Consultant (retainer) Researcher to conduct Feasibility Study on Financing Mechanisms for Gender Equality

Contract

This is a International Consultant contract. More about International Consultant contracts.

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 UN Women MCO-Caribbean covers 22 countries and territories in the English and Dutch speaking Caribbean. Strides towards gender equality in the countries covered by the MCO have resulted in gains for women and girls in the Caribbean, relating primarily to high education rates and increases in employment rates. However critical gaps and inequalities remain which are further exploited during hazards like COVID-19 and other environmental hazards.

Women’s entrepreneurism remains disproportionately low in the region with evidence suggesting only 8% (approximately 228,000 persons) of the total employed Caribbean population are self-employed women. Women entrepreneurs are also disproportionately operating micro enterprises with no, or few, employees, in low growth sectors, utilising little technology and innovation. This a result of women’s limited access to capital, gender neutral lending practices and requirements, inadequate skill sets and the disproportionate unpaid care burden resting on women, which cumulatively can create obstacles and disincentives to entrepreneurism. As a result, Latin America and the Caribbean is the region with the second highest failure rate of women-led businesses. The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated lockdowns has worsened this situation, disproportionately impacting women, forcing many MSMEs into precarity and further limiting capital flows. Women have been disproportionately impacted

Within this context, UN Women is working to unlock capital for public and private investment in gender equality, inclusive growth and resilience building through evidence-based and innovative strategies. The LAC region faces a US $93 billion total credit gap for women-led SMEs. Gender Lens Investing, that is investing in women-owned businesses, businesses providing services or products that improve the lives of women, or businesses promoting gender equality within their company, provides an enormous opportunity to fill these gaps. As of 2018, there was $2.8 billion in private markets (venture capital/private equity funds) with gender-based strategies

In order to develop the most suitable financial solutions, UN Women is seeking to hire a consultant to conduct a number of needs-assessments to strengthen women’s economic empowerment and build public and private investment in wider gender equality.

This work spans across a number of joint programmes across the region, including the UN Women and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Build Back Equal Programme funded by Global Affairs Canada in Grenada, Dominica, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the Joint SDG Fund Programme to Advancing Innovative Financing in the Bahamas and Bermuda (co-implemented by UNDP, UNESCO and FAO); and programming in Trinidad, Jamaica and Belize.

Duties and Responsibilities

Objective of Assignment

Under the overall supervision of the UN Women MCO Caribbean Representative, and day to day supervision by the Private Sector Specialist, the consultant will be contracted to develop and conduct to conduct a Feasibility study on Financing instruments for Women-owned MSMEs in six Caribbean islands, to understand the targeted market systems structure and bottlenecks preventing women, youth and marginalised groups from accessing financing, and appropriate entry points and financing vehicles to facilitate removing/lowering barriers. The report should highlight barriers to accessing financing, identity entry points for access to finance vehicles, better practices, and recommendations regarding increasing the feasibility of accessing financing for women, youth and vulnerable persons.

Scope of Work and Deliverables

The consultant is expected to deliver the following results:

• Develop a Workplan
• Conduct Feasibility study on Financing Mechanisms for gender equality in (The Bahamas, Bermuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines), through consultations with women, youth and marginalized groups, and financing institutions.
• Develop a comprehensive report including recommendations per country (no more than 25 pages)
• Support consultation to present draft report.
• Finalise report (no more than 25 pages).

Reporting Requirements

The consultant will work under the overall supervision of the UN Women MCO Caribbean Representative, with day-to-day supervision by the Private Sector Specialist.

Competencies

Core Values:

• Respect for Diversity;
• Integrity;
• Professionalism.

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 for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-values-and-competencies-framework-en.pdf

Functional Competencies:

• Strong listening skills.
• Excellent written and oral communications skills, including conveying complex concepts and recommendations in a clear style.
• Ability to interact effectively as part of a team.
• Ability to create and maintain networks and partnerships.
• Ability to operate effectively in stressful situations.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced University degree in Social Sciences e.g. Development Studies, Business, Economics, Administration, etc.
• A first-level university degree in combination with five years of relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced degree.

Experience:

• At least 10 years of work experience in development economics, finance, and/or business development
• At least 8 years of experience designing and conducting research projects.
• At least 5 years’ experience working in the Caribbean region or with Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
• At least 5 years’ experience working on issues related to women’s empowerment and gender equality is desirable.
• Experience working in the United Nations is an asset.

Languages:

• Fluency in oral and written English is required.

Location and Duration:

• The consultancy will be home based, with travel to the project countries COVID-19 restrictions permitting. A lump sum for travel will be included in the contract amount.
• The consultant will be engaged for a maximum of 120 working days during the period January 2023 to December, 2023.

Remuneration:

• The consultancy fee will be negotiated before contracting. Each payment will be based on a predefined and formal agreement between UN Women and the consultant and will be disbursed based on satisfactory completion of agreed deliverables.

• The remuneration for this contract type is an all-inclusive fee, the organization will not be liable for additional cost or benefits. Hence, it is the responsibility of the consultant to take out adequate medical insurance for the duration of the contract and it is recommendable that the policy includes coverage for COVID-19 related illness. The medical coverage should be international when the contract requires missions or international assignment.

Hardware, Software and Communication:

• The consultant must be equipped with a fully functional laptop, which must comfortably run Office 365 programs, using operating systems Microsoft Windows 10/11, or Mac OS X 10.11 or upward. The consultant must be reasonably accessible by email and telephone (preferably mobile). The use of a reliable, internet-based communications platform (Skype or equivalent) is required.

References:

• Minimum of three client references that include the name of the contact person, title and contact information.

Documents to be submitted:

• All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from http://www.unwomen.org/about-us/employment;
• Applications received without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.
• Please group all documents into one (1) single PDF document as the system only allows one document to be uploaded.

Other:

Submissions to UNDP Jobs are limited to a maximum of 10 MB, virus-free or corrupted contents to avoid rejection, and no more than 1 email transmission. All applications must be submitted through UNDP jobs. Please do not send applications to UN Women staff as they will not be accepted.

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).