Support to Development of KM strategy

Background:

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

Knowledge Management is a set of practices and processes that enable an organization to generate, systematize and share cutting-edge knowledge internally and externally. In doing so, it promotes efficiency, reduces duplication and fosters learning and innovation. Through Knowledge Management, knowledge is transformed into an asset that can make the organization more efficient and effective. The objective is to produce and deliver the right knowledge in the right format to the right person at the right time in the right con- text. In the case of UN Women, Knowledge Management strengthens implementation of the ‘how to’ of advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment.

UN Women’s work on Knowledge Management has been guided by a corporate Strategy, 2018-2021. The strategy sought to achieve the following objectives: 
•     Improved performance across UN Women’s triple mandate (normative, coordination, operational) and, most urgently, in terms of capacity development through training
•     Enhanced technical advisory services and evidence- based advocacy to mainstream gender into national policies and initiatives
•     Strengthened capacity to engage in policy dialogue on gender equality as a non-resident agency (through, for example, country gender profiles in contexts where UN Women does not have pro- gramme presence).
A new strategy is needed, building on: 
•     Gaps, challenges and achievements under the prior strategy at a global level and across all UN Women regional and country offices
•     Current Strategic Plan needs
•     Considerations of future Strategic Plan and global context, including recent development in ICT such as Artificial Intelligence 
In this context, UN Women is seeking to engage with a knowledge management consultant to support the development of the UN Women KM strategy 2026-2029, through a participatory and inclusive consultative process.

The consultant will work with UN Women Knowledge Management Specialist and the PPID Directorate using a co-creation model to support internal consultation, synthesis and analysis of findings following the consultations, as well as supporting the development of the KM strategy itself, including the refinement of UN Women’s knowledge management model and the outlining of the road map to deliver that model and vision.

Description of Responsibilities

The consultant is expected to:  
•     Provide inputs on the concept note outlining the consultations with internal stakeholders at the global, regional and country levels; the development and validation of the strategy. The concept note will include methodological approaches to mappings, workshops with regional and country offices and an organization wide survey, as well as consultations with the Technical Management Group (TMG) and with the KM focal points network. All consultations will be conducted virtually.
•     Carry out a desk review of current knowledge management strategies, systems and practices within UN Women and the UN System
•     Provide inputs to the survey to be implemented across UN Women HQ, regional and country offices.
•     Prepare a summary of the main findings of the desk review, consultation meetings and survey. 
•     Identify key components for the new KM Strategy and framework, prepare an outline including:
-    key steps to strengthen existing knowledge management architecture in UN Women 
-    internal and external sharing of knowledge products; 
-    concrete ways forward to strengthen knowledge networks as a key tool for knowledge production and sharing, building on current communities of practice in the context of pivoting to Regional and Country Offices
-    capturing, sharing and replication of promising practices and innovations
-    strengthening of use of technologies and AI in UN Women 
•     Draft the KM strategy together with the KM specialist
•     Support development of an implementation, monitoring and evaluation plan for the KM strategy, including proposed indicators and resources 

Deliverables    

Expected completion time (due day)

Inputs to the Concept Note for developing KM strategy.   By date: 30 June 2025

Summary of consultations and desk review.    By date: 30 July 2025

Outline for KM Strategy    By date: 30 August 2025

Final draft of KM Strategy (first draft and final version, including validation).    By date: 30 November 2025

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel:
This is a home-based consultancy. 
 

Competencies :

Core Values:

Core Competencies:

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework: 

Functional Competencies:

•     Good knowledge of knowledge management
•     Strong organizational skills 
•     Strong communication skills in English in written and oral language 
•     Ability to be detailed oriented
•     Ability to manage tasks efficiently 
•     Good interpersonal skills

Required Qualifications

Education and Certification:

Specialist/Advisor levels:
•     Master’s degree in a field related to gender equality, knowledge management, or, alternatively, to the related social sciences.    

Experience:
•     Minimum of 7-10 years of work experience
•      Specific demonstrated expertise in knowledge management, gender equality, gender mainstreaming and/or knowledge production and research and gender equality 
•     Previous experience in developing and implementing knowledge management projects, including in knowledge production, capturing and sharing good practices, innovations, building knowledge networks and communities of practice, among others. 
•     Knowledge of the UN System and of the main programming principles (including Human Rights Based Approach-HRBA) is an asset.  

Languages:
•     Outstanding writing and oral skills in English is required. Knowledge of another UN official language is an asset.
 

Statements:

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.

Diversity and inclusion:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)

Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.