UNDP Jobs - 99797- National Consultant to support up to forty-five En

National Consultant to support up to forty-five Enterprises in Uganda implement the Gender Equality Seal for Private Enterprises

Location :

Kampala, UGANDA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

01-Jul-2021

Application Deadline :

23-Jun-21 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

National Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

65 days spread over July 2021- November 2021

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

65 days spread over July 2021- November 2021

UNDP 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. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

Uganda’s economic and political stability over the past two decades has brought new opportunities to improve social inequalities and the well-being of citizens. Since 1995, the country has made significant progress in promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women. Notable among these, is the country’s gender responsive legal and regulatory framework, institutionalization of gender concerns in the national development planning and budgeting processes; the increase in women’s political participation, increase in female literacy rate from 45% in 1995 to 65%; and progress in the acquisition of titled land by women.

Despite these achievements, both the Beijing+20 review and the Progress of World’s Women Report (2015-2016), acknowledge that the progress has not sufficiently made rights and economic transformation real for women and girls in Uganda. Gender disparities in access and control over productive resources like land; limited share of women in wage employment in non-agricultural sectors; gender pay gaps; and sexual and gender-based violence; high maternal mortality rate and low female labour force participation are key constraints to the involvement of women in political and economic decision-making. Gender inequality is especially more pronounced in the private sector which employs over 80% of Uganda’s labour force (formally and informally).

The Government of Uganda recognizes gender equality and women’s empowerment as the cornerstone for sustainable and inclusive development. UNDP is supporting national efforts to address gender inequality and in framing solutions to overcome the current barriers to women’s economic participation. UNDP Country Programme 2021 – 2025 will continue to invest in initiatives that remove structural barriers to women’s economic empowerment, political and social participation and leadership; prevent and respond to gender-based violence: improve the integration of gender equality into natural resource management and disaster preparedness; and advance the women’s peace and security agenda.

Context:

Whilst the Government of Uganda has put in place mechanisms for gender accountability in the public sector such as the Public Finance Management Act 2015 (PFM Act 2015), none exists in the private sector. The private sector has been part of but not fully engaged in promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment in accordance with international norms and standards which are enshrined in the Beijing Platform of Action (1995). To address this challenge, UNDP has partnered with Private Sector Foundation of Uganda (PSFU) – apex body of the private sector - to pioneer the UNDP Gender Equality Seal (GES) for Private Enterprises in Africa.

The Gender Equality Seal Certification Programme for Private Enterprises is an innovative tool for businesses to reduce gender gaps, promote both equality in the workplace and women’s economic empowerment. It is also a concrete tool through which the private sector can contribute to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (in particular, SDGs 5, 8, 10 and 17) through reducing gender gaps and promoting gender equality and competitiveness simultaneously, for an inclusive and sustainable growth.

The Seal is a collective effort by Government, Private Sector and UNDP to establish and achieve standards that promote gender equality and empower women in the workplace. It provides companies with a mechanism to level the playing field for both women and men at the workplace by promoting investment in systems that integrate gender equality into the work environment and business strategies.

The Seal is founded on internationally accepted principals, ideals, and agreements regarding human rights and gender equality, including the principles enshrined in the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the International Labour Organization (ILO) Conventions the UN Global Compact Ten Principles and the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEP).

The GES for Private Enterprises Certification Programme will enable enterprises attain gender equality principles by establishing standards that promote an equitable work environment for men and women. Upon successful completion of the programme, participating enterprises meeting defined standards in advancing gender equality are awarded the Gender Equality Seal in recognition of their efforts to promote gender equality in both the workplace and marketplace. There are currently 77 companies participating in the GES for Private Enterprises Certification Programme in Uganda.

To this end, UNDP Uganda would like to engage two (2) consultants to technically support participating enterprises to implement the initiative. This will include supporting the companies to undertake a self-assessment, develop and implement an action plan for improvement and prepare for an independent assessment.

Objectives of the Assignment:

The overall objective of the assignment is to support companies to implement the Gender Equality Seal for Private Enterprises Certification Programme working in close collaboration with PSFU and UNDP as well as the management of the Gender Equality Committee (GEC) of selected companies and institutions. The consultants will provide technical assistance to companies in the implementation of the different steps of the gender equality seal implementation plan. The consultants will also support the companies in the elaboration of policies, processes and procedures that are customized and respond to identified gender equality gaps in respective companies/institutions.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work and Methodology:

The consultant will support 24 companies[1] participating in the GES certification programme. The assignment will focus on company performance in line with the seven GES certification program pillars and any other gender equality gap(s) that will require the attention of the programme.

Implementation of the GES within companies will be participatory requiring the consultant to embark on the following:

Support companies to sign a written commitment expressing interest in adopting and implementing the Gender Equality Seal for Private Enterprises programme and complete their due diligence;
Support signed-up companies to establish Gender Equality Committees (GECs) for leading the implementation of the Gender Equality Seal Certification process in the companies;
Facilitate the training of senior management, the GEC members and selected resource persons in the companies;
Provision of technical assistance to the GECs to undertake the organizational diagnosis and gender assessment;
Desk review of key institutional documents including policies, strategies, and reports and supporting companies to put in place required policies, procedures to address identified gender gaps;
Interviews and discussions with key informants within the companies and institutions;
Administer employee opinion survey and analysis of results thereafter;
Field visits to company/institution head offices or branches if necessary (most of the companies/institutions are based in Kampala however, a small number of companies are based outside Kampala which might necessitate traveling outside the city);
Debriefing session for results of the organizational diagnosis with GECs and company leadership;
Provision of technical assistance to the GEC and the management of the company in the implementation of the GES action plan;
Follow-up and monitor progress of implementation of GES in the companies and institutions;
Compilation and promotion of good practices and peer to peer exchange;
Support the preparation of the independent assessment;
Provide advisory services to PSFU, UNDP and GES coordination team.

Deliverables:

An Inception report;
Draft diagnosis report identifying gender equality achievements, best practices and gaps in respective companies/institutions produced. The reports should also identify entry points which will inform action plans for respective companies/institutions produced;
Draft gender action plans for respective companies produced in collaboration with the respective GES committees;
Final diagnosis report and action plans for respective companies timely produced;
Provide inputs to companies for the development of policies and strategies on gender equality and women empowerment;
Trainings of GES committees and resource persons duly undertaken;
All requirements for the independent assessment are in place;
A report detailing lessons learned from engaging companies on gender equality seal certification including recommendations for the GES coordination team to consider in ensuring that the GES initiative is well implemented.

[1] Targeted companies located in the following districts: Amudat, Arua, Kampala, Kasese, Kitgum, Kyegegwa and Tororo.

Competencies

Research and facilitation skills;
Ability to conduct analytical work;
Ability to multitask, deliver on time, meet tight deadlines and work with limited supervision.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Masters’ degree in Gender and Development Studies, Social Work and Social Administration, Law, International Relations, Public Policy Analysis and Economics or other related subjects.

Experience:

Demonstrated experience of at least 7 years, promoting and advocating for gender equality and women empowerment;
Evidence/proof of past experience in executing similar assignments within a multi stakeholder’s framework;
Training in the UNDP Gender Equality Seal for Public and private Enterprises Advisor is an added advantage:
Sound knowledge on national, regional and global gender equality frameworks:

Language Requirement:

Proven excellent communication and writing skills in English.

Selection Criteria and schedule of payments:

Submissions will be evaluated in consideration of the evaluation criteria and the schedule of payments, as per the TORs.

Submission of Application:

The candidate is required to submit an electronic application directly uploaded on the UNDP jobs website with all the requirements as listed here below. Annexes and further information may be downloaded on http://procurement-notices.undp.org no.79567.

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications in one single PDF document to this website - http://jobs.undp.org no.99797.

Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP (Annex II);
Personal CV, indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references.

Technical proposal:

Brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment;
A methodology, on how they will approach and complete the assignment;
Financial proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided (Annex II);
Annexes 1 and II - may be downloaded from the UNDP Procurement Notices Website -http://procurement-notices.undp.org/. For further clarifications, please contact; janet.anyango@undp.org; moses.lutwama@undp.org.

Incomplete proposals may not be considered. The shortlisted candidates may be contacted, and the successful candidate will be notified.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.