Local Expert on Gender-Responsive Governance, Planning and Budgeting

Job Posting Organization:
UN Women was established in July 2010 as part of the UN reform agenda to enhance gender equality and the empowerment of women. The organization merges the work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system, focusing on gender equality and women's empowerment. UN Women operates globally, with a mission to eliminate discrimination against women and girls, empower women, and achieve equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action, and peace and security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security. It collaborates with various UN agencies and governments to implement programs that promote gender equality, such as the Joint Programme Gender Equality Accelerator (JP GEA) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which aims to address structural barriers to gender equality through comprehensive, systems-level interventions. The organization emphasizes collaboration with governmental and non-governmental partners to achieve transformative change in gender equality and women's empowerment.

Job Overview:
The Local Expert on Gender-Responsive Governance, Planning and Budgeting will play a crucial role in supporting UN Women’s initiatives aimed at strengthening gender-responsive governance and budgeting capacities at the local level in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This position involves developing a detailed workplan, designing and delivering training sessions for public officials from selected local government units (LGUs), and providing tailored capacity-building support to enhance their understanding and implementation of gender-responsive budgeting and planning. The expert will work closely with local administrations to ensure that gender equality considerations are integrated into local planning and budgeting processes, thereby contributing to more inclusive and accountable governance. The role requires a strong understanding of gender equality issues, public finance management, and the ability to engage effectively with various stakeholders to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The consultant will be responsible for several key deliverables, including:

• Developing a comprehensive consultancy workplan that outlines the methodology and timeline for the tasks outlined in the Terms of Reference (TOR).
• Designing and delivering a training session on gender equality, gender-responsive budgeting, planning, and governance for public officials from selected LGUs. This includes preparing training materials, conducting the training, and summarizing participant feedback.
• Providing ongoing technical and advisory support to the selected LGUs, assisting them in applying gender analysis and monitoring approaches during implementation.
• Preparing a final narrative report that summarizes activities, results, challenges, and recommendations, contributing to the documentation of good practices and lessons learned. The consultant will also participate in regular coordination meetings with local governments and UN Women to review progress and address challenges as they arise.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a master’s degree or equivalent in fields such as economics, financial management, public administration, governance, or development studies. Alternatively, a first-level university degree combined with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted. Additionally, candidates should have a minimum of five years of progressively responsible professional experience in gender equality, public finance management, or related fields. They should demonstrate technical expertise in government public finance systems, budgetary processes, and gender-responsive budgeting methodologies. Experience in designing and delivering capacity-building activities for public servants is also required, along with a proven track record of providing technical assistance to local government units.

Educational Background:
A master’s degree or equivalent in relevant fields such as economics, financial management, public administration, governance, or development studies is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree.

Experience:
Candidates should have at least five years of progressively responsible professional experience in areas related to gender equality and public finance management. They must demonstrate technical expertise in budgetary processes and gender-responsive budgeting methodologies through the successful implementation of relevant assignments. Experience in designing and delivering capacity-building activities for public servants is essential, as is previous experience in providing technical assistance to local government units.

Languages:
Fluency in Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian is required for this position. Proficiency in additional languages may be considered an asset but is not mandatory.

Additional Notes:
This consultancy is home-based, but the selected consultant is expected to travel to four selected municipalities to facilitate consultations and training sessions. All travel costs will be covered separately by UN Women. The total duration of the consultancy is 27 days, with specific deliverables due by set deadlines. The consultant will report to the Governance and Leadership Programme Coordination Specialist and will be supported by a Programme Associate for contract and payment issues. UN Women emphasizes a commitment to diversity and inclusion in its hiring practices and has a zero-tolerance policy for misconduct.