| Overview : To apply, interested persons should upload the combined* Technical Proposal/Methodology (if applicable), CV and Offeror’s Letter to “UNDP Jobs” by navigating to the link below and clicking “APPLY NOW”, no later than the date indicated on the “UNDP Jobs” website. Applications submitted via email will not be accepted**: - UNDP Job Site – https://jobs.undp.org/cj_view_job.cfm?cur_job_id=95066 (cut and paste into browser address bar if the link does not work) * PLEASE NOTE: The system allows the upload of one (1) document ONLY – if you are required to submit a Technical Proposal/Methodology, this document along with your CV/P11 and Offeror’s Letter, MUST be combined and uploaded as one. NOTE: The Financial Proposal should not be uploaded to “UNDP Jobs” **. **Please email the password-protected Financial Proposal to procurement.bb@undp.org. The subject line of your email must contain the following: “BBRSO##### Financial Proposal – Your Name” If the password for your Financial Proposal is required, it will be requested by the Procurement Unit. Any request for clarification must be sent in writing to procurement.bb@undp.org within three (3) days of the publication of this notice, ensuring that the reference number above is included in the subject line. The UNDP Barbados & the OECS Procurement Unit will post the responses*** two (2) days later, including an explanation of the query without identifying the source of inquiry, to: - http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=72187 (cut and paste into browser address bar if the link does not work) A detailed Procurement Notice, TOR, and all annexes can be found by clicking the above link. *** UNDP shall endeavour to provide such responses to clarifications in an expeditious manner, but any delay in such response shall not cause an obligation on the part of UNDP to extend the submission date of the Proposals, unless UNDP deems that such an extension is justified and necessary The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development presents a major opportunity for Caribbean countries to make an effective transition to balanced, holistic, and people-centered growth, thereby advancing in a comprehensive manner, a profound agenda through an inclusive, resilient, SDG-consistent and sustainable development strategy and approach. The broader scope of the SDG agenda is particularly important for the Caribbean, as a strategy that pursues goals comprehensively is indeed a pre-requisite for an effective ‘Human Security’ approach. However, in the Caribbean, the context for such strategy and for achieving these goals is challenging, and increasingly so. Despite middle income status and medium to high human development classification, the region has recently experienced poor growth performance (also because of recurrent and devastating natural disasters) resulting in the gradual build-up of unsustainable levels of debt, and thereby creating the unavoidable requirement for structural adjustment programmes and initiatives that risk turning back the clock on recent human security gains. In addition, the high level of accumulated debt contributes to poor regional GDP performance and diverts resources to amortization and interest payments, and thus away from health, education, infrastructure, administration of justice, social protection, food and nutrition security and other areas that are drivers of growth and development and determinants of human security. Growing poverty and income inequality also represent major challenges, with joblessness and vulnerability disproportionately affecting marginalized groups, and in particular youth. While the region has made significant advances in addressing gender inequality, this remains a major challenge and has cross-cutting negative impacts. The result is that the Caribbean suffers both ‘feminization’ and ‘juvenilization’ of poverty, with the flip side of high levels of crime involving youth. Climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, reducing the cost of energy and strengthening sustainable agriculture and food security represent additional major challenges and are key to sustainability and growth, and thus human security. Similar priority issues have been confirmed in the Caribbean “Barbados Plan of Action” (BPA) and the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action Pathway (the SAMOA Pathway referred to above) adopted at the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing in Samoa in September 2014. The Plan of Action also stresses the interconnection of priorities, as does the Human Security concept. In response to the above, the UNDP Multi-country Office for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean is a participating agency in the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security project Building Effective Resilience for Human Security in the Caribbean Countries: The Imperative of Gender Equality and Women Empowerment in a Strengthened Agriculture (and related Agri/Fisheries Small Business) Sector. The project aims through a combination of policy reform advocacy, technical support, and services to contribute to human security for farmers and small agro-and fisheries business entrepreneurs, many of whom are women. Three categories of beneficiaries will benefit from the project’s activities through direct households and community support in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada and Saint Lucia for a duration of 3-years. Small grant support will be offered for livelihoods development and will target approximately 2,500 farmers, fisherfolks and small-business entrepreneurs with at least 50% women and 25% under 40 years, reaching 12,500 people. Pilot and demonstration activities in areas of disaster preparedness and mitigation, climate change adaptation and value chain development will be implemented in 50 community groups, reaching 30,000 people. The policy reform and institutional strengthening contribution of the project, will aim to improve the environment for institutional farming, fishing and fisheries sectors related small-business sectors throughout the 14 CARICOM countries, positively impacting the livelihoods of those who directly and indirectly depend on these sectors. Associated Ministries and the National Gender Machineries and Focal Points will also become beneficiaries. Successes from the project will provide major impetuses for a broader recognition of the priorities of gender equality and women empowerment for enhanced resilience, stronger economic growth, a more inclusive society and strengthened human security. | 
