National Consultant

The Position:

National Consultant for the Contextual Adaptation of the Papa Schools Manual  

Purpose of consultancy:

The second phase of the “Expanding Choices: Gender-Responsive Family Policies for the Private Sector in the Western Balkans” project, funded by the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC), was launched on 1 December 2023 and will continue until 31 December 2026. The project supports governments and the private sector to promote gender-responsive family policies (GRFP) and family-friendly workplaces through legislative and normative frameworks and by creating inclusive labour conditions and opportunities in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Serbia. Through its work with governments, policy-makers and private-sector actors, the project aims to support women in developing the capabilities and agency to make decisions regarding family and career aspirations. A very important component of the project is  to increase public awareness of the unequal distribution of unpaid care work as a barrier to women’s employment, and to further sensitize the public, especially men, about the importance of a more equal distribution of unpaid care work and household chores. In line with this, the project aims to empower men with knowledge and skills to be active fathers and caregivers within their families by creating an enabling environment at the community level.  

 UNFPA’s regional interventions have successfully implemented Fathers’ Clubs to create safe spaces for men to explore and challenge restrictive gender norms, practice skills to become engaged fathers and supportive partners, and promote positive parenting and healthy relationships with children. Drawing from the success of such initiatives in other countries, UNFPA in Kosovo plans to introduce and institutionalize this methodology as prescribed in the Papa Schools Manual (developed jointly by UNFPA and UN Women). To ensure relevance and sustainability in Kosovo, the Papa Schools Manual must be adapted and contextualized to reflect the local socio-cultural dynamics, legal frameworks, and specific needs of fathers and families in Kosovo.  

Therefore, UNFPA Kosovo is seeking a qualified Professional/Expert in Gender or Social Sciences to review, adapt, and tailor the Papa Schools Manual to the Kosovo context.  

Scope of work:

The consultant will be responsible for reviewing and contextualizing the Manual on Papa School (AI-translated Albanian version of the manual will be provided to the consultant) to the local reality of Kosovo, ensuring alignment with national gender equality policies, cultural nuances, and community needs.  

The final product will be used to train and prepare facilitators for conducting Fathers’ Schools sessions across Kosovo. 

The assignment includes, but is not limited to, the following tasks: 

 - Review the source manual, AI-translated Albanian version and relevant national gender equality/policy framework (1.5 w/d) 

Detailed review and editing of the Albanian translation for accuracy, fluency, terminology and gender-sensitive language (5w/d) 1 

- Contextualisation of examples, terminology, references, exercises and facilitator guidance (3 w/d) 

- Overall consistency/quality assurance review, including terminology across sections (1.5 w/d) 

- Incorporation of comments/finalisation (1w/d) 

Duration and working schedule: 

Not to exceed 12 working days during the period from 1-22 September 2026. 

Place where services are to be delivered:

 Home-based and no travel is expected

Delivery dates and how work will be delivered (e.g. electronic, hard copy etc.): 

The consultant is expected to submit the following deliverables in electronic format to UNFPA Office in Kosovo: 

● Deliverable 1 – Draft of the Kosovo-adapted Papa Schools Manual - 14 September 2026  

● Deliverable 2 – Finalized Kosovo-adapted Papa Schools Manual - 19 September 2026  

 Total number of days under this consultancy – 12 working days over a period of 3 weeks. 

Supervisory arrangements:  

The expert works under the overall guidance and reports to the UNFPA Office in Kosovo, PD Programme Analyst/Expanding Choices Project Officer. 

Qualifications and Experience: 

Education: 

● Master’s degree or equivalent in Sociology, Social Sciences, Gender Studies, Psychology, or related fields.  

  Experience: 

● 7 to 10 years of professional experience in gender equality, engaging men and boys, positive masculinities, active fatherhood, and unpaid care work initiatives. 

 ● Proven track record in adapting, contextualizing, or drafting training manuals, curricula, and socio-educational materials to local context(s).  

● Experience in designing and facilitating interactive, participatory training and Training of Trainers (ToT) workshops.  

● Deep understanding of the social, cultural, and legal context regarding gender norms, domestic division of labor, and family policies in Kosovo and/or the Western Balkans region.  

● Prior professional work experience with UN agencies, international organizations, or CSOs in Kosovo is an advantage.  
 

Language & Technical Skills: 

● Fluency in English and Albanian is required (knowledge of Serbian is an asset). 

● Excellent analytical, manual-writing, adaptation, communication, and presentation skills. 

 ● Proficiency in standard office computer applications

Required Competencies: 

Values:

• Exemplifying integrity, 
• Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system, 
• Embracing cultural diversity, 
• Embracing change

Core Competencies: 

• Achieving results,
• Being accountable,
• Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen,
• Thinking analytically and strategically,
• Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships,

Compensation and Benefits:

 Daily fee will be determined based on the qualification and experience of the successful candidate.
 

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.

Disclaimer:

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements. 

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts. 

Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.