Background

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination and violence 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. UN Women supports UN Member States as they set global standards for achieving gender equality, and work with governments and civil society to design laws, policies, programs and services needed to implement these standards. UN Women Egypt Country Office is based in Cairo and works in the three priority areas: Leadership and Political Participation; Economic Empowerment; and Ending Violence Against Women.

Globally and in Egypt, in coordination with UN agencies, UN Women has worked extensively on the development of essential services for survivors of violence, including supporting the design and operationalization of One Stop Centers for Survivors of Violence in several countries. The One Stop Center (OSC) model for attending to survivors of violence against women and girls provides access to an integrated range of services including medical, legal and psychological support within a single location. Trained multidisciplinary staff and private consultation rooms contribute to reduced survivor interviews, improved multisectoral coordination and improved quality of survivor centred care with the ultimate goal of reduced survivor revictimisation when seeking care. One key concept in the context of social inclusion and survivor-centered service provision is accessibility. The ease of access for all people, regardless of their individual characteristics or needs, to public services such as the OSC is essential.

Recognizing the importance of the One Stop Center (OSC) model for creating a safe and supportive environment for women and girls to seek immediate protection, medical treatment and legal assistance, and the need to enhance coordinated response and referral, in October 2021, Prime Ministerial decree 827 was issuedhttp://ncw.gov.eg/Images/PdfRelease/%D9%82%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B1%20%D8%B1%D8%A6%D8%A8%D8%B3%20%D9%85%D8%AC%D9%84%D8%B3%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%88%D8%B2%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A1%20%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%B4%D8%A7%D8%A1%20-920212224332759.pdf. Decree 827 calls for the establishment of a pilot OSC in Cairo, and the eventual replication of the model in other Governorates. Under the coordination of the National Council for Women (NCW), the OSC pilot in Cairo is now in the process of being established and will include services for police reporting, legal aid, medical aid and forensics and temporary shelter. This comes in light of addressing the challenges that women usually face when reporting cases of violence as they are often required to visit multiple locations and service providers; in addition to managing travel and communications logistics outside their communities. For women and girls with disabilities, the process of accessing essential services is even more complex.

Funded by the government of France, UN Women, in partnership with the NCW will develop a methodology for assessing the compliance of the OSC’s structure and services with the needs of women living with disabilities; and ensure the OSC Cairo is equipped to ensure equitable access for these women.

Objective of the Assignment:

UN Women is looking to contract an engineer consultant will be responsible for:

• Conducting a disability accessibility assessment for the OSC in Cairo, to identify needs, done in a manner which acts as a guideline to inform future OSCs beyond the pilot.
• The engineer will also be responsible for providing the required designs, proposed time schedule of site works, specifications, detailed drawings, bill of quantities, and any other document deemed necessary for the tender action.
• Overseeing the construction works; and conducting site supervision and reporting.

Specifications of the OSC:

The OSC premises is located in downtown Cairo. It consists of 4 floors in addition to the basement and rooftop of total area approximately 2,250 m2 (this is an estimate, the accurate measurement will be the responsibility of the contracted consultant during the assessment phase). Each of the 4 floors has 4 apartments, that has 2 to 3 rooms and 2 to 3 bathrooms as well as the reception and kitchen, equipped with electricity and water.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Conduct disability accessibility assessment for the OSC in Cairo through site visits.
• Draft disability assessment report including findings and detailed design solutions.
• Overseeing the contracted construction company’s work and ensuring timely delivery of construction works.
• Conduct a post-construction evaluation to ensure that all accessibility features are functioning as intended.
• Preparation of the complete tender documents, including: the required designs, proposed time schedule of site works, specifications, detailed drawings, bill of quantities, and any other document deemed necessary for the tender action.
• Conduct and support the tendering action as required by UN Women.
• Overseeing the construction works; and conducting site supervision and reporting.

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel: This is a home-based consultancy. 

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.

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

• Subject Matter Expertise: Technical knowledge of the architectural and engineering concepts.
• Soft Skills: Excellent communication, presentation, and writing skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Education and Certification

• B.Sc. in Architecture, Civil Engineering is required.

Experience

• Minimum of 10 years of professional experience in the field of engineering design and retrofitting of similar buildings, required.
• Experience in the engineering design and retrofitting of governmental premises is an advantage.
• Experience in working on disability accessibility construction works is required.
• Previous experience working with the Egyptian government is an advantage.

Language Requirements

• Fluency (written & spoken) in English and Arabic is required;
• Knowledge of the other UN official working language is an asset.

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: 100% (100 points)

• Criteria 1: B.Sc. in Architecture, Civil Engineering. (15 Points). 
• Criteria 2: At least 10 years of professional experience in the field of engineering design and retrofitting of offices and similar buildings. (25 Points). 
• Criteria 3: Experience in the engineering design and retrofitting of UN Agencies’ premises. (15 Points). 
• Criteria 4: Previous experience working with the Egyptian government. (20 Points). 
• Criteria 5: Experience in working on accessibility construction works. (25 points).

Application:

Interested Individual Candidate must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

• All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11). UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from http://www.unwomen.org/about-us/employment; make sure that you sign the form, and
• Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment, and
•  A cover letter with a brief presentation of your consultancy explaining your suitability for the work and link to a portfolio of work. 

The above-mentioned documents MUST BE merged in a standalone file including all them, since the online application submission does only permit to uploading one file per application.

You can merge your documents by using Online resources. 

Incomplete submission can be a ground for disqualification. Make sure that you provide a valid email address for future communications.

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.)