Consultant to Conduct UNCT UN-SWAP Gender Equality Scorecard in Burundi

Background

General Assembly Resolution A/RES/72/279 “Repositioning of the United Nations development system in the context of the quadrennial comprehensive policy review of operational activities for development of the United Nations system” proposes system-wide collective action to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The system-wide strategic document charts a path for the UN System to work collaboratively, building on the strengths of each entity, to accelerate its alignment with the 2030 Agenda at the country, regional and global level. In this model—which ensures an optimized mix of UN operational capacities and expertise to support country priorities across the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)---the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) is a starting point to rethink United Nations Country Team (UNCT) activities and continues to be the most important planning instrument in support of SDG implementation. Key principles in the current UNDAF are gender equality and leaving no one behind.

In addition,  ECOSOC Resolution 2004/4 - Review of Economic and Social Council agreed conclusions 1997/2 on mainstreaming the gender perspective into all policies and programmes in the United Nations system requested: “the Secretary-General to ensure that all United Nations entities develop action plans with time lines for implementing the agreed conclusions 1997/2, which address the gap between policy and practice identified in the Secretary-General’s report, with a view to strengthening commitment and accountability at the highest levels within the United Nations system as well as to establishing mechanisms to ensure accountability, systematic monitoring and reporting on progress in implementation”.

As a direct follow-up and to ensure a comprehensive response to many of its recommendations, the UN Development Group (UNDG) created a Task Team on Gender Equality as a sub-group of the UNDG Programme Group. The goals of the Task Team are: to support more consistent and coherent action among UNDG member agencies to mainstream gender equality and promote women’s empowerment at the country level; and to ensure that gender equality and women’s empowerment are mainstreamed into the wide range of tools and processes that emerge from the UNDG for use by UN Country Teams (UNCTs). 

In 2006, the UNDG Task Team on Gender Equality commissioned a background paper on accountability mechanisms in UNDG agencies. This paper reviewed accountability for programming in support of gender equality in ILO, UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, and WFP and found that: “A common understanding of how to apply gender mainstreaming in UN operational activities is needed. This is because if there is no agreement on what constitutes a minimum level of actions to support gender equality, how will it be possible to hold agencies and UN Country Teams accountable for this. Reaching agreement across agencies on what constitutes a minimally acceptable performance to support gender equality, through an agreed set of indicators, would contribute to stronger guidance and accountability”. Subsequently this background paper was endorsed at the UNDG Principals’ meeting in July 2006, where agreement was reached on development of a UNCT-level ‘Accounting for Gender Equality’ Scorecard that sets minimum standards for UNCTs to assess their performance, and to identify gaps and progress across the system.

The Gender Scorecard was endorsed by the UNDG in 2008 in response to the UN Chief Executive Board for Coordination 2006 Policy on gender equality and the empowerment of women (CEB/2006/2) to establish an accountability framework for assessing the effectiveness of gender mainstreaming by UN Country Teams. The UN SWAP formed another part of the accountability framework, focusing on the implementation of the policy at the entity level.

The QCPR calls for the United Nations development system to expand and strengthen the use of the Gender Scorecard as a planning and reporting tool for assessing the effectiveness of gender mainstreaming in the context of the UNDAF. In this vein and in line with internal assessments, the UNCT SWAP-Scorecard methodology was revised in tandem with the United Nations System-wide Action Plan for gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-SWAP) to ensure greater alignment with the UN-SWAP and the SDGs, drawing on good global practices with motivating, managing and measuring institutional change processes.

Responding to this imperative, BURUNDI UNDAF 2019-2023 and the newly adopted UNCT Gender Strategy 2019-2023 highlight collective efforts needed to enable transformative actions toward gender-responsive and inclusive sustainable development that reaches those who are furthest behind and to promote more effective coordination, coherence and gender mainstreaming across the UN system.

In order to support a gender responsive implementation of UNDAF and ensure better accountability of UNCT towards gender equality and women’s empowerment in line with UN corporative policy, the Burundi UN Country Team is planning a Gender scorecard exercise which will be used for UNCT’s self-assessment and for identifying gaps and corrective actions. UNCT will lead this process to complete the scorecard process in a participatory and timely manner.

To support the UNCT in piloting and implementing the Scorecard, UNCT Burundi, under the coordination of UN Women and the RCO, seeks to hire an international consultant with extensive experience on gender assessments.

Duties and Responsibilities

Main Objectives of the Assignment:

The main objective of this consultancy is to test the updated UNCT SWAP-Scorecard methodology and assess the effectiveness of the UN Country Team Burundi in gender mainstreaming, promotion of gender equality and women’s empowerment as well as to provide a set of recommendations for improvement.

Purpose of the Scorecard exercise:

• To assist UNCTs in identifying areas in which they are meeting or not meeting minimum UNDG standards;
• To stimulate a constructive dialogue within the UNCT about the status of support for gender equality and women’s empowerment and how it can be improved;
• To identify where technical assistance can support the achievement of minimum standards;
• To share good practices in supporting national priorities to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Description of Responsibilities:

The UNCT SWAP-Scorecard methodology has been designed for in-country self-assessment as a means of fostering deeper understanding and ownership of results. The external gender expert will facilitate the exercise and apply participatory methods to ensure the UNCT SWAP- Scorecard Assessment team (SSAT) is formed from the beginning of exercise, leads and own the process.  

The SSAT include broad representation to ensure an adequate knowledge base on joint UN System actions. 

To guide and support the SSAT with the piloting process, the consultant will conduct the following activities within the stipulated timeframes:

Background document review (home-based, 3 working days):

• UNCT UN-SWAP Pilot Guidance and Draft UNCT UN-SWAP Scorecard Framework;
• UNCT Gender Scorecard Reports for the countries in the regions and from other countries;
• New UNSDG UNDAF guidance;
• UNCT planning, budgets programming documents;
• UN Gender Theme Group’s TOR, plans and reports;
• CEDAW Reports/other national assessments/National Gender Plans, etc;
• UNCT Gender Strategy.

Assistance and support for the SSAT with the in-country:

• Support the collection of complementary data and evidence to score indicators;
• Conduct gender analysis of complementary documents required to help the SSAT score areas of performance (such as knowledge products; UN Staff Survey; budget; etc.);
• Facilitate working sessions –at least one per area of performance- with key stakeholders such as the Resident Coordinator; heads of Agencies; key programme staff; Gender technical group, M&E teams, partners, etc. to discuss and score areas of performance;
• Complete the scoring matrix based on SSAT discussions and agreements;
• Facilitate a one full day debrief with the SSAT to discuss outcomes and observations from Scorecard exercise;
• Gather feedback on the pilot through observations and discussions throughout the process
• Training workshop for 20 participants (2 days).

     Reporting:

• Draft Scorecard and narrative report, with inputs from the SSAT  (3 working days);
• Complete the final Scorecard, narrative report and follow-up matrix (2 working days) ;
• Consolidate feedback from SSAT on the pilot process and circulate to HQ team (2 working days);
• Presentation of the overall report in the validation workshop (1 working day).

Performance Evaluation:

Consultant performance will be evaluated against such criteria as: timeliness, responsibility, initiative, communication, accuracy, and quality of the products delivered.

For payments arrangements, daily rates will be negotiated with consultant based on experience. The Consultant will be paid 40% upon delivery of inception report and detailed work plan and remaining 60% upon delivery of final reports (final version of the scorecard matrix, narrative report, including on trainings and consultations undertaken), endorsed by the RC/UNCT. 

Competencies

Values / Guiding Principles:

• Integrity: Demonstrate consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UN Women in actions and decisions, in line with the UN Code of Conduct;
• Professionalism: Demonstrate professional competence and expert knowledge of the pertinent substantive areas of work;
• Cultural sensitivity and valuing diversity: Demonstrate an appreciation of the multicultural nature of the organization and the diversity of its staff. Demonstrate an international outlook, appreciating difference in values and learning from cultural diversity.

Core Competencies:

• Ethics and Values: Demonstrate and safeguard ethics and integrity;
• Organizational awareness: Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgement;
• Development and Innovation: Take charge of self-development and take initiative;
• Work in teams: Demonstrate ability to work in a multicultural, multi ethnic environment and to maintain effective working relations with people of different national and cultural backgrounds;
• Communicating and Information Sharing: Facilitate and encourage open communication and strive for effective communication;
• Self-management and Emotional Intelligence: Stay composed and positive even in difficult moments, handle tense situations with diplomacy and tact, and have a consistent behaviour towards others;
• Conflict management: Surface conflicts and address them proactively acknowledging different feelings and views and directing energy towards a mutually acceptable solution;
• Continuous Learning and Knowledge sharing: Encourage learning and sharing of knowledge.

Required Skills and Experience

Education Requirements:

• Advanced (Masters) degree in social and political sciences, human rights, gender equality etc. PhD degree is an asset.

Experience:

• At least 10 years of practical experience of work on gender mainstreaming in development programmes/projects at national and international levels;
• At least 3 years’ experience of work on results-based management, review and/or evaluation;
• Experience in gender data collection and analysis, including interviews, survey and focus groups;
• Previous experience with the Gender Equality Scorecard, narrative report and follow-up matrix;
• Experience on conducting gender trainings for staff of development agencies.

Language and other skills:

• Proficient in written and oral French and English;
• Good computer skills in Windows environment, knowledge of internet communications and command of MS Office applications (Word, Excel, Power Point).