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. Placing women's rights at the center of all its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States' priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.
Generation Equality is a multi-stakeholder initiative convened by UN Women to catalyze partners, increase investments for gender equality, drive results and accelerate the full and effective implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and the Sustainable Development Goals. The initiative also aims to sustain and expand a movement of support for gender equality with civil society and youth leadership and activism at its heart. Generation Equality is fully embedded in UN Women’s Strategic Plan and aims to accelerate the achievement of results contained therein, notably by operationalizing the Strategic Plan’s vision of achieving results through partnerships. Generation Equality is also recognized by the Secretary-General’s “Common Agenda” as an important initiative for the UN system to take stock of and build on.
During the 2021 Generation Equality Forum, the Action Coalitions were launched to take on six critical issues that underpin gender equality. Along with the Compact on Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action (WPS-HA Compact), they are a set of global, innovative, multi-stakeholder partnerships mobilizing the world to catalyze collective action; spark global and local conversations among generations; drive increased public and private investment; and deliver concrete, game-changing results for girls and women. Concerted effort, investments and accountability together with sustained solidarity for action is required to secure the gains secured at the Forums in Mexico and Paris, as well as ensure new momentum and commitments. Critical for the success of Generation Equality and the Action Coalitions is a well-resourced Accountability Framework of the Action Coalitions. Established through consultations with Generation Equality Stakeholders, the Action Coalitions Monitoring and Accountability Framework outlines the efforts required to hold Action Coalition Leaders and Commitment Makers accountable for the pledges made towards a better life for women and girls. The Framework is anchored in the Action Coalition’s Global Acceleration Plan for Gender Equality that outlines bold results that are to be achieved for each Action Coalition by 2026. The Monitoring and Accountability Framework for the Action Coalitions include four elements:
- Annual reporting on implementation of COMMITMENTS
- Biannual assessment of progress towards the global TARGETS set by blueprints in the Global Acceleration Plan
- Assessment of the extent Generation Equality reflects transformative PROCESSES
- STORIES OF IMPACT that demonstrate experience of challenges and change
The 2023 Accountability Report concluded that only 18 of the 72 unique indicators and sub-indicators could be analyzed, due to severe data and methodological gaps. In 2024, the Accountability Framework Team will work to remedy these gaps through two rounds of data sourcing with methodological work in between. The work will be anchored in the Blueprint Targets Working Group.
UN Women is the custodian of the Action Coalition Monitoring and Accountability Framework which is led by the Research and Data Section in the Policy, Programme and Intergovernmental Division. To support this work, UN Women is seeking a Senior Blueprint Targets Consultant . The consultant will be reporting to Accountability Framework Lead, work closely with the Junior Research and Data Analyst, and will be supported by Programme Associate, who will be the point of contact on the contract and payment issues.
Duties and Responsibilities
The Senior Blueprint Targets Consultant will provide support to the Accountability Framework Lead in Research and Data by effectively coordinating and advancing methodological work and data sourcing for the Generation Equality Blueprint Targets and Indicators. The consultant will ensure quality of statistical analysis and datasets, and will coordinate with colleagues in custodian agencies toward this end. The consultant will also work closely with the Junior Consultant to ensure that 80% of the Blueprint Target indicators can be analyzed in 2025. The consultant supervisor will be the Accountability Framework Lead.
Source data and bridge methodological gaps for Blueprint Target Indicators
- Review and revise the existing 2024 workplan (2024 Blueprint Targets Analysis Proposal)
- Lead the organization of the Blueprint Targets Working Group prepare for and lead four larger and 15 smaller meetings with Action Coalition members and representatives from custodian agencies)
- Manage Blueprint Target Indicator review, including work planning, coordination with partners, development of presentations, and documentation of results.
- Source data and bridge methodological gaps for indicators. This includes quality control of potential new data sources, ensuring alignment between indicators and targets, and general decision-making on statistical methods.
- Liaise with Action Coalition and custodian agency representatives to ensure new work done on indicators is collaborative, documented, and universally verified
- Create and provide quality assurance for large, complex relational databases and statistical techniques for each indicator
- Develop presentations, narratives, tables, and graphs in a variety of formats that are appropriate and understandable to a range of audiences, as needed
- Provide substantive support to the supervisor and R&D section Chief as requested.
Deliverables
Deliverable
Expected completion time (due day)
Payment Schedule (optional)
Report: Summary of Proposed Edits to Blueprint Targets and Indicators, including documented suggestions from the first round of data sourcing
1st Payment -33,33%
Review, edit, and approve the 2024 Blueprint Targets Analysis Proposal
1-5 April 2024
Review complete concept note and edit as needed to fill any gaps
1-5 April 2024
Review and finalize the proposal
4-5 April
Prepare ppt for BPT 2024 Kick-off meeting
1-5 April 2024
Chair/lead BPT 2024 Kick-off meeting
8 April 2024
Prepare and Moderate Data Sourcing Round 1 meetings
May 2024
Prepare ppt for Individual AC meetings
Early May
Chair Individual AC meetings
Mid may
Document feedback and suggestions from meetings
Mid may
Report: Documented and endorsed progress from the first two stages: Round 1 Data Sourcing, Methodological Work
2nd Payment - 33,33%
Data sourcing work/liaising with ACs
Mid May – Mid June
Lead outreach to source additional data/otherwise follow through on suggestions from Individual AC Meetings
Mid May – early June
Quality check new data sourced
Mid June
Q2 Validation meeting and endorsed documentation
Late June
Produce validated documentation of new data sources obtained during Quarter 2 of 2024
27th June, 2024
Prepare and Moderate Methodology Meetings
Late June
Prepare ppt for Individual AC Meetings
Late June
Lead Individual AC Meetings
Early July
Document feedback and suggestions from meetings
Early July
Make Methodological Improvements to indicators
July
Lead development of new methodology for indicators
Early-Mid July
Quality check statistical methods
Mid July
Q3 Validation Meeting for Methodological Work
Late July
Produce validated documentation of methodological advancements made for all indicators that require it
31st July, 2024
Report: Summary of all changes and updates made to the blueprint targets and indicators in 2024, including through all three stages outlined
3rd Payment – 33,33%
Prepare and Moderate Data Sourcing Round 2 meetings
Late September - October
Prepare ppt for Individual AC meetings
Late September – Early October
Lead Individual AC meetings
Early October
Document feedback and suggestions from meetings
Early October
Data sourcing work/liaising with ACs
October
Lead outreach to source additional data/otherwise follow through on suggestions from Individual AC Meetings
Early – Mid October
Quality check new data sourced
Mid October
Q4 Validation meeting and endorsed documentation
Late October
Produce validated documentation of new data sources obtained during Q4 of 2024
Late October
Total
100%
Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel
The consultant will be home-based. If travel outside the duty station is required by the Terms of Reference or otherwise requested by UN Women, and upon prior written agreement between UN Women and the Consultant, such travel shall be at the expense of UN Women, in accordance with UN Women’s regulations, rules, policies and procedures.
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/en/about-us/employment/application-process#_Values
FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES:
- Exceptional statistics and data analysis skills including in designing analyses of, and gathering and presenting data and statistics.
- Excellent organizational skills;
- Willingness to learn from and consult with colleagues for inputs and information sharing;
- Strong oral and writing skills;
- Excellent knowledge of statistical software, including STATA, R and advanced Excel is a must.
- Strong oral and writing skills;
- Good understanding of and commitment to gender equality and women's empowerment and its policy implications.
- Excellent interpersonal and networking skills, and ability to work in multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary environments; ability to build and promote partnerships across the organization and beyond;
Ability to work under pressure on multiple projects whilst maintaining high-quality and timeliness
Required Skills and Experience
Education and Certification:
- Master's (or equivalent) in a relevant social science discipline.
- PhD is an asset.
Experience:
- A minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible work experience conducting evaluative research using tools for systematizing and analyzing large amounts of qualitative and quantitative data.
- Significant record of research, peer reviewed publications and writing on gender and development issues;
- Experience in coordinating and designing cross-country comparative research projects;
- Experience in coordinating global or regional research reports.
Languages:
- Fluency in written and oral English is required.
- Working knowledge of another official UN language is an asset.
V. How to Apply
- Personal CV or P11 (P11 can be downloaded from: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-P11-Personal-History-Form.doc )
- A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page)