UN WOMEN Jobs - 78444- International Consultant

International Consultant – Programme Development on Private Sector Engagement and Women’s Economic Empowerment

Advertised on behalf of

UN WOMEN

Location :

Home-based with a possibility of travelling

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

14-May-2018

Application Deadline :

29-Apr-18 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

6 months

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

6 months

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

Grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, UN Women 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 centre of all its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates the efforts of the United Nations system to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. UN Women provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.

Women’s economic empowerment is one of the strategic priorities for UN Women in the Asia-Pacific region. Many international commitments support women’s economic empowerment, including the Beijing Platform for Action, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and a series of International Labour Organization conventions on gender equality. UN Women supports women’s economic empowerment in line with these, and with the growing body of evidence that shows that gender equality significantly contributes to advancing economies and sustainable development.

Working with a variety of partners, our programmes promote women’s ability to secure decent jobs, accumulate assets, and influence institutions and public policies determining growth and development. One critical area of work focuses on enhancing the capacity of private sector companies to implement the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) by promoting decent work opportunities for women and integrating a gender perspective in the business environment and practices.

Duties and Responsibilities

Objective of The Assignment

The overall objective of this assignment is to lead the development of a project document (ProDoc), including technical and coordination support between the UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) and relevant country offices and other stakeholders in the region. In this regard, the consultant will work closely with the ROAP Strategic Planning and Coordination unit to develop the new project. He/she will ensure the preliminary consultations with key relevant partners and stakeholders at the regional and country levels to gather substantive inputs to inform the project development.

Scope of Work

Under the overall supervision of the Regional Strategic Planning and Coordination Specialist and direct guidance of the Programme Specialist of the UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP), the consultant will undertake the following:

Preparation work to develop a prodoc includes:

Desk review of existing materials and identify on-going work in this area in key targeted countries
Coordinate with UN Women country offices to identify key partners and existing capacity and gaps, including potential areas for interventions based on the overall direction provided by the ROAP Strategic Planning and Coordination team
Develop sets of key questions and methodology for collecting required information for project development
Organize bi-lateral and/or small consultations with key stakeholders and document the discussions*
Meet with relevant UN agencies and donors to collect related information*
Coordinate with the international consultant, who lead the scoping study for potential engagement and partnerships with the private sector
Produce a brief report to capture the key discussion points and recommendations with particular focus on private sector engagement in supporting women’s economic empowerment in the region from the consultations

Development of a new project document that meets the standard requirements of UN Women, linking to the UN Women ROAP Strategic Note and Annual Work Plan 2019-2021

Based on the capacity and stakeholder analysis above, draft a project document that meets the requirements of UN Women, including log frame, budget and performance monitoring frame work
Inputs from the private sector scoping study commission by UN Women
Based on the feedback from ROAP and country offices, revise the pro doc as necessary

*Note: the assignment is home-based. However, the consultant might be requested to travel on mission to Viet Nam, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines for face-to-face meetings, for which travel costs and Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) will be provided. Travel Authorization will be granted to the consultant prior to the travel date.

The consultant is expected to deliver the following:

Output: Inception report outlining timeline, methodology and approach to project development including potential travel to key targeted countries.
Tentative Timeline: Within two weeks after signing the contract.

Output: A brief report to capture the key discussion points and recommendations with particular focus on private sector engagement in supporting women’s economic empowerment in the region from the consultations.
Tentative Timeline: Mid July .

Output: First draft project document (following the UN Women’s Programme and Operation Manual), including theory of change, the log frame and performance monitoring framework.
Tentative Timeline: End of July.

Output: Revised draft project document incorporating feedback from UN Women.
Tentative Timeline: End of August

Output: Final draft project document incorporating feedback from UN Women and potential donors/partners.
Tentative Timeline: End of September.

Competencies

Technical Competencies:

Knowledge or familiarity with global development agenda and gender equality and women’s empowerment;
Understanding of UN Women mandates and corporate position;
Knowledge of advocacy, media and communication tools;
Ability to speak and write excellent English for professional communication and development advocacy.

Functional Competencies:

Ability to communicate effectively and succinctly;
Innovation in communication and related works;
Ability to manage multi-tasks within limited timeframe;
Organizational awareness by demonstrating corporate knowledge and sound judgement;
Ability to work in multi-cultural environment and maintain effective working relations with people of different national and cultural background;
Self-management and familiarity with gender issues and women economic empowerment in Asia and the pacific.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master’s degree in economics, international development, law, social science or related field with minimum 10 years of relevant professional work experience in programme development and implementation including monitoring and evaluation activities., with strong technical expertise in women’s economic empowerment required (at least 5 years at the international level). * Bachelor’s degree with relevant combination of academic qualifications and at least 12 years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of the Master’s degree.

Experience:

Strong track record in project/programme formulation and drafting project document for the UN or international organizations;
Knowledge of and work experience on women’s economic empowerment, women-owned business and private sector engagement with experience in the Asia-Pacific region is required;
Knowledge of results-based management (RBM) and the application of RBM principles in programme formulation;
Previous experience with UN agencies is an advantage;
Experience in partnership building with the private sector and/or engaging the private sector for development is an advantage;
Excellent verbal and written communication skills;
Ability to work efficiently and responsively within a multicultural environment;
Strong commitment to gender equality, human rights and respect for diversity.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in oral and written English is required.

Selection Criteria:

The candidates will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria: (i) educational background and work experience as reflected in their CV; and (ii) the short technical proposal; and (iii) financial proposal, which includes daily consultancy rate as well as the breakdown for each deliverable and the proposed lump sum travel amount (airfare and DSA). The evaluation will be based on the combination of the weighted technical and financial scores (80 per cent technical and 20 per cent financial). The technical evaluation includes the knowledge/expertise in gender equality and women’s economic empowerment specifically within the context of the Asia-Pacific region (in particular women’s owned business and private sector engagement), the strong professional experience/track record in project/programme development, and experiences in coordinating and facilitating among different stakeholders within and outside of the UN System. The evaluation methods include desk review and/or interview.