Background

I. Organizational Context

The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (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 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 support to Member States’ efforts and priorities in meeting their gender equality goals and for building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.

In Türkiye, in line with its global Strategic Plan 2022-2025 and Country Strategic Note (2022-2025), and the overall UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Turkiye (UNSDCF) (2021-2025), UN Women works towards the overarching goal of “Women and girls including those at greatest risk of being left behind fully exercise their human rights, enjoy a life free from violence and discrimination, and lead, influence and benefit for Turkiye”. UN Women works in four thematic areas: (i) governance and participation in public life; (ii) women’s economic empowerment; (iii) ending violence against women and girls; and (iv) women, peace and security, humanitarian action and disaster risk reduction. UN Women contributes to three UNSDCF outcomes: 1) Women and girls have improved and equal access to resources, opportunities, and rights, and enjoy a life without violence and discrimination; 2) By 2025, Persons under the Law on Foreigners and International Protection are supported towards self-reliance. 3) By 2025, governance systems are more transparent, accountable, inclusive and rights-based with the participation of civil society, and quality of judicial services is improved.

In line with its coordination mandate, UN Women promotes coordination and coherence across the UN system to enhance accountability and results for gender equality and women’s empowerment, including through joint programmatic and advocacy actions and initiatives, standardized tools and guidance and services to strengthen the relevant capacities of the UN system. UN Women is chairing the Result Group on Women’s Empowerment under the UNSDCF, which convenes 13 UN agencies and is responsible for implementation of targeted outcome on women’s empowerment in the USDCSF and driving forward gender mainstreaming across the Cooperation framework.

Although Türkiye has made significant progress of advancing gender equality through legal reforms over the past two decades and has reached gender parity in most levels of education, deep-rooted discriminatory gender stereotypes and restrictive social norms continue and undermine efforts to combat violence against women and girls, and to increase women’s participation in decision-making and in economic, public and political life.

To support to overcome the systemic barriers against women’s economic participation in the country, UN Women engages with the private sector in the country. Türkiye has a vibrant and powerful private sector which provides employment to the majority of workers – some estimates show that almost 83% of employment is within the private sector.  The well-established status and reach of private sector and its many constituents (i.e. employees, suppliers, clients, consumers etc.)  give it commensurate impact, outreach and contribution to policy making. The Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) are a set of Principles offering guidance to business on how to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in the workplace, marketplace and community and thus creates an enabling business environment to contribute to overcome also the systemic barriers. Established by UN Global Compact and UN Women, the WEPs are informed by international labour 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. UN Women uses the WEPs as the leading framework in creating the desired change within and beyond the private sector. WEPs offers the private sector a clear and powerful framework to address existing gender gaps and to bring about change. UN Women Türkiye works with the private sector in the country by crafting bespoke WEPs programmes for them to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment (GEWE) in their workplace, marketplace, and community.

UN Women Turkiye and one of a WEPs signatory private sector company (THE COMPANY) have agreed on a comprehensive and long-term programme to better implement the WEPs framework through incorporating data generation, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, to make a lasting and meaningful impact on the GEWE issues within and beyond THE COMPANY. The programme of collaboration with THE COMPANY covers these aspects in three Outputs under the overall framework of the WEPs.

UN Women Turkiye Country Office will contract a National Consultant to support the office for conducting a comprehensive gender gap analysis of the private sector company to identify the gaps and to plan a holistic strategy for becoming an inclusive and gender-responsive company.  The National Consultant will also develop a strategy and action plan based on the findings of the assessment which will identify the priorities of THE COMPANY for the upcoming five years including a review and planning of the corporate policies. Gender Equality Action Plan will identify the list of activities (e.g. capacity development programs, policy revisions, advocacy actions), their timelines, and resources necessary to complete the Action Plan.

Duties and Responsibilities

II. Functions

Under overall guidance of UN Women Deputy Country Director and the direct supervision of Programme Analyst,

the National Consultant will be responsible for conducting a Baseline Gender Gap Analysis (BGGA), assessing the impact of the already existing initiatives of THE COMPANY, developing a Gender Equality Action Plan based on the findings of the BGGA conducted and conducting an Endline Gender Gap Analysis (EGGA).

This assessment will be conducted in line with the corporate tools developed by UN Women under WEPs and other frameworks. Results of the assessment will be used:

a) as a baseline to monitor the results and the impact of the overall intervention

b) to develop a Strategy and Gender Equality Action Plan Strategy which will identify the priority intervention areas to increase THE COMPANY’s institutional capacity and identify the list of activities (e.g.

capacity development programs, policy revisions, advocacy actions), their timelines, and resources

necessary to complete the Action Plan.

c) To assess the impact and results of the gender-responsive interventions based on the Baseline Gender Gap Analysis conducted to monitor the results and the impact of the overall intervention and reporting.

d) To develop the set of recommendations for further improvements to be an inclusive and gender-responsive company.

In this respect, the expected results of the work of the National Consultant are as follows:

• Developing and conducting Baseline Gender Gap Analysis (BGGA) for THE COMPANY

• Conducting meetings with the UN Women team to clarify objectives and expectations, received inputs and ensure timely delivery of the assessment report.
• Designing the study methodology and identifying the quantitative and qualitative data resources and work with THE COMPANY to access these resources.
• Identifying the indicators for the BGGA in line with the corporate tools developed by UN Women under WEPs and other frameworks.
• Reviewing the strategic documents and respective corporate policies.
• Analysing the quantitative and qualitative data collected through desk review and the interviews.
• Having a debriefing session with THE COMPANY and UN Women on the main findings of the analysis and the next steps.

• Assessing the impact of the already existing initiatives of THE COMPANY to empower women in business life.

• Conducting individual discussions and focus group discussions as part of the methodology (interviewees will be identified by THE COMPANY based on the profile requested by the Consultant).
• Having a debriefing session with THE COMPANY and UN Women on the main findings of the assessment.

• Developing a Gender Equality Strategy and Action Plan based on the findings of the baseline assessment.

• The Strategy and Action Plan will identify the priorities of THE COMPANY for the upcoming five years and the list of activities (e.g. capacity development programs, policy revisions, advocacy actions), their timelines, and resources necessary to complete the Action Plan.
• The Gender Equality Action Plan will include lessons learnt from the previous experiences and will also identify actions to scale up the current initiative of THE COMPANY.
• This activity will be provided by the consultants of UN Women in direct cooperation with the THE COMPANY
• Developing and conducting the Endline Gender Gap Analysis and re-collect the data collected under BGGA.

• Developing and conducting Endline Gender Gap Analysis (EGGA) and re-collecting the data collected under BGGA

• Analysing the quantitative and qualitative data collected through desk review and the interviews based on the indicators developed for the BGGA.
• Preparing the final assessment report of the impact of the gender-responsive interventions in THE COMPANY.
• Having a debriefing session with THE COMPANY and UN Women on the main findings of the analyses and the next steps.
• Developing a set of recommendations for further improvements to become an inclusive and gender-responsive company.

III. Deliverables and Payment Schedule

Duration of the assignment is from 1 March 2024 to 1 September 2025. The Consultant is expected to spend up to 95 working days on a non-consecutive basis throughout the assignment.

Expected Deliverables and Payment Schedule:

The following table summarizes main activities and expected deliverables against targeted delivery deadlines and indicative working days to be invested by the Consultant. The deliverables are clearly dedicated in line with the expected functions as can be seen in the following table.

	Activities/Tasks	Output (Deliverable)	Estimated Working days assigned	Target Deadlines
1	Submission of a work plan with the indicative timeline for the consultancy, with all tasks to be performed, proposed list of documentation for desk review and interviews/roundtables to be held.	Work plan and Working methodology	2	5 March 2024
2	Submission of the developed research tools (questionnaires, code guides etc.) based on the identified indicators	Research tools (questionnaires, code guides, indicators, etc)	10	20 March 2024
3	Submission of the initial Baseline Gender Gap Analysis (BGGA) report of the available data and documents based on the identified quantitative data resources including the impact assessment of the existing initiatives of THE COMPANY on women’s empowerment.	Initial Baseline Gender Gap Analysis (BGGA) report including the assessment of impact of the existing initiatives of THE COMPANY on women’s empowerment.	18	22 April 2024
4	Submission of final BGGA Report and debriefing based on the data analysis and research.	Final Baseline Gender Gap Analysis (BGGA)	10	6 May 2024
5	Submission of the initial Gender Equality Action Plan based on the findings of the BGGA.	Initial Gender Equality Action Plan	10	20 May 2024
6	Submission of the final Gender Equality Action Plan based on the findings of the BGGA.	Final Gender Equality Action Plan	10	31 May 2024
7	Submission of the initial Endline Gender Gap Analysis (EGGA) report based on the indicators developed for BGGA.	Initial Endline Gender Gap Analysis (EGGA)	15	15 June 2025
8	Submission of the final EGGA report and debriefing based on the data analysis and research	Final Endline Gender Gap Analysis (EGGA)	10	15 July 2025
9	Submission of recommendations document includes further improvements to become an inclusive and gender-responsive company.	Recommendations Document	10	30 August 2025
		Total	95

*The number of working days are solely provided to give the National Consultant an idea on the work to be undertaken.

All deliverables shall be received and cleared by UN Women in Türkiye. All deliverables shall be in Turkish, in electronic version. Only the executive summaries for the final Baseline and Endline Gender Gap Analyses will be both in Turkish and English.

Note: The mentioned number of working days has been estimated as being sufficient/feasible for the envisaged volume of work to be completed successfully and is proposed as a guideline for the duration of assignment. It cannot and shall not be used as criteria for completion of work/assignment. The provision of envisaged deliverables approved by the UN Women in Türkiye shall be the only criteria for the Consultant’s work being completed and eligible for payment/s.

Payment Schedule:

The amount paid to the Consultant shall be gross and inclusive of all associated costs such as Travel, social security, pension and income tax etc. Payments will be made upon approval of deliverables by UN Women Türkiye, along with the Certification of Payment Form (COP) on the basis of the lump-sum price of that respective deliverable and pertaining payment documents signed by the National Consultant in addition to the timesheet indicating the days allocated for the specific deliverables and approved by the responsible Programme Analyst. While the National Consultant may invest less or more than estimated number of working days for each deliverable different than the estimated working days stipulated in the table in Section III, the amount of payment to be affected to the National consultant within the scope of this Assignment will be based on the lump-sum prices of the deliverables.

If any of the deliverables stipulated in above table are not produced and delivered by the National Consultants in due time and to the satisfaction of UN Women Türkiye, no payment will be made even if the National Consultants have invested time to produce and deliver such deliverables.

During assignment’s related missions, the National Consultant may use the facilities of the office (i.e. internet access, printing, copying, local phone calls, etc.). However, s/he is expected to use his/her own personal computer.

Mandatory Training Courses:

The Consultant shall complete all the mandatory and other required UN training courses and modules on time. The certificates shall be submitted to the supervisor.

Competencies

V. 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

• Excellent knowledge of gender equality and women’s empowerment issues and violence, discrimination, sexual harassment, and abuse in business world;
• Ability to communicate sensitively, effectively and creatively across different constituencies;
• Ability to gather and interpret data, reach logical conclusions and present findings;
• Focuses on impact and results for client;
• Strong analytical skills;
• Strong report writing skills;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;

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)

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.)  

Required Skills and Experience

VI. Required Skills and Experience:

Education:	Master’s degree or equivalent in social sciences including gender studies, public administration, international relations or other related field relevant to the requirements of this ToR; PhD degree 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.
Skills and Experience:	At least 7 years relevant professional experience in the field of gender equality and women’s empowerment in business is required. Minimum 3 years of experience in formulating writing program documents, reports, analytical/policy documents etc. in the field of gender equality and/or women and girls’ empowerment in business world is required. Previous working experience with private sector in the field of gender equality and/or women and girls’ empowerment is an asset. Previous working experience with UN Agencies and other international organizations is an asset.
Language Requirements:	Fluency in written and spoken Turkish and English is required.

VII. Travel

The Consultant will be responsible for all travel arrangements and expenses and daily subsistence allowances associated with undertaking this assignment. All travels shall be coordinated with UN Women Türkiye Office and shall be included in the total contract amount of the Consultant.

Indicatively three domestic journeys to Istanbul and two other provinces in Türkiye are expected to take place. Each mission is expected to last one day. The financial proposal template is explanatory in this regard. The taxi fees for attending the meetings are also under the responsibility of the Consultant.  In case of an unforeseen travel, UN Women Turkey Office will cover the organization and the costs of the consultant’s travel as per UN Women’s rules and regulations. UN Women will not cover transportation cost within duty station including the taxi costs.

In the context of the assignment, wherever possible, the meetings can be carried out through online conferencing such as Skype, Zoom, MS Teams, etc.

For all the travels under this assignment, the Consultant is required to provide UN Women with the requested travel documentation in a timely manner, both before and after the travels. Please note that failure to do so may result in no entitlement.

VII. Application Procedure:

The following documents should be submitted as part of the application:

Cover letter to include a brief overview about which of your previous experiences makes you the most suitable candidate for the advertised assignment.

CV in English containing the relevant educational and professional experience.

Signed UN Women Personal History (P11) Form including past experience in similar assignments which can be downloaded at http://www.unwomen.org/about-us/employment

The cover letter, CV, signed UN Women personal history form and the financial proposal shall be sent via e- mail to [email protected] indicating the name of the position applied in the subject line of the e-mail no later than the application deadline – Please see Annex I: Price Proposal Guideline and Template and Annex II: Price Proposal Submission Form.

When applying; the Cover Letter, CV and the signed P11 Form should be merged into one (1) single PDF document. The Financial Proposal should be sent as a separate file in PDF, separately from the rest of the documents. Please make sure not to include the Financial Proposal in the merged PDF document.

Should they be short-listed in consideration of the consultancy, candidates should be able to quickly submit degree certificates, medical certifications or any other requested document.

Incomplete applications such as applications without a financial proposal may not be considered. Applicants are responsible to make sure to have provided all the requested application materials before the deadline.

IX. Evaluation of Applicants

Candidates will be evaluated using a cumulative analysis method taking into consideration the combination of the applicants’ qualifications and financial proposal. The contract will be awarded to the Consultant whose offer receives the highest score out of below defined technical and financial criteria. Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points in the technical evaluation would be considered for financial evaluation.

Criteria	Total points	Max. Points
Technical Evaluation (70%)	70
Master’s degree or equivalent in social sciences including gender studies, public administration, international relations or other related field relevant to the requirements of this ToR; PhD degree 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.. (Master’s degree or +9 years of experience w/ a Bachelor’s degree – 10 points, PhD = 15 points)		15
Minimum 7 years relevant professional experience in the field of gender equality and women’s empowerment in business is required. (7 – 10 years 15 pts , more than 10 years  20 pts)		20
Minimum 3 years of experience in formulating writing program documents, reports, analytical/policy documents etc. in the field of gender equality and/or women and girls’ empowerment in business world is required. (3 years 5 pts, 3 – 5 years 10 pts , more than 5 years 15 pts)		15
Previous working experience with private sector in the field of gender equality and/or women and girls’ empowerment is an asset. (Yes – 5 pts, No – 0 pts)		10
Previous working experience with UN Agencies and other international organizations is an asset. (Yes – 5 pts, No – 0 pts)		5
Fluency in written and spoken Turkish and English is required. (Yes – 5 pts, No – 0 pts)		5
Financial Evaluation (30%)	30
TOTAL	100

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. A suggested formula is as follows:

p = 30 (µ/z)

Using the following values:

p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated µ = price of the lowest priced proposal

z = price of the proposal being evaluated

An interview/written test may be used as part of the evaluation procedure.

Annex I: Price Proposal Guideline and Template

The prospective Individual Consultant should take the following explanations into account during submission of his/her price proposal.

1.Daily fee

The daily price proposal should indicate a “lump sum amount” which is “all-inclusive”; All costs (professional fees, communications, consumables during field related missions, etc.) that could possibly be incurred by the Contractor needs to be factored into the proposed price.

UN Women will not withhold any amount of the payments for tax and/or social security related payments. UN Women shall have no liability for taxes, duties or other similar charges payable by the Individual Contractor in respect of any amounts paid to the Individual Contractor under this Contract, and the Contractor acknowledges that UN Women will not issue any statements of earnings to the Individual contractor in respect of any such payments.

2.Travel costs

The Consultant will be responsible for all travel arrangements and expenses and daily subsistence allowances associated with undertaking this assignment. All travels shall be coordinated with UN Women Turkiye Office and shall be included in the total contract amount of the Consultant.

Indicatively three domestic travels to Istanbul and two other provinces in Türkiye  are expected to take place. Each mission is expected to last one day. The financial proposal template is explanatory in this regard. The taxi fees for attending the meetings are also under the responsibility of the Consultant. In case of an unforeseen travel, UN Women Turkey Office will cover the organization and the costs of the consultant’s travel as per UN Women’s rules and regulations. UN Women will not cover transportation cost within duty station including the taxi costs.

In the context of the assignment, wherever possible, the meetings can be carried out through online conferencing such as Skype, Zoom, MS Teams, etc.

For all the travels under this assignment, the Consultant is required to provide UN Women with the requested travel documentation in a timely manner, both before and after the travels. Please note that failu