International Consultant to finalise a Resource Mobilization Strategy for the Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office

Contract

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Background

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality, 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. Placing women’s rights at the center of all its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action globally. UN Women uses its convening power to bring together different stakeholders and partners to address a wide range of dimensions of women’s empowerment in a holistic, coherent, and coordinated manner drawing on its own triple mandate which include normative, coordination and operation.

UN Women’s regional representation for East and Southern Africa (ESA) is comprised of 12 Country Offices (COs), one programme presence (Somalia), and support to 11 UN Country Teams (UNCTs) where UN Women is a non-resident agency (NRA). All are coordinated and supported by the Regional Office (RO) in Kenya. ESA is a complex and diverse region comprised of sub-regions ranging from countries with weak governance prone to crises that cross borders, while other sub-regions represent middle-income countries that are relatively stable for the moment. The region includes the poorest countries on the continent (Burundi and Somalia), but also five of the wealthiest (Seychelles, Mauritius, Botswana, South Africa and Eswatini). ESA region is home to over 700 million people, population growth continues at a high rate and nearly half of the population across the region is under the age of 18 years. The region hosts 67 percent of the continent’s refugees and has approximately 10 million IDPs reflecting a significant number of people on the move

The objective of the consultancy is to review the ESARO’s draft Resource Mobilization Strategy and to finalise the document in consultation with key stakeholder. The consultant is also expected to support the Partnerships and Resource Mobilization portfolio for the Regional Office. The consultant will provide regular donor intelligence, technical review of project proposals, resource mobilization action plans, mapping donor intelligence, support the development and timely submission of quality donor reports, partnerships support and communication for visibility.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall guidance and direct supervision of the Regional Director for UN Women East and Southern Africa (ESAR) and in close consultation with the Deputy Regional Director, the consultant will undertake the following:

• Review of the current Regional Resource Mobilization Strategy outlining the proposed methodology for the assignment and highlighting some of the key information emerging from previous consultations with key UN Women personnel in the region and at Headquarters;
• Desk review of the ESARO’s newly finalised Strategic Note, the ESARO’s Biannual Workplan; UN Strategic Cooperation Frameworks of M/COs, CCA documents, project proposals, knowledge management products, other relevant documents and funding model to better understand the strategic and programmatic needs of the region and help position the ESARO for resource mobilisation;
• Hold consultations/interview with Regional and Country Office leadership, resource mobilization focal points, regional thematic leads, HQ team (strategic partnerships units and PPID) to understand the vision, mission and focus areas of UN Women and specifically of ESARO; identify existing and planned programmatic approaches, funding gaps, funding windows and potential donors interested to support GEWE regionally;
• Consultation with previous, current, and potential donors to assess their interest in supporting GEWE initiatives in the region and also understand their engagement with UN Women on gender equality issues in the region;
• Update the mapping of donors’ strategic areas of interest, funding window, focal points and explore opportunities for partnerships from emerging donors working in countries in the ESA region;
• Develop a comprehensive database tailored to regional initiatives, fragile states, disaster-prone states and low-middle income states;
• Recommend strategies to develop and maintain strategic partnerships and engagement with key donors and other UN entities (UNHCR, OCHA and WFP etc.) in the region;
• Prepare a power point presentation and present to the RO and M/COs.

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

Functional Competencies

• In-depth knowledge of gender equality, the UN system and resource mobilization form a diverse base of stakeholders;
• Understanding of the East and Southern Africa geopolitical context and donor landscape in the region;
• Demonstrated ability to research and in-depth analysis, producing clear reports with strategic recommendations;
• Good communication and interpersonal skills, ability to foster networks and partnerships;
• Ability to complete complex assignments in a timely manner and deliver quality results.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced Degree in the field of gender, Social Sciences, business administration, Economics, communication, or any closely related field with proven track record in resource mobilization, developing strategy documents, project design and business development.

Experience:

• At least 10 years of experience working in the development sector, preferably in programme design and management, programme evaluation and resource mobilization in the conflict context;
• Experience of UN system operations and development of strategy documents towards differentiated fundraising strategies in crisis especially towards gender equality;
• Experience working with different donors and developing partners especially for fragile states;
• Knowledge of policies and legal frameworks on gender equality and women empowerment;
• Knowledge of the East and Southern Africa typology and funding landscape.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required.

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.)