Purpose of consultancy:
The overarching objective of the consultancy is to review and verify UNFPA Country Officeโs human resource strengths and needs in terms of staff numbers, profiles and competencies (technical, policy, programme, and operations), as well as the organisation structure that will enable the CO to deliver on the new Country Programme (CP5) for 2026-2030.
A comparison of the human resources available at the CO (the current structure and skills set) against what the office should ideally need vis-ร -vis the of the new CP for 2026-2030, and what the expected financial resources can realistically be able to afford, will lead to the verification of realistic human resources needs in terms of numbers, locations, skills, competencies, and structure/reporting lines.
We are seeking an international human resources management consultant who will undertake the necessary reviews and assessment, and support with the design of a Country Office structure that is fit for purpose.
Context & Background:
UNFPA Timor-Leste Country Office (CO) is based in Dili, Timor-Leste. The fourth Country Programme (2021-2025) endorsed by the Government of Timor-Leste and UNFPA, and approved by the UNFPA Executive Board in September 2020. UNFPA together with its national and local partners has been implementing the programme by a total of 33 national and international personnel including Fixed Term Appointment (FTA), UN Volunteers, Service Contract (SC) holders and Individual Consultants (IC) at the Country Office.
The 5th Country Programme (2026-2030) which is under development foresees modification to COโs human resources (HR) structure, as the office seeks to consolidate the results and gains from the previous 4th Country Programme (CP4) drawing on the recommendations from the CP4 Evaluation, and to aim to gradually transition from down-streaming support to upstream policy engagement during the 5th Country Programme (CP5). The new Programme is a vehicle for UNFPA Timor-Lesteโs contribution to realizing UNFPAโs Transformative Results towards Agenda 2030 including SDGs through the corporate Strategic Plan 2026-2029 which is under development, and to supporting Timor-Leste to reach the furthest behind first and leave no one behind, especially those vulnerable women, young people, persons with disabilities, and those affected by emergencies.
With a view to the importance of strengthening the primary health care through enhanced capacity for integrated SRH/GBV services in rural areas, UNFPAโs CP5 will continue to invest in service-delivery capacity development support at the downstream work level. At the same time, the new programme is designed also to better influence policy development and financing/budgeting processes through upstream advocacy efforts, support to health-system strengthening and data-driven policy and decision making, particularly for investment in SRHR, gender and youth development.
It is anticipated based on the current resource allocation system that approximately 65 percent of the CP5 total budget requirement for the five years of 2026-2030 needs to be mobilized locally by the UNFPA CO, while 35 percent shall be funded by the UNFPAโs Regular Resources. This might be modified when the UNFPAโs RAS/RDS is approved as part of the new SP (2026-2029). While UNFPA interventions in the country will continue to have to depend on a small number of major donors, the new Programme shall still be able to make a shift from a projectized and siloed way of working towards a more integrated, programme approach - i.e. more integrated across different Outcome and output areas and emerging cross-cutting themes such as Humanitarian-Development nexus, more integrated within the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) for the country, as well as more integrated with national systems and other development partners. Despite some common development and climate induced challenges faced by the country such as vulnerabilities against health pandemics and climate crises due to the remote and yet disaster-prone, small-island setting, the country has its unique needs and priorities โ and this is why the CP5 seeks to deliver programme assistance tailored to the specific context.
An effective and efficient delivery of the programme will hinge not only on the skills and competencies of UNFPA staff, but also the availability of resources. A challenge is a relatively small presence and attention of donors to Timor-Leste. In this regard, the shortage of longer-term sustainable funding requires optimal, efficient yet flexible HR structure to deliver the programme. Recognizing the programme needs alluded in the White Paper for the new Country Programme and discussions held on the new CP programme priorities, it is critical at this stage of the design of the new CP to assess the CO human resource capacity to identify strengths and gaps.
Scope of work:
The exercise will consist of an in-person mission to Dili, Timor-Leste where UNFPA Country Office is located to conduct reviews of documents, meetings and interviews with CO staff, and key counterparts including from sister UN Agencies. In addition, pre-mission teleconferences will be organized between the selected consultant and CO Senior Management Team to agree on the ToRs of the mission, ensuring the same understanding of the work to be done.
To achieve the main objective of the mission, the following tasks should be performed, inter alia:
Conduct preparatory exercise through desk-top analysis of documents.
Contact and meet with CO staff and suggested main stakeholders.
Assess the HR needs vis-ร -vis specific development and operational contexts and aid landscape in which the UNFPA CO operates.
Ascertain the level of increasing demands to UNFPA from the Government of Timor-Leste, Donors and the UN System
Compare existing and required skills, knowledge, abilities, talent and attitudes for the Programme, Operations and Country Office staff to successfully operate and deliver on the results enshrined in draft CP5
Research and review labor marketsโ insights as they pertain to the country.
Come up with possibles HR arrangements and structures, including organizational charts, along with their costing and associated benefits and potential shortcomings.
Analyze the financial feasibility of possible HR arrangement options, considering the current funding landscape and outlook.
Suggest how to create balance between programme and operations teams based on results to be delivered by the CO under the new CP.
Take stock of UNFPA internal review of the proposed arrangements and finalize an organizational structuring proposal to be submitted to the UNFPA Resource Management Committee (RMC) for approval.
Duration and work schedule:
The consultancy will take place between 24 February to 31 March 2025.
Place where services are to be delivered:
Home-based consultancy, with a 2-week mission to Dili, Timor Leste.
Expected Deliverables:
1- A comprehensive report on Country Office HR capacity review containing:
A thorough assessment of the work demand and work process in terms of composition, capacity and capability in relation to CP5 design: structure, demand and requirements versus roles, supply and proficiency.
Assessment of the current Country Office structure, staffing, skillsets and competencies.
Identification and highlight of any gaps and misalignment.
Recommendations for addressing any identified gaps and misalignment in order to achieve:
(i) a sustainable structure, with
(ii) the right staffing mix,
(iii) the right skill mix and
(iv) adequate work standard, in light of the local context, funding availability and existing corporate practices, policies and procedures.
A draft organizational chart for the Country Office, including reporting line, function/title, level, funding source, etc.
2- An Organizational structuring proposal (under a UNFPA specific format to be provided)
3- An action plan for the implementation of the changes contained in the organizational structuring proposal.
Required Expertise and Qualifications:
Academic Qualifications:
Masterโs Degree or equivalent advanced university degree in Human Resources Management, International Affairs, Business Administration, Social Sciences, or other relevant disciplines.
Knowledge and experience:
Minimum 10 years of relevant experience in leading United Nations organizational change processes to create more robust delivery systems and to foster greater impact and innovation.
Significant experience in strengthening UN capacities to deliver results in fragile, conflict-affected, and transitional societies.
Familiarity with UN Staff Rules and UNFPA or UNDP human resources and financial policies and procedures.
Strong analytical and leadership skills.
Strong conceptual abilities; sound judgment; strong interest in development work, especially the mission of UNFPA.
Familiarity with the Charter of the United Nations and dedication to the principles of the United Nations.
Ability to work harmoniously in an international and multicultural environment.
Language:
Fluency in oral and written English is required.
How to Apply:
Qualified and interested candidates are invited to submit their application โ including a cover letter, a completed P11 form, and financial proposal โ to the following email address: timor-leste.office@unfpa.org with โConsultancy: Organizational Structuring and Workforce Planningโ in the subject, by the deadline of 14th February 2025.
The full version of the Terms of Reference of the consultancy is available here. See all current vacancies