Project:                                 Aligning Local Financing for SDGs

Position:                               2 National Consultants on GRB integration on a national and local levels

Type of Contract:              Individual contract /SSA

Place of work:                    Dushanbe, Khatlon Province

Language:                            Fluent Tajik and Russian; English is an asset

Deadline:                             20 November 2024

Start date:                           01 December 2024

Duration of the appointment:   01 December 2024 – 30 April 2025 (5 months)

Reporting to:                      UN Women Project Coordinator

Background

UN Women, the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, has been created to accelerate the process of meeting the needs of women and girls across the world. UN Women supports UN Member States as they set global standards for achieving gender equality and works with governments and civil society to design laws, policies, programs and services needed to ensure that the standards are effectively implemented and truly benefit women and girls worldwide. UN Women is at the forefront of the global drive to remove gender barriers and end discrimination, because we believe in a world of justice and human rights for everyone.

With the support of UN Agencies, the Government of Tajikistan has made significant strides in integrating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into national policies and development planning frameworks. These efforts have involved using SDG targets as benchmarks for national development, aligning the country’s priorities with global goals, and establishing the National Development Council (NDC) under the President of Tajikistan. The NDC serves as a coordination and oversight platform for SDG implementation and the National Development Strategy. UN Agencies have also contributed to strengthening the national financing architecture, which has seen improvements through the rollout of an Integrated National Financing Framework (INFF), enhancing planning, priority costing, and coordination at the national level.

Despite these commendable advancements over the past decade, Tajikistan is projected to miss 70% of the SDG targets by 2030, according to the 2023 Voluntary National Review. Development disparities remain prominent across different regions, population groups, and genders. Rural and peripheral areas continue to face higher poverty levels compared to national averages, and access to public services remains relatively limited. Moreover, in several regions, women and girls face significant barriers, with unequal access to healthcare, education, and economic opportunities, further hindering progress toward SDGs at the local level.

Although Tajikistan is dedicated to advancing the SDGs as part of its national agenda, substantial capacity gaps persist, particularly in aligning local-level planning, budgeting, and financing processes with SDG targets. In partnership with civil society, the government is working to localize the 2030 Agenda, improve governance mechanisms, and ensure that development initiatives lead to tangible outcomes.

The joint program, which is nationally led and anchored in the National Development Strategy for 2016-2030, upholds a strong commitment to “leaving no one behind.” It will promote evidence-based policies and actions supported by gender-disaggregated and vulnerability data. A core focus of the program is on capacity building, enhancing both technical and managerial skills, while fostering partnerships with key government institutions. The implementation of an integrated resource mobilization strategy will also strengthen government accountability and transparency in budgeting practices, all in support of achieving national SDG targets.

To support these goals, UN Women is hiring 2 consultants to facilitate capacity-building training along with awareness raising sessions for district officials, civil society, educators, and community leaders in Khatlon Province, with a focus on enhancing local-level planning, budgeting, and financing for the SDGs.

The program is being carried out in close collaboration with UNICEF, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Education, and other relevant sub-national authorities. Furthermore, the initiative will establish partnerships with civil society organizations and international development partners, including financial institutions involved in localizing SDG efforts.

Goal and objectives  

The overall objective of the proposed consultancy is to organize and facilitate 4 capacity-building sessions for 60 government and civil society employees across two regions (Bokhtar and Khuroson districts) of Khatlon Province in Tajikistan. The sessions will focus on enhancing skills and knowledge related to local planning, budgeting, gender-responsive budgeting (GRB), and inclusive financing to improve the effectiveness of public financial management at the local level in alignment with the SDGs.

Collaborate with key stakeholders (e.g., local government authorities, civil society, educators) and conduct 2-4 awareness-raising and orientation sessions at the local level focused on program budgeting, gender-responsive budgeting, inclusive financing and other relevant areas, covering 100-200 persons per district.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under an overall guidance of the UN Women Country Program Manager and supervision of Project Coordinator, the National Consultants will perform, but will not necessarily be limited to, to the following tasks:

• Conduct a rapid needs assessment to identify the knowledge gaps of participants related to planning, gender-responsive budgeting, and financing for the SDGs.
• Update tailored training materials, handouts, and presentations based on the assessment findings. Ensure that materials are localized and address the specific challenges of the districts.
• Develop practical case studies that reflect local conditions and best practices in aligning with local budgets with the SDG framework.
• Conduct 2-day interactive training sessions in each region, ensuring active participation of 60 both government and civil society representatives in each target areas;

Sessions should cover:

• Overview of SDGs and their relevance to local planning and budgeting.
• Mechanisms for integrating SDGs into local development plans.
• Best practices in budgeting for SDGs, including gender-responsive and child-friendly budgeting.
• Tracking and reporting on SDG-related expenditures.
• Collaboration between local government and civil society in monitoring and evaluation of SDG implementation.
• Conduct awareness-raising and orientation sessions on program budgeting, gender-responsive budgeting (GRB), and inclusive financing for local officials, civil society, educators, and community leaders. Facilitate discussions to promote inclusivity in budget processes and decision-making at the local level.
• Development and submission of final consultancy report with reflection of the overall description of implemented assignment, including major achievements, main challenges and constraints, and recommendations.

The National Consultants will coordinate with Academy for Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan while conducting training on GRB implementation (if needed). They will work closely in Team with UN Women and UNICEF implementing partners until the end of assignment.

UN Women will support the following: 

• Support in facilitation of capacity-building sessions and awareness raising events in 2 pilot localities and the leadership of Khatlon Province;
• Support in providing reference materials;
• Support in facilitation of coordination with key government and international stakeholders;
• Support in conducting trainings sessions and awareness raising campaigns in 2 pilot localities.

Deliverables (in-person and online) 

1. The detailed work plan prepared and submitted – By 06-Dec-2024

2. Conduct a rapid needs assessment to identify the knowledge gaps of participants related to planning, gender-responsive budgeting, and financing for the SDGs – By 16-Dec-2024

3. Update tailored training materials, handouts, and presentations based on the assessment findings. Ensure that materials are localized and address the specific challenges of the districts – By 15-Jan-2025

4. Conduct 2- day interactive training sessions in each region (4 sessions), ensuring active participation of 60 both government and civil society representatives in each target areas – By 28-Feb-2025

5. Conduct awareness-raising and orientation sessions on program budgeting, gender-responsive budgeting (GRB), and inclusive financing for local officials, civil society, educators, and community leaders. Facilitate discussions to promote inclusivity in budget processes and decision-making at the local level – By 31-March-2025

6. Development and submission of final consultancy report with reflection of the overall description of implemented assignments, including major achievements, main challenges and constraints, best practices and recommendations for future programming – By 18-April-2025

Competencies and Qualifications 

Core Values:

• Respect for Diversity
• Integrity
• Professionalism

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues
• Accountability
• Creative Problem Solving
• Effective Communication
• Inclusive Collaboration

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies: http://www.unwomen.org/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/about%20us /employment/un-women-employment-values-and-competencies-definitions-en.pdf

Functional Competencies:

• Possesses the ability to work independently, under pressure and meet deadlines;
• Good knowledge of technical area;
• Good organizational skills and ability to pay close attention to detail;
• Experience in report writing.
• Proven excellent communication and facilitation skills;

Qualifications:

Education:

• University degree in one or more of the following disciplines: Social Science, Gender studies, Economics, Public Administration, Development Studies or related field.

Experience:

• At least 10 years of proven experience in working on gender equality issues;
• Demonstrated ability and track record in working with governments and development partners on gender equality, women’s economic empowerment initiation, analysis, roadmaps or studies;
• At least 5 years of relevant experience with Gender Responsive Budgeting and capacity-building of civil servants on GRB;
• Previous work and direct working relationships with UN agencies considered an asset.

Knowledge of languages:

• Fluency in Tajik and Russian; English is an asset.

Application Process  

The application must include:

• A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page);
• Personal History Form (P-11 form) – including past experience in similar assignments; can be downloaded by following link: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-P11-Personal-History-Form.doc a signed [scanned] copy should be submitted.

Candidates should have the ability to quickly produce degree certificates and medical certification (of good health) should they be short-listed in consideration of the consultancy post.

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.)

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements