International Consultant on AI-driven gender data and research, Home-based

Consultant

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 Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECA RO) was established in Istanbul, Türkiye, in early 2014. It provides support and oversight to Country Offices in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, and Ukraine. In addition, the Regional Office directly supports programme and project presence in Kosovo (under UN Security Council Resolution 1244), the Republic of North Macedonia, Serbia, Tajikistan, and Türkiye.

Since 2018, UN Women ECA RO is implementing a regional component of the Flagship Programme Initiative “*Making Every Woman and Girl Count” (Women Count)[1]**,* developed by UN Women Headquarters (HQ). The Women Count programme aims to affect a radical shift in the production, availability, accessibility and use of quality data and statistics on key aspects of gender equality and women’s empowerment. The programme intends to achieve results in three interlinked areas of work:

• Enabling environment: Building a supportive policy and institutional environment for the localization and effective monitoring of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);
• Data production: Increasing the quality, comparability and regularity of gender statistics to address national data gaps and meet reporting commitments under the SDGs; and
• Data accessibility: Ensuring that gender statistics are accessible to users in governments, among civil society, academia, and the private sector to strengthen adequate demand for their production.

To support UN Women’s research and data agenda and to contribute to the implementation of the 2022-2025 Strategic Note (SN) of the UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (ECARO) strategic directions and objectives in key areas on gender equality and women’s empowerment, ECARO plans to explore non-conventional data sources, such as big data analysis, to generate data and insights on pressing gender issues and to strengthen internal and external capacities on potential uses of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools for gender data and research in different settings. Thus, UN Women seeks to hire an International Consultant on using AI to generate gender data.

The purpose of this consultancy is to provide expert support in leveraging AI tools to conduct in-depth research on the gendered impacts of war in Ukraine and to take lead in UN Women capacity building initiatives on exploring AI to generate gender data across various settings. The consultant will be reporting to Regional Gender Data Specialist, Regional Humanitarian Specialist and will be supported by Knowledge Management and Programme Consultant, who will be the main point of contact on the contract and payment issues.

[1] https://data.unwomen.org/women-count

Duties and Responsibilities

The International Consultant will support UN Women in conducting AI-driven research on the gendered impacts of the Ukraine’s invasion across the region and leading capacity-building initiatives for UN Women to enhance the knowledge about potential use of AI in generating gender data and evidence across different contexts. The main objective of this research is to pilot the use of non-conventional data sources to generate data and evidence on specific gender issues faced by women and girls affected by war in Ukraine.

The scope of work for the assignment will include the following tasks:

1. Conduct AI-driven research on the gendered impacts of the war in Ukraine:

• Develop, discuss, and agree with UN Women a sound methodology of analyzing big data from Google searches, social media posts, websites and other digital content to compile data and evidence on gendered impact of the Ukraine’s invasion across the region. The purpose of the research is to generate data on the evolution of the gendered impact of the war on access to services and resources in order to inform policy and programme priorities.
• Lead the data collection and analysis process for selected research questions and reference period in close collaboration with UN Women country offices and ECA RO Develop and submit an initial draft of the comprehensive research report detailing research methodology, findings and recommendations.
• Address UN Women feedback and comments to the report and finalize the comprehensive research report.
• Present the research findings to stakeholders, including policymakers, NGOs, donor community and international organizations to validate findings.

2. Lead UN Women capacity building initiatives on exploring AI to generate gender data across various settings:

• Conduct at least 5 consultations with UN Women ECARO policy leads to gain a comprehensive understanding of key strategic priorities and potential applications of AI for gender data and research in the region.
• Based on the consultations with UN Women policy leads, prepare a proposal outlining potential uses of AI to produce gender data for the emerging policy areas, including humanitarian response, disaster risk reduction, climate change and gender, women’s economic empowerment and addressing harmful gender norms.
• Design and conduct a 2.5-hour in-person workshop at the UN Women Gender Datathon in Albania, showcasing the significant potential of AI and highlighting the importance of responsible and ethical AI use through demonstrations of its applications in various gender equality settings and hands-on exercises for at least 50 participants.
• Attend and contribute to a 3-day UN Women Gender Datathon in Albania as a mentor on gender data and research and a jury member to assess the final products produced by at least 8 teams on the last day of the event.
• Design and conduct a 2-hour online session at the UN Women Community of Practice on gender data and research, showcasing the significant potential of AI and highlighting the importance of responsible and ethical AI use through demonstrations of its applications in various gender equality settings and hands-on exercises for at least 100 participants.

Deliverable

Expected completion time (due day)

Conduct AI-driven research on the gendered impacts of the war in Ukraine:

1. Draft methodology of the research, including mapping of relevant data sources.

By 13 October 2024

1. Dataset of indicators compiled and analyzed.

2. Initial draft of the research report with key findings and recommendations developed.

By 30 December2024

1. Final draft of the research report submitted

Lead UN Women capacity building initiatives on exploring AI to generate gender data across various settings:

1. Participation and contribution to Albania datathon as a jury member and mentor, including holding an in-person workshop on responsible and ethical AI.

By 15 October 2024

1. A 2-hour session on responsible and ethical AI is held at UN Women Community of Practice.

2. Proposal outlining potential uses of AI for strategic priorities on GEWE in ECA region submitted.

By 25 January 2025

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

This is a home-based consultancy.

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/en/about-us/employment/application-process#_Values

FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES:

• Strong knowledge of international standards and recommendations on gender data collection and analysis.
• Knowledge of AI technologies and their applications in gender data and research.
• In-depth understanding of ethical considerations and responsible AI practices.
• Strong written/oral communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Competencies in coordination, planning and teamwork.

A commitment to quality product and deadlines.

Required Skills and Experience

Education and Certification:

• Advanced (Masters) degree preferably in data science, applied mathematics, statistics, economics or other related subject.

Experience:

• At least 7 years of relevant experience in data collection, analysis, and quantitative research methods.
• At least 5 years of professional expertise in both artificial intelligence and gender studies, with a deep understanding of the technical aspects of AI algorithms, machine learning, and data science, as well as the social, cultural, and political dimensions of gender dynamics.
• Proficiency in data analysis tools and programming languages such as Python, R, or similar.
• Experience of work with gender equality and women’s empowerment issues in Eastern Europe and Central Asia is an asset.
• Previous professional experience with development agencies and/or the United Nations is an asset.

Languages:

• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of other UN official languages is an asset.

How to Apply

• Personal CV or P11 (P11 can be downloaded from: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-P11-Personal-History-Form.doc )
• A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page)

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.)

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Added 2 days ago - Updated 8 hours ago - Source: jobs.undp.org