Background

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 is operational in Moldova since 2010 based on former UNIFEM projects, which were laid and active in the country from 2007. It extended continuous support to the Government of Moldova, to key stakeholders from national and local levels, through various programs and activities aimed at creating an enabling environment for gender equality, recognized as a prerequisite for sustainable development with a strong and active policy on gender equality.

The work of UN Women in Moldova is guided by its new Country Strategic Note 2023-2027, aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Moldova (2023-2027), UN Women Global Strategic Plan, National Programs and Strategies and aims to contribute to the gender-responsive implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Strategic Note focuses on four main areas: 1) Ending Violence against Women; 2) Women’s Leadership and Governance; 3) Women’s Economic empowerment and 4) Humanitarian and Peace development nexus and UN Coordination on GE.

Based on the European Commission Implementing Decision on the Annual Action Plan in favour of the Republic of Moldova for 2022 NDICI-GEO-NEAR/2022/ACT-61535 EU4 Resilience and Governance, UN Women Moldova CO is implementing a four-year project (November 2023 – October 2027) under the name "Ending Violence, Expanding Livelihood Opportunities for Women and Accelerating Gender Governance in Moldova" (hereinafter EVOLVE4GE). The project is implemented in line with and in contribution to the Gender Action Plan III (GAP III) of European Commission " Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment in External Action 2021–2025", adopted in November 2020, Country gender profile and its Country Level Implementation Plan – CLIP for the Republic of Moldova which aim to accelerate progress on empowering women and girls, and safeguard gains made on gender equality during the 25 years since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and its Platform for Action . It will also support the Government to advance implementation of the gender equality commitments aligned with the EU candidacy status granted to the Republic of Moldova in June 2022. 

One of the anticipated results of the EVOLVE4GE project is the enhancement of the capacity of both Central and Local Government authorities to design and implement gender-responsive policies. The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection (MLSP) is one of the key UN Women’s national partners, collaborating in the development and implementation of policies related to gender equality and women’s empowerment. The Ministry is leading a complex reform of the social assistance system (RESTART), which aims to promote and ensure the respect of social protection and assistance rights of the vulnerable population of the Republic of Moldova. In line with the key priorities under the reform, the Ministry has established a model for systematic data collection from the Territorial Structures and Agencies for Social Assistance (STAS/ATAS), including on cases of gender based violence. This process aims to facilitate regular and timely identification and processing of reported cases and further contribute towards strengthening the overall case management, enhanced quality of services and efficiency in addressing GBV.

To enable effective performance of the STAS in identification and submission of data in the online data collection system, the MLSP is prioritizing a timely and accurate tracking and data analysis of social assistance, including in cases of gender based violence.

In this framework, UN Women Moldova within the EVOLVE4GE project seeks to contract a consultant (here and after “The Consultant”) to support the MLSP in ensuring efficient social assistance data collection, monitoring and analysis, with focus on improving the gender based violence casework.

Duties and Responsibilities

The overall objective of this consultancy is to support the MLSP in strengthening the capacities of STAS professionals to improve efficiency identification, collection and timely reporting of disaggregated data on social assistance, with focus on gender based violence cases.

More specifically, the consultant?? will be responsible for the following tasks, including but not limited to: 

  • Work closely with the MLSP team responsible for data collection and producing weekly reports on trends in social assistance and GBV cases across the country, ensuring that the collected data is rigorously disaggregated;
  • Extend regular coaching and mentoring support to STAS teams, to ensure more effective usage of the digital data collection system;
  • Provide capacity development assistance to STAS teams as needed, to improve the identification and reporting of cases of GBV;
  • Participate in regular meetings with STAS and MLSP team, provide updates and recommendations for overcoming identified bottlenecks and challenges;
  • Conduct field travel to attend coordination meetings, provide one on one coaching and follow-up with STAS teams as necessary.
  • Provide inputs in the analysis of data trends in reporting cases of GBV and production of weekly reports.
  • Collaborate with UN Women and other relevant stakeholders to conduct gender analysis and assess the potential impact of digital initiatives on women and girls, particularly those from vulnerable groups.
  • Submit monthly progress reports on major tasks performed.

The consultant is expected to work on a full-time basis and be seated within the MLSP; The consultant will work in close coordination with UN Women project team and the MLSP team lead of the Restart reform under direct supervision of State Secretary in MLSP.

 All written products should be agreed with MLSP and UN Women and be provided in electronic copy. The monthly reports to UN Women should be provided in English.

Duration of the assignment

The estimated duration of the contract is from 20/09/2024 to 19/09/2025.

Management arrangements

The consultant will report directly to the State Secretary of MLSP, who will be responsible for providing strategic guidance and supervision, and in close coordination and oversight by the UN Women project team. The consultant will work closely with the RESTART team lead, development partners, and key stakeholders to ensure effective coordination and alignment of initiatives, with a strong focus on promoting gender equality and women's empowerment.

Performance evaluation

The consultant’s performance will be evaluated against performance criteria as: timeliness, responsibility, initiative, communication, accuracy, and quality of the products delivered, with a strong emphasis on the effective integration of gender considerations throughout the assignment.

Financial arrangements

Payment will be disbursed on a monthly basis, upon submission and approval of deliverables and timesheets with actual days worked and certification by the Minister that the services have been satisfactorily performed.

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel 

This is an office-based consultancy, and the consultant will be seated in the premises of the MLSP, with the possibility of traveling within the country.

Competencies

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/en/about-us/employment/application-process#_Values

Functional competencies:

  • Strategic Thinking and Leadership
  • Gender Mainstreaming
  • Digital Transformation Expertise
  • Project Management and Coordination
  • Stakeholder Engagement and Partnership Building
  • Communication and Advocacy
  • Resilience and Adaptability
  • Critical Thinking
  • Intersectionality Awareness

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Completion of secondary education is required.
  • University degree in human rights, sociology, gender studies, public relations, development studies and/or other social science related areas relevant for the assignment is an advantage;
  • Additional training and certification in the field of gender equality, human rights, gender based violence etc. would be an advantage.

Experience

  • At least 6 years of experience in project management and/or coordination or any close related experience is required.
  • At least 2 years of experience in delivering trainings, coaching and capacity mentoring, and coordinating program/project teams is required.
  • Experience working in or with government agencies, particularly in the social protection sector, is highly desirable.
  • Previous experience in working with/in government sector in the field of gender equality and ending violence against women would be considered an asset;  
  • Experience in data collection and analyses would be considered an asset.

Language Requirements

Excellent command of Romanian and English, knowledge of Russian would be an advantage.

APPLICATION PROCESS AND SUBMISSION PACKAGE 

Interested candidates are invited to submit their online applications with the following documents:

Please note that only short-listed applicants will be contacted.

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.

The United Nations in Moldova is committed to workforce diversity. Women, persons with disabilities, Roma and other ethnic or religious minorities, persons living with HIV, as well as refugees and other non-citizens legally entitled to work in the Republic of Moldova, are particularly encouraged to apply.

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