National Consultant – Local Elections Analysis – Local post for Nationals

Background

I. Organizational Contex

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 and , and the overall , 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.

Towards these goals, UN Women implements programmes and projects that aim to advance gender equality, improve women’s access to opportunities, rights and services in political, social and economic life and combat gender stereotypes, discrimination and violence, as required by international and national legal and policy commitments. UN Women collaborates with numerous partners – central and local level government authorities, civil society organizations, including women’s organizations and platforms, academia, private sector companies, other UN agencies. It commits itself to the Leaving No One Behind principle, by supporting targeted actions to remove the obstacles that marginalized and vulnerable groups of women face in accessing their rights and to promote them as agents of change.

Despite progress made in the past decades, in Turkiye the participation of women in politics and in decision-making in economic and business life, remains low and below global and regional averages. In the previous years, UN Women implemented the project “Gender Equality in Political Leadership and Participation in Turkiye” which worked with the Turkish Grand National Assembly, local 

administrations, civil society organizations (CSOs) and women leaders to advance gender-responsive policies and legislation and women’s participation in decision-making processes. UN Women has also increased its partnership base and its engagement with different stakeholders, such as the private sector, media and male champions, in order to achieve larger-scale impact and results.

Building on the achievements and lessons learnt over the previous years, in 2021, UN Women started implementing the project “Advancing gender equality and women’s leadership in political and business life” (Women Lead) with funding from the Embassy of Sweden through the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). The project has an overall objective to advance women’s leadership and participation in decision-making in Turkiye by focusing on key stakeholders and actors in the fields of politics and private sector. Two sub-objectives of the project are:

1. Provide support for increasing women’s leadership in political decision-making, establishing a cadre of interested, diverse and capable women to run for political office at local level, increasing solidarity and gender equality awareness among women from different political affiliations and with women from outside government, advancing the national and policy legal framework, strengthening gender-sensitive governance at the local level.
2. Promote women’s leadership and influence in the private sector, strengthen the engagement of men political and corporate leaders in advancing gender equality, work with media current and future professional and media outlets to advance non-stereotypical portrayal of women in media as political and business leaders and to practice gender-sensitive practices internally and externally.

Within the framework of the Women Lead Project, UN Women Türkiye aims to strengthen the capacities of political stakeholders to promote gender balance in decision-making. To create an evidence base for this aim, the analysis of the 2023 General Elections was conducted by taking into account both the pre-election and post-election processes from a gender perspective.

As a complementary action, UN Women Türkiye plans to conduct the analysis of local elections that is planned to take place on 31 March 2024. The analysis will aim:

• to better understand the candidate profile,
• to analyse how the candidacy processes affects women’s participation,
• to find out the effects of special measures – if any – implemented by political parties that promote women’s candidacy and ranking in the nominations,
• to identify areas of opportunity and challenges for women as candidates and political actors

A gap analysis and a set of policy options are to be developed to identify new intervention areas to increase women’s participation in local politics.

A comparative review of main findings (Local Elections Analysis and 2023 General Election Analysis) on similarities and differences between women’s participation in national politics and local politics will also be included in the analysis. 

Duties and Responsibilities

II. Functions

Under the direct supervision of Women Lead Programme Specialist, the National Consultant will undertake the following tasks:

• Develop the methodology and the sampling to conduct the local elections analysis in close cooperation with Women Lead Project team,
• Review the temporary special measures the political parties implement for women nominees for candidacy and candidates,
• Review the available lists of political parties for nominees for candidacy,
• Review the candidate lists of the political parties,

• Review the list of elected mayors and local councillors,
• Analyse the impact of the special measures political parties implement on women’s candidacy and being elected,

• Conduct a gender-based profiling study for elected women in terms of age, education status, experience in politics, the elected terms, etc. to identify and compare certain trends,
• Identify areas of opportunities and challenges for women’s participation in local politics based on the conducted analysis,
• Propose a set of policy options to identify intervention areas to increase women’s participation in politics,
• Develop an executive summary of the report.

III. Deliverables and Payment Schedule

Duration of the assignment is from 22 April 2024 – 19 July 2024. The Consultant is expected to spend up to 60  working days on a non – consecutive basis throughout the assignment. The consultant will use his/her own equipment.

Activities/Tasks	Output (Deliverable)	Estimated Monthly Working days assigned (indicative)	Tentative Deadlines
-Develop the methodology and the sampling to conduct the local elections analysis in close cooperation with the Women Lead Project team,	Brief on the Methodology of the analysis	10 days	10 May 2024
-Develop an executive summary of the report	Report on the Analysis of 2024 Local Elections from Gender Perspective & the Executive Summary of the Report	50 days	15 July 2024
Total		60 w/d

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 the assignment. It cannot and shall not be used as a criteria for completion of work/assignment. The provision of envisaged deliverables approved by the UN Women Programme Specialist shall be the only criteria for national consultants’ work being completed and eligible for payment/s.

National Consultants shall be paid upon successful completion of the deliverables in two installments as per the above table. Payment shall be affected only if the deliverables are submitted to and approved by the Programme Specialist.  

Without submission and approval of the deliverables, Consultants shall not receive any payment even if they invest time for this assignment. 

During assignment’s related missions, the National Consultants 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. All the payments to the Consultant will be processed in Turkish Lira.

Travel:

This is a homed based assignment with no travel need is foreseen. However, if there emerges any travel need, UN Women Turkiye Office will organize the logistics of the travel and the Consultants will be paid daily substance allowance and terminal fee as per the figures set by UN Women HQ and UN ICSC. The taxi fees for attending the meetings are under the responsibility of the Consultant. All the payments to the Consultants including payment for travels will be processed in Turkish Lira.

Mandatory Courses:

The Consultant shall complete all the mandatory and further required UN courses, training and modules on time. Their certificates shall be submitted to the Hiring Manager during the contract preparation process. Please note that the required training courses could vary based on contract content and duration, the nature of the work and the inclusion of travel. Hence, the Consultant is obliged to follow the instructions of his/her Hiring Manager upon which training modules to complete and when to complete them.

Competencies

V. Competencies

Core Values:

• Respect for Diversity
• Integrity
• Professionalism

Core Competencies:

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

Functional Competencies:

• Strong interpersonal, teamwork and communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and proactively solve problem;
• Capacity to plan, priorities and deliver tasks on times;
• Capacity to engage with stakeholders to receive inputs for analysis and reporting;
• Ability to research, analyze, compare and present complex information.

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies: 

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

Masters degree in social sciences, political science or gender studies is required. Phd in the aforementioned fields is an asset.

Skills and Experience

Minimum 7 years’ experience in the field of research, preparing reports and publications in the field of women’s political participation is required, Experience in preparing reports and publications analysing women’s status in elections (local or general) is a strong asset, Experience working at multi-stakeholder projects is an asset, Previous experience with the United Nations or similar organisations in this or a related field would be considered an asset.

Language Requirement

Fluency in English and Turkish is required.

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 

The cover letter, CV, signed UN Women personal history form and the financial proposal shall be sent via e- mail to  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.

VIII. 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 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.

	Total points	Max. Points
Technical Evaluation (70%)	70
Masters degree in social sciences, political science or gender studies is required. Phd in the aforementioned fields is an asset. (Master’s degree 5 points, Phd 10 points)		10
Minimum 7 years’ experience in the field of research, preparing reports and publications in the field of women’s political empowerment is required, (7 years – 15 points, for 7-9 years – 20 points, 9+ years 25 points)		25
Experience in preparing reports and publications analysing women status in elections (local or general) is a strong asset, (0: without experience 15:Demonstrated experience)		15
Experience working at multi-stakeholder projects is an asset, (0: without experience 10:Demonstrated experience)		10
Previous experience with the United Nations or similar organisations in this or a  related field would be considered an asset.		5
Fluency in English and Turkish is required.		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/practical test may also be used for the selection of best candidates.

 

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

This is a home-based assignment with no travel foreseen. In case of an unforeseen travel, UN Women Turkiye 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.

3.Currency of the price proposal

The applicants are requested to submit their price proposals in USD. Please note that the payments will be processed in Turkish Liras converted with the UN Exchage Rate available at the time of the payment.  

 

Annex II: Price Proposal Submission Form

To: United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women

Ref:  National Consultant – Local Election Analysis

Dear  Madam/Sir,

I, the undersigned, offer to provide professional consulting services to UN Women within the scope of the referred Assignment.

Having examined, understood and agreed to the Terms of Reference and its annexes,

the receipt of which are hereby duly acknowledged, I, the undersigned, offer to deliver professional services, in conformity with the Terms of Reference.

Based on the deliverables and estimated working days summarized in the ToR, my maximum total price proposal for the assignment is given below:

Costs	USD
Daily Fee, all inclusive
Deliverable 1: Brief on the Methodology of the analysis
Deliverable 2: Report on the Analysis of 2024 Local Elections from Gender Perspective & the Executive Summary of the Report
Total Fee for the Assignment (60 working days)

I confirm that my financial proposal will remain unchanged. I also confirm that the price that I quote is gross, and is inclusive of all legal expenses, including but not limited to social security, income tax, pension, etc., which shall be required applicable laws.

I agree that my proposal shall remain binding upon me for 90 days.

I understand that you are not bound to accept any proposal you may receive.

[Signature]

Date:

Name:

Address:

Telephone/Fax:

Email: