JOB OFFER - UNDP United Nations Development Programme, YAOUNDE

National Consultant for Socio-economic study


Advertised on behalf of : UN WOMEN

Location :    Home-Based, CAMEROON
Application Deadline :    30-Jun-23 (Midnight New York, USA)

Additional Category :    Gender Equality
Type of Contract :    Individual Contract
Post Level :    National Consultant
Languages Required :
English   French  
Starting Date :
(date when the selected candidate is expected to start)    01-Aug-2023
Duration of Initial Contract :    36 Days
Expected Duration of Assignment :    36 Days

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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. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.


Background

As part of its strategy to strengthen the national road network, the Government of Cameroon engaged its technical and financial partners to finance the Transport Sector Support Programme - Phase III: Construction of the Ring Road.

The project entails the construction/rehabilitation of the Ring Road from Bamenda to Nkambe; stretching along the Nigerian border. The Ring Road covers five Divisions in the Northwest Region and will link Bamenda, Ndop, Kumbo, Nkambe, Wum, Bafut and Bamenda.

Because of the economic potential of this stretch of road, its construction will improve agricultural development given the highly fertile soils, promote eco-tourism and facilitate trade with Nigeria.

Within the framework of its Cooperation Programme with Cameroon, the African Development Bank (ADB) which is the main funder of this project, has focused on the improvement of road connections to open up production and trading zones within Cameroon and with other countries in the Sub-Region, with special attention to gender issues.

The ADB's 2014 - 2018 Gender Strategy set an objective of promoting gender mainstreaming in investments and development projects. This Gender project along the road under construction is therefore in line with the components of pillars 1 and 2 of this Gender strategy[1] and aims to: (i) use infrastructure to promote gender equality, (ii) increase the productivity of women farmers and facilitate their integration into the market, ((iii) strengthen technical training in science and technology.

When developing the project, the ADB's vision is in line with the Cameroon government's development policy, as outlined in its Growth and Employment Strategy Paper (GESP) in force during the project's development, and in which Cameroon committed to ensuring the reduction of gender inequalities and the promotion of equal opportunities between women and men, particularly in the economic and employment spheres, as set out in the NDS30.

The project is also in line with the Cameroon’s National Gender Policy and is perfectly aligned with UN Women's strategic priorities on Women's Economic Empowerment and the promotion of women's entrepreneurship. It also contributes to the achievement of MDG5.

It is within this context that the Government, through the Ministry of Public Works (MINTP), entrusted to  UN Women the implementation of the project " ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN LIVING ALONG THE RING ROAD : BAMENDA-NDOP-KUMBO-NKAMBE-WUM-BAFUT-BAMENDA", with the aim of building and providing socio-economic infrastructure for women living along the road under construction, so that they can benefit from the impact of the road in terms of improved family income, social resilience, protection and promotion of their rights, and participation in the sustainable and integral development of the area.

- The agreement between MINTP and UN Women focuses on:

- Conducting a study on the economic situation of women in the main economic sectors in the project's area of influence;

- Strengthening the organisational, technical and entrepreneurial skills of women's groups, in order to empower them and give them equitable access to basic services and infrastructure;

- Strengthening the capacities of local supervisory structures to guarantee appropriate support/advice in mastering the value chains for each of the selected production sectors;

- Supplying production inputs and equipment to alleviate the arduousness of domestic and production work for the benefit of women;

- Supporting the construction of basic community infrastructure, in particular multi-purpose units, storage warehouses and conservation and processing units, and gender sensitive markets (defining specifications, preparing tender documents, monitoring constructions, setting up management committees, etc.);

- Building the capacity of women producers to access growth markets;

- Other Services that are envisaged, include acquiring motorbikes, organizing fairs and setting up a digital information and sales platform.

As part of the effective launch of project activities, UN Women is recruiting an International Consultant to carry out a socio-economic study of the current situation of men and women living along the Ring Road.

The Consultant will work under the supervision of the International Consultant with whom he/she will work in close collaboration and under the general supervision of the Resident Representative of UN Women and the technical supervision of the Economic Empowerment Expert. The pair of consultants will propose a methodology, work plan and budget, that will be discussed before the start of the assignment on the field.

The proposed approach should enable the production in the short-term, of relevant information needed to support the efficient and effective implementation of the project for strengthening women's economic empowerment along the road project and facilitate the reporting of progress through relevant indicators for both the donor and the UN Women’s Economic Empowerment Program.

 

[1] Pillar 1: Legal status and property rights; Pillar 2: Economic empowerment; Pillar 3: Knowledge management and capacity building


Duties and Responsibilities

Under the guidance of the international consultant

Conduct a gender analysis of the socio-cultural context to identify constraints, norms and social practices harmful to girls and women in the area, including but not limited to the education of young girls, early marriages, gender-based violence, weaknesses in the mechanisms for protecting the rights of women and young girls, constraints on access to birth certificates and NIC, access to land resources, to decision-making positions, etc.
Identify the sectors with a high concentration of men and women by councils as well as the constraints and obstacles encountered by them;
Produce a profile of women's farmer organizations within the project area, by sector of activity and legal status, along with their needs in terms of technical support, organization, capacity-building, logistics, etc.; in this case, identify, assess and scale needs in terms of supply of production inputs and equipment to alleviate the arduousness of domestic and production work for the benefit of women;
Identify new economic opportunities related to the road project for women and girls, and the major challenges to their economic empowerment;
Propose strategies for improving the situation, particularly those with a high potential for positive impact on social relations between men and women, together with an action plan and terms of reference for their implementation;
Identify, based on weighted criteria, three locations and sites, to host a multi-purpose agro-processing and marketing unit, market sheds with latrines, water points and day-care centers for the marketing areas, as provided for in the Project Document;
Identify potential beneficiaries for improved stoves along the project area;
Identify, based on weighted criteria, 5 sites and locations for the construction of warehouses provided for in the Project Document;
Identify, based on weighted criteria, sites for the drilling of 05 boreholes in the major agro-pastoral production basins;
Provide updated socio-economic indicators on the situation of women and men along the Ring-road and propose target values after three years, as well as a framework for monitoring them;
Capture the interest of CTDs in supporting women's economic empowerment, especially through communal development plans.
Analyze the capacity of local authorities and decentralized government services to facilitate the implementation of project activities.
Deliverables:

Three main deliverables are expected at the end of this mission:

1) An inception report including the discussed and adjusted Methodological Note to be drafted;

2) A Study Report in English and its summary in French meeting the specific objectives described above;

3) A mission report describing the progress of the mission


Competencies

Core Values:

- Respect for diversity
- Integrity
- Professionalism
Core Competencies:

Gender awareness and sensitivity
Accountability
Creative problem solving
 Effective communication
Inclusive collaboration
Stakeholder engagement
Leading by example

Required Skills and Experience

The successful candidate, who will work closely with an International Consultant, must meet the following requirements:

 Have excellent analytical skills;
Have at least 5 years' experience in carrying out similar socioeconomic studies or in local development;
Have excellent knowledge of the study environment;
Have good knowledge of the "value chain" approach;
Have good writing skills in English;
Have experience working with women's organizations;
Proven ability to work in a team and to collaborate with administrative authorities, decentralized government technical services and civil society organizations.
TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS:

EDUCATION:

Master’s degree (Bac+ 4) in Social Sciences (Gender, Law, Economics, etc...), Rural Development, Education Sciences, Planning, Agricultural Sciences, Sustainable Development or equivalent. An equivalent of 5 years' professional experience is accepted in lieu of a Master’s degree.
EXPERIENCE:

At least 05 years' professional experience in carrying out socio-economic studies or in local development;
Experience in mainstreaming gender in the planning of development projects;
Good knowledge of local development dynamics;
Proven experience in adult education (andragogy);
Proven experience of working in a team;
Excellent analytical, writing, and summarising skills;
Very good use of Word, Excel, XAMPP or WAMP.
LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS:

Excellent command of the English language, knowledge of French and a language of communication common in the project area would be an asset.

All applications must be submitted ONLINE at : https://www.undp.org/fr/cameroon/emplois