| Overview : Note: Deadline extended to 27 January 2022. To apply, kindly read the procurement notice, attach the following documents and submit through the following email: ic.jo@undp.org - CV with at least three references;
- Technical proposal (to showcase requested experience and competencies); and
- Financial proposal as in the attached template.
no later than 25 january 2022 at 18:00 hrs. (Jordan time) with subject: “ Local Govenance Expert ". Any request for clarification must be sent in writing, or by standard electronic communication to the above e-mail address UNDP will respond in writing or by standard electronic mail and will send written copies of the response, including an explanation of the query without identifying the source of inquiry, to all consultants. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is an upper-middle income country with a population of 10 million, of which 70% are under 30 years of age. Despite the unprecedented socio-economic and political hardships and stresses induced as a result of the regional and global volatility and the COVID-19 pandemic, Jordan has demonstrated effective resilience capacities in mandating stability and responding to crises, including the Syrian one. Nonetheless, the Kingdom is vulnerable to socio-economic and political exclusionary challenges and factors, including: high population growth, rising cost of living, high unemployment, low economic growth and low confidence in governmental institutions. These factors have exacerbated risks to community security, equal access to justice and hence disturbed social cohesion and intensified concerns over the threat to Jordan’s sustained peace and human security. According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2020, Jordan ranks 138. Furthermore, a recent study conducted by Wana Institute depicted that many women in Jordan do not seek recognition of their rights through the state civil and shari’ah court system due to: lawyers’ high fees, minimal legal aid services; low legal and rights awareness; geographical inaccessibility; lack of trust in state institutions and prevailed gender stereotyping restricting women from involving in dispute resolution processe. In 2019, UNDP, ESCWA, UN Women and UNFPA conducted a Gender Justice and the Law in the Arab States Region that mapped the key legislative and policy developments from a gender justice lens. Jordan’s report found that the current legal framework discriminates against women and hence have a direct and indirect consequences, including: on the economic level, women’s ability to access formal employment, retain employment or progress in their professional career tracks; and on the social level, inability of women to pass citizenship to their spouses and children, unequal rights in marriage, including early marriage and divorce rights. Jordan 2025’s National Vision & Strategy established that the government is committed to continuing a political reform agenda with a focus on strengthening public confidence in political processes and deepening democratic, accountable and responsible institutions. The reform process was accelerated by the establishement of the Royal Committee for Political Reform, which introduced amendements, that were endorsed by the Parliament later on, to two of the main laws governing public and political life in Jordan: 1) the Election Law and the Political Parties Laws. As well, amendments to the Decenterlisation and Local Adminstration law were enacted aiming at enhancing the decenterlisation process and increasing public trust in govermental bodies. In spite of the diversified health and socio-economic challenges Jordan is encountering as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, social resilience created as a tool to combat these the pandemic’s negative consequences produced an opportunity for further decentralization, accelerated the need for an open government and confirmed the importance of continuing the digital transformation in Jordan. UNDP employs a comprehensive multi-sectoral approach to support national efforts to enhance decenterlisation efforts, boost institutions’ accountability, transparency and resoonsiveness through the implementation of a coherent and interlinked set of interventions. These interventions employ participatory approaches that work on the policy, as well as the grassroots levels to ensure reaching common understanding and generating the needed ownership on both levels. Utilizing this participatory approach in planning and implementation does not only support tackling problems’ root causes and combat its negative socio-economic and political consequences, but support strengthening institutional capacities to be responsive and accountable, empower local communities to become active partners and generate the needed ownership through linking the local, sub-national, and national levels. To this end, UNDP Jordan seeks to hire a Local Governance Expert to provide technical and operational advice to implemented projects targeting enhancing strengthening local government and municipal institutions. UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. All individuals including persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with strictest confidence and equally. Technical and financial proposals along with CV & 3 references should be submitted, and without such will not be considered). (Only Short Listed Candidates will be contacted) UNDP is an employer committed to gender equity and to providing equal opportunities to both males and females. | 
