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. UN Women Ukraine implements its Country Strategy for 2018-2022, covering the following thematic areas: 1) Making gender equality priorities central to national reforms, governance, planning and budgeting; 2) Ending violence against women and girls; and 3) Strengthening implementation of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda.

Ukraine has joined and adopted most of the key international and regional gender equality, women’s empowerment and human rights frameworks, and integrated these commitments into a number of national laws and policies. Ukraine joined the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA) and ratified key women’s human rights treaties, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and its Optional Protocol; localized the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with gender equality placed centrally in 10 of 17 Goals, 25 of 86 targets and 45 of 172 indicators; signed the EU Association Agreement; ratified the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Social Charter; and signed the Istanbul Convention (pending ratification). The principle of equal rights of women and men[1] is enshrined in the Constitution of Ukraine and the country adopted a solid policy and legal framework, namely the National Action Plan on the CEDAW Concluding Observations[2], first and second National Action Plans for the Implementation of UNSCR 1325 for 2016–2020 and 2021-2025 respectively, the National Strategy on Human Rights (2016-2020)[3] and the State Programme on Equal Rights and Opportunities for Women and Men by 2021[4], which builds on the BPfA, SDGs and CEDAW, and integrates the measures to address multiple forms of discrimination.

Since December 2017, UN Women implements the Building Democratic, Peaceful & Gender-Equal Society in Ukraine project funded by the Government of Norway, focusing on the implementation of Women, Peace and Security commitments and prevention of gender-based violence in the crisis-affected communities of Donetsk, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia. The project supports the implementation of WPS commitments at regional and local levels and promotes the participation of women and girls, especially the vulnerable, affected by conflict in recovery, peace and community security planning in Eastern Ukraine. Women’s leadership and participation are essential for conflict prevention, the stabilization of societies and the establishment of sustainable peace. Women-led CSOs and human-rights CSOs have a key role in these efforts.

Globally, Covid-19 outbreak has disproportionately affected women, girls, men and boys. The UN Secretary General re-iterated that women suffer mostly from the armed conflicts, being also most vulnerable of COVID-19 pandemic[5]. UN Security Council Resolution 2242 recognized health pandemics as part of the peace and security landscape, and highlighted the need for prevention, protection and leadership of women to response and recovery[6]. Emergency measures for increased security may put at risk women’s rights, safety and freedoms. Chances for human rights violations, including gender-based violence and harassment are higher for communities with ongoing military conflicts and social unrest. Lockdowns and security surveillance may cause grave consequences for women’s human rights, including with women’s underrepresentation in military and policing. Law enforcement officials and military represented mostly by men, are not necessarily sensitive to women’s needs and may even expose them to harassment. The shift to online modus operandi also risks narrowing the space for women’s civil society organizations to operate and to undertake urgent advocacy and service delivery in support of women’s rights[7].

The Rapid Gender Assessment on the Implications of Covid-19 in Ukraine[8] conducted by UN Women in March-April 2020 demonstrated that all groups of women are exposed to higher risks of losing incomes and savings, experience significantly increased burden of unpaid household work and caring for children and the elderly, and have been exposed to increased incidences of gender-based and domestic violence. Women facing multiple forms of discrimination are at a higher risk of finding themselves in extreme poverty, in food insecurity, trapped in closed spaces with their perpetrators, without or with limited access to basic services and resources. Women’s leadership and participation in Covid-19 response and recovery can bring more effective, inclusive and fair policies, programmes, plans and budgets to address the pandemic[9].

Against this backdrop, between December 2020 and April 2021, in the context of the aforementioned project UN Women is providing financial support to eight women-led organizations and human rights organizations in the form of Small Grants of up to USD 20,000 each to organization aiming at their capacity building and/or strengthening. The civil society organizations (CSO) benefitting from the financial support operate in one or more of the following areas:

- Women’s leadership and participation in the WPS Agenda at the local, regional and national levels;

- Women-led peacebuilding, peaceful co-existence and/or social cohesion;

- Conflict-related sexual violence;

- Gender-responsive Covid-19 response and recovery for the benefit of vulnerable groups of women, facing multiple forms of discrimination in at least one of the of the following regions: Donetsk, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia.

The funded projects through Small Grants comprise the following activities:

·introducing and improving organizational systems, tools, and processes;

·training of workforce in technical and managerial skills; and,

·supporting with equipment such as copiers, scanners, printers, laptops and computers

[1] Ukraine, Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Constitution of Ukraine, dated 28 June 1996. Available at:

https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/254%D0%BA/96-%D0%B2%D1%80#Text

[2]Ukraine, Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, Decree # 634-? dated 5 September 2018 “On approval of “National Action Plan on Implementation of the Concluding Observations to the 8th Periodic Report of Ukraine on Convention of Elimination of All Forms Discrimination Against Women until 2021”. Available at https://www.kmu.gov.ua/ua/npas/pro-go-planu-dij-z-vikonannya-rekomo-zhinok-do-vosmoyi-periodichnoyi-dopovidi-ukrayini-pro-vikonannya-konvenciyi-pro-likvidaciyu-vsih-form-diskriminaciyi-shchodo-zhinok-na-period-do-2021-roku

[3] Ukraine. The National Strategy on Human Rights: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/501/2015

[4]Ukraine, Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, Decree #273 dated 11 April 2018 “On approval of the State Social Programme on Equal Rights and Opportunities of Women and Men until 2021”. Available at https://kmu.gov.ua/ua/npas/pro-zatverdzhennya-derzhavnoyi-socialnoyi-programi-zabezpechennya-rivnih-prav-ta-mozhlivostej-zhinok-i-cholovikiv-na-period-do-2021-roku

[5] UN Secretary-General’s policy brief: The impact of COVID-19 on women, 9 April 2020. Available at: https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2020/04/policy-brief-the-impact-of-covid-19-on-women

[6] Security Council Unanimously Adopts Resolution 2242 (2015) to Improve Implementation of Landmark Text on Women, Peace, Security Agenda. Available at: https://www.un.org/press/en/2015/sc12076.doc.htm

[7] UN Secretary-General’s policy brief: The impact of COVID-19 on women, 9 April 2020. Available at: https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2020/04/policy-brief-the-impact-of-covid-19-on-women

[8] https://eca.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2020/05/rapid-gender-assessment-of-the-situation-and-needs-of-women

[9] https://www.unwomen.org/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/library/publications/2020/policy-brief-covid-19-and-womens-leadership-en.pdf?la=en&vs=409

Duties and Responsibilities

UN Women seeks to hire one National Consultant to provide expert support to the eight selected CSOs for capacity development, for the effective implementation of the Small Grants and to support UN Women Ukraine Office in the monitoring of the Small Grants projects. The Consultant will undertake the following tasks:

TASK 1: Provide support to UN Women Ukraine for the capacity development of the eight selected CSOs in the field of gender-sensitive and results-based project management by providing day-to-day guidance and advice to the CSOs, and providing such expertise during two online capacity development training workshops to be organized by UN Women. The capacity development support will take as the basis UN Women’s corporate “Responsible Party Risk Based Capacity Assessment Questionnaire”, a tool deployed by UN Women when selecting programme partners.

TASK 2: Provide technical support to UN Women Ukraine to review the progress and financial reports submitted by the Small Grantees, and provide guidance to the Small Grantees to submit quality and timely reports. Each project (8 in total) will submit two brief progress and financial reports. Participate in online coordination/monitoring meetings to be organized with the Small Grantees, help prepare the minutes and follow-up with the Small Grantees to implement the agreed action points emanating from the coordination/monitoring meetings.

Assignment Deliverables for the National Evaluation Consultant:

Inputs:

• The Consultant is expected use her/his own computer.
• UN Women will provide the Consultant with the resource materials and facilitate contacts with the CSOs.

Performance evaluation:

Contractor’s performance will be evaluated against such criteria as: timeliness, responsibility, initiative, communication, accuracy, and quality of the products delivered. The evaluation will be carried out and cleared by the UN Women Programme Specialist, which will also be the basis for payment on a delivery by delivery basis to the consultant.

Financial arrangements:

Payment will be disbursed by four instalments upon receipt of the deliverables (as detailed above) and their certification by the UN Women Programme Specialist that the work submitted is of the required standards and as per the requirements set out in the TOR.

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

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies:

https://www.unwomen.org/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/about%20us/employment/un-women-values-and-competencies-framework-en.pdf?la=en&vs=637

Required Skills and Experience

Qualifications Education:

• A Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent in social sciences, gender studies, political science, development studies or another related field.

Experience:

• Minimum two years of progressive professional experience in the field gender equality and/or women’s empowerment;
• Minimum one year experience in the field of capacity development of CSOs on project management/programme implementation.
• Proven experience in results-based management of projects/programmes.
• Previous knowledge of the UN system and development agencies is a strong asset.

Languages and other skills:

• Proficiency in English and Ukrainian.

Evaluation of Applicants:

Applications will be assessed on the three main categories: relevant education, language skills and relevant expertise and competencies, as reflected in the CVs. The categories will be assigned different weighting, which will total to 70 points (100 %). Technical passing score is 49 (70%) points.

Applications will be evaluated based on the cumulative analysis taking into consideration the combination of their qualifications and financial proposal. A two-stage procedure is utilized in evaluating the applications, with evaluation of the CVs being completed prior to any financial proposal being compared. The award of the Special Service Agreements is made to the individuals whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

• Responsive/compliant/acceptable
• Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

Technical Evaluation Criteria

Criterion A – Relevant education – max. 10

Criterion B – Language skills – max. 10

Criterion C – Relevant Experience with total for all stated criteria – max. 50

• Minimum two years of progressive professional experience in the field gender equality and/or women’s empowerment; (15 points)
• Minimum one year experience in the field of capacity development of CSOs on project management/programme implementation. (18 points)
• Proven experience in results-based management of projects/programmes. (12 points)
• Previous knowledge of the UN system and development agencies is an asset. (5 points)

Financial/Price Proposal evaluation:

• Only the financial proposal of candidates who have attained a minimum of 49 points in the technical evaluation will be further considered and evaluated.
• The total number of points allocated for the financial/price component is 30.
• The maximum number of points will be allotted to the lowest price proposal that is opened/ evaluated and compared among those technical qualified candidates who have attained a minimum of 49 points in the technical evaluation. All other price proposals will receive points in inverse proportion to the lowest price.

Evaluation of submitted financial offers will be done based on the following formula: S = Fmin / F * 30

(S - score received on financial evaluation; Fmin - the lowest financial offer out of all the submitted offers qualified over the technical evaluation round; F - financial offer under the consideration).

Application and submission package:

The candidate’s application should include:

• A brief Letter of Interest containing the statement on candidate’s experience in the field of recruitment. Completed and signed UN Women Personal History (P-11) form, that can be downloaded from:https://www.unwomen.org/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/about%20us/employment/un-women-p11-personal-history-form.doc?la=en&vs=558

• Proposal. The financial proposal shall specify?a total lump sum?amount with a breakdown of a daily professional rate per number of anticipated working days to include daily subsistence allowance, international travel related costs, and other costs (telephone, etc.).
  • Interested candidates are requested to apply no later than  Ukraine midnight time on 11 December 2020 by submitting 2 attachments: 1) technical (P-11 and a Letter of Interest) as well as 2) financial proposals to the following e-mail address: hr.ukraine@unwomen.org with a subject “National Consultant for Capacity Development of Civil Society Organizations Operating in the Field of Women, Peace and Security Applications. Without financial proposal will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.

UN Women applies fair and transparent selection process that would take into account the competencies/skills of the applicants as well as their financial proposals.

Sample of Financial Proposal

The format shown on the following tables is suggested for use as a guide in preparing the Financial Proposal

Cost Breakdown per Deliverables*(Lump Sum, All Inclusive)

Deliverables - # of days and Percentage of Total Price (Weight for payment) -   Price, UAH

1   

2   

3   

 Total max. # of working days (100%)     UAH ……

*Basis for payment tranches