With less than four years remaining till the target date of 2015, current data from Cambodia suggest that progress on advancing the Cambodian MDGs remains mixed. Greatest progress has been achieved on CMDG4 (Child Mortality), CMDG5 (Maternal Health) and CMDG6 (HIV/AIDS and Malaria, Dengue Fever and Tuberculosis), which are expected to meet and exceed their 2015 targets (2010 MDG Report). However, serious challenges remain with regard to CMDG1 (Extreme Poverty and Hunger), and CMDG7 (Environmental Sustainability). Most importantly, challenges remain in achieving CMDG3 (Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment). Therefore, the urgent need is recognized by both government and development partners to increase deeper insight into the remaining problems, their solutions, and collective efforts and resources needed to accelerate progress. Against this background, the years 2010 and 2011 provided globally the setting for a comprehensive review of progress on the CMDGs including the impact of new challenges and realities, such as the global economic and financial crises, climate change, and new evidence and innovations to accelerate and sustain progress towards the MDGs. To facilitate the review process at country level, the UN has developed and tested an MDG Acceleration Framework (MAF). The MAF has been endorsed by the UN Development Group (UNDG) and is available at http://www.undg.org/index.cfm?P=1505. At the country level, such a review is to work towards identifying bottlenecks and the solutions needed to accelerate progress on lagging MDGs, consistent with existing planning processes. The Framework will help countries to analyse why they are lagging behind on specific MDGs, identify and prioritize the high impact interventions, prioritize the bottlenecks to progress for those selected interventions, and identify collaborative solutions involving governments and all relevant development stakeholders. It could also help to address new challenges related to meeting the MDGs in a particular country context; and integrate new evidence such as the strategic importance of energy and technology, the centrality of gender equality and women’s empowerment in relation to specific MDGs targets and indicators, and innovations in national and sub-national efforts to accelerate and sustain progress towards the MDGs. In countries where rates of progress vary sharply across geographic regions and/or population groups, the MAF can help understand the reasons behind such differentials in progress, and thereby address them through tailored solutions.
The MAF results in the preparation of a focused, agreed upon Action Plan to address the specific MDG that rallies the efforts of governments and its partners, including civil society and the private sector, on providing the investments and services needed to advance key policy reform and overcome identified constraints. The UNDP in Cambodia plans to apply, in close consultation with the UN Country Team and close collaboration with the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, key relevant line ministries, development partners, the private sector and other civil society organizations, the MAF to improve MDG3 on gender equality and women’s empowerment with a special focus on promotion of women’s economic empowerment. The application of the MAF in Cambodia is expected to help deliver an Action Plan focused on the increase of tangible and impactful initiatives to enhance women's economic empowerment, consolidate existing good practices and strengthen innovative linkages between governmental action in the Ministry of Women's Affairs and line ministries with the private sector. A team of two consultants, one senior international consultant and one national consultant is expected to assist the Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MoWA), concerned line ministries, development partners, private sector representatives and civil society organizations (CSOs) to result in the development of a focused and agreed upon MAF Action Plan to steer and anchor targets 3.5, 3.6 and 3.7 of the CMDG3 on track and advance women’s share and benefits in the economic sphere in Cambodia. In preparation of this consultancy, a MAF proposal has been developed delineating an analysis of the current economic situation of Cambodian women, the efforts of the RGC on economic empowerment of women and the possible venues requiring deeper insights and acceleration towards 2015. |
The international consultant is expected to: Lead the development of a Country Action Plan for the priority: women’s economic empowerment as part of CMDG3 based on the processes described in the MDG Acceleration Framework document (http://www.undg.org/index.cfm?P=1505). The action plan will draw upon a bottleneck assessment for the identified MDG (as described in the MAF), including sub-national considerations wherever relevant. This process will entail following tasks: - Desk review sources of data including surveys, development plans and reviews and complete existing information (Please refer to 2012 MAF proposal Cambodia and 2011 HLD report);
- Mapping specific (existing) interventions from Royal Government of Cambodia, UN agencies, Development Partners, the Private Sector and CSOs in the effort of promoting women’s economic empowerment;
- Identifying and prioritizing the high impact interventions contained in existing policies and programmes (as per above), which are not showing results;
- Identifying specific bottlenecks in the existing policies and programmes interventions (policy, planning, budget and financing, service delivery, service utilization) to improve economic status and opportunities for women;
- Prioritizing identified bottlenecks based on a quick impact assessment and feasibility for addressing the bottlenecks;
- Liaising with different stakeholders and partners including: relevant Government offices, UN specialized agencies, bi-/multi-lateral agencies, private sector associations and civil society groups (including those representing women, minority groups and marginalized) to ensure that their views are reflected in the assessment;
- Developing smart investment by the government, development partners, private sector and CSOs with practical interventions, budget and timeframe which help address gender disparities in labour, employment and economic livelihoods – this will be considered as solutions and could be potentially integrated into the Action Plan;
- Ensuring that the analysis builds upon, and is consistent with priorities set by the RGC, its strategies for advancing gender equality and in particular ongoing efforts to achieve more women economic empowerment in the country;
- Identifying and prioritizing high impact solutions with a potential to accelerate women’s economic empowerment – based on impact and feasibility;
- Building strong commitment for more harmonized interventions from government and other stakeholders on improvement of women’s economic empowerment – identification of potential solutions to feed into an Action Plan;
- Ensuring that relevant cross-sectoral and cross-cutting issues that are important for substantially advancing women’s economic participation and prosperity (such as the vulnerabilities of the informal sector) are integrated in the analysis of bottlenecks and in the Country Action Plan;
- Supporting the substantive organization of two technical workshops: One methodological to introduce key stakeholders to the MAF methodology and one national workshop to review and validate the Country Action Plan. Concerned stakeholders are to be drawn in close consultation with MoWA and UNDP and comprise Government officials, development partners, private sector representatives, civil society organizations, academics and experts involved in the field of gender and economy and women’s economic empowerment in Cambodia;
- Managing the peer review process and integrating the comments and feedback received into the MAF Analysis and Action Plan during the various reviews – including feedback received during the validation workshop/consultation;
- Assisting in the validation and acceptance of the Country Action Plan and the final draft report for publication in close consultation with UNDP Country Office, The Partnership for Gender Equity III and the Ministry of Women’s Affairs in Cambodia;
- Developing a budget and a monitoring framework for the Action Plan implementation.
Expected Deliverables and Outputs: - Preparing a draft situation analysis, including the mapping of existing priority interventions and analysis of bottlenecks in addressing women’s economic empowerment (1st Week of July 2012);
- Support the Methodological workshop on MAF for key relevant stakeholders to increase understanding of MAF and its process (3 rd week of July 2012);
- Peer review of the analysis and outline of the acceleration components of the action plan, technical validation of both with the respective major stakeholders (MoWA and principle partners for each component) (July-August 2012);
- National Workshop to validate the analysis of bottlenecks and build consensus among concerned stakeholders to agree on the action plan to improve women’s economic empowerment (Second week of September);
- Finalization of Action Plan and organization of a launching event of MAF on women’s economic empowerment, publications. (Fourth week of September / October 2012).
|
Education: - At least a Master’s degree in development studies, economics, political science, gender studies, public policy and/or relevant field of social sciences.
Experience: - A minimum of seven years of field experience in advising and managing international programmes dedicated to gender equality and/or women’s economic empowerment in a development setting;
- At least four years’ experience in accompanying development planning processes at the national and subnational levels, preferably in Cambodia or in South East Asia;
- Substantial knowledge of the UN, knowledge and/or practice of MAF (MDG Acceleration framework), a distinct asset;
- Proven track record of excellence in development assessments, monitoring and evaluation;
- Research work on women’s economic empowerment, a distinct advantage;
- Excellent command in written and spoken in English is essential;
- Extensive experience in working with both Government and development partners’ senior level officials;
- Experience in facilitation and participative approaches;
- Demonstrated strong communications skills and excellent command of English (oral and written), sense of initiative and excellent conceptual and analytical capacities.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The application shall comprise the following documents: - Cover letter: Explaining why the candidate the most suitable for the work;
- Completed and signed UNDP Personal History Form and Personal CV;
- Financial/Price Proposal in lump-sum offer.
Please refer to INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT (IC) PROCUREMENT NOTICE on UNDP Cambodia Procurement Page at http://www.un.org.kh/undp/procurement-notices/undpjobid30590 for detailed term of references, instructions to applicant, and documents to be included when submitting application.
If interested candidate requests additional information, may notify the Procurement Unit in writing to e-mail address: procurement.kh@undp.org. The Procurement Unit would endeavor to provide information expeditiously, but any delay in providing such information will not be considered a reason for extending the submission date of your application. |
Post a Comment