International Consultant to train and support businesses on implementing th at UNDP

Tbilisi, , Georgia -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

28 Jul, 26

Salary

0.0

Posted On

29 Apr, 26

Experience

5 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Gender equality, Women's empowerment, Capacity development, Training delivery, Policy research, Legislative analysis, Business acumen, Negotiation, Partnership building, Gender mainstreaming, Project management, Stakeholder engagement, Communication, Inclusive collaboration, Data analysis

Industry

International Affairs

Description

Background: UN Women exists to advance women’s rights, gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. As the lead UN entity on gender equality and secretariat of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, we shift laws, institutions, social behaviors and services to close the gender gap and build an equal world for all women and girls. Our partnerships with governments, women’s movements and the private sector coupled with our coordination of the broader United Nations translate progress into lasting changes. We make strides forward for women and girls in four areas: leadership, economic empowerment, freedom from violence, and women, peace and security as well as humanitarian action. UN Women keeps the rights of women and girls at the center of global progress – always, everywhere. Because gender equality is not just what we do. It is who we are. UN Women is currently implementing a regional project on “Women’s Economic Empowerment in the South Caucasus” Phase III (WEESC III) funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and Austrian Development Agency (ADA). The project started in September 2024 and will last till August 2026. The first phase of the project took place during 2018-2020, followed by the second phase during 2021-2024. The overarching goal of the project is to ensure that women, particularly the poor and socially excluded, in the South Caucasus countries, are economically empowered and participate in relevant decision-making. Despite notable advancements, Women's Economic Empowerment (WEE) remains a significant challenge in the South Caucasus. Factors such as low female participation in formal employment, gender wage disparities, unequal political engagement, and women bearing disproportionate responsibility for caregiving all contribute to limited access to financial services for women and hinder their economic empowerment. Additionally, pervasive gender stereotypes and discriminatory practices persist across all three countries, further impeding progress in WEE. The WEESC Phase III project aims to ensure women, particularly the poor and socially excluded, are able to use skills, economic opportunities, relevant information, network and support to become farmers/entrepreneurs or to join the formal labor sector in the South Caucasus countries. One of the components of the WEESC Phase III project is to achieve this through an increased understanding of the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) of private sector and institutionalize measures that benefit women, specifically in rural areas among others. With this purpose the activities will be focusing on providing technical support to companies to raise awareness of and adopt the WEPs, a set of seven guidelines developed by UN Women and the UN Global Compact to help businesses promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in the workplace, marketplace, and community. The aim is to implement gender-responsive corporate policies and practices that enhance women’s access to decent work and promote the inclusion of more women-owned and collective enterprises in supply chains. This technical support will equip private companies with tools to develop and implement gender-responsive corporate policies and practices that increase women’s access to decent work. Target companies will include medium- and large-sized businesses operating in or with supply chain links in rural areas to integrate more women-owned enterprises in their supply chains. Over the past two years, the private sector's interest in women's empowerment has been steadily growing in Armenia driven in part by UN Women's engagement. An increasing number of businesses have joined the WEPs with the commitment to adopt policies, programmes, and initiatives that foster diverse and inclusive workplaces. More companies are willing to integrate inclusive business models and investing in women's economic empowerment, recognizing that gender equality is not only a social imperative but also a business advantage. Businesses are realizing that fostering gender-inclusive environments leads to better outcomes — including reduced absenteeism and turnover, increased innovation and employee engagement, expanded market opportunities, stronger investor confidence, enhanced community reputation, and improved productivity and profitability. These efforts contribute not only to the success of individual companies but also to the broader economic and social well-being of communities, ultimately driving sustainable growth of the country. As a continuation of the WEPs work, the UN Women plans to continue reaching out to and supporting businesses in Armenia through the provision of information on the WEPs, tailored and targeted advisory services and other types of technical support to implement WEPs-guided, gender-responsive measures. For this assignment, UN Women seeks to engage an international consultant who, in close cooperation with the WEE team, will support private sector partners in Armenia in implementing the WEPs. The consultant will design and deliver a multi-component intervention, including trainings on all 7 WEPs principles, deep-dive sessions, practical assignments, tailored coaching, provision of implementation tools, and facilitation of baseline assessment using the WEPs Gap Analysis tool. The consultant will be reporting to Programme Specialist and Portfolio Manager for South Caucasus, Programme Analyst from WEE portfolio and the Project Assistant from the same portfolio who will be the point of contact on the contract and payment issues. Description of Responsibilities / Scope of Work * Inception report and workplan: To develop and submit a compressive inception report, in close consultation with UN Women, including a detailed and time-bound workplan outlining objectives, deliverables, milestones, roles and responsibilities, quality assurance measures, and monitoring indicators for the full duration of the assignment. * Weekly WEPs capacity development raining programme (7 sessions): To design, develop and deliver 7 weekly 3-hour online trainings sessions, each dedicated to one of the 7 WEPs principles. This will include (1) adaptation and contextualization of UN Women provided WEPs templates, (2) development of concept note, session agendas, facilitator guides, presentations, and training materials, (3) integration of international, regional and local best-practices and case studies, (4) measure the trainings impact through pre- and post-training questionnaires to assess changes in knowledge, attitudes, and intended practices, (5) documentation of participation rates and learning outcomes * Deliver thematic trainings: To design and deliver 2 in-depth trainings on (1) Unconscious Bias and (2) Gender-Responsive Marketing for private sector participants. Deliverables will include, concept note, tailored agendas, presentations, and relevant training materials for the training and to measure its impact through pre- and post-training questionnaires, as well as interactive exercises and best-practices. Support to selected WEPs companies: To develop a practical WEPs implementation tool, including structured exercises weekly homework assignments linked to company-specific initiatives, this will include regular follow up, review and qualitative feedback on submitted assignments and preparation of short progress notes on the implementation of company initiatives. * WEPs Gap Analysis and Gender Action plan support: To design and facilitate one 3-hour online session to guide private sector companies in the application of the WEPs Gap Analysis tool. Additionally to develop clear, transparent selection criteria and evaluation guidelines for company participation, support selected 5 private sector companies in reviewing/analyzing the results and developing gender action plans as well as provide technical guidance to support the development of company-specific GAP aligned with the WEPs principles. * Targeted coaching and provide hands-on technical support: To support selected 5 WEPs signatory companies in strengthening and implementing gender-responsive workplace policies and procedures and in extending these practices across their value chains, communities and partnerships to advance WEE. This will include: * development of a transparent selection and evaluation process * delivery of tailored online coaching to 5 selected companies (2-3 session per company), including preparation, facilitation, and follow-up technical support * documentation of progress, challenges and lessons learned * Submission of final report and knowledge products: To prepare and submit a final report outlining the implementation process, results of the baseline assessment, progress achieved by participants, participant feedback, lessons learned and recommendations for follow-up actions and further capacity development, as well as key lessons learned, success factors, challenges, and recommendations for follow‑up actions and future capacity‑building initiatives Deliverables * Submit an inception report detailing the work plan for the assignment (2 working days); * Development, customization, and delivery of 7 trainings covering all WEPs principles, including agendas, presentations, and training materials (10 working days); * Design and delivery of 2 deep-dive trainings (Unconscious Bias and Gender-Responsive Marketing), including preparation and delivery (5 working days); * Development and provision of WEPs implementation tools and weekly homework materials for participating companies (2 working days); * Facilitation of the baseline measurement process using the WEPs Gap Analysis tool, including guidance and review of results (2 working days); * Provision of tailored coaching to 2 selected companies (up to 3 sessions each, including preparation and follow-up) (7 working days); * Preparation and submission of the final report (2 working days). Payment Schedule (optional) * Payment will be made by 19 June 2025 (30%) * Payment will be made by 30 September (30%) * Payment will be made by 30 November 2025 (40%) Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel This is a home-based consultancy. As part of this assignment, there will be one trip to Yerevan, Armenia. Competencies : Core Values: * Integrity; * Professionalism; * Respect for Diversity. 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 [https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-values-and-competencies-framework-en.pdf] for more information on UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework: Functional Competencies: * Technical credibility in policy research * Technical credibility in legislative analysis * Business acumen * Negotiation * Partnerships building Required Qualifications: Education and Certification: * Advanced University degree (at least Masters) in Economics, Sociology, Law, Gender, Human Rights, Labor relations, or similar fields is required. * A first-level university degree in combination with 9 additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Experience: * At least 7 years with Master’s degree or minimum 9 years with Bachelor’s degree of relevant professional experience in the field of gender equality and women’s rights. * At least 7 years with Master’s degree or minimum 9 years with Bachelor’s degree of working experience providing capacity development trainings on gender equality and gender mainstreaming to various stakeholders, including representatives of the private sector, is required. * Demonstrated knowledge of the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) and experience in delivering trainings on the WEPs. * Previous experience in working with UN agencies, and other international organizations would be a strong asset. Languages: * Fluency in English is required. Statements: 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. Diversity and inclusion: At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need. If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application. UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel 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.) Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.

Responsibilities

The consultant will design and deliver a multi-component intervention to train and support private sector partners in Armenia on implementing the Women’s Empowerment Principles. This includes conducting training sessions, facilitating gap analyses, providing tailored coaching, and developing gender-responsive corporate policies.