Background
Overview:
The global development challenges have become increasingly interrelated, requiring us to take interdisciplinary approaches and seek non-linear solutions. Important development trends like urbanization, climate change, and inequality pose significant challenges on our path to achieve the 2030 agenda of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
UNDP positions itself as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) integrator who connects all relevant knowledge and partners to support countries to achieve the SDGs in an inclusive and integrated manner. UNDP Bangkok Reginal Hub (BRH), along with the Pacific Office in Suva, supports the 24 UNDP Country Offices in Asia and the Pacific in various development agendas to achieve the SDGs by providing easy access to knowledge through high quality integrated advisory services and technical support based on applied research and UNDP lessons learnt globally. BRH also provides regional thought leadership, builds partnerships and promotes regional capacity building, which allow UNDP, governments and other development partners to identify, create and share knowledge relevant to solving urgent development challenges This goal is supported by UNDP’s provision of policy advice and tools to fight exclusion and marginalization in areas such as social protection strategies, job creation and livelihoods, and sustainable urbanization.
UNDP’s Strategic Plan (2018-2021) includes among its 6 Signature Solutions both poverty reduction and gender equality and empowerment of women. This places these issues at the core of UNDP’s development mandates and strategy. The SDGs, including SDG5 on gender equality, also provide the concrete framework for the work of UNDP as a global development organization. For UNDP, gender equality is primarily a matter of human rights. It also recognizes the role of gender equality and women’s empowerment as an integral and indispensable accelerator for sustainable development. Accordingly, gender equality and women’s empowerment are integrated into UNDP’s offers of solutions to the region’s complex development challenges.
Gender inequalities remain a development challenge throughout the Asia-Pacific region. This persistence is particularly troubling when considering the enormous economic progress the region has made. This continuing discrimination and neglect threaten the security and well-being of women as well as their families and communities throughout Asia and the Pacific. In accordance with the principle of the SDGs, i.e., ‘Leave No One Behind’, UNDP places an emphasis on eliminating gender-based inequalities faced by women, girls, men and boys in the region.
To advance UNDP’s role as the SDGs integrator, UNDP BRH has been strengthening its engagement with old and new partners in the United Nations family, women’s rights advocacy organisations, Private Sector, social enterprises, think-tanks and academia to localize the global development agenda. Leveraging these partnerships to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in the framework of the 2030 Agenda is one critical and integrated aspect of such engagement.
Duties and Responsibilities
Objective:
UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub (BRH) implements the Regional Programme 2018-2021 through its three Outcomes which aim to generate concrete results to support Asia-Pacific countries to achieve the SDGs. The Regional Programme addresses gender equality and women’s human rights through multiple regional development initiatives. It has also been sustaining robust communication and knowledge management activities to contribute to UNDP’s delivery of strengthened gender equality results as well as the broader sustainable development results in the region.
The main objective of this consultancy is to support BRH to help countries make progress towards the SDGs by enhancing the organization’s inclusive and integrated services to countries in Asia and the Pacific. The consultancy is expected to contribute to strengthen UNDP’s substantive engagement in the regional gender equality agenda with sister UN agencies; support UNDP’s innovative initiatives to advocate for gender equality and women’s empowerment with particular emphasis on gender equality in economic participation; elimination of gender-based violence; and harmful and discriminatory gender norms and gender stereotypes. It is also expected to improve UNDP’s broader engagement with countries and partners on issues related to sustainable development.
Scope of work:
Under the overall guidance of Asia-Pacific Regional Gender Equality Team Leader and Asia-Pacific Regional Inclusive Growth Team Leader, and in close collaboration with different programming teams, as well as in close consultation with Country Offices in Asia and the Pacific, the consultant will undertake the following:
- Provide assistance to the work of the Regional Gender Equality Team and Regional Inclusive Growth Team to design and deliver integrated support for the achievement of the SDGs across different work areas;
- Provide assistance to the Regional Gender Equality Team to maintain UNDP’s active and substantive engagement in the UN agency fora relating to gender equality and women’s empowerment, particularly with reference to the Regional Preparatory Meeting for the 25th Year Review of the Beijing Platform for Action and 2019 Commemoration of the 16 Days of Activism;
- Develop the 4th issue of UNDP Asia-Pacific Gender Equality Dispatch (an online newsletter) and organize an accompanying social media campaign;
- Support the work of the Regional Gender Equality Team in addressing policy needs and practical interventions to promote gender equality in economic participation;
- Provide assistance to the Regional Gender Equality Team to ensure effective delivery and coordination of gender equality results across the teams at the Bangkok Regional Hub;
- Provide research and analysis to design and develop advocacy materials to facilitate effective implementation of the Regional Gender Equality Team’s 2019 Work Plan;
- Support the facilitation of workplace dialogues and actions for gender equality;
- Develop a communications strategy for selected Inclusive Growth Team priority work areas and create relevant communications products as required;
- Develop a repository of documents and information on SDG implementation (especially UNDP-supported work) primarily as a tool to help guide Country Offices.
Performance of the consultant is monitored closely, and regular feedback will be provided by Asia-Pacific Regional Gender Team Leader and Asia-Pacific Regional Inclusive Growth Team Leader.
Expected Outputs and Deliverables:
The Consultant will work under supervision of the Gender Equality Team Leader and the Inclusive Growth Team Leader. The consultant will be responsible to deliver:
- Draft communication strategy for selected theme(s) in the inclusive growth portfolio
- Repository of documents and information on SDG implementation (especially UNDP-supported work).
- Communications materials on 1) Selected themes in the inclusive growth portfolio (e.g., multi-dimensional poverty, inequality, future of work, inclusive processes) (; 2) UNDP’s work on women’s economic empowerment in Asia and the Pacific; 3) UNDP’s approach to integrated gender equality solutions in Asia and the Pacific; 4) UNDP’s contribution to the Regional Beijing+25
- Organisation of a regional workshop on women’s leadership in businesses
- Organisation of UNDP side events at the Regional Beijing+25 Meeting
- UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub representation at regional interagency fora relating to gender equality and women’s empowerment
- Mapping of UNDP’s work on addressing gender-based violence in Asia and the Pacific
- 4th Issue of online UNDP Asia-Pacific Gender Equality Newsletter
- Compilation of data on UNDP’s gender equality contributions in Asia and the Pacific
- Required assistance to the implementation of the 2019 workplan of the Regional Gender Team.
Institutional Arrangement:
Direct supervision will be provided by Regional Gender Team Leader and Regional Inclusive Growth Team Leader. Regular progress monitoring and quality assurance, as well as for ensuring the timely delivery of the specified deliverables, will be provided by Regional Gender Equality Team Leader and Regional Inclusive Growth Team Leader.
Duration of the Assignment:
Up to a maximum of 150 working days over a period of maximum 9 months. The expected starting date is 6 May 2019, and the expected ending date is 5 February 2020.
Duty Station:
Duty station is Bangkok, Thailand.
No mission travel is required. If the need to travel arises during the consultancy, separate arrangements will be made to facilitate the consultant’s travel.
Competencies
Corporate Competencies:
- Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
- Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
- Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
- Treats all people fairly without favouritism.
Technical Competencies:
- Analytic capacity and demonstrated ability to process, analyse and synthesise complex, technical information;
- Proven ability to support the development of high quality knowledge and training materials, and to train technical teams;
- Proven experience in the developing country context and working in different cultural settings.
Communication:
- Communicate effectively in writing to a varied and broad audience in a simple and concise manner.
Professionalism:
- Capable of working in a high pressure environment with sharp and frequent deadlines, managing many tasks simultaneously;
- Excellent analytical and organizational skills.
Teamwork:
- Projects a positive image and is ready to take on a wide range of tasks;
- Focuses on results for the client;
- Welcomes constructive feedback
Required Skills and Experience
The following minimum qualifications are required:
Essential
- Master’s degree or equivalent in relevant areas such as Gender Studies, Development Studies, Public Policy or Management.
- Minimum 2 years of work experience in the areas of social or economic development, community development, or international development.
- Minimum 4 months of regional experience with UNDP/UN in advocating for gender equality and women’s empowerment and/or sustainable development more broadly, in Asia and the Pacific.
- Experience in designing and developing communication materials (eg. newsletters) relating to gender equality and women’s empowerment, and/or sustainable development more broadly, in Asia and the Pacific in the past 2 years.
- Experience in designing and implementing a social media campaign on the issues of gender equality and women’s empowerment, and/or sustainable development more broadly, in English in the past 2 years.
Desirable
- Knowledge on design thinking and behavioural insights.
Competencies
- Strong command of English.
- Ability to perform tasks in timely manner and under pressure, to tight deadlines.
- Ability to communicate verbally and in writing with a wide range of partners persuasively and collaboratively.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team seamlessly using a range of modern means of communication as required.
Price Proposal and Schedule of Payment :
In accordance with the requirements above, the duration of this assignment is maximum days. Consultant must send a financial proposal based on Daily Fee. The candidate shall quote an all-inclusive Daily Fee in USD for the contract period. The term “all-inclusive” implies that all costs (professional fees, the cost of travel from the home base to the duty station and vice versa, living allowances needed at the duty station, Communications, utilities and consumables, life, health and any other insurance , etc.) that could be incurred by the consultant in completing the assignment are already factored into the daily fee submitted in the proposal. If applicable, travel or daily allowance cost should be identified separately.
Payments shall be done on a monthly basis based on actual days worked, upon verification of completion of deliverables and approval by the IC’s supervisor of a Time Sheet indicating the days worked in the period.
In general, UNDP shall not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources.
In the event of unforeseeable travel not anticipated in this TOR, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and the consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed.
Travel costs shall be reimbursed at actual but not exceeding the quotation from UNDP approved travel agent. The provided living allowance will not be exceeding UNDP DSA rates. Repatriation travel cost from home to duty station in Bangkok and return shall not be covered by UNDP.
Criteria for Selection of the Best Offer:
Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology, Cumulative analysis
The award of the contract shall be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as a) responsive/compliant/acceptable; and b) having received the highest score out of set of weighted technical criteria (70%). and financial criteria (30%). Financial score shall be computed as a ratio of the proposal being evaluated and the lowest priced proposal received by UNDP for the assignment.
- Relevant academic background (10%)
- Minimum 2 years of work experience in the areas of social or economic development, community development, or international development (30%)
- Minimum 4 months of regional experience with UNDP/UN in advocating for gender equality, and/or sustainable development more broadly, in Asia and the Pacific (10%)
- Experience in designing and developing communication materials (eg. newsletters) relating to gender equality, and/or sustainable development more broadly, in Asia and the Pacific in the past 2 years (30%)
- Experience in designing and implementing a social media campaign on the issues of gender equality and women’s empowerment in English in the past 2 years (20%)
Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% of the total technical points would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.
Documents to be included when submitting the proposals:
Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications. Please group them into one (1) single PDF document as the application only allows to upload maximum one document:
a) Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP;
b) Personal CV, indicating all relevant and similar previous experiences, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Applicant and at least three (3) professional references;
c) Brief description of why the applicant considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment, relating how he/she proposes to conduct the assignment to their previous experience.
d) Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided. If an Offeror is employed by an organization/company/institution, and he/she expects his/her employer to charge a management fee in the process of releasing him/her to UNDP under Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA), the Offeror must indicate at this point, and ensure that all such costs are duly incorporated in the financial proposal submitted to UNDP.
e) A copy of communication materials written in English developed within the last 2 years by the applicant relating to promoting gender equality and/or sustainable development more broadly, in Asia and the Pacific.
Incomplete proposals may not be considered. The short-listed candidates may be contacted and the successful candidate will be notified
ANNEXES
Annex I - TOR_ Gender and SDGs 2019
Annex II- General Condition of Contract
Annex III - Offerors Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability and Financial Proposal
All documents can be downloaded at : http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=54776