Background

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.

The Fiji Multi Country Office (MCO) covers 14 Pacific countries, with field offices/presence in 6 countries, and six ‘focus countries’ (Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Tonga and Samoa). Each field presence is led by a national Country Programme Coordinator with a Programme Officer in Tonga. UN Women, in partnership with Pacific Islands Governments, regional organizations, CSOs, donors and UN agencies, focuses on delivering within four interlinked programme areas:

• Women’s Political Empowerment and Leadership (WPEL)
• Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE)
• Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (EVAWG)
• Gender and Protection in Humanitarian Action (GPiHA) and Disaster Risk Reduction

UN Women is implementing the Women’s Resilience to Disasters (WRD) Programme in the Pacific. Disaster risks converge with critical socio-economic vulnerabilities, environmental degradation and climate change making the Pacific a disaster hotspot.  Disasters and climate change are widening inequalities and undermining poverty reduction in the region.  Threats such as COVID-19 are further exacerbating the inequalities and hardships faced by women and girls including those with disabilities.  Women and girls face greater vulnerability and exposure to disasters, yet women remain largely ignored and their capacities unleveraged in conventional resilience building processes. As a result, women are generally absent in the development of resilience strategies and decision-making processes for prevention, preparedness, and recovery. This is compounded by significant gaps at the global, regional and country level in relation to the availability and use of sex, age and disability disaggregated data (SADDD), knowledge sharing on women’s resilience; an enabling environment for building women’s resilience (including capacities, leadership and funding); translation of commitments into action; coordination and private sector partnership; and a need for transformative change to tackle the underlying drivers of disproportionate risk.

UN Women’s WRD programme proposes a comprehensive package for building women’s resilience to disasters, climate change and threats.   The aim of the WRD Programme is to render women’s and girls’ lives and livelihoods disaster-resilient, contributing to sustainable and secure communities, by promoting gender responsive prevention, preparedness, and recovery systems, plans and tools; and by enabling targeted action to help women and girls withstand hazards and threats, recover fully from disasters, and increase their resilience to future risks. 

Under the Outcome 1 of the WRD programme, and with one of the main outputs, ‘Increased knowledge and access to tools’, the WRD programme regional workplan will focus specifically on the integration of gender and disability inclusion into the University of South Pacific (USP) Pacific Centre for Environment & Sustainable Development (PACE SD) key post graduate courses in Climate Change, Disaster Risk Management, and the Pacific Islands and Ocean Stewardship program PLUS Certificate in Resilience.

Objectives of the assignment

UN Women Fiji MCO is looking for an individual Consultant to integrate gender and social inclusion into the course content of up to seven post graduate level courses in Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience at a regional University in the Pacific.

For this purpose, the Consultant will work under the overall guidance and supervision of the UN Fiji Multi-Country Office Deputy Representative and Gender and Resilience Specialist in close coordination with Humanitarian and DRR Programme Team.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work/Duties and Responsibilities

The scope of work for the Consultant will mainly focus on development of the gender and social inclusion course content and integration into graduate courses in the Climate Change, and Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience programmes offered by the University. The consultancy will also cover the approval processes of these revised and integrated graduate courses. Part of the deliverables of this assignment will also include the learning resources (participant guide, readings, assessment guide etc.) for each course ensuring that the resources align with the qualification guidelines of the University, FHEC and regional accrediting authorities. The work will also include the provision of resources to support delivery by future trainers (e.g. guide for trainers PowerPoint presentations, assessment portfolio, marking rubrics etc.).

The Consultant is also expected to:

• Liaise with the UN Women focal points and the University of the South Pacific to develop a workplan for the expected deliverables.
• Develop up to 4 country (Fiji, Kiribati, and Vanuatu plus Solomon Islands) case studies: community-based gender and inclusion gaps, needs and good practices in DRR and Resilience.
• Review of the Certificate 4 in Resilience and up to seven postgraduate courses in the Climate Change, and Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience programmes building on the case studies as the basis for the other deliverables.
• Ensure that the development of the gender and social inclusion course content aligns with the University’s Post-Graduate qualification.
• Liaise with key experts and personnel in the field of Gender and Social Inclusion, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience to ensure accurate and relevant information is included in the learning outcomes.
• For the PC400 level courses, ensure that the materials need to be appropriate for on-line delivery.
• Develop resources that use language, terminology, and tone appropriate to the target audience.
• Develop resources cognizant of literacy levels of both learners and trainers.
• Develop resources that use graphics/pictures and relevant Pacific references frequently.
• Apply case study, problem solving and Research Skills Design pedagogy to strengthen skills for ensuring the long-term sustainability of the WRD Programme. ?

Duration of the Assignment

The duration of this assignment will be up to 140 days within a 10 months’ work assignment as per the schedule of deliverables.

Expected Outputs and Deliverables

The Consultant is expected to deliver the following outputs and deliverables:

• Workplan after consultation with UN Women and PACE-SD, USP;
• Development of the gender and social inclusion module;
• Development of the four-country case studies in relation to community-based gender and inclusion gaps, needs and good practices in Resilience;
• Review of the Certificate 4 in Resilience under the PAC-TAFE and 7 Courses under the PACE-SD Post Graduate Climate Change courses;
• Integration of the gender and social inclusion module into the Certificate 4 Resilience and 7 Post Graduate Climate Change courses;
• Presentation of the revised Post-Graduate courses and Certificate 4 resilience courses to the Gender Social Inclusion (GSI) Technical Working Group (TWG) for approval;
• Final Report of the work carried out with relevant attachments.

Upon receipt of the final deliverables and prior to the payment of the instalment, the deliverables, related reports, and documents will be reviewed and approved by UN Women within the two weeks of submission. 

All the deliverables should be agreed with UN Women and be provided in English and in hard and electronic copy.  All the documents and materials utilized need to be returned to UN Women in electronic format.  Any printed materials utilized to be referenced and returned. 

The revised CC/DRM Post-Graduate and Resilience courses will be provided to both PACE-SD, USP and UN Women may also be published by UN Women.

Inputs

• UN Women will provide the Consultant with background materials in close consultation with PACE-SD at the University.
• UN Women will be responsible for media and visibility for this work.

Performance evaluation

The Consultant’s performance will be evaluated based on timeliness, responsibility, initiative, communication, accuracy, and quality of the products delivered.

Financial Arrangements

The payment will be disbursed to the Consultant upon submission and approval of deliverables set forth in the section “Expected Outputs and Deliverables” above, and certification by the UN Women Gender & Protection Specialist that the services have been satisfactorily performed.

Payment will be made within 10 (ten) business days after receipt and acceptance of the aforementioned documents but only after UN Women have certified that the services have been satisfactorily performed by the National Consultant.

Travel

No travel is envisaged for the implementation of the current assignment.

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 programme formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation skills

• Good knowledge of Results Based Management
• Ability to gather and interpret data, reach logical conclusions and present findings and recommendations
• Good analytical skills

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in disaster risk reduction, climate change, humanitarian response, geography, sociology, or other social science fields is required.
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• A PhD qualification is desirable but is not a requirement.

Experience and Skills:

• At least 7 years (Master’s Degree) or 9 years (Bachelor’s Degree) of progressively responsible experience in disaster risk reduction, humanitarian response, climate change or development in the Pacific.
• Proven knowledge in the development & review of University Post-Graduate courses especially under the Climate Change/Disaster Risk Management and Gender & Social Inclusion area.
• Proven knowledge and expertise in gender and inclusion in areas pertaining to disaster risk reduction (including women’s leadership in DRR, DRR policies and systems, data, and knowledge).
• Strong networks with university institutions apart from women’s organizations and civil society organizations in the Pacific.
• Experience working with, and building partnerships with governments, donors and civil society organizations internationally and in the field.
• Excellent facilitation and public speaking skill.
• Experience working in the region is an asset.

Language and other skills:

• Fluency in command of written and spoken English is required.
• Computer literacy and ability to effectively use office technology equipment, IT tools, ability to use internet and email.

Evaluation

Initially, individual Consultant will be short-listed based on the following minimum qualification criteria:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in disaster risk reduction, climate change, humanitarian response, geography, sociology, or other social science fields is required.  A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.  A PhD qualification is desirable but is not a requirement.
• At least 7 years (Master’s Degree) or 9 years (Bachelor’s Degree) of progressively responsible experience in disaster risk reduction, humanitarian response, climate change or development in the Pacific.

The shortlisted individual Consultants will be further evaluated based on a cumulative analysis process, with a total score being obtained upon the combination of weighted technical and financial attributes.

Cost under this method of analysis is rendered as an award criterion, which will be 30% out of a total score of 100 points.

Evaluation of submitted offers will be done based on the following formula:

,

where:

Technical evaluation will be done through desk review of applications. Interviews and/or written tests will be organized if needed only, depending on the short-listed candidates’ qualifications.

Technical Qualification Evaluation Criteria: The technical part is evaluated on the basis of its responsiveness to the Terms of Reference (TOR).

Financial Qualification Evaluation Criteria: In the Second Stage, the financial proposal of candidates, who have attained minimum 70% score in the technical evaluation (at least 49 points), will be compared.

WINNING CANDIDATE

The winning candidate will be the candidate, who has accumulated the highest aggregated score (technical scoring + financial scoring).

I.                     Submission of application

Interested candidates are requested to submit fully completed application on the UNDP Vacancy Site. 

Submission Package:

1. Cover letter explaining the suitability of the Consultant: applicants are encouraged to address experience and qualifications listed in the ‘criteria for technical evaluation’.
2. Duly filled Personal History Form (P11) and/or Curriculum Vitae (CV) of Consultant including records of past experience in similar assignments and specific outputs obtained; P11 can be downloaded at: https://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employment
3. Financial proposal – specifying a total lump sum amount for the tasks specified in this Terms of Reference.  The financial proposal shall include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (daily rate and number of anticipate working days and any other possible costs).
4. Please read, use and complete ANNEX I and ANNEX II below to provide your financial proposal.

Applications without a complete financial proposal will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.  UN Women reserves the right to accept or reject any bid.

The consultancy recruitment process will be governed by the rules and regulations of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women).

UN Women Statement on Diversity and Inclusion:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United  Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check).

Deadline of all submission: 31th October 2022

Annex I

Price Proposal Guideline and Template

The prospective Individual Contractor should take the following explanations into account during submission of his/her price proposal.

Lump Sum Amount

The price proposal should indicate a "lump sum amount" which is "all-inclusive"; All costs (professional fees, living allowances, communications, consumables, etc.) that could possibly be incurred by the Individual Contractor needs to be factored into the proposed price.

UN Women will not withhold any amount of the payments for tax and/or social security related payments. UN Women shall have no liability for taxes, duties, or other similar charges payable by the Individual Contractor in respect of any amounts paid to the Individual Contractor under this Contract, and the Contractor acknowledges that UN Women will not issue any statements of earnings to the Individual contractor in respect of any such payments.

Contract price is fixed to activities/deliverables indicated in the ToR, regardless of the changes in the cost components (such as days invested for completion of the deliverables).

Travel costs

No travel is envisaged for the implementation of the current assignments.

Daily Subsistence Allowance

Not applicable.

Currency of the price proposal

The applicants are requested to submit their price proposals in FJD.  

Annex II

Price Proposal Submission Form

[ Mandatory document for the Consultant to complete and submit]

To:          United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women

Ref:         Individual Consultant – Gender and Inclusion in Disaster Risk Reduction (Integration of gender and social inclusion into University of South Pacific (USP) (level courses), UN Women Fiji MCO

Dear Sir / Madam,

I, the undersigned, offer to provide professional consulting services to UN Women within the scope of the referred Assignment.  Having examined, understood, and agreed to the Terms of Reference and its annexes, the receipt of which are hereby duly acknowledged, I, the undersigned, offer to deliver professional services, in conformity with the Terms of Reference.

My maximum total price proposal for the assignment is given below:

Estimated Costs (in FJD$)

*** Please be informed that for shorter assignments than a full day, the daily rate will be pro-rated into hourly rate.

I confirm that my financial proposal will remain unchanged.  I also confirm that the price that I quote is gross, and is inclusive of all legal expenses, including but not limited to social security, income tax, pension, etc., which shall be required applicable laws.

I agree that my proposal shall remain binding upon me for the duration of 60 days.

I understand that you are not bound to accept any proposal you may receive.