Background

The United Nations system in Europe and Central Asia has been working in a coordinated manner to support Member States in implementing the SDGs. UN coordination in the region was recognized as a model in the UN Secretary-General’s Report “Repositioning the UN development system to deliver on the 2030 Agenda: our promise for dignity, prosperity and peace on a healthy planet”, published in December 2017. The Regional mechanism is supported by 6 Issue-Based Coalitions (IBC);

1. Health and well-being for all at all ages
2. Gender equality
3. Adolescent and Youth
4. Social Protection Floors
5. Large movements of people, displacement and resilience
6. SDG monitoring

In 2017, the IBC-Gender conducted a desk review of 15 UNDAFs encompassing three generations of UNDAFs in the ECA region (2013,2014,2015), analyzing the UNDAFs and CCA documents from a gender perspective to assess gender-responsiveness of UN common country programming at the country level in the ECA region.  The analysis of the 15 UNDAFs and 13 CCAs indicates that there have been significant efforts and progress to apply twin-track approach of gender to their UNDAFs in the ECA region. However, key findings from this analysis also shows that significant gaps remain to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in a systematic manner through UNDAF planning process.

Gender equality and women’s and girls’ empowerment (GEWGE) is a key aspect of the international human rights framework that all nations have committed to uphold. National and international legislation on gender-based violence, discrimination, and equal representation is necessary to advance GEWGE and thus achieve progress on human rights. However, a recent rise in active opposition to both national and international GEWGE related legislation and normative work threatens to slow GEWGE and human rights progress.Though opposition to gender equality is a global trend, there is a strong manifestation in the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region.Regional backlash against domestic violence laws including the Istanbul Convention has also significantly increased in recent years.

Gender equality and women’s empowerment is a proven key accelerator of development and progress on SDGs.An analysis of the data from the 2017 UN Mainstreaming, Acceleration, and Policy Support (MAPS) mission in the Republic of Moldova demonstrates the influence gender equality and women’s empowerment (GEWE) has to accelerate development progress towards not only gender-specific targets and goals, but towards targets and goals beyond Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, Gender Equality and Empowerment of All Women and Girls. It suggests that concerted efforts by governments and other stakeholders to advance GEWE may have significant ripple effects on development, multiplying progress on SDGs including on poverty (1), Good Health and Well-Being (3), and Decent Work and Economic Growth (8)

From 2019, 12 + 1 countries will start the process of developing new UNDAFs (Armenia, the Republic of Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Serbia, Tajikistan, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) and 1 territory (Kosovo). With the new UNDAF Guidance introducing the ‘Leave No One Behind’ as the overarching, core programming principle for UNDAFs in all country contexts, this will promote the prioritization of UN programmatic interventions to address the situation of those most marginalized, discriminated against, and excluded, and empower them as active agents of development. The development of new UNDAFs is a key entry point for the UN system at country level to coherently promote gender equality and women’s empowerment, fully align with new UNDAF guidelines and respond to 2030 Agenda for sustainable Development.

The goal of this assignment is to undertake an analytical review of 8 countries to ascertain the key challenges, gaps and opportunities for mainstreaming of gender equality and women’s empowerment in the new generation of UNDAFs for the region, realising the increasingly restrictive gender equality environment. This analysis will be a key input into the preparation of the upcoming new UNDAFs in the region. The remainder of the other 5 countries will be undertaken in 2019.

The consultancy will be undertaken under the leadership of the Regional Gender Advisors of UNICEF, UNFPA and UN Women. Some country-based staff and other regional advisers, such as Chairs of Gender Theme Groups will be invited to contribute and/or review the preliminary and final drafts produced as relevant.

This analysis has the following two main objectives:

• To present a country by country analysis of the extent of gender programming undertaken by the UN system in the current programming period under the UNDAF by country
• To generate key findings and recommendations for UNCTs and Gender Theme Groups (GTGs) that will be conducting CCAs and developing new UNDAFs based on the MAPS missions (as applicable), the concluding observations of the CEDAW, ICPD, CRC, ICRD, Istanbul convention and other international instruments.

This report will be distributed to Regional Directors, Resident Coordinators (RCs), UNCTs, Results Groups, GTGs and the Regional Working Group on Gender in the ECA region through the PSG.

Duties and Responsibilities

Methodology

The primary methodology to be used for this analysis is a desk review of the following documents (at a minimum);

• SDG guidance Note on Gender
• UNDAF Mid-Term Review reports (were available)
• UNDAF annual review reports
• MAPS Missions reports (were available)
• Ratification of Human rights instruments related to gender
• Concluding observations of human rights instruments related to gender (CEDAW, ICPD, ICRD, Istanbul convention and other international instruments.
• Gender Scorecard reports
• National Reports
• National Statistics reports
• National Policies, strategies and legal frameworks

This analysis will be done for each of the 8 countries that are due for new UNDAFs and provide key recommendations as drawn from the available programme implementation reports.

Expected outputs: Analytical reports on gender equality and women’s empowerment issues for each of the 8 countries 

Deliverables and timeline:

Key Deliverables:

Competencies

Core Values:

Integrity - Demonstrate consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UN Women in actions and decisions, in line with the UN Code of Conduct.

Professionalism - Demonstrate professional competence and expert knowledge of the pertinent substantive areas of work.

Cultural sensitivity and respect for diversity - Demonstrate an appreciation of the multicultural nature of the organization and the diversity of its staff. Additionally, the individual should have an international outlook, appreciating difference in values and learning from cultural diversity

Core Competencies:

Planning & Organizing – Develops clear goals in line with agreed strategies, identifies priorities, foresees risks and makes allowances accordingly.

Organizational Awareness - Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment.

Teamwork - Demonstrate ability to work in a multicultural, multi-ethnic environment and to maintain effective working relations with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.

Accountability – Takes ownership of all responsibilities and delivers outputs in accordance with agreed time, cost and quality standards.

Functional Competencies:

Good knowledge of gender equality and women's rights issues;

Strong analytical skills;

Strong report writing skills;

• In-depth knowledge of gender statistics;
• Demonstrated ability to produce clear reports with in-depth analysis and strategic recommendations in English in the relevant fields;
• Demonstrated ability to guide and advice multi-sectoral international teams on assessment and project development;
• Good communication and interpersonal skills, ability to foster networks and partnerships;
• Very effective at multi-tasking.

Required Skills and Experience

Qualifications:

• Advanced degree (Master’s or equivalent, preferably PHD) in social and economic studies, gender studies, humanities, international relations, political sciences, social sciences, law or related disciplines relevant to that of the TOR.
• Minimum 7 years of progressive professional experience in the field of women’s rights, gender equality at national, regional or international level, including international experience advising on implementation of CEDAW, ICPD Programme of Action, Beijing Platform for Action, SDGs/MDGs or other similar normative frameworks
• 5 years of the professional work experience providing policy advice on gender equality issues, with focus on evidence-based policy research and analysis and advocacy issues
• Prior work experience with UN agencies considered an asset.

Language skills: Excellent oral and written skills in English is required. Knowledge of Russian is an asset.

Application procedure:

The following documents should be submitted as part of the application:

• Cover letter to include a brief overview in English (unedited text) about which of your previous experiences makes you the most suitable candidate for the advertised position.
• P11 with past experience in similar assignments; can be downloaded at http://www.unwomen.org/about-us/employment, a signed copy should be submitted.
• Financial Proposal (Specifying a total lump sum amount for the tasks specified in this Terms of Reference).

Evaluation of applicants:

Consultants will be evaluated using a cumulative analysis method taking into consideration the combination of qualifications and financial proposal. Contract will be awarded to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

1. Responsive/compliant/acceptable, and
2. Having received the highest score out of below defined technical and financial criteria.

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

Financial Evaluation (30%) – max. 30 points:

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