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. The forthcoming UN Women Nepal’s Strategic Note (SN) for the period 2018-2022 lays out the agency’s unique role and comparative advantage in supporting national stakeholders in advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women in line with internationally agreed normative standards. The SN is aligned with and contributes to Nepal’s national priorities as described in Nepal’s Fourteenth Three-year Periodic Plan, its gender equality commitments, the needs of women’s organizations, and the UNDAF 2018-2022 with a commitment of leaving no one behind. UN Women will advance its efforts in Nepal in accordance with its unique role and triple mandate (normative, operational and coordination) and lessons learned to “achieve gender equality and social inclusion and empower women and girls in Nepal to realize their human rights” (Nepal Country Office SN Goal Statement).

Under the overarching SN 2018-2022, UN Women focuses on two programmatic areas, governance and leadership, and women’s economic empowerment. Women’s economic empowerment seeks to ensure income security, better jobs and economic independence of vulnerable women, taking into account the vulnerability of women and girls in the contexts of disaster risk and climate change impact. This will help ensure that, vulnerable women’s groups in Nepal have income generation opportunities and are resilient to climate change and disasters that affect their livelihoods by 2022 (Outcome 2). The anticipated outputs include: 1) Planet 50:50 Nepal advanced by engaging men/boys, interfaith leaders, vulnerable groups and youth networks in addressing adverse social and economic norms, structural barriers, and gender-based discrimination; 2) Key line ministries and select local governments have increased technical capacity to develop and implement gender responsive macroeconomic policies (fiscal and budgetary) and sectoral policies (agriculture, energy, labour, industry and DRR); and 3) A substantive equality approach to women's economic empowerment tested and adopted in select target sectors (agriculture, energy) for income generation, improved climate resilient livelihoods and to address safe migration with vulnerable women’s groups.

Key strategies to achieve the above will include: 1) advocacy and social mobilization for transformational changes in social and economic norms, which regulate institutions, structures and policies of government agencies, businesses and communities; 2) integrated policy advice to the government at the federal level for the development of gender-responsive economic policies and at the local level for their implementation; 3) capacity development support for vulnerable women’s groups in partnership with federal and local governments, and the private sector, focusing on skills and leadership development and prevention of gender based violence; and 4) technical assistance to ensure women’s increased access to disaster and climate-smart and time-saving assets, tools, technologies and information, particularly for women in agriculture.

Duties and Responsibilities

In order to provide high quality policy advisory service especially on macroeconomic policy and capacity development support to the Government and other stakeholders, UN Women is seeking for the services of an expert feminist development economist (the Consultant). Reporting to Unit Manager (Economic Empowerment Unit), in close collaboration with programme teams, the Consultant will be responsible to analyze macroeconomic and social data and trends and provide analytical advisory services to UN Women Nepal Country Office on development issues and policies to enhance the strategic impact of UN Women’s interventions in the areas of women’s economic empowerment in Nepal. S/he will also identify, formulate and manage policy research projects on key macroeconomic issues particularly in the context of women’s economic empowerment.

Functions:

1. Strategic macroeconomic analysis and policy research

Review and analyze relevant macroeconomic and sectoral policies to support the evidence-based policy advocacy function of UN Women, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Collect, analyze and synthesize the country’s macroeconomic policies and SDG related information with a focus on gender equality and women’s empowerment.
• Generate and update socio-economic country briefs and policy papers and analyses with a focus on relevant macroeconomic and sectoral policies, through compilation, analysis and interpretation of economic and statistical data combined with thorough research of the economic and development issues.
• Contribute to the selection of strategic research topics, surveys and/or case studies for the advancement of women’s economic empowerment.
• Lead the production and launch of analytical economic reports from a perspective of substantive equality.
• Contribute to the knowledge building and management of UN Women Nepal Country Office through reviews and dissemination of best practices and lessons learnt from implementation of projects and programmes with a view to strengthening the upstream orientation within the Country Office.

Expected deliverables:

(i) socio-economic briefs; (ii) policy papers; (iii) formulation and launch of a research study on care economy and women’s time use; and (iv) a compilation of best practices and lessons learnt.

2. High quality technical inputs and support to UN Women programmes on women’s economic empowerment

Provide high quality analytical economic inputs to UN Women programmes for the strategic implementation of the SN 2018-2022 and ensures the UN Women programmes are in line with national policies and priorities, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Review and advice on key macroeconomic policy issues in the light of focuses/priorities of the UN Women Nepal’s SN 2018-2022.
• Provide expert advice on possible areas of UN Women’s support and adjustment of on-going and/or planned programmes to ensure that they are effective and in line with national priorities as well as UN Women’s global strategic plan.
• Provides top quality analysis and substantive inputs to UN and UN Women strategic documents.
• Contribute to the development of upstream policy-level assistance of UN Women in support of women’s economic empowerment in Nepal.
• Advise on economic considerations in programming and projects, based on, e.g. cost-benefit analysis
• Advises programmes on public finance management and economic governance issues, including public sector expenditure and budget management processes.

Expected deliverables:

(i) Technical inputs to develop and roll out the upstream policy level capacity development assistance; (ii) strategic notes/background papers in support of the formulation of strategies of women’s economic empowerment programmes from a substantive equality perspective; and (iii) technical inputs and quality assurance support on the formulation, planning, management and monitoring of UN Women programmes on women’s economic empowerment

3. Evidence-based policy advisory services and capacity development of the Government counterparts, civil society and development partners

Provide high quality economic policy advisory services and technical support to the Government and facilitate capacity development of relevant officials of the Government, civil society and development partners to effectively integrate, implement and monitor gender equality provisions in macroeconomic and sectoral policies in alignment with international and national commitments on gender equality and women’s empowerment. The Consultant will also focus on achievement of the following results:

• Facilitate policy dialogues on macroeconomic issues with the Government, donor, civil society, private sector to contribute to development of policies to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment.
• Provide policy options, especially from a perspective of gender equality and women’s empowerment, on macroeconomic issues to governments and other development actors.
• Organize capacity development opportunities for Government officials in the formulation, implementation and monitoring of SDG-based policies, plans and programmes, including appropriate macroeconomic, fiscal and medium-term expenditure frameworks.

Expected deliverables:

(i) policy dialogues; (ii) policy briefs; and (iii) capacity development activities for Government officials

4. Contribution to the strategic partnerships and resource mobilization efforts

Provide technical supports and advice to create strategic partnerships and implement the UN Women resource mobilization strategy, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Contributes to the development and drafting of concept notes and/or programme documents of UN Women interventions on women’s economic empowerment.
• Analyzes and researches information on donors.
• Prepares substantive briefs on possible areas of UN Women interventions.

Expected deliverables:

(i) drafts of concept notes and/or programme documents; and (ii) thematic briefs for possible areas of resource mobilization.

Payment Schedule:

• Payment will be made on deliverable basis as on agreed timeline and upon satisfactory performance of the consultant which will be certified by her/his supervisor.

Competencies

• Extensive knowledge of economic development issues and familiarity with major macroeconomic policy issues and models, and SDGs;
• Demonstrated ability to apply economic theory to the specific country context;
• Strong qualitative and quantitative skills and the ability to carry out high quality economic research, including statistical analysis;
• Ability to analyze from a global perspective, with the ability to offer practical policy advice on issues of women’s economic empowerment based on local realities;
• Excellent negotiation skills;
• Strong analytical, networking and interpersonal skills;
• Knowledge and understanding of UN system and familiarity and demonstrates commitment to UN Women's mission, vision and values;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Highest standard of integrity, discretion and loyalty.

Required Skills and Experience

Education

• Master’s Degree or equivalent in Economics, with strong emphasis on macroeconomics and other qualitative skills, development economics and economic planning.

Experience

• Minimum 10 years of relevant work experience in macroeconomic analysis, policy advise and strategic planning at the national or international level;
• Proven expertise in the area of gender equality and women’s empowerment, especially substantive equality in the context of women’s economic empowerment;
• Extensive experience in research and policy-oriented analysis, including formulation, monitoring and evaluation of strategies and development programmes/projects;
• Demonstrated applied/practical experience on gender equality and women’s empowerment in a developing country;
• Substantial experience with women’s economic empowerment issues in the context of a developing country; and
• Demonstrated experience in the usage of computers and office software packages, experience in handling of web-based management systems and advanced programmes for statistical analysis of data is an asset.

Language

• Excellent command of written and oral English.

Application Process:

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

• Expression of interest explaining why you are interested to this position and what professional skills and experiences you must support your interest is strong.
• Dully filled P11 form that can be downloaded from http://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employment.
• A sample of original writing produced within the last three months where the applicant is the lead author
• A separate page of all-inclusive financial proposal in the format below.

Note:

• The system will only allow one attachment, please combine all your documents into one single PDF document. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form and the written sample will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment. 

Inputs:

• UN Women will cover the travel costs to and from Kathmandu and DSA as per standard UN rate for authorized official travels.
• The consultant is expected to work either at the UN Women office or other relevant location, using her/his own computer, but may access the UN Women office for printing of relevant documents should he/she be required to work on-site at any point during the assignment.
• The consultant will be required to provide their own local communications such as SIM cards and mobile phone.
• It is mandatory for the consultant to participate in a UN security briefing and to follow UN security rules and guidance.
• It is the Consultant’s responsibility to arrange private insurance, the cost of which may be included in the financial proposal.
• The Consultant will be required to provide a Statement of Good Health, endorsed by a certified Medical Practitioner.

Evaluation and Selection Criteria:

Criteria for selection will be based on the following assessment followed by the satisfactory reference check of the candidate:

• Required degree and qualification (15 points);
• Extensive knowledge of economic development issues and familiarity with major macroeconomic policy issues, including economic theories and models (40 points);
• Extensive experience in research and policy-oriented economic analysis, including statistical analysis, (30 points);

• Expertise and knowledge of gender equality and women’s empowerment, especially women’s economic empowerment issues in the development context (15 points).

A two-stage procedure is applied in evaluating the proposals, with technical evaluation through the desk review prior to any price proposal being compared. Only the price proposal of the candidates who passed the minimum technical score of 70% of the obtainable score of 100 points in the technical evaluation will be evaluated.

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.