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Local Individual Consultant to provide programmatic support to UN Women within EVA project in advancing innovation in gender mainstreaming at local level .

Vacancy Number: Pr20/02128

Location:	Chisinau, Moldova
Application Deadline:	01 Dec 2020, 23:59 (GMT+2:00)
Starting date:	07 Dec 2020
Reference to the project:	UN Women
Expected Duration of Assignment:	Up to 150 days, from December 2020 to July 2022
Submission Instructions: Proposals should be submitted on-line no later than 1 December 2020, 23:59 EST. Requests for clarification only must be sent by standard electronic communication to the following e-mail veronika.dobrioglo@unwomen.org. Please notice that this address is for information requests only, please do not send or copy your application package to this address. UN Women staff will respond by standard electronic mail and will send written copies of the response, including an explanation of the query without identifying the source of inquiry, to all consultants.
Supporting Documents: Annex I & II ToR Personal History Form (P11) UN Women UN Women Conditions of Service Consultants

Ms. Veronica Dobrioglo.

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. Placing women's rights at the center of all its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates the United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world.      

The work of UN Women in Moldova is guided by its Country Strategic Note for 2018-2022, aligned with the Republic of Moldova–United Nations Partnership Framework for Sustainable Development 2018–2022, the Global Strategic Plan of UN Women for 2018-2021, the National Strategy on Gender Equality for 2017-2021 (NSGE), the National Strategy for prevention and combating violence against women and domestic violence for 2018-2023 elaborated in line with the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention). UN Women Strategy for Moldova 2018-2022 focuses on three main areas: 1) strengthening women’s participation in politics and decision making, 2) economic empowerment of women and 3) ending violence against women and girls. To achieve progress under these areas, UN Women works with a variety of national and international partners and as part of different national and regional initiatives.    

Based on the European Commission Decision ENI/2018/041-302 regarding the Annual Action Programme 2018 in favor of the Republic of Moldova for support for the implementations of the EU-Moldova Association Agreement, UN Women Moldova CO is implementing a  three-year project (January 2020 – December 2022) under the name “Strengthened Gender Action in Cahul and Ungheni districts” (hereinafter EVA). The project is implemented in line with and in contribution to the Gender Action Plan II (GAP II) of European Commission “Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment: Transforming the lives of girls and women through external relations 2016-2020”, adopted in September 2015.   

The project started in January 2020, being funded by the European Union, co-founded and implemented by UN Women Moldova Country Office and in partnership with UNICEF. The overall purpose of the EVA Project is to promote gender equality, women’s empowerment through strengthened implementation of gender mainstreaming in local policies and combating gender-based and domestic violence affecting women and children in two focal regions: Ungheni and Cahul.  

The principles of gender equality and women empowerment are central to the EVA Project, as women in Moldova continue to face gender inequalities when it comes to decision-making, the labor market, the gender pay gap, as the regulatory framework still impedes women to participate and have certain occupations and allows for discrimination based on age, disability, marital status, etc.  

One of the expected results under EVA Project is that gender equality is promoted and mainstreamed in local policy making and decision-making. Thus, it is envisaged to integrate gender equality in local policies and budgets (or in local policy making), through training elected and appointed representatives of the LPAs on gender equality and gender mainstreaming and its implications for decisions taken by the LPAs;  supporting LPAs to contribute to the principles of the European Charter for Equality of Women and Men in Local Life; raising the awareness and capacities of local CSOs and gender advocates – as rights holders - to monitor the implementation of policies and budgets from the gender equality perspective and demand accountability of duty bearers; raising awareness of local population from selected regions on gender equality and empowering women to actively participate in local decision-making processes. 

Another set of expected results under EVA project refers to a greater access to effective survivor - focused multidisciplinary services for the victims of domestic violence, including sexual violence; and violence prevention programmes piloted in local schools and communities. These should be achieved through a range of interventions, inclusively through strengthening the capacities of the multidisciplinary teams for an effective protection of women/children victims of domestic violence, empowering domestic violence survivors, and using innovative tools to raise the capacities of local civil society to change attitudes and behaviors on violence against women and gender-based violence.  

Scope of work

RATIONALE 

To implement the EVA project activities related to promoting innovative approaches to advance gender mainstreaming and women empowerment in the public policies and initiatives at local level, UN Women will contract a local expert as a short term individual programmatic consultant.  

The national consultant will be working closely with the international company contracted in the framework of the project to provide liaison with the local stakeholders and local professionals from Cahul and Ungheni districts, to offer guidance, facilitation, coordination, monitoring and regular exchange of knowledge and experience for promoting innovative approaches in advancing gender mainstreaming in LPAs activity. 

SCOPE OF WORK 

UN Women within EVA project seeks to contract one Consultant to work with local authorities (hereinafter “the Consultant”) to provide analytical support, consultancy, and assistance in the implementation of the assignment in partnership with the foreign company contracted by UN Women to promote innovative approaches in engaging local authorities to advance gender mainstreaming and promote women empowerment in the public policies and initiatives at local level in Cahul and Ungheni districts.  

The consultant is expected to work under the supervision of the EVA Programme Manager and in close collaboration with the EVA Programme Officer on Gender Mainstreaming and partner international organization for effective achievement of results, anticipating and resolving complex programme-related issues and information delivery. 

More specifically, the consultant will be responsible for the following main tasks: 

• Provide expert analysis and develop a desk research on existing practices in gender mainstreaming and women’s empowerment within local policies and initiatives across Moldova. 
• Liaise the international company with the local authorities and stakeholders relevant for the contract implementation. 
• Provide local specific information to the company to design activities tailored to the local needs and based on the best practices and cultural accepted norms. 
• Act as local counterpart in the implementation of the institutional contract. 
• Assist EVA team in coordinating the activities carried out in Cahul and Ungheni. 

• Organize any additional meetings and consultations with other stakeholders if necessary (to be decided in consultation with UN Women). 
• Facilitate interaction of the foreign company with the local stakeholders, inclusively through informal interpretation upon need. 
• Work closely with the foreign company contracted for promoting innovative approaches in engaging with LPAs, for the implementation of the following deliverables: 

• Design models/methodology for innovative ways of mainstreaming gender and women empowerment in the local budgets, policies, and decisions.  
• Co-facilitate in planning and organizing 6 capacity building sessions for LPAs from 12 partner localities in applying innovative tools based on behavioral insights for mainstreaming gender and women empowerment in the local decisions, plans and budgets and promote gender equality. Specifically: development of methodology, agenda, list of invitees; design the sessions/consultations with local stakeholders to be organized during a mission in Moldova of international team of experts, or via online platforms.  

• Post-training support meetings (coaching). Specifically, the consultant will develop the workplans and monitor/assist LPAs applying innovative tools based on behavioral insights for mainstreaming gender and women empowerment in local decisions, plans and budgets. 
• Ensure documentation of the LPAs progress in applying innovation tools process, including communication with different specialists from LPAs, monitoring of the activities organized by the company, compilation of feedback, observations during shadowing process.  
• Provision of mentorship and consultancy to development Communities of Practice.  
• Organizing up to 4 capacity building sessions for LPAs and CSOs on how to document and share knowledge, based on the toolkits developed in the framework of the contract.  
• Comprehensive review/evaluation of implementing the gender mainstreaming principles in LPAs activity, drawing lessons learned, identifying best practices and providing recommendations.  

For detailed information regrding the tasks and activities, please refer to Terms of Reference attached.

Requirements for experience

Education: 

• Master's degree or equivalent in Human Rights, Gender Equality, Law, Social Sciences, Public Administration or other development related sciences. 
• A first-level university degree in combination with three additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. 
• Additional training and certification in programme/project management would be an advantage. 

Experience: 

• Minimum three (3) years of relevant practical experience in working with public authorities/ or promoting gender equality or human rights.  
• Experience in designing/drafting policy documents.  
• Extensive knowledge and/or experience in working with LPAs will be considered an asset. 
• Proven experience in applying innovation tools and techniques in the development, including developed workshop methodology, research, developed M&E tools etc., will be considered an asset.  

• Experience in conducting qualitative and quantitative social research.  

Language requirements:  

• Fluency in written and oral Romanian, Russian, English are required. 

Other skills/ requirements: 

• Good business writing skills.  
• Computer literacy and ability to effectively use office technology equipment, IT tools, ability to use Internet and email. 
• Availability to travel within Moldova for the implementation of the contract.  

Documents to be included

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

• Duly filled Personal History Form PHF11/CV (downloadable from http://www.unwomen.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/P_11_form_UNwomen.doc);
• Letter of Intent to include a brief overview about which of your previous experiences makes you the most suitable candidate for the advertised position.
• Financial proposal – specifying a total lump sum amount for the task specified in Terms of References. The Financial proposal shall include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (daily rate). Please see ANNEX I and ANNEX II.

Financial proposal

The financial proposal shall include a breakdown of the lump sum amount (daily rate and number of anticipated working days). Please see Annex I: Price Proposal Guideline and Template and Price Proposal Submission Form.