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; empowerment of women; and 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, UN Women leads and coordinates 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.

The Government of Albania has made national and international commitments to advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women in many different socio-economic aspects. Several international conventions and platforms, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the UN Beijing Platform for Action, demonstrate Albania’s commitment to the realization of women’s rights and the achievement of gender equality.

UN Women Albania Strategic Note (SN) 2022-2026 aims to ensure that “All Women and girls enjoy and exercise their human rights in a gender equal society and meaningfully contribute to Albania’s sustainable and inclusive socio-economic development and EU integration”. To achieve such result, across its interventions, UN Women Albania addresses key thematic areas in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2022 – 2026, specifically Outcome C1. By 2026, governance is more transparent and accountable, enabling people and especially vulnerable groups, to enjoy quality, inclusive services, enhanced rule of law and access to justice in line with Albania’s human rights commitments; and Outcome C2. By 2026, gender responsive governance strengthens equality and non-discrimination, promotes women’s empowerment and human rights, and reduces violence against women and children.

Over the past years, UN Women in Albania has provided support to national and local stakeholders in strengthening democratic governance and advancing women’s rights through initiatives aimed at mainstreaming gender in policy planning . UN Women is implementing jointly with UN agencies, the UN Joint Programme “Leave No One Behind 2” and the LEAP project. UN Women interventions within the projects aim to empower vulnerable women to have equal access to public services that support their social rights, social inclusion, and well-being. In that regard, UN Women is working to strengthen capacities of state authorities at central and local level to apply a gender and intersectionality perspective in the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of strategies, policies and plans relevant for social inclusion and protection.

The Ministry of Health and Social Protection (MoHSP) is one of the key partners of UN Women towards common efforts of improving overall government capacities to design, implement and monitor gender-responsive social protection and inclusion polices and services for vulnerable women and sanctioning a proactive approach  of government institutions to plan, budget, monitor, track expenditures, and leverage resources for GEWE in the country as guided also by the respective normative framework,

The purpose of this consultancy is to provide technical support in monitoring, follow-up, coordination, and implementation of activities under these projects. The consultant will work closely with the UN Women Albania Head of Programmes to ensure compliance with and implementation of national and international commitments on gender equality and women’s empowerment, as outlined in the National Strategy for Gender Equality 2021–2030 and related legislation and policies. The consultant will primarily work remotely, with frequent in-person meetings with UN Women.

Description of Responsibilities/ Scope of Work

Under the overall supervision of the UN Women Head of Programs and in close collaboration with project teams, the consultant will provide:

Technical support on programmes implementation and follow-up:

• Provide technical assistance and support in the implementation of LEAP and Social Inclusion related activities.
• Support coordination with implementing partners, government agencies, and stakeholders.
• Monitor the progress of activities and prepare technical inputs for programme adjustments where necessary.
• Assist in planning, organizing, and coordinating programme-related workshops, events, and consultations.
• Ensure proper documentation and dissemination of knowledge products, reports, and lessons learned.
• Liaise with key stakeholders to facilitate effective implementation of planned activities.

Provide Advisory Support to the Head of Programmes:

• Provide technical and strategic inputs to ensure the smooth execution of programmatic activities.
• Regularly update the Head of Programmes on project progress, challenges, and key recommendations.
• Assist in reviewing and providing feedback on project deliverables, including policy papers and progress reports.

Prepare Reports and Inputs for UN System Reporting:

• Contribute to quarterly and annual reporting for UN Women and donors, ensuring compliance with reporting frameworks.
• Provide inputs for UN Joint Programme (UNJP) reporting, Results Group (RG) reports, and other UN system requirements.
• Support the drafting of analytical reports on gender equality and women’s empowerment, particularly in the areas of social protection and gender-responsive budgeting.

Collaborate with Projects Teams:

• Provide technical support to UN Women’s implementing partners (government and NGOs), as well as consultants and collaborators, to ensure effective implementation and achievement of intended results.
• Provide technical support for monitoring and evaluation processes, ensuring effective tracking of project outcomes and impact.
• Support the development of project proposals, concept notes, and advocacy materials.

Provide capacity-building support: including training, coaching, and mentoring, to public administration officials and other relevant stakeholders involved in policy development, implementation, and monitoring. This includes facilitating knowledge-sharing sessions, developing training materials, and offering technical guidance to strengthen institutional capacities for gender-responsive policy and programme implementation.

 Expected Outputs and Reporting Timeline:

The consultant will provide continuous technical assistance to UN Women and its implementing partners, ensuring the effective execution of social inclusion and social protection activities under the National Planning and Budgeting Program. This role requires ongoing engagement with government institutions, NGOs, and other stakeholders to facilitate coordination, monitor progress, and enhance the impact of interventions. The consultant will contribute to programme implementation through strategic advisory support, monitoring, and capacity-building efforts, ensuring alignment with national priorities and UN Women’s strategic objectives.

• Progress updates on LEAP and social inclusion-related activities, including documented meetings and follow-ups
• Contributions to UN Joint Programme and annual donor reports
• Summary of programme coordination activities, including workshops, consultations, and key events
• Advisory notes and technical inputs to the Head of Programmes on programme implementation
• Training reports, capacity-building session summaries, and mentoring/coaching follow-up reports

Note:

• Technical inputs and other on-demand reports on specific initiatives when requested by Partners n will be reviewed and agreed with UN Women for quality assurance.
• UN Women will provide the Consultant with background materials related to the assignment.
• The consultant is expected to work using her/his own computer.

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

The consultant will work remotely but will be expected to participate in in-person meetings, training sessions, and workshops as needed. Travel within Albania may be required, in line with programme needs and in consultation with 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:

• Proven research, analytical and drafting skills,
• Demonstrated ability to interact effectively with various public and non-public stakeholders including in the areas of gender equality, social inclusion and gender responsive budgeting.
• Excellent writing skills in English and Albanian.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Strong initiative-taking.
• Focuses on impact and results for the partner.
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude.

Required Qualifications

Education and Certification:

• Advanced university degree in human rights, social sciences, development studies, gender studies or similar discipline.

Experience:

• A minimum of 10 years of relevant professional experience in the areas of gender equality and women’s empowerment.
• At least 5 years of experience in designing and implementing initiatives on issues related to social policy, inclusion and gender responsive policy planning.
• Experience in training, coaching, mentoring of public administration and other audiences working in policy development, implementation and monitoring.
• Previous experience in collaborating and coordinating with the central and local government institutions, parliament, academia and other stakeholders.
• Previous experience or familiarity with the UN system or other international organizations would be an asset.

Languages:

• Fluency in English and Albanian is required.

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.