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.

The required services are sought through a Joint Programme Gender Equality Accelerator (GEA), financially supported by the European Union (EU), Sweden, and Denmark, and implemented by UN Women, UNDP, UNFPA, and UNICEF in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), within the framework of the United Nations’ cooperation with institutions in BiH, with the aim of advancing gender equality and contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Joint Programme (JP) represents a significant shift in advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment in BiH. It moves away from fragmented, short-term interventions towards a comprehensive, systems-level model designed to address structural barriers and achieve transformative change together with key governmental and non-governmental partners. Designed in consultation with governmental, civil society and international partners and stakeholders and leveraging the collective mandates, expertise, and comparative advantages of four United Nations agencies—UN Women, UNICEF, UNDP, and UNFPA—the JP targets three critical areas:

1.    Eliminating Violence Against Women and Girls (EVAWG)
2.    Empowering Women Economically (EWE)
3.    Elevating Women in Governance and Leadership (EWG&L)

Under the EWG&L pillar, interventions are strategically designed to strengthen both the supply and demand sides of women’s political participation and leadership. This includes enhancing women’s capacities and leadership pathways, while simultaneously transforming institutional frameworks, governance systems, and accountability mechanisms to ensure gender-responsive planning, policymaking, budgeting, and oversight across all levels of government. Particular emphasis is placed on creating sustainable institutional change that outlives electoral cycles and strengthens democratic governance overall.

In this context, UN Women will support women’s political leadership and foster gender-sensitive reforms within political parties. The objective is not only to increase women’s representation, but to strengthen the quality, inclusiveness, and accountability of decision-making processes. This includes promoting the institutionalization of gender audits, enhancing oversight of gender equality commitments, integrating SDG-based and rights-based approaches into public governance, and reinforcing compliance with international normative frameworks such as CEDAW and its General Recommendations.

To operationalize these objectives, UN Women seeks to engage a national consultant with strong expertise in gender equality, governance reform, and institutional transformation. The consultant will provide technical and methodological support to the political parties, contributing to the development of practical tools, evidence-based assessments, and capacity-building processes that advance systemic and sustainable change.
The consultant will report to the Governance and Leadership Programme Coordination Specialist, under the overall supervision of the Programme Management Specialist. The Programme Assistant will serve as the focal point for contractual and payment-related matters.

Description of Responsibilities/ Scope of Work

Deliverables/Scope of Work
The scope of work will include, but will not be limited to, the following tasks: 
1.    Gender Audit of Political Parties in Bosnia and Herzegovina (43 working days)
o    Prepare a detailed work plan for the implementation of gender audits of three political parties, including a refined and context-specific methodology building on the OSCE/ODIHR methodology for conducting gender audits of political parties,  with clearly defined timelines, milestones, and data collection tools, in consultation with the selected parties and UN Women. (3 working days)
o    Collect, systematically analyze, and triangulate qualitative and quantitative data from multiple sources in line with the agreed methodological framework, and draft tailored gender audit reports for each political party. Each report should present key findings, identified gaps, and actionable, context-sensitive recommendations and proposed action points aimed at strengthening gender equality within party statutes, internal governance structures, candidate selection processes, and political practices. (40 working days)
2.    Reporting and Recommendations (2 working days)
o    Provide regular updates on the status and progress of implementation through monthly email reports and weekly meetings (1 working day)
o    Prepare final consultancy report in English not exceeding 10 pages outlining results and recommendations. (1 working day)

To facilitate delivery of below outputs, UN Women will provide the consultant the following: 
•     Background materials on the JP GEA; 
•     Other documents and contacts as necessary.

Deliverables

TOTAL # of days: 45

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel
This is a home-based consultancy. The assignment might require some presence at UN Women premises in Sarajevo. Any travel will be pre-arranged and approved in consultation with the supervisor, with travel expenses covered by UN Women.
 

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:

•     Demonstrated expertise in gender equality and women’s political participation, particularly in the context of political parties, parliaments and democratic governance.
•     Strong understanding of gender mainstreaming, organizational change, and institutional capacity development processes.
•     Ability to analyze complex political and institutional settings and translate findings into practical recommendations.
•     Excellent presentation, moderation, and communication skills, with the ability to engage diverse stakeholders (political representatives, government, civil society, academia).
•     Strong research and analytical skills, including the ability to synthesize information from multiple sources into concise, actionable outputs.
•     Ability to plan and manage activities within agreed timelines and deliver high-quality outputs under minimal supervision.
•     Familiarity with international frameworks and commitments on gender equality, including CEDAW and its General Recommendations (especially GR 40), and relevant EU and OSCE standards. 

Knowledge Management and Learning
•     Seeks and applies knowledge, information, and best practices from within and outside UN Women
•     Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more practice areas
•     Acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills
•     Development and operational effectiveness
•     Demonstrates excellent written and oral communication skills. Communicates sensitively, effectively and creatively across different constituencies
•     Experience in communications and outreach/advocacy
•     Ability to perform a variety of standard specialized and non-specialized tasks and work processes that are fully documented, researched, recorded and reported
•     Ability to review a variety of data, identify and adjust discrepancies, identify and resolve operational problems
•     Uses Information Technology effectively as a tool and resource

Leadership and Self-Management
•     Focuses on result for the client and responds positively to feedback
•     Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude
•     Remains calm, in control even under pressure
•     Proven networking skills and ability to generate interest in UN Women's mandate
•     Identifies opportunities and builds strong partnerships with clients and partners

Required Qualifications 

Education:
•     Master’s degree or equivalent in Law, Political Science, Gender Studies, Social Sciences, International Relations or a related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. – pass/fail 

Experience:
•     At least 3 years of progressively responsible experience in gender equality, democratic governance, public administration reform, or political participation is required. – 30 points 
•     At least 2 years of experience in qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, including surveys, interviews, focus groups, and document review is required. – 20 points
•     At least 2 years of experience drafting analytical reports, policy briefs, or assessment reports related to gender equality is required. – 20 points
•     At least 2 years of experience delivering training, presentations, or facilitated discussions in high-level, politically sensitive, and multi-stakeholder events, involving government counterparts, political parties, and/or parliaments is required – 20 points 
•     Proven experience conducting or contributing to at least one institutional gender audit (political party, parliament, public institution, or comparable entity) is desirable. – 5 points
•     Demonstrated experience working with UN organizations, programmes, or intergovernmental processes related to women’s empowerment, gender mainstreaming, and gender equality is an asset. – 5 points 

Languages:
•     Fluency in English and Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian is required. – pass/fail
 

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.