Gender Consultant Roster (2023-2025) - Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECARO)

작업 내용

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, hope

How can you make a difference?

The UNICEF Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (ECA) is seeking gender consultants to be part of a stand-by ECARO Gender Consultant Roster of qualified and experienced pre-screened consultants for short- and longer-term consultancy assignments that will have validity until 2025. These assignments may be remote/home-based or in-person within ECA region working alongside the ECA Regional Office (ECARO) Regional Gender Advisor (RGA) or Country Office technical leads.

Becoming a Pre-Qualified Consultant in the UNICEF Gender Roster is a one-off standard application for potential assignments. Once pre-qualified, consultants will be eligible for direct recruitment by UNICEF offices in the region for a two-year period. Over the two-year period, UNICEF will make use of the roster for eligible consultancy requirements; this is therefore a unique opportunity for any interested and qualified candidates to submit one single application and, if entered onto the Roster, to be considered for any future assignments in the relevant area of expertise.

Candidates who are in the current ECAR Gender Roster (2020-2022), will need to re-apply for consideration, as the current Roster validity is expiring, and it will be replaced by a new one through this call for applications.

Technical expertise provided by the rostered gender consultants to the ECARO or ECA Country Offices will play a critical role in supporting the implementation of UNICEF’s new Gender Policy and Action Plan (GAP 2022-2025) and the achievement of gender equality results across all areas of the Strategic Plan. The expertise sought will include but will not be limited to supporting gender equality analysis and research for transformative results, programming and policy guidance, capacity building, evaluations, and knowledge management.

BACKGROUND

UNICEF is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to promote the equal rights of women and girls and to support their full participation in the political, social and economic development of their communities. It strives to mainstream gender equality in all its work for children with the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) as a principal reference, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) as an important underpinning of the organisation’s mandate and mission. In addition, as a joint implementer of the Common Chapter of the strategic plans of the funds and programmes and a participating entity of the UN System-wide Action Plan (UN-SWAP) on gender equality, UNICEF annually reports on the 17 common Performance Indicators. Programmatically and institutionally, UNICEF’s Gender Action Plan (GAP) provides the main vehicle for integrating gender equality concerns into its operational processes and policies, guiding the organisation’s contributions towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

UNICEF’s work on gender equality is guided by the GAP 2022-2025. The GAP 2022-2025 specifies how UNICEF will promote gender equality across the organization’s work, in alignment with the UNICEF Strategic Plan 2022-25 and supports the achievement of gender equality goals as outlined in Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The GAP 2022-2025 framework defines a dual-track approach for both integrated and targeted approaches to gender equality in programme strategies and results. Integrated refers to the integration of gender equality outcomes across the life course in all five Goal Areas of the Strategic Plan 2022-2025, such as (a) quality maternal health care and nutrition, and HIV testing, counselling and care; (b) gender-responsive education systems and equitable access to education for all; (c) addressing violence against girls, boys and women, as well as harmful practices; (d) equitable WASH systems; and (e) gender-responsive social protection systems and care work.

Targeted refers to four targeted priority actions designed to advance adolescent girls leadership and wellbeing, such as (a) promoting adolescent girls’ nutrition and pregnancy care and preventing HIV/AIDS and human papillomavirus; (b) advancing girls’ education, learning and skills, including science, technology, engineering, mathematics and digital skills; (c) eliminating child marriage and early unions; and (d) promoting accessible and dignified menstrual health and hygiene services, including tackling taboos with respect to menstruation.

GAP 2022-2025 also articulates four cross-cutting principles and priorities to ensure the integration of gender within programmatic results remains tangible and actionable across all sections. These are (a) addressing gender-based violence; (b) changing discriminatory gender norms; (c) promoting gender-responsive workplaces and institutional accountability; and (d) engaging men and boys as allies for gender equality.

These Results Are Grounded In UNICEF’s Gender Policy And Action Plan And Identify Gender Disparities, Barriers And Bottlenecks As a Key Consideration For Addressing Equity Challenges To Ensure That

The UNICEF Europe and Central Asia Region integrates gender equality and the empowerment of girls and women as foundational principals and strategies within its Regional Flagship Results for Children.

• By 2030, all countries in the region have 95% of children at national level and at least 80% in every district vaccinated with DTP/Penta 3.
• By 2030, one million girls and boys who would have otherwise been out-of-learning are participating in high quality, inclusive pre-primary, primary and secondary education and skills development.
• By 2030, zero children in institutional care.
• By 2030, 20 million adolescents in ECA have a chance to be connected, engaged, and empowered.
  

For more information, please refer to Europe and Central Asia Gender Work.

Skills Required

The main service areas in future work assignment ToRs are as follows:

• Gender support to sectoral programming: technical assistance to conceptualize and operationalize gender mainstreaming in UNICEF’s sector programming: Health, Nutrition, WASH, Child Protection, HIV/AIDS, Education, Early Childhood Development (ECD), Social Policy, Adolescent Development and Participation (ADAP), Climate Action, Emergency, Social and Behavior Change (SBC), Innovation, Disability, Private Sector Engagement etc. Provision of technical inputs to increase gender-responsiveness of sector-specific toolkits, manuals, packages, standards, trainings, process guidance, programme documents, policy drafts, and other documents and resources.
• Gender reviews and gender analysis: support gender reviews of country office programmes, guided by the new UNICEF gender programmatic review (GPR) tools; map and identify country programme outputs and activities with the greatest potential for impact and scale; support in-depth gender analysis linked to selected outputs, sectoral or cross-sectoral programme components; assist with developing Theories of Change (ToC) that analyse and address intermediate gender barriers/bottlenecks and structural determinants; provide actionable recommendations for accelerating gender in UNICEF programmes.
• Gender capacity building/training: support gender capacity building efforts through a variety of models, methods and materials delivered in multiple accessible formats and languages relevant to ECA region and different country contexts; enhance gender capacity for high quality gender-integrated programming, research, advocacy and communications, through training of sectoral specialists and gender focal points; and facilitate the dissemination and uptake of gender-related tools, guidance and approaches.
• Gender research and evidence building: Develop and conduct gender-related research, using both qualitative and quantitative approaches, including scoping studies and strategic research for advocacy; support efforts to close the gender data gap and advise on data collection and management strategies and tools; strengthen the quality of research, analysis, and evidence building on gender related programming and policy.
• Gender results frameworks: Provide guidance to the articulation of gender results in country programmes and the development of gender-inclusive results frameworks; provide capacity building in framing gender results and indicators and gender-responsive monitoring and evaluation; support the review and development of gender-related indicator sets; perform (rapid) field reviews/assessments of gender results of programmes or programmes components.
• Gender & Innovation: Provide gender technical support to the development of innovative solutions (technological or social innovations) to ‘unsolved’ problems of the Gender Action Plan; improve the gender-responsive and transformative nature of ongoing innovation projects; provide review of and advice on innovative gender pilots and planning of scale up. Support the learning agenda in the areas of girls’ digital skills and entrepreneurship; girls and the gender digital divide; gender-smart innovative finance.
• Adolescent Girls’ Empowerment: support cross-sectoral strategies, partnerships and programming that work with and for adolescent girls and strive to empower them, through evidence-generation, technical assistance, quality assurance, coordination, communication, or other, in particular in the areas of:
• Adolescent Pregnancy and Child Marriage: provide technical advisory services on adolescent pregnancy and child marriage programming, based on latest evidence in the ECA region, including drivers of and response services to adolescent pregnancy and child marriage.
• Girls’ engagement and leadership in Climate Change Action: support emerging programming on climate change action with a particular focus on girls’ leadership and engagement; generate and share evidence on what works; advise on partnerships and approaches; etc
• Girls in STEM and Digital Literacy: provide technical expertise in the design, implementation and measurement of STEM programmes targeting girls and in programmes advancing girls’ digital literacy, including trainings, frameworks, curricula, etc that support girls’ use and adoption of digital opportunities.
• Communications and Knowledge Management: support documentation and sharing of guidance and experience in gender programming and lessons learned; showcase gender-related best practices; design and edit gender knowledge products; develop social media contributions to promote gender equality; perform gender knowledge management tasks for country offices.
• Gender responsive humanitarian action: provide technical expertise to conceptualize, operationalize, and evaluate humanitarian programmes with gendered focus; provide support to analyse and strengthen strategic documents related to humanitarian response; perform rapid gender needs assessments to inform humanitarian response; strengthen UNICEF and stakeholder capacity on gender responsive humanitarian action.
  

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Requirements

All candidates screened for the ECA Regional Gender Roster must meet the basic UNICEF eligibility requirements, competencies and skills across several gender domains as follows

UNICEF invites applicants with passion for gender equality and relevant education, work experience and skills to apply.

Technical Expertise

Candidates must possess demonstrated technical expertise in at least one of the following areas:

• Gender Equality in Health Systems & Workforce (Early Child Development, Girls’ nutrition, pregnancy care, HIV & HPV prevention)
• Gender Equality in Teaching and Education Systems (Girls’ secondary education, learning & skills)
• Gender socialization (Human Rights; ADAP; SIP; C4D; Disability)
• Gender Based Violence (GBV) against girls, boys and women (GBV in Emergencies & development linkages, child marriage and early unions, FGM/C and other harmful practices, Child Protection)
• Gender responsive WASH & hygiene systems (including Menstrual Health & Hygiene)
• Gender, Technology & Innovation
• Gender Responsive Humanitarian Action
• Adolescent Girls’ Health, Well-being and Empowerment
• Resource mobilization/strategic partnerships on gender equality
• Gender equality data and analysis
• Knowledge Management
• Programme Management
  

Professional Experience

• Advanced university degree (Masters or higher) in the social sciences (i.e. sociology, demography, psychology, political science, social policy or economics), public health, public policy, public administration, international development, or in an area relevant to UNICEF’s work (e.g. Health, Nutrition, WASH, Education, Child Protection, Gender Based Violence, Emergencies, Social Inclusion, HIV/AIDs, etc.). Academic credentials in gender are a strong asset. Applicants with a Bachelor’s degree supplemented with additional two years of relevant work experience may be considered.
• A minimum of 6 or more years of progressively responsible professional experience and a demonstrated track record of having undertaken and led substantive programming and research, gender training, gender analysis, assessments and evaluations —especially covering the Targeted and Mainstreamed UNICEF GAP Priorities.
• A proven record of developing field tools and guidance for gender policy, analysis and sector programming.
• Experience in designing, implementing, managing, and delivering results-based programmes/projects on gender or any other cross cutting programme.
• Experience in undertaking gender analysis, skills to collect, collate and analyse data in a scientific and effective manner.
• Analytical, methodical and precise style of writing is required. Any research experience should be clearly demonstrated.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and presentation skills are required.
• Good knowledge of gender and adolescent girls’ issues in the ECA region is essential.
• At least two years or more professional experience in the ECA region is highly desired.
• Approximately half of all work experience should be at the international level.
  

Languages

• Fluency in English is required and fluency in at least one of the major languages used in the ECA region (e.g. Russian) is preferred.
  

Competencies of Successful Candidate

Any candidate to the UNICEF’s pre-qualified Consultants Roster should be:

• Able to communicate effectively with varied audiences, including through formal presentation and written communication
• Able to work across different units and encourage collaboration; ability to explain complex concepts to different audiences; ability to communicate with all levels of management and staff
• Able to synthesize complex information for multiple audiences
• Able to work effectively in a multi-cultural environment and demonstrate sensitivity for cultural differences
• Able to work independently and remotely as well as in various settings
• Able to work effectively with stakeholders from government institutions, international organizations, academia and NGOs
• Adopt a flexible attitude and adaptability to rapidly changing circumstances
• Able to work under pressure and respond to deadlines without sacrificing quality
• Able to handle multiple assignments with competing deadlines
  

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS), and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Applicants Are Invited To

How to Apply

• Duly complete the online UNICEF application including technical questions
• Duly complete & attach the P-11 History From (can be downloaded here: https://www.unicef.org/careers/documents/p11-form)
• Attach latest CV
• Attach motivation letter indicating the main area(s) of technical area expertise and preferred area(s) of work
• Submit financial proposal with daily fee. Applications without a daily fee will not be considered.
  

Please apply to the Regional Roster by the indicated online deadline of 10 January 2023.

Please note that only candidates who are under serious consideration will be contacted. Once pre-qualified, consultants will be eligible for direct recruitment by UNICEF offices in the region for a two-year period. In the selection of its staff and consultants, UNICEF is committed to gender balance, inclusion and diversity without distinction as to race, sex or religion, and without discrimination of persons with disabilities. Well qualified candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.