Background

I. Organizational context
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. Placing women’s rights at the centre of all its efforts, the 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.
The global four thematic areas are:
• Governance and participation in public life.
• Women’s economic empowerment.
• Ending violence against women.
• Women’s peace and security, humanitarian action, and disaster risk reduction

II. Background
UN Women’s programmes on leadership and participation in public life are guided by international commitments to women’s political rights. The Conference on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women – CEDAW upholds women’s right to participate in public life, while the Beijing Platform for Action calls for removing barriers to equal participation. Towards these ends, UN Women advocates for advocates for legislative, constitutional and procedural reforms to ensure women’s fair access to political spheres—as voters, candidates, elected officials and civil service members. In addition, UN Women supports gender equality advocates in demanding rights. UN Women.

The Brazil Country Office Strategic Plan (2024-2027) includes the following results:

OUTCOME STATEMENT 1: By 2027, Brazilian society – especially groups and people in vulnerable situations – will have greater access to quality public goods and services, digital inclusion and new technologies, greater capacity to exercise their rights and contribute to the decision-making process, free of violence and discrimination, to reduce social inequalities and promote generation equality, gender, race, and ethnicity.

OUTPUT STATEMENT 1.1: Women and young women, their groups and organizations, particularly of women facing multiple forms of discrimination, have enhanced capacity and opportunities to lead, participate in and influence decision-making processes, formulation, implementation and monitoring of laws, policies, plans and budgets at national and sub-national levels.

OUTPUT STATEMENT 1.2: National and subnational public institutions have enhanced capacity to formulate, implement and monitor laws, policies and plans, supported by budgets, that promote gender equality, women’s empowerment and women’s human rights, with a focus on women facing multiple forms of discrimination.

To contribute to the achievement of these results, the National Consultancy on Women’s Participation in Public Life will provide technical support to UN Women in advancing this agenda, contributing inputs on electoral mechanisms, prevention and response to political violence against women, and other related topics.

Duties and Responsibilities

III. Consultancy objective
The objective of the consultancy is to support the compilation, analysis, and dissemination of evidence regarding women’s political participation; strengthen partnerships with the Ministry of Women, parliamentarians, political parties, and other relevant bodies for the political integration of gender perspectives and the promotion of gender equality; provide technical assistance to enhance the capacity of gender equality advocates to influence political decision-making in Brazil, according to emerging needs and demands.
At the end of the consultancy, it is expected that inputs to strengthen UN Women’s work in favour of women’s political participation have been provided satisfactorily, including to the revision of policies, procedures and engagement of key stakeholders.

IV. Scope
Under the overall guidance of the UN Women Representative and direct supervision of the Project Programme Analyst, the consultant will implement the following tasks/activities:

Task 1: Provide technical support to expand women’s participation in public life and address political violence against women

1. Map the main groups from academia, civil society, and politics tackling women’s political participation in Brazil
2. Support the development of methodologies and data collection strategies, analysis and verification of data on women’s political participation.
3. Provide inputs to policy measures aimed at increasing women’s political participation and ending violence against women in public life, liaising with decision-makers and civil society organizations (CSOs), experts, and academics to strengthen research, policy agendas, and methods.
4. Support the engagement of UN Women with key partners and relevant actors on the topic.
5. Provide technical contributions (general approach, evidence, and information) for communication initiatives related to women’s political participation.

Task 2: Support UN Women’s partnership with the National Congress and other organizations
1. Generate data and identify trends in legislative production regarding women’s political participation.

2. Support collaboration with the Women’s Caucus, Parliamentary Commissions, and political parties to increase awareness of internationally agreed development goals, norms, and human rights instruments and eliminate barriers to women’s participation.

3. Support collaboration with the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), National Council of the Public Ministry (CNMP), Public Defender’s Office of the Union (DPU), and other agencies in the Executive, Legislative and Judiciary Branches.

4. Support the follow-up of ATENEA recommendations prioritized in agreement with UNDP to mobilize and engage partnerships in Brazil with a technical perspective on strengthening women’s participation in political life.

5. Conduct training activities for partners and the team, as necessary.

6. Develop and contribute inputs for briefings, concept notes, talking points, interviews, discussion point proposals, and other technical documents.
7. Provide inputs for quarterly, annual, and donor reports.

Task 3: Support women’s movements and civil society organizations to advance the agenda of women’s rights and political participation

1. Support dialogue with women’s groups and gender equality advocates and contribute to sustained dialogue with political parties, the National Women’s Forum of Political Party Bodies, and parliamentarians.

2. Develop and contribute inputs for briefings, concept notes, speeches, interviews, discussion point proposals, and other technical documents.

V. Deliverable products:

	Deliverable products	Deadline	Payment
1.	Plan of assignment implementation submitted to UN Women	1 month after signature of contract	30%
2.	Results-based report* with a summary of progress and results achieved submitted	4 months after signature of contract	20%
3.	Results-based report* with a summary of progress and results achieved submitted	7 months after signature of contract	20%
4.	Results-based report* with a summary of progress and results achieved submitted	11 months after signature of contract	30%
5.	Final report with a summary of results achieved during the implementation of the assignment submitted	11 months after signature of contract	0%
TOTAL		12 months after signature of contract

*All reports should be submitted in Portuguese and include the full set of supporting documents, such as training agendas and methodologies, handouts, lists of participants, etc. The supporting documents can be submitted in Portuguese.

Women will review and provide feedback/approval within 5 working days. In case feedback is provided, UN Women will approve deliverables after feedback is incorporated and deliverable is considered final.

VI. Contract execution arrangements
Payments for the services will be made after the delivery of each product established in the table above upon certification of a satisfactory performance by UN Women in accordance with the established schedule.

Payments will be processed within 10 working days after the final approval of the deliverable and submission of the signed Certification of Payment form.

When processing the last payment, it must be accompanied by the consultant Performance Evaluation.

The SSA establishes that the remuneration for this contract type is an all-inclusive fee, the organization will not be liable for additional cost or benefits. Hence, it is the responsibility of the consultant to take out adequate medical insurance for the duration of the contract and it is recommendable that the policy includes coverage for COVID-19 related illness. The medical coverage should be international when the contract requires missions or international assignment.

If selected for this post, proof of medical coverage should be presented within the first two months of the contract.
No travel is expected for the development of the present consultancy.

The consultant will be responsible for the travel and per diem (accommodation, meals, transfers/transportation, communication, and other related costs). Such costs will be later reimbursed, subject to presentation and approval of supporting documents (quotation, invoices and vouchers). The per diems must be included in the fees, in the financial proposal, and expenses with accommodation, meals, transfers/transportation, communication, and other related costs will not be reimbursed separately.

Air travel will be the most direct and economical route: The default route will be the most direct route between the traveler’s service location and the travel location. However, the most economical route will apply when:
(a) the cost of the most direct route is 25% or more higher compared to the most economical route; and
(b) the travel time for the most economical route does not exceed the most direct route by four (4) hours or more.
For all air travel, the traveler will receive the most economical (lowest) fare in the applicable class of service, including restrictive, non-refundable airfares.

Travel arrangements and reimbursement requests will follow the UN Women Travel Policy, which will be shared by the supervisor at the start of the contract.
The consultant on official travel, regardless of the destination, must obtain authorization through the UNDSS/TRIP prior to travel in accordance with the UN security policy.
Prior to going on mission consultants/individual contractors should provide a signed “Statement of good health” to confirm their insurance coverage and inoculations.

VII. Inputs
The consultant is expected to work remotely during the assignment on an intermittent basis, as required by her/his supervisor. The consultant is expected to work using her/his own computer remotely and be available for the presential meetings with UN Women when required. The consultant may access UN Women Office to use printer or scanner upon agreement with the supervisor.

UN Women will provide the consultant with background materials related to the assignment, logistical and coordination support for the organization of meetings with key stakeholders and partners.

VIII. Performance monitoring and evaluation
The work and performance of a consultant will be evaluated and monitored by the Supervisor on a regular basis to ensure the contractual obligations have been fully met. The consultant will maintain permanent coordination with her/his supervisor to execute and develop the products requested by this consultancy effectively. S/he will also provide information as requested within the framework of the terms of reference.

Performance indicators
Consultant’s performance will be evaluated against such criteria as timeliness, responsibility, initiative, communication, accuracy, and quality of the products delivered. The evaluation will be carried out and cleared by the supervisor which will also be the basis for payment on a delivery-by-delivery basis to the consultant.

Competencies

IX. Values and competencies
Organizational Values and Principles
• Respect for Diversity: Demonstrate recognition of the organization’s multicultural nature and its staff’s variety. Demonstrates international perspective, appreciation of differences in values and learning from cultural diversity.
• Integrity: Demonstrate consistency in upholding and promoting UN Women’s values in actions and decisions, following the United Nations Code of Conduct.
• Professionalism: Demonstrate professional competence and experience in the knowledge of their substantive areas of work.

Core competencies
• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues
• Accountability
• Creative Problem Solving
• Effective Communication
• Inclusive Collaboration
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Leading by Example

Functional competencies
• Excellent analytical and communication capabilities.
• Good teamwork skills.
• Understanding of the gender equality agenda
• Excellent knowledge of the electoral system and regulations
• Excellent partnership skills

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

Required Skills and Experience

X. Requirements
For the applicant to be considered, applicants must meet the following qualifications and requirements:

Mandatory:
Education
• Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in Political Science, Social Policies, Public Policies, Social Sciences, Human Rights, Development Studies, or other related fields.

Professional Experience
• Minimum of 5 years of progressive professional experience in the theme of women’s participation in public life.
• Minimum of 2 years of progressive experience in political dialogue and advocacy in parliament and the Executive.
Languages and other skills
• Fluency in Portuguese
• Excellent knowledge of English (reading and writing)
• Proficiency in MS Office

Desirable:
Education
• Doctorate in Political Science, Social Sciences, Law or Public Policies.
Professional Experience
• Experience in applying an intersectional approach to gender equality.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience working with women’s and feminist civil society organizations.
Languages and other skills
• Working knowledge of Spanish will be considered an advantage.

XI. Evaluation of Applicants
For the selection process, the evaluation committee will carry out a technical evaluation of qualifications (100%) based on established requirements and criteria.
The award of the contract should be made to the individuals whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:
• Responsive/compliant/acceptable.
• Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical criteria specific to the solicitation.
The total number of points allocated for the technical qualification component is 100. The technical qualification of the individual is evaluated based on desk review and following technical qualification evaluation criteria (mandatory and desirable):

Technical Evaluation Criteria	Maximum Obtainable Points: 100
Criteria A – Relevant Education	30
Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in Political Science, Social Policies, Public Policies, Social Sciences, Human Rights, Development Studies, or other related fields	0
Doctorate in Political Science, Social Sciences, Law or Public Policies (desirable)	30
Criteria B – Relevant Professional Experience	60
Minimum of 5 years of progressive professional experience in the theme of women’s participation in public life	30
Minimum of 2 years of progressive experience in political dialogue and advocacy in parliament and the Executive	10
Experience in applying an intersectional approach to gender equality (desirable)	10
Minimum of 3 years of experience working with women’s and feminist civil society organizations (desirable)	10
Criteria C – Language and other skills	10
Fluency in Portuguese	0
Excellent knowledge of English (reading and writing)	0
Working knowledge of Spanish (desirable)	10
Total	100

Evaluation process
Phase 1: longlisting, based on minimum requirements and completion of documentation;
Phase 2: shortlisting based on desk review of application documents based on evaluation criteria;
Phase 3: technical evaluation of the shortlisted candidates;
Phase 4 (optional): based on shortlisting – written test;
Phase 5 (optional): based on shortlisting/results of the written test – interview.

XII. Recruitment Process
Application and submission package:
In case of not mentioning the essential requirements in your application, your application will not be considered for evaluation and, therefore, will be discarded from the process.
All applications must include in their application:
1) Completed and signed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) in English which can be downloaded from https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/2022-07/UN-Women-P11-Personal-History-Form-en.doc

Interested candidates are requested to apply no later than 11:59 pm (NYC/ New York time) on 24/03/ 2024 by submitting applications only THROUGH ONLY to UNDP Jobs Platform (https://jobs.undp.org/cj_view_jobs.cfm)

Applications WITHOUT SIGNED P11 will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.

IMPORTANT NOTES
• Making the application, UN Women HR strongly suggests that only one (1) file must be uploaded in PDF format. A guide is attached for you to perform this step. https://www.wikihow.com/Merge-PDF-Files. UN Women assumes no responsibility and only describes one of the many ways to compress documents related to the application. You may use whichever one you deem appropriate.
• Only those applications that fit on the shortlist will be contacted for an interview (if applicable).
• Consultants who have an employment relationship with public institutions can only be hired if they present proof of a work permit (license) and/or evidence of unpaid leave without expiration and a letter of no objection to the consultancy’s performance, issued by the employing institution. If the candidates are linked to a research institution, academic center, or university, presenting a letter of no objection issued by the employing institution is sufficient.
• The selected consultants must have medical coverage and present proof of their coverage within two months of signing their contract. For national consultants, SUS coverage is also accepted as a proof of medical coverage. Selected candidates must present SUS identification card when required (prior to the contract signature). For more information on how to print SUS identification card, please refer to the following website: https://conectesus-paciente.saude.gov.br/
• If travel is required, medical coverage, required vaccines according to the destination, travel insurance and statement of good health must be confirmed.

Diversity and Inclusion
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.)