Background

Over the years, Malaysia has consistently shown its commitment to achieving gender equality and promoting women’s rights in the country. Specifically, over the last two decades, several institutional approaches have been taken to ensure that gender is mainstreamed across all national development plans, policies and programmes.

An assessment of women’s empowerment and gender equality in early 2015, however, notes that from an economic perspective in 2013, the female labour force participation rate (LFPR) remains significantly below that for men (52% compared to 81%) and with 48% of women of working age (15-64 years) classified as outside the labour force. This figure includes 40% of women with tertiary education. In terms of average monthly basic wage, on the whole, females tend to obtain wages that are comparable to male counterparts, however when decomposed by occupations, females tend to lag behind their male counter parts in all occupations with the exception of technical and associate professionals.

Women’s lower economic participation and wage disparities, especially within professional occupations; their limited command of economic resources; and under-representation in decision-making bodies in Parliament and state legislative assemblies, as well as low senior management positions in private sector, attributable to the complex inter-play of cultural and socio-economic factors constraining women’s empowerment and exacerbating gender inequalities, remain of concern. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has ranked Malaysia at 91 out of 146 countries on its Gender Development Index, which measures gender inequalities in the areas of health, education and command over economic resources.

As Malaysia enters into the design and implementation stage of the 11th Malaysia Plan: 2016 – 2020 (11MP), there is an urgent need to review the results of strategies aimed at mainstreaming gender over the period of the 10th Malaysia Plan: 2011-2015 (10MP) and ensure issues of gender equality and women’s empowerment continue to be substantively included in national development policymaking and is both implemented and monitored resulting in stronger outcomes across all socio-economic dimensions. To support this agenda, the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (MWFCD) in collaboration with the UNDP has embarked on a project titled Strengthening and Enhancing the Inclusiveness of Women Towards an Equitable Society in the 11th Malaysia Plan (2016 – 2020).

The joint project with 4 Outputs, seeks to review the various initiatives across Ministries and agencies to mainstream gender and based on the lessons drawn from the review, the project will develop a framework that seeks to enhance the implementation of gender mainstreaming in the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation during the course of the implementation of the 11MP.

The project 4 primary Outputs are as follows:

Output 1: Review of the effectiveness of the National Policy on Women and National Action Plan for the Advancement of Women (10th Malaysia Plan: 2011-2015)

Output 2: Gender Mainstreaming Framework and Policy Recommendations for the Implementation of the 11th Malaysia Plan (2016-2020) 

Output 3: Gender Gap Index Report (2010-2015)

Output 4: Institutional Capacity Building: Gender Mainstreaming and Monitoring 

Objectives of the Consultancy:

In line with the outputs outlined in the Strengthening and Enhancing the Inclusiveness of Women Towards an Equitable Society in the 11th Malaysia Plan (2016 – 2020) project, UNDP seeks to appoint a National Consultant (Output 4) to conduct a series of training and technical capacity building workshops on Gender Mainstreaming and Monitoring for senior level management of MWFCD and related partners, Gender Focal Points (GFPs), and academic institutions focusing on gender issues, encompassing gender analysis, gender based budgeting, gender disaggregated data, collaborations with non-state development actors. 

The competencies of government leadership and the institution of GFPs are critical factors in ensuring that gender equality is mainstreamed, thereby driving the progress of national development goals.  The processes for sustaining the efficiency of this institution must be institutionalised within the government infrastructure.

Increased level of understanding of gender mainstreaming, including increased capacity to conduct gender analysis, gender based budgeting, collect and analyse sex disaggregated data.

Two teams of consultants are currently working on Outputs 1, 2 and 3, and will share preliminary findings that will contribute towards the thinking and design of Output 4.

Outputs:

Based on the above noted processes, the National Consultant is expected to produce the following:

1. A report on sustained capacity building initiative that will be organized, recorded and documented for senior level management of MWFCD and related partners noted above, GFPs, and academic institutions with the aim of developing competencies of government agencies for mainstreaming gender equality in the context of the Eleventh Malaysia Plan, the upcoming National Policy on Women, CEDAW and the Beijing Platform for action (BPFA) and to develop a process for institutionalizing and sustaining such competencies;
2. Develop training curriculum and training materials for mainstreaming gender equality institutionalised with government bodies and document the modules in a report;
3. Organize and provide training for at least two workshops;
4. Organize and facilitate at least two policy dialogues;
5. Develop and establish a roster of gender experts from public sector, civil society, academia and private sector;
6. Develop a handbook on mainstreaming gender equality and budgeting within the public sector, curriculum for training, training for mainstreaming gender equality.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Proposed methodology and workplan including a report on sustained capacity building initiative will be organized for senior level management of MWFCD and related partners noted above, GFPs, and academic institutions with the aim of developing competencies of government agencies for mainstreaming gender equality in the context of the Eleventh Malaysia Plan, the upcoming National Policy on Women, CEDAW and the Beijing Platform for action (BPFA) and to develop a process for institutionalizing and sustaining such competencies. This will include, but is not limited to gender analysis, gender based budgeting, sex disaggregated data, and collaborations with non-state development actors;
2. Part of this output will include efforts to strengthen government infrastructure and processes for the institutionalising of competencies for mainstreaming gender equality within the Government of Malaysia. The implementation of the output will include collaborations with the Public Service Department;
3. A roster of gender experts from the public sector, civil society, academia and the private sector will be developed. The implementation of the output will include collaborations with the Public Service Department;
4. Identification of relevant participants for the capacity building programme;
5. Develop training curriculum and organise a minimum 2 workshops;
6. Discussions with relevant government agencies, including but not limited to INTAN and ISM, to institutionalise training for gender mainstreaming within government;
7. Policy dialogue(s) between MWCFD and government agencies, including NDPC, to establish mandate for mainstreaming gender equality and to create policy and other conditions necessary for this;
8. Identify pool of experts and trainers for mainstreaming gender equality training to develop pool of trainers for mainstreaming gender equality and institutionalised with relevant government agency;
9. Handbook on mainstreaming gender equality and budgeting within the public sector, curriculum for training, training for mainstreaming gender equality;
10. Materials for training for mainstreaming gender equality institutionalised within government bodies.

Assumption:

National development goals will be better achieved through the creation of synergies between Malaysia’s national and international commitments to equality between women and men and its national development goals and that a useful mechanism to bring this about is the institution of the GFPs.

*The Consultant may propose alternative dates and final timelines will be discussed and finalised with MWFCD and UNDP during the Inception Report stage.  

Management Arrangements:

Management and Oversight

• During the period of consultancy, the appointed consultants will be working closely and under the oversight of the UNDP Programme Manager: Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment and in close collaboration with the relevant officials from the MWFCD.
• No administrative support of physical space will be provided. Official meetings will be coordinated and held at the premises of the MWFCD.
• Scheduling of meetings (frequency and duration) will be arranged and fixed based on discussion(s) between the consultant, MWFCD and UNDP.

Consultant Briefing

• Upon appointment, the consultant will receive a detailed briefing on the scope of work and deliverables.
• Advice will be available to the consultants during the preparatory period, research development and submission.

Duration of Work:

The consultancy work will be completed over a period of eight (8) months from December 2017 – August 2018.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

• Promotes the vision, mission and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity adaptability;
• Treats all people fairly without favouritism;
• Fulfils all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment.

Functional Competencies:

• Strong knowledge in gender and its applicability to UN ;
• Ability to write technically and understand the needs of the target audience;
• Demonstrates strong oral and written communication and analytical skills;
• Experience in designing and delivering trainings;
• Ability to deliver presentations / lectures clearly;
• Excellent interpersonal and cross-cultural skills and ability to convey messages clearly, succinctly and accurately;
• Knowledge and practical experience with UNDP and/or other international organizations is an asset.

Management and Leadership:

• Focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback;
• Supports teams effectively and shows conflict resolution skills;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
• Builds strong relationships with clients and external actors; focuses on impact and results for the client and responds positively to feedback;
• Ability to work in an organized and timely manner;
• Remains calm, in control and good humoured even under pressure; and
• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities.

Required Skills and Experience

• Master’s degree in economics, gender, development studies or any other relevant subject.?

Language Requirement:

• Bahasa Malaysia and English.  

Documents to be included when submitting proposals:

Interested individual applicants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

1. Completed Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability (Annex 1) provided by UNDP;
2. Technical Proposal provide a brief methodology on how they will approach and conduct the work (if applicable). Emphasize the proposal on scope of work, deliverable-s and knowledge transfer.
3. Financial Proposal should specify a total lump sum amount including a breakdown of working days, travel and relevant costs using the financial proposal template in Annex II;
4. Experience in similar projects and at least 1 reference;
5. Personal CV including areas of expertise and past experience in similar projects and at least three (3) references in the format of UN Personal History Form (P11 form). The UN Personal History Form (P11) can be downloaded from the link below. 

Scan all documents into 1 pdf folder and then upload;

For clarification question, please email to procurement.my@undp.org. The clarification question deadline is three (3) days before the closing. When emailing for clarification questions, please put "MyIC/2017/042" as the subject matter;

Forms and General terms & conditions to be downloaded:

• The UN Personal History Form (P11) is available at:http://www.my.undp.org/content/dam/malaysia/docs/Procurement/P11%20for%20SC%20&%20IC.doc?download
• Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability at http://www.my.undp.org/content/dam/malaysia/docs/Procurement/Letter%20of%20Interest%20_Annex%201.docx?download
• The Financial Proposal Template at http://www.my.undp.org/content/dam/malaysia/docs/Procurement/MyIC_2017_042%20Financial%20Proposal%20Template.docx?download
• The General Terms & Conditions for Individual contract is available at:http://www.my.undp.org/content/dam/malaysia/docs/Procurement/General%20Conditions%20of%20Contract%20for%20IC.pdf?download
• The General Terms & Conditions for Reimbursement Loan Agreement is available at:http://www.my.undp.org/content/dam/malaysia/docs/Procurement/Reimbursable%20Loan%20Agreement%20_%20Terms%20&%20Conditions.pdf?download

Evaluation:

The consultant(s) will be evaluated based on the methodology of Cumulative Analysis.

The award of the contract will be made by UNDP to the consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as responsive, compliant and acceptable, and having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation:

a)      Technical criteria weight (70%)

b)     Financial criteria weight (30%)

Confidentiality and Intellectual Property:

1. The consultant(s) will treat all materials provided, analysis and discussion(s) made during and concerning the project as confidential and are restricted from sharing any related information with any individual or external organisation(s) to the project without the explicit permission of the MWFCD, EPU and UNDP Malaysia, even after the consultancy is duly completed.
2. All data provided in the project will be used only for the purpose of the research. The expert shall not use any data provided for purposes other than the identified scope of work above.
3. Any publications arising from the work undertaken above will require written consent of MWFCD, EPU and UNDP Malaysia.