Background:

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.

At the 59th Session of the UN General Assembly, Member States, in adopting the Triennial Comprehensive Policy Review (TCPR) of Operational Activities for Development of the UN System called on all UN organizations to: “mainstream gender and to pursue gender equality in their country programs, planning instruments, and sector-wide programs and to articulate specific country-level goals and targets in this field in accordance with the national development strategies”.

Further, ECOSOC Resolution 2004/4 - Review of Economic and Social Council agreed conclusions 1997/2 on mainstreaming the gender perspective into all policies and programs in the United Nations system requested: “the Secretary-General to ensure that all United Nations entities develop action plans with timelines for implementing the agreed conclusions 1997/2, which address the gap between policy and practice identified in the Secretary-General’s report, with a view to strengthening commitment and accountability at the highest levels within the United Nations system as well as to establishing mechanisms to ensure accountability, systematic monitoring, and reporting on progress in implementation 

The UNCT-SWAP Gender Equality Scorecard is a key accountability tool used by UN Country Teams to assess and strengthen gender mainstreaming across the UN system. South Sudan conducted its first Scorecard assessment in 2021, followed by an Annual Report in 2024, which highlighted progress, challenges, and recommendations. The 2025 comprehensive report will consolidate findings from the past four years and provide strategic direction for future UNCT efforts.

To strengthen accountability of the UN Country Team (UNCT) in advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment, in alignment with UN corporate policy, the consultant will utilize the UNCT-SWAP Gender Equality Scorecard. This tool will be used to assess current performance, identify gaps, and recommend corrective actions. The process will be led by the UN Gender Thematic Group in a participatory and timely manner to ensure comprehensive completion of the UNCT-SWAP assessment. 

The consultant will be reporting to the Gender and Humanitarian Specialist and will be supported Gender in Humanitarian Consultant, who will be the point of contact on the contract and payment issues.

Description of Responsibilities/ Scope of Work

Objectives of the Assignment

The primary objective of this consultancy is to facilitate the UNCT-SWAP Gender Equality Scorecard and assess the effectiveness of the UN Country Team in gender mainstreaming, promoting gender equality, and women’s empowerment as to provide a set of actions for improvement.  A comprehensive analytical report will be developed based on the UNCT-SWAP Gender Equality Scorecard, covering the period 2021–2025. This report will: 

• Assess the performance of the UN Country Team (UNCT) across all UNCT-SWAP indicators.
• Facilitate constructive dialogue within the UNCT on the current status of gender equality and women’s empowerment and explore avenues for improvement.
• Provide actionable recommendations to strengthen gender mainstreaming across UNCT programming and operational frameworks.

Scope of Work

The consultant will:

• Review relevant documentation, including previous UNCT-SWAP assessments, UNCT work plans, and gender-related reports.
• Facilitate consultations with UNCT members, gender focal points, and key stakeholders.
• Analyze data and evidence from the UNCT-SWAP Scorecard and other sources.
• Draft a comprehensive report structured around the UNCT-SWAP indicators.
• Prepare action plans based on agreed follow-up action points identified through the assessment
• Present findings and recommendations to the UNCT and relevant stakeholders.
• Incorporate feedback and finalize the report.

Deliverables:

The consultancy will be for a period of 30 working days, commencing on 20^th October 2025. A detailed work plan will be agreed upon during the inception phase.

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

This is a Hybrid (Home/office-based) consultancy. 

Competencies :

Core Values:

• Integrity;
• Professionalism;
• Respect for Diversity.

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 Values and Competencies Framework: 

Functional Competencies:

• Strong commitment to and good understanding of gender equality and women’s empowerment issues
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Strong organizational skills and strong self-direction
• Strong research and communication skills
• Ability to prioritize and work under pressure with colleagues at all levels
• Knowledge of gender mainstreaming and understanding of the UN as a system; desired knowledge of the UNCT-SWAP Gender Equality Scorecard. 

Required Qualifications

Education and Certification:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in Gender Studies, Social Sciences, International Development, or a related field.
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• Minimum 10 years of experience in gender analysis, UN programming, and report writing.
• Proven experience with UNCT-SWAP Scorecard assessments.
• Strong analytical, facilitation, and communication skills.
• Familiarity with the South Sudan context is an asset.

Languages:

• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of any other UN official language is an asset.

Statements :

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW, and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.

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.)

Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed, the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.