UN Women National Consultant - Advancing Gender-Responsive And Sustainable Procurement, Home-Based Retainer, Phnom Penh, Cambodia Phnom-Penh, Cambodia Posting Date07/03/2026 BE THE FIRST TO APPLY

Organizational Context

UN Women Cambodia operates within the framework of the UNSDCF, Regional Strategic Note, and Corporate Strategic Plan, focusing on advancing gender equality and women's empowerment. The 'WE RISE Together 2.0' project, a regional initiative, aims to increase market access for Women-owned Businesses (WOBs) and Gender Responsive Enterprises (GREs) through gender-responsive procurement (GRP) in the Mekong sub-region, including Cambodia. This role supports embedding GRP within national policies and practices.

Job Purpose

This consultancy aims to provide technical support to government partners in Cambodia to integrate Gender-Responsive Procurement (GRP) into national strategies, public procurement policies, and action plans. The role will contribute to enhancing institutional capacity, developing practical tools, and facilitating market access for Women-owned Businesses (WOBs) and Gender Responsive Enterprises (GREs). The objective is to foster an enabling environment for these businesses within Cambodia's procurement systems, ultimately advancing women's economic empowerment and aligning with national and regional gender equality goals.

Responsibilities

The consultant will provide high-quality technical support to government partners for integrating GRP into public procurement policy dialogue and development, including regulatory frameworks and Standard Operating Procedures. This involves supporting institutional data systems and utilizing sex-disaggregated procurement data. The role includes piloting GRP initiatives, documenting applications within legal frameworks, and coordinating working groups to establish national definitions for Women-owned Businesses (WOBs). Additionally, the consultant will enhance the technical capacity of government partners and relevant ministries on integrating gender-responsive practices into procurement cycles. Key tasks involve developing and adapting practical procurement checklists and guidelines, documenting lessons learned, and supporting the development of programs to benefit micro women entrepreneurs and SMEs. The consultant will also foster an enabling environment for WOBs/GREs, enhance supplier development, scale up market linkages, and build integrated supplier rosters. A policy experiment focused on demand-side procurement adjustments to improve WOB participation will also be supported.

Work Experience

A minimum of 2 years of progressively responsible experience providing technical support and policy advice to government institutions on gender equality is required. At least 2 years of professional experience in women's economic empowerment, MSME development, or public procurement frameworks is necessary. Experience in facilitating participatory workshops and high-level policy dialogues is also required, with experience in the latter being an asset.

Skills

Technical support, Policy advice, Gender-responsive procurement, Women's economic empowerment, MSME development, Capacity building, Tool development, Market facilitation, Data analysis, Workshop facilitation, Policy dialogue.

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