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.

Women in East and Southern Africa represent the most deprived group of the population in spite of their paramount social and economic role. They have limited access to, and control over critical resources, as a result of social, cultural and economic norms. UN Women’s programmatic work to support women’s economic empowerment in the region is centered around three pillars: (i) Improving women’s access to climate resilient agricultural value chains; (ii) Promoting and strengthening women entrepreneurship; and (ii) Enhancing women’s income security and social protection.

COVID 19 hit East and Southern Africa at the beginning of the second quarter of 2020. The pandemic has exacerbated existing gender inequalities in economic opportunities across East and Southern Africa where most people earn their livelihoods through the informal economy. The shock triggered by COVID-19 came at time when the region’s economy was already plagued by rising income inequality, financial fragility and mounting debt, and limited fiscal space by Governments. The socio-economic impact of the pandemic affected women disproportionally in the region as a result of their overrepresentation among very small businesses, and informal and vulnerable workers. The lockdown measures have also increased the unpaid care burden of the region or rates of Gender Based Violence against women’s and girls.

To respond to the crisis, Governments across the region are spending significant resources to provide immediate support measures and to boost economic recovery through ‘fiscal stimulus’ packages. It is important to ensure that adopted economic stimulus and recovery package are gender responsive and address equity gaps. UN Women has developed a range of policy tools to support Governments in identifying and addressing the gender impacts of the pandemic, including one on “How to Assess and Engender Fiscal Stimulus Packages to Respond to the Socio-Economic Impacts of COVID-19”. The end goal is to ensure that “Women’s livelihoods and their access to social protection, healthcare, infrastructure, food, and housing are secured through the adoption and implementation of gender-responsive macroeconomic and social policies.”

UN Women, with support from the Government of Korea, is launching the programme “Engendering Fiscal Stimulus Packages and Recovery Efforts Adopted in Response to the COVID-19 Health and Economic crises” to support Governments in East and Southern Africa in engendering fiscal stimulus packages through direct advice and technical assistance, as well as advocacy and policy dialogue.  UN Women is seeking to engage the services of a National economist to serve as project coordinator and expert for the implementation of the project in Mozambique.

Reporting to the WEE Programme Officer at UN Women Mozambique Country office and working closely with the UN Women Regional Office for East and Southern Africa, the National Consultant is responsible for implementing the programme “Engendering Fiscal Stimulus Packages and Recovery Efforts” which includes coordinating relationships with national partners and stakeholders, monitoring and reporting. He/she will work under the overall guidance and support of the Regional Programme Coordinator on Gender and Economics in the Regional Office.

Key facts on the current situation in Mozambique

• The Mozambican Government (including the Central Bank) has announced a package of economic and fiscal stimulus for the private sector (https://home.kpmg/xx/en/home/insights/2020/04/mozambique-government-and-institution-measures-in-response-to-covid.html).
• The National Investment Bank (BNI) is the entity entitled for the management of this package (https://www.bni.co.mz/banca-de-desenvolvimento/linha-de-credito-bni-covid19/).
• Initial assessment suggest that the stimulus package is largely living behind many micro, small and medium sized enterprises – where most women are engaged in. Women in the informal sector are among the most affected.
• The government of Mozambique with support from the World Bank, Sweden and UK, has developed a  National Plan to Respond to COVID-19 on social protection floor (refer to the summary of the plan here). Women and girls’ victims or at risk of violence are yet to be considered as target group despite strong evidence of heightened vulnerability.
• UN Women in partnership with the African Development Bank, has recently supported the Ministry of Gender and Social Action (MGCAS) in the design of the National Programme on Women’s Empowerment (PROMULHER). Fiscal and Economic Stimulus are well aligned with the need to create an enabling environment for women owned business (WOB).
• Mozambique is yet to assess the impact of the economic stimulus package created by the government on the aftermath of cyclones IDAI and Kenneth, so this assignment can inform future economic and fiscal policy decision on humanitarian context or severe economic shocks.

Duties and Responsibilities

Objectives of the assignment:

1. Conduct a gender-responsive assessment of the fiscal and economic stimulus package adopted in response to COVID-19 in Mozambique;
2. Coordinate the advocacy campaign through engagement with decision-makers, CSO, academia and social media work on the gender-responsive implementation of COVID-19 fiscal stimulus and social protection packages.

Scope of Work:

The Consultant will be responsible for achievement of the UN Women’s results on:

Output 1.1: Mozambican government has access to policy tools and technical support to identify gender gaps in the implementation of policies and programmes to respond to the economic impact of the crises.

Output 2.1: The key results of the gender-responsive assessment of fiscal stimulus packages and recovery efforts are widely disseminated.

Output 2.2: National discourse on promoting a gender-responsive implementation of government policies and programmes on COVID-19 is improved and strengthened.

The post will be based at UN Women office in Maputo. However, due to COVID-19 containment measures the consultant is expected to work from home complemented by in-person presence at office as required, government and stakeholders’ events and data collection meetings. 

Technical assistance will be extensive to the management of all day-to day logistics related with engendering the fiscal and economic stimulus in the response to COVID-19. For the scope of this assignment a fiscal stimulus package is defined as an increase in public spending or a reduction in taxes that a government undertakes to support economic growth and/or recovery. For instance, government bailout packages benefiting various businesses, boosting public spending in infrastructure, public work programmes, and increasing spending in social services can be considered a form of fiscal stimulus. Specific duties are described below:

Duties and responsibilities

1. Preparatory Work

• Draw a road map and detailed action plan for the entire consultancy (including a timeframe) on engendering the fiscal, economic, and social stimulus package in Mozambique;
• The study methodology will be developed by the consultant and presented for approval to UN Women;
• Conduct a desk review of existing literature on fiscal, economic, and social stimulus package, strategies, and policies on the subject;
• The inception report should identify possible members that will compose the study reference group. Organize an inception workshop and establish a working relationship with stakeholders; The wider purpose of the workshop will be to introduce the initiative and explain how the assessment will be conducted, the tool to be used, etc.

1.  Implementation of the programme

• Act as a focal point for the program “Engendering Fiscal Stimulus Packages and Recovery Efforts Adopted in response to the COVID-19 Health and Economic crises” in Mozambique;
• In collaboration with Regional Program Coordinator and other national focal points, contribute to the development of a workplan to operationalize the project;
• Lead the implementation of work plan activities in Mozambique; 
• Coordinate the exchange of information and provide inputs to the development of knowledge products internally and externally of the programme;
• Design and implement country advocacy strategy to influence agenda of key national institutions to engender fiscal stimulus packages.

1. Technical assistance and advice on engendering fiscal stimulus packages;

• Apply and implement the applied policy guidance tool developed by UN Women to undertake an assessment of fiscal stimulus packages implemented at the country level from a gender perspective;
• To provide ongoing technical assistance and support to Government counterparts in Mozambique in implementing those strategies including, conducting gender analysis of fiscal stimulus packages, organizing events to discuss and disseminate results and recommendations, support different stakeholders in the implementation of policy dialogues and advocacy strategies to promote recommendations to engender fiscal stimulus packages, and other technical support and advice as needed;
• To design, under the oversight of the regional, strategies to integrate gender in Mozambique national fiscal stimulus package and recovery policies;
• To foster partnership and ongoing liaison with women-owned businesses in Mozambique and facilitate dialogue and consultations between women-owned businesses and government counterparts;
• Provide technical assistance and support to Government counterparts in the process of piloting, implementing, and adapting existing Gender responsive budgeting initiatives to integrate gender priorities in post-COVID-19 recovery strategies.

1. Capacity Building Initiatives for partners and other stakeholders:

• Support the Regional Programme Coordinator in adapting existing tools and developing new ones to support Governments in analysing gender impact of stimulus packages and integrating gender priorities in economic recovery plans in Mozambique;
• Facilitate tailored capacity-building sessions for leaders of women’s networks to facilitate their advocacy and monitoring interventions aimed at enhancing gender-responsiveness of stimulus packages;
• Design and deliver, in collaboration with the Programme Officer, capacity building activities for UN Women’s Mozambique CO staff, Government and other key national stakeholders to enhance capacity to engender economic policies;
• Support the Regional Programme Coordinator in the delivery of one regional capacity building event for UN Women staff and Government counterparts on key economic reforms to integrate women’s needs in post-COVID-19 recovery in 2021.

1. Reporting, Documentation and Learning

• Monitor the project progress in Mozambique according to the work plan and draft Mozambique focused inputs to regional monitoring and donor reports;
• Prepare activity reports;
• Document the results of and experience with technical assistance support.
• Set a database of short videos with the voice of women targeted with fiscal, economic, and social packages stimulus;
• Participate in coordination meetings, conference calls and workshops relevant to fiscal, economic, and social stimulus package.

Deliverables

1. Roadmap/work plan and proposed approach to implementation of the project;
2. Monthly monitoring reports on project activities and results;
3. Deliverables linked to specific project activities including national advocacy strategies, implementation of the policy guidance tool, concept notes, power point presentations, training modules, and other as necessary to support development of capacity building and policy dialogue activities;
4. Delivery of training and capacity building activities
5. Final project report

Work Schedule:

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

Functional Competencies

• Good understanding of national context including the development plans; social protection mechanism and the gender equality situation
• Strong analytical skills on gender and economic policy and women’s economic empowerment;
• Strong communications skills in spoken and written English
• Strong drafting skills and ability to produce a variety of knowledge products for different audiences and purposes
• Ability to produce impactful communications materials and knowledge products
• Strong commitment to knowledge-sharing within a multicultural environment
• Ability to design and deliver training and other capacity building strategies in the area of gender and economics to a variety of audiences

           Basic project management skill

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master’s degree or equivalent in development economics, feminist economics or any other relevant field of economics or public policy.

Experience:

• At least 5 years of experience and record of accomplishment promoting economic policy reform in the area of development economics, gender and economics, poverty reduction, social protection or women’s economic empowerment policies in the context of Mozambique.

• Proven experience with economic policy analysis and mastery of quantitative and qualitative analysis and methods;
• Experience in drafting quality and timely research reports, policy brief, and position papers;
• Experience working in other countries in East and South Africa is an asset;
• Experience working in the UN System is an asset;
• Familiarity with UN Women’s mandate and related work in the Africa region.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English and Portuguese (written and spoken) is required.

UNWOMEN 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.