Antecedentes

UNDP partners with people at all levels of society to help build nations that can withstand crisis, and drive and sustain the kind of growth that improves the quality of life for everyone.  For UNDP, creating equal opportunities for women and men is critical for equitable, sustainable development and poverty reduction. Hence, gender equality is in core of the UNDP mandate globally and nationally. 

UNDP Armenia, within the past decade, has continuously implemented projects on women empowerment, gender equality and youth leadership in Armenia.

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’s Economic Empowerment in the South Caucasus” Project (hereafter Project) is an initiative of UN Women, supported by the Swiss Agency of Development and Cooperation and Austrian Development Agency in three countries of South Caucasus. The purpose of the project is to  ensure that women, particularly the poor and socially excluded, in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia are economically empowered and participate in relevant decision-making.

The Armenian segment of the project is implemented by UNDP Armenia in partnership with RA Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure (RA MTAI) and in close collaboration UN Women Country Office in Georgia. Partnerships and synergies will be ensured with regional, local governments, private companies, civil society organizations, other women empowerment projects in the country and region.

The joint project will work in the following directions:

• Support women, particularly the poor and socially excluded, to use skills, economic opportunities and relevant information to be self-employed and/or to join the formal labour sector in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia (grass-roots level)
• Support to legislative and policy frameworks in Armenia and Georgia to enable women’s economic empowerment (policy and legislation level)
• Support the Government and public institutions to develop and deliver gender-responsive programmes, public services, strategies and plans for women’s economic empowerment in Armenia and Georgia (institutional level)
• Women and women’s groups are empowered to participate in local planning and budgeting (e.g. GRB discussions)

Project’s Outcome 1 states: Women, particularly the poor and socially excluded, use skills, economic opportunities and relevant information to be self-employed and/or to join the formal labour sector in Armenia (grass-roots level).

Activities relevant to Outcome 1 focus on the provision of women, particularly poor and socially excluded groups of women, with information, skills development and economic opportunities to be self-employed and/or to join the formal labour sector in Armenia. The primary orientation and priority of the project under this outcome will be the provision of support to women beneficiaries with decent work opportunities that are linked with employment in the formal sector. It must be noted that self-employment, in most cases, qualifies as vulnerable employment; with this caveat in mind, the project will support self-employment opportunities with decent work elements in those project target rural communities where formal labour sector jobs are very scarce or unavailable. Although tailor-made to the needs and priorities of women, the project will not exclude men in the target communities, in terms of information sharing and consulting, as relevant.

Supporting women at the grassroot level requires implementation of sound marketing to ensure sustainability of the project actions.

To this end, UNDP Armenia will be supporting the selected women in Gegharkunik and Shirak regions of Armenia, by providing feasibility of the selected approximately four value chains, including dried fruits, production  of bed linen, processing of berries, and others, proposing more feasible value chains, if any, introducing innovative products and providing support related to packaging and marketing of the products.

To provide marketing support to the selected groups of women, involved in the identified value chains, UNDP seeks to recruit an Expert (hereafter Expert) who will be responsible to support thesystematization of the marketing efforts of the economic development of selected women in 11 consolidated communities of Gegharkunik and Shirak Marzes. The specific objectives of the action are to:

• Conduct a feasibility assessment of all the selected value chains, approximately four, with respect to their marketing potential;
• Develop a marketing strategy for the project;
• Introduce innovative products and or/new value chains, considering the potential of the beneficiaries and the resources of the project;
• Provide technical assistance with respect to the packaging.

Deberes y responsabilidades

The overall objective of the consultancy is: (i) to assess the feasibility of the initially selected both agricultural and non-agricultural value chains and propose recommendations for their implementation; and (ii) to develop a marketing strategy for the selected value chains; (iii) to support the project with respect to packaging of the production.

Under the overall supervision of the Programme Manager, direct supervision of the Project Technical Task Leader, and in collaboration with the project team, the incumbent will be responsible for the following activities:

• Conduct a feasibility assessment of the selected value chains in the 11 consolidated communities of Shirak and Gegharkunik communities;
• Conduct visits to the target communities, meetings with the selected women beneficiaries and other producers/services in the particular Marz and Yerevan;
• Introduce innovative products and or/new value chains, considering the potential of the beneficiaries and the resources of the project;
• Develop a marketing strategy of the project, including provision of the required market information, to be a guiding document during the overall duration of the project
• Provide technical assistance with respect to the packaging. 

Expected outputs:   

1. Feasibility Assessment Report, summary report on innovative products and value chains, including evidence of the field work

2. Marketing strategy report, and recommendations regarding packaging.

Payment mode:

Payment will be made in the following installments upon completion of the tasks under each output and approval of deliverables by the UNDP country office and Regional Technical Specialist:  

• Output 1 – 50% of total amount 
• Output 2 – 50% of total amount

Local travel related expenses will be provided separately based on request and approved travel authorization as per UNDP established rules and procedures. 

Competencias

• Proven knowledge of Armenian agricultural market and actors along the value chains is highly desirable;
• Demonstrated gender, diversity and environmental competence, ability to integrate the gender perspective into tasks and activities;
• Excellent written and oral communication/ reporting, presentation skills in Armenian and English language;
• Ability to deliver and reach the planned targets without undermining proper operational processes;
• Strong interpersonal skills with ability to establish and maintain effective work relationships with people of different social and cultural background and set good rapport with population in rural areas;
• Creativity, flexibility and an innovative approach to problem solving;
• Demonstrated initiative, tact and high sense of responsibility and discretion;
• Strong teamwork skills;
• Ability to work under the pressure and meet deadlines;
• Competence on research techniques and terminology
• Strong skills on writing reports intended for diverse audiences

Habilidades y experiencia requeridas

Education

• Advanced University degree (MSc, MA or PhD) in Business Administration, Marketing, Development Studies, Economics or other relevant field; post graduate degree (master level or higher) is an asset;

Experience

• At least 7 years of relevant working experience in product marketing as well as market system development, preferably in the field of agriculture;
• Experience in working with rural municipalities

Language Skills:

• Fluency in Armenian and English is required (written and oral). 

INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANTS WILL BE EVALUATED BASED ON THE FOLLOWING METHODOLOGY:

Candidates will be evaluated using a cumulative analysis method taking into consideration the combination of the applicants' technical qualifications,  experience and financial proposal. The contract will be awarded to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as technically responsive/compliant/acceptable to the requirements of the ToR and received the highest cumulative (technical and financial) score out of below defined technical and financial criteria.

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points in the technical evaluation would be considered for financial evaluation.

Technical Criteria - 70% of total evaluation - max. 70 points

Financial Criteria - 30% of total evaluation - max. 30 points.

DOCUMENTS TO BE INCLUDED WHEN SUBMITTING THE APPLICATION.

• Financial Proposal and Availability form: OFFEROR’S LETTER TO UNDP
• CV shall include Education/Qualification, Processional Certification, Employment Records /Experience

General Conditions of Contract is available here: http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/documents/procurement/documents/IC%20-%20General%20Conditions.pdf.

Note: Please note you can upload only one document to this application (scan all documents in one single PDF file to attach).