignments and contact details of referees (blank form can be downloaded from:  UN Women Personal History Form (P11) please upload the P11 instead of your CV
• Financial Proposal - Financial proposal specifying the daily fee in USD. Please note that the financial proposal is all-inclusive and shall consider various expenses incurred by the consultant/contractor during the contract period (e.g. fee and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services). Other travel costs different from the above will be covered by UN Women separately.

NOTE: APPLICATIONS WITHOUT THE FINANCIAL OFFER WILL BE TREATED AS INCOMPLETE AND WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED FOR FURTHER ASSESSMENT.

Evaluation of applicants:

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:                      

• Master's degree in finance/public finance management, public policy, public administration economics, international development, gender or a subject related to the requirements of the TOR (10 points)
• At least 5 years of professional experience in policy making and budgetary processes, with a focus preferably on the Western Balkan region (20 points)
• Experience in working on central government finance policies and processes – including medium-term budgeting program (MTBP), budgeting methodologies and approaches (10 points)
• Experience with carrying out legal/policy analysis from a gender equality perspective (10 points)
• Experience on gender equality issues, including gender analysis and gender mainstreaming in financial systems and budgetary processes (15 points)
• Previous experience with UN system or similar international organisations would be an advantage (5 points)

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% (49 points) in the technical evaluation would be considered for financial evaluation.

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. A suggested formula is as follows:

• p = 30 (µ/z)
• Using the following values:
• p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated
• µ = price of the lowest priced proposal
• z = price of the proposal being evaluated

How to Submit the Application: To submit your application online, please follow the steps below:

• Download and complete the UN Women Personal History Form (P11)- P11 form
• Merge your UN Women Personal History Form (P11), the Financial Proposal, and Cover Letter into a single file. The system does not allow for more than one attachment to be uploaded;
• Click on the Job Title (job vacancy announcement);
• Click 'Apply Now' button, fill in necessary information on the first page, and then click 'Submit Application;'
• Upload your application/single file as indicated above with the merged documents (underlined above);
• You will receive an automatic response to your email confirming receipt of your application by the system.

Notes:

• UN Women retains the right to contact references directly. Due to the large numbers of applications we receive, we are able to inform only the successful candidates about the outcome or status of the selection process.
• Applications without the financial offer will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.
• The individual consultants should take the mandatory learning security course prior to commencement of assignment– details will follow before the issuance of contract.

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.)