International Consultant to provide Technical Assistance to MOLISA to draft the National Target Programme on Gender Equality 2011-2015 under the Joint Programme on Gender Equality

The UN Country Team in Viet Nam is strongly committed to harmonization, increasing effectiveness and coherence, and achieving a more sustainable impact of UN support to the development challenges currently facing Viet Nam. The One UN Initiative, which has led to the development of the One Plan 2006-2010, as well as Joint Programmes within the context of the UN Country Team as a whole are expressions of this common goal, enabling the UN to implement the core goals of the Hanoi Core Statement on Aid Effectiveness, namely working together more effectively for a common objective, while reducing the transaction costs for partners that work with the UN.

The newly developed Viet Nam Joint Programme on Gender Equality (JPGE) will provide strategic, coordinated and multi-sectoral technical assistance to build the capacity of national and provincial duty bearers so that they can better implement the two new Laws on Gender Equality and Domestic Violence from 2009 to 2011. With 12 UN agencies speaking with one voice, the UN is better placed to working with its national partners to bring support at the highest level towards gender equality in Viet Nam.  

UNIFEM is the women's fund at the United Nations. Established in 1976, it provides financial and technical assistance to innovative approaches aimed at fostering women's empowerment and gender equality. Today the organization's work touches the lives of women and girls in more than 100 countries. UNIFEM also helps make the voices of women heard at the United Nations — to highlight critical issues and advocate for the implementation of existing commitments made to women.

Placing the realization of women's human rights and security at the centre of all of its efforts, UNIFEM focuses its activities in the Joint Programme in Gender Equality (JPGE) on the following strategic Joint  Outcomes:
Improved skills, knowledge and practices for the implementation, monitoring, evaluation and reporting of the Law on Gender Equality and the Law on Domestic Violence.
Enhanced partnerships and coordination around gender equality within and outside of government.

The Joint Programme on Gender Equality will be managed by Ministry of Labor, invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) as the State Managing Agent for the JP (SMA-JP) and by UNFPA as the UN Managing Agent (MA). The Joint Programme on Gender Equality has three components, each coordinated by one Government agency and one UN agency, relating to their respective areas of expertise. The three UN Coordinating Agencies have been designated as coordinators from the UN side for coherence and harmonization. UNFPA will coordinate with Ministry of Culture, Sports an Tourism (MOCST), UNIFEM with Ministry of Labor, invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) and UNDP with General Statistics Office (GSO).

The Component Project managed by MOLISA and coordinated by UNIFEM focuses on enhancing the capacity of Government agencies and relevant civil society organizations in the implementation, monitoring, evaluation and reporting of the Gender Equality Law.

2. Objectives
This consultancy is related to the first outcome of the Joint Programme on Gender Equality which focuses on improving skills, knowledge and practices for the implementation, monitoring, evaluation and reporting of the Law on Gender Equality and the Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control.
 
This consultancy is contributing to the following outputs under the Joint Programme on Gender Equality:

Output 1.2:     Relevant plans of action developed for the SMAs, line ministries, National Assembly and Communist Party at the central and local levels to implement, evaluate, monitor and report on the two laws.
Output 1.3:     Technical assistance provided to improve the capacity of the SMAs, line ministries, National Assembly, and Communist Party and concerned agencies at local level to implement, evaluate, monitor and report on the two laws.

To further implement effectively the work of gender equality and the advancement of women in the future, in July 2009, the Prime Minister of Vietnam officially requested  to relevant ministries agencies to promote activities on gender equality and assigned MOLISA to be responsible for developing the National Strategy on Gender Equality from 2011 to 2020 and the National Target Programme (NTP) on gender equality for period 2011-2015.

The National Target Programme on gender equality aims to support the Gender Equality Department of MOLISA in their function of state management related to gender equality within the jurisdiction of  ministries and local authorities, especially in implementing the Law on Gender Equality and sub-law decrees. The national target programme will develop specific projects to address the major issues of gender inequality for period 2011-2015 and to have fund for implementation.

In 2009 MOLISA aims to draft the National Target Programme (NTP) on gender equality 2011-2020 and submit to the government for approval in 2010. For that purpose MOLISA, under the Joint Programme on Gender Equality, will hire a group of consultants to work with the department of gender equality to develop the draft the National Targeted Programme (NTP).

The main objective of this consultancy is to provide technical assistance guided by an international consultant to the national consultant to be hired by UNIFEM and the group of national consultants hired by MOLISA to draft the National Target Programme (NTP) on Gender Equality.

3. Tasks
The International consultant will :

Bring the international experience in the elaboration on NTP.
- Capacity building to the group of national consultants.
- Ensure the connection between NTP, the National Strategy on Gender Equality, Gender Equality Law Resolution 11 and other national and international plans and goals.
- Edit and proofread the NTP draft and ensure consistency of referencing and use of data sources.
- Check and revise the first NTP draft content to ensure the logical framework.
- Circulate the first draft NTP among the GAP (gender action partnership) members for comments and consolidate the comments.
- Finalize the draft NTP (in English) and submit to the Department of Gender Equality (MOLISA) to proceed with approval steps.

4. Expected Results/Deliverables
A complete draft NTP for consultation

In collaboration with the National Consultant hired by UNIFEM, a compilation of inputs from different stakeholders to the draft of the National Targeted Programme (NTP) on Gender Equality.
A comprehensive final draft of the National Targeted Programme (NTP) on Gender Equality in English.

The consultant will develop a report outlining guidelines and recommendations for resource mobilization and the draft NTP. This report will identify programming priorities and available funding sources based on interviews and meetings with UN agencies, programs and funds, donors and organizations. 

5. Co-ordination and Supervision

UNIFEM and MOLISA will have overall management of the project. MOLISA is the State Managing Agent (SMA) and UNIFEM is the coordinating Agency for this activity.

The international consultant will work with a national consultant and will be in direct contact with the UNIFEM Programme Officer for the Government-UN Joint Programme on Gender Equality and with a programme officer from the Gender Equality department of MOLISA, and will be ultimately responsible to the UNIFEM Viet Nam Country Representative.

6. Recruitment Qualifications
Educational background
Master degree in Development Studies, Social Sciences or related fields, preferably including Gender Studies.

Experience
A minimum of seven years relevant working experience in the area of gender issues.
Knowledge of policies and Programmes related to gender in Viet Nam and in the region.
Knowledge of Government processes, national plans for gender and international frameworks such as CEDAW, Beijing and others.

Competencies   
Strong gender analysis skills.
Policy and programme development skills.
Knowledge of Results based management framework.
Clear, plain English writing style.
Excellent communication skills, strong interpersonal skills.
Prior experience with United Nations agencies would be desirable.

Language requirements
Fluency in spoken and written English is essential.

7. Timing and payment.
Duration of Consultancy: 20 days  ( 7 -26 December  2009)

Please send your CVs to: [email protected]

Job Details
Organisation Name: 
UNIFEM
Location: 
Ha Noi
Application Deadline: 
Sun, 2009-12-20