Antecedentes

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 supports the UN Member States as they set global standards for achieving gender equality, and works with governments and civil society to design laws, policies, programmes, and services needed to ensure that the standards are effectively implemented and truly benefit women and girls worldwide. It works globally to make the vision of the Sustainable Development Goals a reality for women and girls and stands behind women’s equal participation in all aspects of life.

In the MENA region, a World Economic Forum (WEF) report in 2017 found that, in 2018, 1 in 5 jobs in Arabic-speaking countries will require digital skills and this number is growing.  This is not just the ICT sector itself.  Occupations across all sectors and skill levels are becoming more intensive in their use of digital technologies.  Digital fluency and ICT literacy skills are therefore becoming critically important for all learners and workers. Studies have shown that nearly 40% of employers in the MENA region indicate that skills gaps are a major impediment to business growth and several countries in the region fall below the global average in the ease of finding skilled employees according to business leaders. With the COVID19 outbreak, reliance on digital solutions has never been greater and transforming the economy and the workforce. Technology and the internet are great enablers for women and girls and the right skills and infrastructure opens different opportunities for their economic independence and access to learning, professional development, and other substantive services.

UN Women ROAS and technology and innovation companies in the Arab States region will collaborate in different initiatives to promote women empowerment and leadership in the digital economy and transformation. The initiatives will be composed of three tracks: 1) building the capacity of women to utilize the latest digital tools for their professional and business development; 2) transformative advocacy to promote women in ICT and digital entrepreneurship and safe and inclusive cyberspaces in the Arab States region and 3) mobilize private sector companies to commit to the Action Collation on Technology and innovation for Gender Equality and join the WEPs initiative.

Deberes y responsabilidades

Under the direct supervision of the UN Women Regional Advocacy & Innovation Specialist/ Civil Society Engagement Coordinator, and in close collaboration with the regional office WEE team, the Private Sector Engagement Consultant will coordinate the development and implementation of the women in tech mentorship and capacity building programme, partner with private sector companies across the Arab States region to offer mentorship and access to specialized training and resources for women, organize public advocacy events and mobilize private sector companies to mobilize private sector companies to commit to the Action Collation on Technology and innovation for Gender Equality and join the WEPs initiative.

The consultant will conceptualize, implement and evaluate the private sector engagement and relevant capacity-building programmes during the Generation Equality Forums. This should  include the minimum requirements: 

Private Sector Engagement During Generation Equality Forums (GEF);

• At least 5 private sector companies join UN Women’s initiatives to provide mentorship and capacity building for women in 2021;  
• At least 1 private sector company committed to the Action Collation on Technology and innovation for Gender Equality in the Arab States region;
• At least 2 leading social media platforms join public events or conversations about safe and inclusive cyberspaces.

Coordination of capacity building programs on women in tech initiatives:

• The consultant will be leading the coordination of at least two initiatives focusing on women's digital transformation and leadership;
• Mobilizing women and young women to join the training and mentorship opportunities;
• Reach out and recruit potential participants especially from the main target groups (Women-led start-ups  and entrepreneurs, women with disabilities, rural women and women in remote  areas, women refugees, young women migrants, and IDPs;
• Maintain communication with participants and trainers for enrolment, training schedule, certifications, and evaluation. 

* Platform: For COVID-19 consideration, the programme will be run via Zoom or any accessible online platform.

Organize online public events and seminars to advocate for women’s digital transformation and leadership  and online space spaces during the GEF :

• At least one public event with private sector companies about  women’s digital transformation and leadership, trends, and opportunities;
• At least one public event with social media platforms about online safe spaces for women and girls.

Competencias

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

Functional Competencies:

• Excellent  network and relationships with provide sector in the technology sector;
• Sensitivity and adaptability regarding culture, gender, religion, race, nationality, and age;
• Strong organizational and communication skills, ability to work in a team;
• Excellent interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills;
• Ability to use information technologies as a tool and resource;
• Commitment to UN values;
• Excellent organizational skills;
• Ability to work under pressure on multiple projects whilst maintaining high-quality and timeliness;
• Self-management.

Habilidades y experiencia requeridas

Education:

• A minimum of BSc Computer Science, IT, innovation, or relevant field. 

Experience:

• At least 8 years of work experience on technology for development, private sector engagement, or innovation for the SDGs.   
• Experience in the Arab States region;
• Previous work experience with UN Agencies or international development agencies will be a plus.
• Experience in the fields of gender equality and women’s empowerment and human rights-related work would be an asset.

Language Requirements:

• Proficiency in Arabic and English is a must. Proficiency in French will be a plus.  

Evaluation Criteria:

Consultants will be evaluated using a cumulative analysis method taking into consideration the combination of qualifications and financial proposal. The contract will be awarded to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

• Responsive/compliant/acceptable, and
• Having received the highest score out of below defined technical and financial criteria.

Technical Evaluation (70%, 70 points) split such as:

• At least 8 years of relevant experience in technology for development, private sector engagement, or innovation for the SDGs: 20 points
• Academic  Background: BSc Computer Science, IT, or innovation: 20 points
• Previous experience working on gender and women’s empowerment and human rights-related work: 20 points.
• Experience in designing and delivering training for young people: 10 Points. 

Financial Evaluation (30%, 30 points): The points for the Financial Proposal will be allocated as per the following formula:

• The contract will be awarded to the technically qualified consultant who obtains the highest combined score (financial and technical);
• The points for the Financial Proposal will be allocated as per the following formula: (Lowest Bid Offered*)/ (Bid of the Consultant) x 30;
• 'Lowest Bid Offered' refers to the lowest price offered by Offerors scoring at least 49 points in the technical evaluation.

Application:

Interested Individual Consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

• A UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from http://www.unwomen.org/about-us/employment;
• Financial proposal - Proposed inclusive lump-sum fee for all deliverables.

The above-mentioned documents should be submitted together, incomplete submission can be a ground for disqualification.

Note:

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.