Consultant responsible for assessing the IPU work environment and working methods from a gender perspective and developing gender mainstreaming tools

Background
The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) is a unique organization made up of national parliaments from around the world. Since 1889, it has been protecting and building democracy through political dialogue and concrete action. Its 179 Member Parliaments set the priorities, policy orientations, budget and programmatic work of the Organization.

The IPU’s objectives include building stronger, more democratic parliaments; advancing gender equality, human rights and youth empowerment in parliament and through the work of parliament; promoting parliament’s contribution to sustainable development; building peace and inter-parliamentary dialogue; and strengthening the voices of parliaments in multilateral forums so they can echo the voices of the people they represent. These objectives are pursued through the Organization’s political and programmatic work, which includes research, standard-setting, knowledge dissemination, technical cooperation and capacity-building.

By recognizing gender equality as a key component of democracy and one of its key objectives, the IPU demonstrates its commitment to this goal, in particular achieving equal participation of men and women in politics and respect for women’s rights and gender equality.

Gender equality has been a priority for the Organization for 40 years, when it began tracking and promoting women’s participation in parliament. The IPU is recognized as a knowledge hub on women in politics. It provides advice and guidance to Member Parliaments based on lessons learned and research. The IPU also practises what it preaches, by advancing gender equality within the Organization itself.

In October 2013, the IPU adopted its Gender Mainstreaming Strategy. The overall goal is to transform the Organization into a model for gender equality. The following objectives are pursued:

• achieve gender equality in participation at all levels – within its internal structures, decision-making bodies and Secretariat
• be an Organization that contributes to gender equality in all of its outputs
• ensure the Organization has gender-sensitive policies
• be an Organization whose membership and Secretariat are gender-sensitive.

Several steps have been taken in order to make the IPU gender-sensitive, such as establishing gender quotas for delegations and bodies, tracking the gender composition of the panels it organizes, including gender-specific allocations in the Organization’s budget and providing flexible working arrangements. At present, nearly two thirds of IPU staff are women, including among senior management. In addition, the 2014 Common Principles for Support to Parliaments include a gender-specific principle – Principle 6: Parliamentary support addresses the needs and potential of women and men equally in the structure, operation, methods and work of parliament.

The next step in the IPU plan of action for implementing its Gender Mainstreaming Strategy will include conducting an assessment of the Organization’s work environment from a gender perspective and developing internal gender mainstreaming tools, from project implementation to monitoring and evaluation of the IPU’s work.

Request for proposals
The IPU is seeking applications from suitably qualified and experienced individuals or institutions to undertake an assessment of the IPU Secretariat’s work environment and working methods from a gender perspective, and to design tailored gender mainstreaming tools.

The assignment will include home-based desk review and report-writing, designing and conducting a survey, as well as preparatory meetings, interviews and participatory workshops to be held at the IPU Headquarters in Geneva. The assignment is expected to be carried out between November 2019 and January 2020.

Prospective consultants should submit an offer setting out their daily rate and a detailed timetable indicating the total number of working days that may be required to deliver all required outputs (see below).

No travel or daily subsistence allowances will be covered by the IPU for this assignment.

Deliverables

• Develop a work plan and specific methodology for the assessment process.
• Conduct a desk review of the IPU’s institutional and working documents from a gender perspective (e.g. statutes, strategy, administrative and other instructions, results framework, etc.).
• Design and implement an all-staff survey to assess their gender-related perceptions of the work environment, as well as their understanding of and ability to integrate a gender perspective into their everyday work and activities.
• Conduct individual interviews.
• Make recommendations related to the Organization’s work environment and working methods from a gender perspective.
• Develop and submit a proposed set of tools to ensure that the IPU’s project/activity design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation are gender responsive; such methodological tools might include checklists, guidelines and indicators.
• Conduct two workshops, one to present and discuss findings with staff, and another to present and test the tools developed.
• Draft and submit a report setting out your process, findings and final recommendations, including concrete follow-up action to be taken. You should plan to:
  —draft and present a preliminary report
  —incorporate comments received from the IPU
  —finalize and submit a final version.

Required experience and qualifications

• 8–10 years’ relevant professional experience in the field of gender equality and women’s rights
• Work experience of gender mainstreaming
• Proven experience in conducting participatory gender audits, including in international organizations
• Sound experience in conducting interviews
• Excellent analytical and writing skills
• Excellent written and oral knowledge of English required and good knowledge of French an asset

Recruitment principles
Our guiding principle in selecting candidates is to secure the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity. We do not discriminate on any grounds and are committed to promoting diversity in our workforce.

Particular attention is paid to candidates from developing countries and to achieving gender balance. We strive to provide an environment where the contribution of each individual is valued.