UN Women: International Consultant – Adaptive leadership and Cognitive Coaching, Dhaka Bangladesh (home based and in person)

BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION

UN Women exists to advance women’s rights, gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. As the lead UN entity on gender equality and secretariat of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, UN Women shift laws, institutions, social behaviours and services to close the gender gap and build an equal world for all women and girls. UN Women partnerships with governments, women’s movements and the private sector coupled with its coordination of the broader United Nations translate progress into lasting changes. UN Women strides forward for women and girls in four areas: leadership, economic empowerment, freedom from violence, and women, peace and security as well as humanitarian action. UN Women keeps the rights of women and girls at the centre of global progress–always, everywhere. Because gender equality is not just what we do. It is who we are.

UN Women in Bangladesh supports the government in implementing commitments to international normative standards on gender equality and women’s human rights. In line with the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2022-2027, the corresponding UN Women Bangladesh Strategic Note (2022-2027) defines UN Women’s strategic engagement in Bangladesh. The country strategy focuses on strengthening the national structures and mechanisms for gender mainstreaming in policies, plans and budgets; supporting efforts to prevent and eliminate violence against women; promoting women’s access to decent and safe work; promoting policies and government investment in women’s empowerment and resilience building in the context of climate change, humanitarian crisis as well as other threats to peace and security. UN Women works with a range of stakeholders in Bangladesh, including the government, civil society and women’s organizations, youth, UN agencies and donors, to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment.

As part of the Strategic Note and the commitment to deepen the leadership bench, BCO decided to introduce an annual staff survey to identify areas of strength in the office identity and areas of further improvement to take an office wide approach. The survey also informs BCO’s efforts to maintain respectful workplace relations and focus on preventing all forms of discrimination in the office through regular staff dialogues and trainings on these issues.

Additionally, as part of adaptive leadership capacity development, the initiative includes coaching sessions to deepen the leadership bench with Senior Managers and Programme Managers, as well as group sessions for the entire office, ensuring that learning is applied both individually and collectively across the Office. These will be aligned with UN Women’s social norm change strategy and upcoming People Strategy.

SCOPE OF WORK

To support the UN Women Bangladesh Country Office to conduct the annual staff survey by collecting and analysing data and providing recommendations based on the principles of Cognitive Coaching and Adaptive Leadership so that individuals and teams can establish and sustain systems that result in increased performance and resourcefulness.

METHODOLOGY

The survey is to be designed to be inclusive of all the colleagues at the Bangladesh Country Office (BCO). In addition, the survey is designed based on the principles of Cognitive Coaching and Adaptive Leadership and aims to measure the colleague’s perceived resourcefulness across five areas (energy sources): Consciousness, Efficacy, Flexibility, Craftsmanship, and Interdependence. The ultimate goal of the survey is to collect actionable data and provide the BCO with recommendations so that staff at UN Women Bangladesh can engage in a self-directed process to establish, adjust and sustain systems and increase performance and resourcefulness across teams. The survey will build on the 2024, 2025 and 2026 survey findings.

DELIVERABLES

Year 2027

Deliverables Status

Preparation for BCO survey -1 day

Roll out of the BCO Staff Survey for 2027-5 days

Session with Senior Leaders in 2025 on BCO survey findings- 1 day

Personnel/staff survey report, including key findings and recommendations for the office, to be shared with all staff - 3 days

Total=10 days

Plan for Q1 and Q2

One online refresher workshop on Adaptive Leadership and Cognitive Coaching – 2 days

Plan for Q3

At least 2 coaching sessions for thematic units in 2027 to establish and sustain systems that result in increased performance based on survey findings.

Cox’s Bazar: HoSO (2), Programme Specialist (2), Programme Analysts (6) — Total: 10
Dhaka: CR (2), DCR (2), OM (2), Programme Specialist (2), plus office functions (Planning, Monitoring and Reporting Analyst, Partnerships and Coordination Analyst, Communications Analyst – 6), Programme Analysts NoB (2), Programme Analysts NoA (8), Operations (HR and Finance – 4) — Total: 30

Total participants: 20

Total duration: 15 days

Plan for Q1-Q3

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

• Human rights- based approach
• Cultural diversity, social inclusion, and gender sensitivity
• Needs based approach.
• Results based programming and management.
• Confidentiality
• Do no harm.
• Impartiality

DURATION OF ASSIGNMENT AND DUTY STATION

2026: No deliverables listed. Preparation for BCO survey.

2027: 27 days from 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2027.

PAYMENT SCHEDULE

Payment for this consultancy will be based on the achievement of each delivery and the certification that each has been satisfactorily completed. Payment will be based on the completion of each stated deliverable within the indicated timeframes.

PAYMENT SCHEDULE 2027

1

Preparation for BCO survey -1 day

Roll out of the BCO Staff Survey for 2027-5 days

Session with Senior Leaders in 2025 on BCO survey findings- 1 day

Personnel/staff survey report, including key findings and recommendations for the office, to be shared with all staff - 3 days

Total=10 days

Plan for Q2 and Q3

SN 1 : 10 days

2

One workshop on Adaptive Leadership and Cognitive Coaching – 2 days

Plan for Q3 SN 2 : 2 days 3

At least 2 coaching sessions for thematic units in 2027 to establish and sustain systems that result in increased performance based on survey findings.

Cox’s Bazar: HoSO (2), Programme Specialist (2), Programme Analysts (6) — Total: 10
Dhaka: CR (2), DCR (2), OM (2), Programme Specialist (2), plus office functions (Planning, Monitoring and Reporting Analyst, Partnerships and Coordination Analyst, Communications Analyst – 6), Programme Analysts NoB (2), Programme Analysts NoA (8), Operations (HR and Finance – 4) — Total: 30

Total participants: 20

Total duration: 15 days

SN 3 : 15 days

TOTAL 2026=no deliverables

TOTAL 2027= 27 days from 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2027

COMPETENCIES

• Builds strong relationships.
• Focuses on impact and results and responds positively to feedback.
• Approaches to work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude.
• Self-development, initiative-taking.
• Acts as a team player and facilitates teamwork.
• Facilitates and encourages open communication in the workshop, communicates effectively.
• Shares knowledge and encourages the learning of others.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in education and/or international studies or any other related field.
• At least 5 years of professional experience working in the field of coaching, mentoring and people development.
• CVs of other team members working with you.
• Good interpersonal communication skills.
• Excellent communication, presentation, facilitation, and documentation skills.
• Knowledge and experience in Cognitive Coaching and Adaptive Leadership.
• Experience in change management.
• Previous work experience with UN agencies will be an added advantage.

Note: In 2026 – UN Women is implementing adhering to new travel restrictions in line with the memo from the Deputy Executive Director from 2025. Travel restrictions continue to apply across all funding sources. All efforts must be made to conduct meetings, workshops, and trainings virtually.

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 based on 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 is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

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. (Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check).

[1] https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/2026-03/ideologies-institutions-and-power-addressing-discriminatory-social-norms-en.pdf