Historique

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, peace and security. UN Women is dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women and is a global champion for women and girls.  UN Women was established in July 2010 to accelerate progress on meeting the needs of women and girls worldwide. UN Women South Africa Multi-Country Office (SAMCO) is based in Pretoria, South Africa and serves five SACU countries; South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and the Kingdom of Eswatini. Placing women’s rights at the center of all its efforts, and in line with the ongoing UN Reform, UN Women SAMCO leads and coordinates the United Nations system efforts in South Africa and the SACU countries to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action. It provides strong and coherent leadership in support of the country’s priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.

The UN Women SAMCO Strategic Note (SN) 2017-2022 translates UN Women’s global Strategic Plan 2018-2021 to the country level and adapts it to the country context and priorities, including the UNDAF (referred to as the United Nations Strategic Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF in South Africa). The SN outlines the overall strategy and plan of action for the UN Women SAMCO for the years 2017-2022.

Under UN Women’s policies and procedures in relation to programme management, a Mid-term review (MTR) is mandatory for programmes of at least three years duration. In the case of UN Women SAMCO, the strategic note-midterm review will be considered as the first step to assess the relevance of the current SN and to propose revision so that it reflects changes and developments that affect the lives of women and girls in the countries covered by the SN. 

The objectives of the Strategic Note midterm review and Strategic note revision process are as follows:

  • To provide the office and partners (both programme and operations) with a point of reflection and strategic analysis, distinct from the normal everyday process of programme and project management;
  • To take stock of changes in the programming context (including normative developments) and operational response;
  • To analyze and reflect on the progress of the programme and the validity of UN-Women’s strategy in SA and re-examine the SN theories of change for each of the relevant impact areas (Women’s Leadership and Governance, Women’s Economic Empowerment, Ending Violence Against Women and Women Peace and Security);
  • To facilitate the alignment of the SN with the UN Women SP 2018-2021 as well as the Africa Strategy, and take corrective measures where gaps are identified;
  • To develop an updated SN for the rest of the cycle (2020-2022);
  • To check in on key management issues, such as availability of data and evidence to allow informed and credible analysis of performance, and the ‘evaluability’ of the programme;
  • To review new UNSDCF in South Africa, Namibia, Kingdom of Eswatini, Lesotho and Botswana to ensure strong alignment with the SN.

The consultancy will be divided into two different and complementary exercises: The Strategic Note Mid-Term Review (SN-MTR) and the Strategic note revision (SN-R). 

Devoirs et responsabilités

The consultants will work with UN Women SAMCO staff, government and civil society to complete the Mid-Term Review. 

Within a maximum of a 45-day working period, under the overall supervision of the UN Women SAMCO - Representative; the consultants will: 

  • Conduct a desk review and draft an inception report;
  • Conduct an online survey for UN Women staff and key stakeholders and Analyze results of the staff and partner survey;
  • Develop and finalize at least five (5) discussion papers- no more than 5 pages (Positioning Paper; Programmatic Performance Paper; Partnerships Paper; Normative and Advocacy Paper; Coordination Paper);
  • Facilitate 3-days consultations with UN Women staff and partners (2 days UN Women staff and 1 day with partners- these can be done in half day intervals).

Deliverables:

Specific Tasks to be undertaken by the Consultants include:

  • Prepare a consultancy work plan and timeline;
  • Draft an inception report;
  • Survey Report;
  • Five (5) discussion papers;
  • Consultation Report;
  • Mid-Term Review Report highlighting recommendations;
  • Draft an updated Strategic Note.

Methodological approach:

The Midterm Review will be a highly consultative and participatory process specifically targeting the full participation and engagement of all UN Women staff and a select key stakeholders.

Compétences

The consultants should meet the following criteria:

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

The ideal candidates for the Consultancy should bring a solid academic and professional background in strategic planning, gender and development.

Functional Competencies:

  • Ability to support closely review documents highlighting results;
  • Knowledge of gender, human rights and development principles and approaches.

Qualifications et expériences requises

The consultants should meet the following criteria:

Education:

Advanced University degree in Social Sciences, International Development, Law, Human Rights, Politics, Gender Studies or a related field.

Experience:

  • At least seven (7) years of planning, programming, reviews and/or evaluation experience;
  • At least five (5) years planning/reviews in development programs related to human rights, gender and results-based management.

Competencies:

  • Experience with evaluating UN Women programming, experience with UNDAFS is preferred;
  • Familiarity with Southern-Africa is preferred;
  • Familiarity with the multi-country context is preferred;
  • Ability to use MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Languages:

  • Fluency in English is required.

Application Process: 

The application should include:

  • Personal History Form (P-11 form) - including past experience in similar assignments; can be downloaded at http://www.unwomen.org/about-us/employment  a signed copy should be submitted;
  • Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment, please combine all your documents into one (1) single PDF document. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment;
  • Candidates should have the ability to quickly produce degree certificates and medical certification (of good health) should they be short-listed in consideration of the consultancy post.

Note:

UN WOMEN 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.

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.