National Consultancy for preparation of the UN Country Team in Albania Report for Universal Periodic Review (Fourth Cycle) of the Human Rights Council

Contract

This is a National Consultant contract. More about National 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. 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 throughout the world. It provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States' priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.

UN Women works with the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) Albania to support the country’s reporting obligations under the respective UN human rights conventions, and following up on treaty body recommendations.

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR), established by the UN General Assembly Resolution 60/251 of 3 April 2006, stands as a unique member state-driven human rights review process. It operates under the auspices of the Human Rights Council (HRC), and serves as a platform for each state to articulate the measures undertaken to enhance human rights conditions and fulfill their human rights obligations. An indispensable part of the process, remain contributions by civil society organizations, national human rights institutions (NHRIs) and the UN, which offer an impartial evaluation of the implementation of human rights and identify challenges and gaps.

In February 2019, Albania submitted the national report in light of the UPR Third Cycle. The review took place during the Thirty-third Session of the Human Rights Council, in May 2019. Albania received a total of 197 recommendations, of which 186 recommendations enjoy the support of Albania. A total of 11 out of 197 recommendations are noted.

In 2024, Albania will undergo the UPR Fourth Cycle. Contributions by civil society, national human rights institutions (NHRIs) and the UN are expected by March 2024; and the national report will be submitted to the UN Human Rights Council in August 2024.

In view of the above, the UNCT in Albania will prepare a report on the implementation status of recommendations from the previous review – UPR Third Cycle. For this, the UNCT in Albania is looking to engage a national consultant to support the process and the drafting of the report, during January – March 2024.

UN Women Albania, in close collaboration with UN Resident Coordinator Office, UNFPA and other UN Agencies, will work together with the consultant in the process of the Universal Periodic Review (Fourth Cycle) of the Human Rights Council reporting.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall joint supervision of the UN Resident Coordinator and UN Women Representative and close cooperation with other UN Agencies, the Consultant will draft a report based on, but not limited to the information provided by the UN agencies.

The national consultant is expected to:

1. provide comprehensive analysis of the implementation status of human rights standards in Albania, against international human rights obligations;
2. identify gaps and recent developments;
3. address any other emerging issue, that may have not been covered by the UPR Third Cycle, and which may have been addressed also by other international and independent national mechanisms.

The draft report will be consulted and approved by the UNCT Albania. Specific considerations to the format can be consulted through this link.

Specific deliverables are outlines as follows:

1. Carry out desk review of main human rights developments in Albania and organise consultation (and coordination) meetings with UNCT for the purpose of collecting information. 10 Days - January 2024
2. Submit a detailed outline of the report. 3 Days - 19 January 2024 (tentative) Within 2 weeks after commencement of the assignment
3. Submit the draft report for UNCT review. 15 Days - 20 February 2024
4. Review the draft report based on UNCT comments and feedback, and submit final draft. 2 Days - 31 March 2024
5. Follow up and support to Government of Albania Delegation leading to UPR session. 10 Days - Q2/Q3 2024

Competencies

Core Values:

• Respect for Diversity
• Integrity
• Professionalism

Core Competencies:

• 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:

• Good knowledge of the legal and institutional and policy framework of Albania, and international human rights obligations.
• Ability to deliver work within deadlines. Efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results.
• Strong analytical and drafting skills.
• Identifies opportunities and builds strong partnerships with clients and partners.

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Requirements:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in human rights, international law, development studies or related field is desirable. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• At least five years of professional experience in the area of human rights, international law or international development.
• Previous experience in working in similar reporting assignments.
• Previous experience working with United Nations common system organization, similar international organizations or non-governmental organizations /projects.

Language Requirement:

• Fluency in spoken and written English is essential.

Duration of Assignment

40 service days, commencing second week of January 2024.

Institutional Arrangement

The UN Resident Coordinator Office (RCO) will ensure the overall supervision of the Consultant’s work jointly with UN Women, and in close collaboration with other UN Agencies. The UN RCO will liaise with UN staff and UNCT members throughout the implementation of this assignment.

Scope of Financial Proposal and Schedule of Payments:

• Financial Proposal specifying the total fee in Albanian Lek for the tasks (40 days).

Please note that the financial proposal is all-inclusive and shall take into account various expenses incurred by the consultant/contractor during the contract period (e.g. fee and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services and travel- missions).

• Payment will be made as per the payment schedule in the contract upon (i) satisfactory completion of tasks; (ii) provision of deliverables specified in the ToRs; (iii) submission of and approval of final draft; and (iv) submission of the respective invoice.

Recommended Presentation of Offer:

• A Letter of Confirmation of Interest including a brief description explaining why the individual considers her/himself as the most suitable for the assignment.
• Completed and signed UN Women Personal History Form (P11) that can be downloaded at link: UN Women Personal History Form (P11) or http://www.unwomen.org/en/about- us/employment
• Financial Proposal specifying the daily fee in ALL (Albanian Leke) specified in this assignment, following the instructions under the above section on Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments.

Evaluation of applicants:

Candidates will be evaluated using a cumulative analysis method taking into consideration the combination of the applicants’ qualifications and financial proposal. Contract will be awarded to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

• Responsive/compliant/acceptable; and
• Having received the highest score out of below defined technical and financial criteria.

Technical Evaluation –70 points:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in human rights, international law, development studies or related field is desirable. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree (20 points).
• At least five years of professional experience in the area of human rights, international law or international development (20 points);
• Previous experience in working in similar reporting assignments. (20 points);
• Previous experience in working in similar reporting assignments (10 points).

Financial Evaluation – 30 points

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% (49 points) in the technical evaluation would be considered for financial evaluation.

The maximum number of points assigned to the financial proposal is allocated to the lowest price proposal. All other price proposals receive points in inverse proportion. The calculation formula applied is as follow:

p = 30 (µ/z); where: p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated; µ = price of the lowest priced proposal; z = price of the proposal being evaluated.

How to Submit the Application: To submit your application online, please follow the steps below:

• Download and complete the UN Women Personal History Form (P11)- P11 form.
• Merge your UN Women Personal History Form (P11), the Financial Proposal, and Cover Letter into a single file. The system does not allow for more than one attachment to be uploaded;
• Click on the Job Title (job vacancy announcement);
• Click 'Apply Now' button, fill in necessary information on the first page, and then click 'Submit Application;'
• Upload your application/single file as indicated above with the merged documents (underlined above);
• You will receive an automatic response to your email confirming receipt of your application by the system.

Notes:

• UN Women retains the right to contact references directly. Due to the large numbers of applications, we receive, we are able to inform only the successful candidates about the outcome or status of the selection process.
• The consultancy post is open to local (Albanian) individuals or foreign individuals with valid temporary or permanent residence in Albania.
• Applications without the financial offer will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.
• The individual consultants should take the mandatory learning security course prior to commencement of assignment– details will follow before the issuance of contract.

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.

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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