Consultants to Support Private & Public Institutions in Implementing RS 560:2003
Procurement Process
IC - Individual contractor
Office
UNDP-RWA - RWANDA
Deadline
30-Jun-25 @ 12:00 PM (New York time)
Published on
16-Jun-25 @ 12:00 AM (New York time)
Reference Number
UNDP-RWA-00269
Contact
Procurement Office - procurement.rw@undp.org This specific tender is managed via the new supplier portal system of UNDP Quantum. If you are interested in submitting a bid for this tender, you must subscribe following the instructions in the user guide. If you have not registered a profile with this system, you can do so by following the link for Supplier Registration.
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Introduction
Country: Rwanda
Description of the Assignment: Recruitment Of Four (04) National Individual Consultants to Support Private Companies and Public Institutions in Implementing RS 560:2023 Standard Gender Equality โ Requirements for Promotion, Implementation, and Accountability.
Period of assignment/services: Within Three (3) Months
1. BACKGROUND, CONTEXT AND JUSTIFICATION
According to Article 10 of the Constitution of the Republic of Rwanda of 2003 revised in 2015, Gender equality is a principle of human right, good governance, democracy, sustainable development and inclusiveness. It is also enshrined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically goal 5. As such, the public sector, private sector, non-governmental and religious institutions are responsible for mainstreaming gender in their policies, plans and processes to ensure inclusive and transformative development.
One of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) responsibilities is to ensure adhering to mainstreaming of gender equality principles across public and private sectors, civil society and faith-based organizations hence contributing to the attainment of national gender commitments and compliance to ratified international/regional instruments as well as policies and development programs. Through its Project Initiation Plan (PIP)2025, Rwanda Standards Board endeavors to promote gender equality through standardization which gender equality and womenโs empowerment principles are mainstreamed into policies and programs of different sectors and at different levels. In this regard, UNDP in partnership with the Private Sector Federation and RSB is implementing a project dubbed- โPromoting gender accountability in the private and public sector in Rwandaโ which uses the Gender Equality Seal (GES) certification approach as a mechanism for institutionalizing gender equality through standardization in private companies and public institutions.
Through its partnership with the Rwanda Standards Board (RSB), the project supports and guides private companies and public institutions in their efforts to deliver on and comply with gender equality principles by implementing the RS 560:2023 Gender Equality โ Requirements for Promotion, Implementation, and Accountability. This standard promotes gender equality and the empowerment of women in the workplace.
In addition, the project will equip participating companies and institutions with the necessary tools to support their recertification against RS 560:2023 requirements. These tools will enable continued promotion of gender equality within their organizations, thereby fostering a more equitable work environment that maximizes the capacities and talents of all employees.
It is with this background that UNDP would like to hire four national individual consultants to support Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) to assess and evaluate the implementation of promoting gender equality in private companies and public institutions participating in the gender equality seal certification initiative. The assignment aims to assess the extent to which private companies and public institutions both those already certified under the Gender Equality Seal (GES) program and preparing for recertification, as well as those have expressed interest in initiating the certification process to comply with the requirements of the published RS 560:2023 Gender Equality - Requirements for Promotion, Implementation, and Accountability standard. The findings will determine whether GES participating companies and public institutions are eligible to be recertified or certified against RS 560:2023 and awarded any of the three gender seals1-Gold, Silver and Bronze.
2. RATIONALE
UNDP, Gender Monitoring Office (GMO), UNWOMEN and Private Sector Federation (PSF) have been implementing gender equality seal certification programme since 2018, where 40 organizations including private, public institutions and 7 SMEs have reached the certification stage. GES has reduced gender-based pay gaps; increased number of womenโs and improved their roles in decision-making; enhanced work-life balance that ultimately increased productivity at workplace; put in place measures that have prevented and responded to sexual harassment at work; enhanced womenโs/menโs access to non-traditional jobs; and using inclusive non-sexist communication.
Since 2023, GMO and UNDP worked with RSB and partners to ensure that GES dimensions, standards and benchmarks are mainstreamed into the new Rwanda Standards Boardโs (RSB) RS 560: 2023 Gender Equality- Requirements for promotion, implementation and accountability.
Since the certification is valid for 3 years, entities that were certified under GES in 2022 are now due for an external independent re-evaluation and recertification under the new standard.
Additionally, new companies continue to pick interest in demonstrating the accountability to gender equality via undergoing an implementation journey leading to a certification for recognition and value addition purpose. This consultancy is therefore to support committed businesses in the understanding of the requirements of RS 560 for easier integration in their functions.
3. OBJECTIVE OF THE ASSIGNMENT
The overall objective of the assignment is to support private sector companies and public institutions to integrate the requirements of RS 560:2023 on Gender Equality โ Requirements for Promotion, Implementation, and Accountability toward Gender Equality Seal Certification against RS 560.
3.1. Specific Objectives.
โข Assess the level of compliance with RS 560 of companies/public institutions to be supported and generate a gap assessment report;
โข Develop a clear roadmap to align the company/public institution with the requirements of RS 560;
โข Providing technical support in implementing RS 560 toward compliance with certification requirements including planning and conducting internal audits and management reviews;
โข Assisting the supported organizations in the application process for certification;
โข Assisting the supported organization in the certification journey until the certification decision;
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