VIEW

**Four National Consultants to Support Private Sector Companies with the

Implementation of the Women 's Empowerment Principles (WEPs)**

Advertised on behalf of :

Location :
Cairo, EGYPT

Application Deadline :
‎20-May-‎23 (Midnight New York, USA)

Time left :
5d 17h 35m

Additional Category :
Gender Equality

Type of Contract :
Individual Contract

Post Level :
National Consultant

Languages Required :
Arabic English

Duration of Initial Contract :
‎12 Months

Expected Duration of Assignment :
‎75 Working Days over ‎12 Months

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender,
nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups
and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All
applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of
harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected
candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background
checks.

Background

Globally, 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.
In support of the Arab Republic of Egypt's Vision ‎2030 and the National
Strategy for the Empowerment of Egyptian Women (NSEEW), the work of the UN
Women Egypt Country Office (ECO) is grounded in the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Beijing Platform for Action
(BPfA). Under the Egypt UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework
(‎2023-‎2027), UN Women implements its triple mandate of supporting normative
standard-setting to advance gender equality and women's empowerment, working
with the Government of Egypt, civil society and the private sector on
implementing international and national commitments and best practices, and
strengthening UN system coordination in this regard. Since the early 1990s, UN
Women ECO has consolidated its expertise, partnerships and investments around
three main areas of work: women's leadership and system-wide support to
advancing gender equality; women's economic empowerment; and eliminating all
forms of violence against women and girls, including harmful practices.
Over the next five years, the ECO's portfolio will continue to focus on the
above, utilising the following strategies: supporting regional and global
normative for a and related commitments; drawing from global standards and
practices; contributing to evidenced-based, nationally-led legislative reform
and knowledge development; supporting all women's access to skills, services,
and networks; supporting platforms and partnerships for women's enhanced voice
and leadership, including young women, rural women and women living with
disabilities; developing nationally specific innovative financing mechanisms
and tools, including gender-responsive budgeting; and advancing nationally and
community- owned change in the attitudes and behaviours which may limit the
advancement of women and girls, with the close engagement of men and boys as
champions. Women's economic empowerment is central to realizing women's rights
and gender equality. Women's economic empowerment includes women's ability to
participate equally in existing markets; their access to and control over
productive resources, access to decent work, control over their own time,
lives and bodies; and increased voice, agency and meaningful participation in
economic decision-making at all levels. In addition, empowering women in the
economy and closing gender gaps in the world of work are key to achieving the
‎2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and achieving the Sustainable
Development Goals, particularly Goal ‎5, to achieve gender equality, and Goal
‎8, to promote full and productive employment and decent work for all; also
Goal ‎1 on ending poverty, Goal ‎2 on food security, Goal ‎3 on ensuring health
and Goal ‎10 on reducing inequalities.
The private sector is a key partner in efforts to advance gender equality and
empower women. Research shows that women's economic empowerment contributes to
economic growth, innovation, and increased performance of companies. More than
‎30 per cent of private sector leaders report increased profits from efforts to
empower women in emerging markets (McKinsey ‎2010) and companies with more than
one woman board director generated additional annual return of ‎3.5 per cent
(McKinsey ‎2007, Catalyst ‎2014). Hence, ensuring the inclusion of women's
talents, skills, and energies--from executive offices to the factory floor and
the supply chain--requires intentional actions and deliberate policies.
Under the framework of the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework
‎2023-‎2027 and in support of the objectives of the Economic Empowerment pillar
of the National Strategy for the Empowerment of Egyptian Women and the
objectives of the Government of Egypt/World Economic Forum's Closing the
Gender Gap Accelerator, UN Women is working with the private sector through
the Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs).
This assignment falls under two programmes - " Women's Economic Empowerment
for Inclusive and Sustainable Growth in Egypt" - "Rabeha", a joint programme
with UN Women and UNIDO, implemented in partnership with the National Council
for Women, the Ministry of Trade and Industry and MSMEDA and funded by Global
Affairs Canada; and "Women's Economic Empowerment in Egypt" project,
implemented in partnership with the Government of Egypt and co-funded by UN
Women and KOICA. Within both programmes, UN Women works to advance women's
access to decent work through mobilising gender-responsive private sector that
attracts, retains, and invests in women through the use of the WEPs.
Established by UN Global Compact and UN Women, the WEPs are informed by
international labor and human rights standards and grounded in the recognition
that businesses have a stake in, and a responsibility for, gender equality and
women's empowerment. The WEPs are a primary vehicle for corporate delivery on
gender equality dimensions of the ‎2030 agenda and the United Nations
Sustainable Development Goals. By joining the WEPs community, the CEO signals
commitment to this agenda at the highest levels of the company and to work
collaboratively in multistakeholder networks to foster business practices that
empower women. These include equal pay for work of equal value, inclusive
supply chain practices and zero tolerance against sexual harassment in the
workplace. For more information on the WEPs, please read the WEPs brochure. To
date, more than ‎85 business leaders from Egypt have signed the CEO Statement
of Support therefore, signaling their support to achieving gender equality and
the empowerment of women and more specifically, to the guidance offered by the
WEPs.
Objective of the Assignment:
Reporting to the UN Women Programme Analyst, under the overall supervision of
the UN Women Programme Specialist, UN Women will recruit up to ‎4 consultants
to support it in promoting uptake and implementation of the WEPs1 among
private sector companies, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders. Each
consultant will be responsible for outreaching to and supporting ‎7 private
sector companies to sign the WEPs and providing them with guidance and
technical support to apply the WEPs. The aim is to increase private sector
companies ' commitment to gender equality and women's empowerment in their
workplace, marketplace, and community. In doing so, UN Women aims to increase
the number of companies in Egypt signing onto the WEPs to reach ‎100 by June
‎2023.
‎1 For further information please consult WEPs platform for WEPs brochure
https://www.weps.org/sites/default/files/‎2021-‎05/WEPS_BROCHURE.pdf

Duties and Responsibilities

• Review thoroughly the WEPs induction material, resources and business case available online and utilize these resources to raise awareness and advocate for the WEPs among the private sector (e.g. on eligibility criteria, benefits from joining the WEPs, obligations of companies, etc.) through supporting the convening of and participating in events with private sector stakeholders such as chambers of commerce, the Federation of Egyptian Industries, Closing the Gender Gap Accelerator, women's business networks, and others.


• Follow up with interested companies to gather expressions of interest from them.


• Support interested companies to sign the CEO Statement of Support (available in English or Arabic). The statement should be signed by the highest decision-making authority in the company.


• Provide guidance to companies that are interested to join the WEPs global network to complete the online application through https://www.weps.org/join


• Provide guidance to companies to create an account on the WEPs website and create a "company profile page" by following this step-by-step guide


• Provide guidance and technical support to companies to self-assess their strategic approach to gender equality, identify gaps and develop a WEPs action plan, with key performance indicators, that addresses those gaps by preparing for and completing a free online self-assessment tool The WEPs Gender Gap Analysis Tool


• Provide guidance and technical support to companies to develop an action plan based on the strength and opportunities identified by the self-assessment.


• Provide guidance and technical support to companies that have completed steps ‎6 and ‎7 above on communicating their progress and sharing their experiences and lessons learned based on their progress on their key performance indicators identified in their action plan. This should take place through developing ‎1 case study for each company to highlight their achievements.


• 
  

  Based on the action plan developed per company and in consultation with the company's leadership, identify priority actions for the company to take to catalyze gender equality and the empowerment of women that could be supported further by UN Women Egypt country office. These may include training for human resource and middle managers on gender equality and unconscious bias, gender-sensitive marketing and supply chain practices, technical guidance on family-friendly workplace policies, developing a policy on sexual harassment in the workplace, and others.
  Deliverables Per Consultant
  Level of Effort
  Timeline

  
  


• 
  

  Support the convening of and/or participating in ‎3 events with private sector stakeholders to raise awareness and advocate for the WEPs among private sector companies.
  Deliverable: report on ‎3 events
  ‎3 Days
  Jun - Aug ‎2023

  
  


• 
  

  Follow up with interested private sector companies to sign the CEO Statement of Support
  Deliverable: ‎7 companies sign the CEO Statement of Support
  ‎7 Days
  Jun - Oct ‎2023

  
  


• 
  

  Provide guidance to companies to create an account on the WEPs website and create a "company profile page."
  Deliverable: ‎7 companies create an account on the WEPs website and create a
  company profile page
  ‎4 Days
  Sep - Nov ‎2023

  
  


• 
  

  Provide guidance and technical support to ‎7 companies to self-assess their strategic approach to gender equality, and identify gaps by preparing for and completing the online self-assessment tool The WEPs Gender Gap Analysis Tool
  Deliverable: report on technical support provided to ‎7 companies to prepare
  for and complete the online self-assessment tool
  ‎21 Days (‎3 Days per Company)
  Nov ‎2023 - Feb ‎2024

  
  


• 
  

  Provide guidance and technical support to the ‎7 companies to develop an action plan based on the strength and opportunities identified by the self-assessment.
  Deliverable: report on technical support provided to ‎7 companies to prepare
  for and develop an action plan with key performance indicators, based on the
  self-assessment completed
  ‎24 Days
  Feb - Mar ‎2024

  
  


• 
  

  Provide guidance and technical support to companies that have completed steps ‎4 and ‎5 above on communicating their progress and sharing their experiences and lessons learned based on their progress on the key performance indicators identified in their action plan through developing a case study for each company.
  Deliverable: ‎7 case studies that communicate the companies ' progress on
  the implementation of the WEPs, document their good practices and/or lessons
  learned and briefings to stakeholders, etc.
  ‎14 Days (‎2 Days per Company)
  Mar - Apr ‎2024

  
  


• 
  

  Based on the action plan developed per company and in consultation with the company's leadership, identify priority actions for the company to take to catalyze gender equality and the empowerment of women that could be supported further by UN Women Egypt country office.
  Deliverable: report on priority actions and their rationale per company
  that could be supported further by UN Women Egypt country office
  ‎2 Days
  May ‎2024

  
  

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: UN-Women-values-and-competencies-framework-en.pdf (unwomen.org)
Functional Competencies
* Ability to engage with all levels of private sector employees (management, white collar, and blue collar);
* Capacity to engage and communicate with partners from private sector and business associations and leverage partnerships within WEPs and other platforms;
* Knowledge and expertise in private sector governance structures and operations;
* Knowledge and expertise in ESG private sector practices;
* Knowledge and expertise in gender research and policy analysis;
* Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills;
* Excellent negotiation skills;
* Ability to draft and communicate high quality clear and concise outputs;
* Familiarity with statistical analysis and indicators, especially gender-related statistics, and indicators;
* Capacity to set priorities, self-organize research work and to plan, prioritize and deliver tasks on time;
* Knowledge and use of computer office tools (word, database, spreadsheets, etc.).

Required Skills and Experience

Education
* Bachelor 's degree in economics, finance, business administration, education, international development, or another relevant science area, is required.
Experience
* At least ‎5 years of relevant work experience including experience in international development, economic development, and/or private sector development, required.
* Knowledge and understanding of the Women 's Empowerment Principles, or similar tools such as the Gender Equity Seal, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs), required.
* Experience in engaging with business associations, Chambers of Commerce, and similar groups, is required.
* On-the-groundwork experience in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion with the private sector, required.
Language Requirements
* Fluency in written and spoken English and Arabic is required.
Evaluation Criteria:
Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology:
Only candidates obtaining a minimum of ‎70 points in the technical evaluation
would be considered for the financial evaluation.
Technical Weight Criteria: ‎70% (‎100 points)
* Criteria ‎1: bachelor 's degree in economics, finance, business administration, education, international development, or another relevant science area (‎10 points).
* Criteria ‎2: at least ‎5 years of relevant work experience including experience in international development, economic development, and/or private sector development (‎10 points).
* Criteria ‎3: work experience with ESG private sector practices and/or private sector governance and operations with focus on gender equality (‎10 points).
* Criteria ‎4: knowledge and understanding of the Women 's Empowerment Principles, or similar tools such as the Gender Equity Seal, and demonstrated knowledge of international best practices in corporate gender diversity (‎15 points).
* Criteria ‎5: experience in engaging with business associations, Chambers of Commerce, and similar groups (‎10 points).
* Criteria ‎6: on-the-groundwork and technical experience in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion with the private sector in Egypt (‎10 points).
* Criteria ‎7: experience in writing case studies (‎5 points).
Financial Proposal
Financial Weight Criteria: ‎30% (‎30 points) - Lowest Financial Daily Rate
Proposal
The points for the Financial Proposal will be allocated as per the following
formula:
* Contract will be awarded to the technically qualified consultant who obtains the highest combined score (financial and technical);
* The points for the Financial Proposal will be allocated as per the following formula: (Lowest Bid Offered)/ (Bid of the Consultant) x ‎30;
* 'Lowest Bid Offered' refers to the lowest price offered by Offerors scoring at least ‎49 points in the technical evaluation.
Application
Interested Individual Consultants must submit the following
documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:
* UN Women Personal History form (P-‎11) signed , is required when applying including the permanent current valid e-mail and phone contact , it can be downloaded from http://www.unwomen.org/about-us/employment and,
* Financial proposal must be submitted based on daily rate in EGP inclusive of all the travel and other related costs,
* A cover letter with a brief presentation of your consultancy explaining your suitability for the work and link to portfolio of work.
The above-mentioned documents should be merged into a standalone file
including all them, since the online application submission does only permit
to upload one file per application. Incomplete submission can be a ground for
disqualification.
IMPORTANT: The above-mentioned documents should be merged in a standalone
file including all of them, since the online application submission only
permits one file upload per application. Incomplete submission can be grounds
for disqualification.*
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.)