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.

Placing women’s rights at the center of all its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality (GE) and gender mainstreaming translate into action globally. It provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.

Progress of North Macedonia in recent years respecting and promoting Gender Equality is highlighted in a series of international commitments and in national legal and policy frameworks. The main achievements in the field of gender equality and women’s empowerment reside in the Country’s institutional capacity development for the work on gender equality. Indeed, the legal provisions guaranteeing women’s rights and gender equality are largely in place – the Law of Equal Opportunities of Women and Men, the Election Law amendment instituting quotas, the Action Plan for the implementation of UNSCR 1325 (2020-2025), and the ratification of the Istanbul Convention are normative achievements that influence the institutional practice in promoting gender equality in North Macedonia.

However, gaps in policy development and slow implementation of the adopted legislation constitute important structural obstacles to achieving gender equality. Improvements are needed in both strengthening institutional capacities and enhancing cooperation between the gender mechanisms, the key ministries and civil society organizations in order to increase gender mainstreaming in all aspect of government work - primarily policy development and budgeting - as the means for achieving gender equality.

In line with the European Council’s decision of March 2020 to open accession negotiations with the Country, the Sida-funded project “Gender Equality Facility” (GEF) aims at supporting the Government of North Macedonia in transposing the EU Gender Equality acquis, strengthening the effective implementation of national and international legal frameworks on gender equality and women’s rights, mainstreaming gender equality into EU integration and planning processes for pre-accession assistance, and strengthening institutional mechanisms for gender equality in line with EU standards. Thereby, GEF supports institutions to correctly align with the EU Gender Equality acquis. The intervention will also address challenges in implementation of laws and gender equality policies by providing support for enhancing coordination and monitoring of gender equality policies and measures. In the medium to longer-term, and in line with the EU Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025 and the Principles of the EU Gender Action Plan III (2021-2025), the Project aims to secure implementation/application of gender equality legislation, policies and standards through policy dialogue, technical expertise and guidance, development and sharing of good practice, and strategic partnerships and cooperation.

The main partners of the Project are the Secretariat for European Affairs (SEA, the main project beneficiary), Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) structures, the Equal Opportunities Department at the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy (MLSP), and National Gender Machinery institutions.

Under the overall supervision of the UN Women GEF Project Manager, and the direct supervision of the GEF Output Coordinator for Result 2, and in collaboration with national gender experts, the international senior consultant will oversee, and technically guide and support, all GEF activities on gender statistics. S/he is responsible for performing the below key activities:

Provide technical guidance to the preparation of an analysis of the Census 2021 data related to gender equality

• Oversee and provide technical input to national expertise, in alignment with EU/international standards and requirements, and engage in quality control, as needed;
• Provide comments on draft versions of analytical gender reports on Census data;

Provide technical support to the State Statistical Office for drafting the new Five-Year Statistical Programme

• Undertake a review of the Five-Year Statistical Programme 2018-2022, identifying gaps, opportunities, and recommendations, in accordance with international requirements and standards;
• Guide and support the national expert in preparing the outline, agenda and materials for consultation sessions on gender data gaps and needs with local/national NGOs, and with national ministries and public institutions engaged in producing data related to gender equality;
• Review the information and results obtained from consultation sessions and submit a short Technical Note which synthesizes the findings from the desk analysis and the consultations;
• Conduct consultations and meetings with the State Statistical Office, as needed;
• Review the new draft Five-Year Statistical Programme and provide inputs for its improved harmonization with international requirements and standards, and according to the identified needs for collecting, producing and analyzing gender data in the country.

Provide technical support for using and enriching data related to the publication “Women and Men in North Macedonia 2022”

• In collaboration with national gender expertise, review most recent editions of “Women and Men” publications and identify gaps, needs, and recommendations;
• Provide technical guidance to the national gender statistics expert and the State Statistical Office for enriching/improving/expanding the data to feature in the upcoming “Women and Men in North Macedonia” 2022, aligned with national policy responses, international and EU requirements and standards, and according to the needs for collecting and analyzing gender data in the country;
• In collaboration with the national gender expert, support the State Statistical Office in reflecting recommendations in the enriched and updated publication “Women and Men in North Macedonia” (2022), in accordance with the identified needs, recommendations, and international guidance on data use;

Conduct trainings / workshops on compliance with SSO standards in gender data collection and presentation with representatives from relevant ministries and public institutions (gender data producers)

• Following up on consultations sessions on the Five-Year Statistical Programme, identify relevant stakeholders, in close cooperation with the State Statistical Office and the UN Women office;
• Develop training materials and conduct capacity development sessions / workshops on gender stats standards and requirements with identified stakeholders;
• For each session/workshop, prepare a brief report capturing main insights and learnings.

Provide technical guidance and support to the State Statistical Office for modernizing the design and presentation of gender statistics

• Review the State Statistical Office’s website and FB page;
• Identify gaps and points of improvement for enhanced presentation of gender data;
• Provide guidance to IT experts and national gender experts, and supervise the adaptation and modernization of the PC-axis.

Provide technical advice to the UN Women GEF project for communicating gender statistics to the wider public

• Review and provide comments and inputs for print, audio and visual materials, including campaigns, which communicate gender statistics to a wider audience, as required.

• Technically guide and engage in quality assurance of research, analysis and knowledge products on gender statistics undertaken in the framework of the UN Women GEF project, as requested;

Any other tasks and responsibilities, as assigned.

Main expected outputs/deliverables:

Duration and remuneration

The duration of the contract will be for a period of 9 months, with a maximum of 70 (seventy) working days to perform the specified tasks. Payment will be made in three installments upon satisfactory completion of tasks and deliverables.

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:

Knowledge Management and Learning

• Shares knowledge and experience
• Seeks and applies knowledge, information, and best practices from within and outside UN Women
• Development and Operational Effectiveness
• Demonstrates excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Communicates sensitively, effectively and creatively across different constituencies
• Demonstrates very good understanding of and experience in communications and outreach/advocacy
• Ability to perform a variety of standard specialized and non-specialized tasks and work processes that are fully documented, researched, recorded and reported
• Ability to review a variety of data, identify and adjust discrepancies, identify and resolve operational problems
• Uses Information Technology effectively as a tool and resource

Leadership and Self-Management

• Focuses on result for the client and responds positively to feedback
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude
• Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure
• Proven networking skills and ability to generate interest in UN Women’s mandate
• Identifies opportunities and builds strong partnerships with clients and partners

Education/Academic qualification:

• Advanced university degree in statistics, economics, international development, gender/women studies, public policy, or related fields, is required.

Work experience:

• A minimum of 10 years of experience in preparing/contributing to national gender and Status of Women reports, conducting gender analysis, gender statistics, and engaging in gender research;
• At least 7 years of work experience in developing/refining national gender statistics, undertaking gender review of Statistical Programmes and performance monitoring frameworks, and supporting the preparation of statistical monographs on gender equality issues (such as “Women & Men”);
• At least 5 years of experience in conducting needs and/or capacity assessments on applying international norms and standards on national gender statistics, and undertaking capacity development on aligning national statistics with gender-related Eurostat and SDG indicators and methodologies;
• Proven hands-on experience with supporting Syntax packaging for new gender statistics and extending the PC-Axis Platform is an advantage;
• Experience in working with programmes and projects funded by UN, EU, and other similar international organization specifically in the Western Balkans and/or EU Neighborhood/pre-accession countries is considered an asset.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency and excellent writing skills in English, both oral and written. All deliverables are to be prepared and submitted in English.

Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments:

• Financial Proposal specifying the daily fee in US Dollars (USD) for the tasks specified above. Please note that the financial proposal is all-inclusive and shall take into account various expenses incurred by the consultant/contractor during the contract period (e.g., fee and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services).
• Payment will be made as per the payment schedule in the contract upon (i) satisfactory completion of tasks; (ii) provision of deliverables specified in the ToRs; (iii) submission of and approval by UN Women; and (iv) submission of the certification of payment.

In the event that COVID regulations permit the future travel of the consultant to North Macedonia, then UN Women will cover all costs relating to travel. Therefore, travel should not be included in the above financial proposal.

Evaluation of applicants:

Candidates will be evaluated using a cumulative analysis method taking into consideration the combination of the applicants’ qualifications and financial proposal. 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 points:

• Advanced degree in statistics, economics, international development, gender/women studies, public policy, or related fields. (max. 10 points)
• A minimum of 10 years of experience in preparing/contributing to national gender and Status of Women reports, conducting gender analysis, gender statistics, and engaging in gender research. (max. 20 points)
• At least 7 years of work experience in developing/refining national gender statistics, undertaking gender review of Statistical Programmes and performance monitoring frameworks, and supporting the preparation of statistical monographs on gender equality issues (such as “Women & Men”). (max. 15 points)
• At least 5 years of experience in conducting needs and/or capacity assessments on applying international norms and standards on national gender statistics, and undertaking capacity development on aligning national statistics with gender-related Eurostat and SDG indicators and methodologies; (max. 10 points)
• Proven hands-on experience with supporting Syntax packaging for new gender statistics and extending the PC-Axis Platform is an advantage; (max 10 points)
• Experience in working with programmes and projects funded by UN, EU, and other similar international organization in the Western Balkans and/or Neighborhood/pre-accession countries is considered an asset. (max. 5 points)

Financial Evaluation – 30 points

• Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% (49 points) in the technical evaluation would be considered for financial evaluation.
• The maximum number of points assigned to the financial proposal is allocated to the lowest price proposal. All other price proposals receive points in inverse proportion. The calculation formula applied is as follows:

p = 30 (µ/z); where: p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated; µ = price of the lowest priced proposal; z = price of the proposal being evaluated.

How to Submit the Application: 

To submit your application online, please follow the steps below:

• Download and complete the UN Women Personal History Form (P11)- http://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employment
• Merge your UN Women Personal History Form (P11), the Financial Proposal, and the Letter of Confirmation of Interest into a single file. The system does not allow for more than one attachment to be uploaded.
• Click on the Job Title (job vacancy announcement).
• Click 'Apply Now' button, fill in necessary information on the first page, and then click 'Submit Application;'
• Upload your application/single file as indicated above with the merged documents (underlined above).
• You will receive an automatic response to your email confirming receipt of your application by the system.

Notes:

• UN Women retains the right to contact references directly. Due to the large numbers of applications we receive, we are able to inform only the successful candidates about the outcome or status of the selection process.
• Applications without the financial offer will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.
• The individual consultants should take the mandatory learning security course prior to commencement of assignment – details will follow before the issuance of contract.
• Candidates should have the ability to quickly produce degree certificates and medical certification (of good health) for consideration of the consultancy post.