Consultant to Support UNDP’s Work on LGBT Related Issues

Consultant to Support UNDP’s Work on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT)-Related Issues
New York, NY

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN’s global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 170 countries and territories, working with governments and people on their own solutions to global and national development challenges to help empower lives and build resilient nations.

Consultant to Support UNDP’s Work on LGBT Related Issues

The Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. BPPS’s staff provides technical advice to Country Offices; advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government and civil society dialogues, South-South and Triangular cooperation initiatives, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas. BPPS works closely with UNDP’s Crisis Response Unit (CRU) to support emergency and crisis response. BPPS ensures that issues of risk are fully integrated into UNDP’s development programmes. BPPS assists UNDP and partners to achieve higher quality development results through an integrated approach that links results based management and performance monitoring with more effective and new ways of working. BPPS supports UNDP and partners to be more innovative, knowledge and data driven including in its programme support efforts.

BPPS supports UNDP’s 2014-2017 Strategic Plan, focusing on 7 outcomes including strengthening institutions to progressively deliver universal access to basic services (outcome 3). The HIV Health and Development (HHD) Group, within BPPS, is helping to contribute towards this outcome. However, the HHD Group is a unit within the broader Democratic Governance team, and the work of the HHD Group on LGBT and human rights has both health-related and non-health-related components.

HIV, Health and Development Approach as part of UNDP’s Democratic Governance Approaches.

UNDP is a founding cosponsor of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), a partner of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and a co-sponsor of several other international health partnerships. UNDP’s work on HIV, health and development leverages the organization’s core strengths and mandates in human development, governance and capacity development to complement the efforts of specialist health-focused UN agencies. UNDP delivers three types of support to countries in HIV, health and development.

First, UNDP helps countries to mainstream attention to HIV and health into action on gender, poverty and the broader effort to achieve and sustain the Millennium Development Goals. For example, UNDP works with countries to understand the social and economic factors that play a crucial role in driving health and disease, and to respond to such dynamics with appropriate policies and programmes outside the health sector. UNDP also promotes specific action on the needs and rights of women and girls as they relate to HIV and health.

Second, UNDP works with partners to address the interactions between governance, human rights and health responses. Sometimes this is done through focused or specialized programmes, such as promoting attention to the role of legal environments (law and access to justice) in facilitating stronger HIV responses, including the use of flexibilities in intellectual property and human rights law to lower the cost of drugs and diagnostics and to increase access to HIV-related treatment. UNDP also works to empower and include people living with HIV and marginalized populations who are disproportionately affected by HIV – also known as key populations – such as sex workers, men who have sex with men, and transgender people. Beyond these focused efforts, UNDP plays a key role in ensuring attention to HIV and health within broader governance and rights initiatives, including support to district and municipal action on MDGs, strengthening of national human rights institutions and increasing access to justice for marginalized populations.

Third, UNDP’s expertise in the area of LGBT rights is within the HHD Group because this expertise stems from its long-term work on HIV and its intersection with the issues of sexual minorities and gender identities. It is further grounded in UNDP’s broader mandate on supporting member states in strengthening democratic governance, including in the area of human rights.

Objective:

UNDP’s HIV, Health & Development Group is recruiting a consultant to support UNDP’s work on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender issues, including human rights. This consultancy will not be specific to HIV or other health issues but will complement the work of the HHD Group on HIV and health. The objective of this consultancy is to provide research, analytical, and writing support to the Deputy Director of the HHD Group, who is responsible for the Group’s governance and human rights work.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall supervision of the Deputy Director of the HHD Group, the Consultant will be responsible for:

• Undertaking research on LGBT issues, including law, human rights, and stigma and discrimination, and provide support to the development of papers on LGBT and human rights;
• Providing research and programmatic support in the implementation of activities related to LGBT and rights; and
• Providing analytical and research support to the development and dissemination of various knowledge products relating LGBT issues, including human rights.

Specific Deliverables:

• Support the participation of UNDP senior staff in the global LGBT donor conference related to LGBT and rights. Envisaged Deadline: November 2014;
• Provide research, policy and organizational support for the convening of a strategy meeting to advance global and regional partnerships on LGBT and rights. Envisaged Deadline: December 2014;
• Support the development of at least three knowledge products (guidance notes and or policy briefs/or similar) on LGBT issues, including human rights, punitive legislation, policies and practices. Envisaged Deadline: June 2015;
• Support as required the implementation of regional and country office activities related to LGBT issues. Envisaged Deadline: June 2015.

Expected Outputs:

• Three knowledge products (guidance notes/policy briefs/similar) on LGBT human rights and punitive legislation, policies and practices finalized and disseminated;
• A final report on the consultation of relevant UNDP and other stakeholders convened to provide direction to UNDP efforts on LGBT issues;
• A final report on the Global and regional partnerships on LGBT issues solidified;
• A final report on the successful implementation of various national and regional activities, lessons learned and recommendations.

Reporting:

The consultant will regularly evaluate progress in meeting the specific deliverables with the Deputy Director of the HIV, Health and Development Group.

Travel:

No travel is expected for this consultancy. In the case of additional and unforeseeable travel, payments of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between UNDP HHD Team and the Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be covered and paid by UNDP. The fare will always be most economical and any difference in price with the preferred route will be paid for by the expert.

UNDP will not cover any costs associated with moving to the duty station. If applicant is requesting for such coverage the cost to be calculated and included in the financial proposal.

Timeframe:

The consultant’s assignment is office based and is expected to last a maximum of 140 days starting from 3 November 2014 to 30 June 2015.

Evaluation:

Applicants will be screened against qualifications and competencies specified below through an initial desk review, followed by a technical review, and finally an interview process. Applicants will be evaluated based on: Cumulative analysis method that combines the results of technical and financial evaluation results.

• Responsive/compliant/acceptable;
• Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation;
• Technical Criteria weight: 70 points;
• Financial Criteria weight: 30 points; and
• Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 (70%) points on technical part will be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Criteria for technical evaluation (70 points maximum):

• An advanced degree in human rights, international law, international affairs or a related degree (maximum points: 15);
• Minimum of 7 years of relevant work experience in the area of human rights, international affairs or a related field (maximum points: 15);
• A demonstrated knowledge of LGBT issues, human rights, international law as evidenced by a publications record (maximum points: 15);
• Excellent writing and editorial skills (maximum points: 5); and
• Competency based interview (maximum points: 20).

Criteria for financial evaluation (30 points maximum):

The following formula will be used to evaluate financial proposal:

p = y (µ/z), where

p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated
y = maximum number of points for the financial proposal µ
= price of the lowest priced proposal
z = price of the proposal being evaluated

Payment:

Payment will be certified through the Certificate of Payment (COP) and timesheet, certified by the direct supervisor. The rate will be based on the all-inclusive daily rate or rate mentioned in the Offeror’s letter to UNDP or a lump sum basis established upon agreed deliverables/milestones.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Functional Competencies:

• Strong analytical, negotiation and communication skills; including
• Ability to produce high quality practical advisory reports and knowledge products.

Project and Resource Management:

• Ability to produce high quality outputs in a timely manner while understanding and anticipating the evolving client needs;
• Ability to focus on impact and results for the client, promoting and demonstrating an ethic of client service;
• Strong organizational skills;
• Ability to work independently, produce high quality outputs;
• Sound judgment, strategic thinking and the ability to manage competing priorities.

Partnership building and team work:

• Demonstrated well developed people management skills;
• Strong negotiating and networking skills;
• Demonstrated flexibility to excel in a multi-cultural environment;
• Provides and receives constructive feedback.

Communications and Advocacy :

• Strong ability to write clearly and convincingly, adapting style and content to different audiences and speak clearly and convincingly;
• Strong presentation skills in meetings with the ability to adapt for different audiences;
• Excellent analytical, research and writing skills with demonstrated ability to think strategically;
• Capacity to communicate clearly and quickly.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• An advanced degree (Masters level) or equivalent in law, human rights, international affairs, public policy, or a related field and knowledge of at least one of the other substantive areas.

Experience:

• A minimum of 7 years relevant work experience in the area of public policy, international affairs or a related field;
• Professional and/or academic experience in one or more of the areas of human rights, public health public policy or international affairs.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is essential.

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UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply.

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