Background:

UN Women (UNW), 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 the 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.

UN Women’s triple mandate, along with its global network and deep policy and programming expertise, continues to endow the Entity with a unique capacity to: (i) support Member States to strengthen global norms and standards for gender equality and women’s empowerment, and mainstream gender perspectives in other thematic areas; (ii) promote coordination and coherence across the UN system to enhance accountability and results for gender equality and women’s empowerment; and (iii) undertake operational activities to support Member States, upon their request, in translating global norms and standards into legislation, policies and strategies at country level.

UN Women plays an innovative and catalytic role in the State of Palestine since its inception in 1997 (as UNIFEM). In line with the national priorities, the work of UN Women for the period 2023-2025 is aligned with three of the Palestine United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework’s (UNSDCF) outcomes:
•     Palestinians have greater access to economic opportunities that are inclusive, resilient, and sustainable, including decent employment and livelihoods opportunities in an empowered private sector.
•     Palestinians, including the most vulnerable, have equal access to sustainable, inclusive, gender responsive and quality social services, social protection, and affordable utilities.
•     Palestinian governance institutions, processes, and mechanisms at all levels are more democratic, rights-based, inclusive, and accountable.

Its three-year Strategic Note supports the efforts to achieve measurable results in country in terms of four UN Women global Strategic Plan impacts (2022-2025): (SP Impact 1). Governance and participation in public life; (SP Impact 2). Women’s Economic Empowerment; (SP Impact 3). Ending Violence Against Women and Girls; SP Impact 4. Women peace and security, Humanitarian & Disaster Risk Reduction.

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 programmes, planning instruments and sector-wide programmes 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 programmes in the United Nations system requested: “the Secretary-General to ensure that all United Nations entities develop action plans with time lines 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”.

In 2012, the Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review (QCPR), replaced the TCPR; as a direct follow-up to the QCPR and to ensure a comprehensive response to many of its recommendations, the UN Development Group (UNDG, now UNSDG) created a Task Team on Gender Equality as a sub-group of the UNDG Programme Group. The goals of the Task Team are to support more consistent and coherent action among UNDG member agencies to mainstream gender equality and promote women’s empowerment at the country level; and to ensure that gender equality and women’s empowerment are mainstreamed into the tools and processes that emerge from the UNDG for UN Country Teams (UNCTs).

In 2006, the UNDG Task Team on Gender Equality commissioned a background paper on accountability mechanisms in UNDG agencies. This paper reviewed accountability for programming in support of gender equality in ILO, UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, and WFP and found that: “A common understanding of how to apply gender mainstreaming in UN operational activities is needed. This is because if there is no agreement on what constitutes a minimum level of actions to support gender equality, how will it be possible to hold agencies and UNCTs accountable for this. Reaching agreement across agencies on what constitutes a minimally acceptable performance to support gender equality, through an agreed set of indicators, would contribute to stronger guidance and accountability”. Subsequently this background paper was endorsed at the UNDG Principals’ meeting in July 2006, where agreement was reached on development of a UNCT-level “Accounting for Gender Equality” Scorecard that sets minimum requirements for UNCTs to assess their performance across the system.

The Scorecard was endorsed by the United Nations Development Group (UNDG, now the UNSDG) in 2008 in response to the UN Chief Executive Board for Coordination 2006 Policy on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (CEB/2006/2) to establish an accountability framework for assessing the effectiveness of gender mainstreaming by UNCTs. The UN System-Wide Action Plan for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-SWAP) formed another part of the accountability framework, focusing on the implementation of the policy at the entity level.

The Scorecard was revised in 2016-17 in tandem with the UN-SWAP to ensure greater alignment between the tools, and to reflect new guidance on common country processes in the context of the repositioning agenda of the United Nations Development System. The new versions are aligned further to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), recognizing the importance of gender equality and women’s empowerment to SDG achievement and human rights attainment. Furthermore, the 2019 UNSDG United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework Guidance calls for UN entities to “put gender equality at the heart of programming, driving the active and meaningful participation of both women and men, and consistently empowering women and girls, in line with the minimum requirements agreed upon by the United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG) in the UNCT System-wide Action Plan (SWAP) Gender Equality Scorecard” (para 20).

The UNCT-SWAP Gender Equality Scorecard is a globally standardized rapid assessment of UN country level gender mainstreaming practices. The framework is designed to foster adherence to minimum requirements for gender equality processes across the UN system set by the United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG). The UNCT-SWAP Gender Equality Scorecard focuses on the performance of the UN system, rather than the achievements of any single agency. By focusing on gender mainstreaming processes at the country level, the tool highlights the growing importance of interagency collaboration and coordination to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of women (GEEW) results at the country level.

In Palestine, the first comprehensive UNCT-SWAP Gender Equality Scorecard assessment was conducted in 2022 and formally endorsed by the UNCT, accompanied by an action plan. This was followed by three annual light assessments in 2023, 2024 and 2025, each reviewing five selected indicators. These exercises were coordinated by the Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO) and UN Women, in collaboration with the UNCT through the Gender Task Force, co-chaired by UN Women and UNFPA.

In 2026, the UNCT will undertake a new comprehensive UNCT-SWAP Gender Equality Scorecard assessment, marking the first full assessment under the current United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2023 to 2027. This assessment will serve as a key accountability and planning tool to strengthen the integration of gender equality and women’s empowerment across UNCT programming and coordination. It will inform the development and refinement of the Cooperation Framework Joint Work Plans and related actions, ensuring alignment with UN system-wide commitments on gender equality.

The process will be coordinated through the Gender Task Force (GTF), with UN Women serving as a technical lead and resource on gender equality, working in close collaboration with the RCO and all UNCT members, and will be implemented in a participatory, inclusive and timely manner.

Objective of Consultancy: 

The main objective of this consultancy is to facilitate the conduct of a comprehensive UNCT-SWAP Gender Equality Scorecard and assess the effectiveness of the UNCT in gender mainstreaming, promotion of gender equality, and women's empowerment. The consultant will also develop an action plan outlining priority measures to strengthen collective action and accountability on gender equality and women’s empowerment and identify relevant reporting milestones for the annual performance review and assessment reporting of the RCO and UNCT. 

The consultant will work under the overall guidance of the Deputy Special Representative the direct supervision of UN Women Programme Specialist/Coordinator (Intergovernmental and Normative Engagement), in close coordination with the RCO-assigned task manager and will be supported by the UN Women EVAW Analyst for contract and payment matters. 

Duties and Responsibilities:

The consultant will be responsible for the following:

• Facilitate the UNCT-SWAP Gender Equality Scorecard assessment process, including planning, consultations, and validation sessions with UNCT members and the RCO.
• Assist UNCT entities in identifying areas of compliance and gaps in meeting minimum UNSDG requirements on gender mainstreaming practices and performance.
• Stimulate constructive dialogue within the UNCT on current performance in advancing gender equality and women's empowerment and identify opportunities for improvement. 
• Identify areas where technical support can enhance performance and accelerate progress.
• Share good practices in supporting national efforts to advance gender equality and women's empowerment.

Scope of Work and Deliverables: 

The UNCT-SWAP Gender Equality Scorecard methodology is designed for in-country self-assessment, fostering understanding and ownership of results. The IC Gender Specialist will facilitate the exercise using participatory methods to ensure that a Technical Team is formed at the outset of the exercise and owns the process. To guide and support the Technical Team, the consultant will conduct the following activities:

     1. Background document review:

• UNCT-SWAP Gender Equality Scorecard Technical Guidance and Framework.
• UNCT-SWAP comprehensive report for Palestine for 2022 and action lan.
• UNCT-SWAP annual reports for Palestine for 2023,2024, 2025
• UNCT Workplan on Gender.
• Current CCA and UNSDCF 2023-2027.
• Current United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework Guidance (UNSDG).
• UNCT planning, budgeting, and programming documents.
• ـJoint Work Plans, Recovery Framework, UN Palestine Recovery Trust Fund (UNPRTF) documents and project concept notes, outcome and output indicators on gender.
• CEDAW Reports/other national assessments/national gender strategies, plans and legislations, etc., as relevant.

      2. Assistance and support for the Task Team with in-country assessment:

• Support the collection of complementary data and evidence necessary for sourcing indicators.
• Conduct gender analysis of verification documents to assist the GTF and RCO in scoring performance areas.
• Facilitate working sessions with key stakeholders, including the Resident Coordinator, Heads of Agencies, key programme staff, working groups of the UNCT, partners, to discuss and score areas of performance.
• Complete the rating matrix based on discussions and agreements.
• Facilitate a debrief with the UNCT Heads of Agencies to discuss findings and proposed actions.

      3. Preparation of Inception Report and Final Outputs:

• Prepare an inception report at the outset of the assignment outlining the proposed methodology, detailed workplan, timeline, and stakeholder engagement approach for conducting the UNCT-SWAP Gender Equality Scorecard assessment.
• Draft the UNCT-SWAP Gender Equality Scorecard report, informed by inputs from the GTF, RCO, UN Women and UNCT members. The report will include a methodology section describing the approach used, as well as any limitations or constraints encountered during the process.
• Develop a comprehensive action plan based on the findings of the assessment including prioritized, time-bound, actionable recommendations to address identified gaps and strengthen UNCT performance on gender equality and women’s empowerment.
• Prepare and deliver a presentation of the draft findings and action plan to the UNCT or its designated representatives to facilitate validation, feedback, and endorsement.
• Finalize the UNCT-SWAP Gender Equality Scorecard report and action plan, incorporating feedback from the UNCT, including Heads of Agencies, and ensuring overall quality, coherence, and alignment with UN system-wide standards.

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel
This is a home-based consultancy, with the possibility of a one-week field mission for data collection subject to security situation 
 

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 gender equality, women’s empowerment, women’s rights, and social justice issues.
• Ability to evaluate and integrate information from multiple sources and assess its impact on the human rights situation in the country of assignment, including the political environment and relevant legal framework For human rights.
• Ability to conduct in-depth studies and provide evidence-based conclusions on causes and solutions to gender equality challenges in specific societies and systems.
• Excellent research and analysis skills.
• Excellent knowledge of the context with focus on current humanitarian situation in the OPT.
• Knowledge of institutional mandates of UN agencies, as well as prevailing policies and procedures related to women’s rights in OPT is required. 
• Ability to meet deadlines and respond constructively to feedback. 

Required Qualifications:

Education and Certification:

• A Master’s degree in social and political sciences, human rights, gender equality or related field is required.
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. 
• A project/programme management certification would be an added advantage.

Experience: 

• A minimum of 7 years of professional work experience in work on gender mainstreaming in development. programmes/projects at national and international levels is required. 
• Experience working on results-based management, review and/or evaluation is required. 
• Experience in gender data collection and analysis, including interviews, survey and focus groups is required 
• Previous experience with the Gender Equality Scorecard, narrative report and follow-up matrix is required.
• Experience working with UNCTs and UN agencies is desirable.  
• Experience working in Arab Region including Palestine is highly desirable.
• Provide two samples of previous work, including assessments, evaluation or research papers relevant to the assignment to be attached as part of the application. 

Languages: 

• Proficiency in English is required. 
• Proficiency in Arabic is desirable.

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.