Consultant - Diversity of Cultural Expressions

OVERVIEW

Parent Sector : Culture Sector (CLT)

Duty Station: Paris

Job Family: Culture

Type of contract : Non Staff

Duration of contract : From 1 to 6 months

Recruitment open to : External candidates

Application Deadline (Midnight Duty Station Time) : 10-DEC-2025

UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism

OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

UNESCO Diversity of Cultural Expressions Entity promotes the diversity of cultural expressions and the creative economy as vectors for sustainable development. Its mission is to ensure the effective implementation and monitoring of the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions and the 1980 Recommendation concerning the Status of the Artist. The Entity fosters international cooperation by providing assistance to governments around the world to design, monitor, and evaluate policies. It also provides support to the sound decision-making of the Convention’s governing bodies through knowledge sharing and data collection, analysis, and distribution.

Since 2014, UNESCO Diversity of Cultural Expressions Entity has implemented, with funding from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), a global cooperation programme at the intersection of culture, policymaking and sustainable development. The programme promotes participatory, transparent and evidence-based approaches to design and monitor policies for creativity, in line with the objectives of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (2005). To date, over 30 countries have benefited from capacity-building and policy support aimed at strengthening cultural governance systems and advancing the creative economy. Within this framework, UNESCO assists Parties to the Convention in preparing their national Quadrennial Periodic Reports (QPRs), fostering multi-stakeholder dialogue, and enhancing knowledge of cultural policies worldwide. The data and analyses drawn from these reports feed into UNESCO’s Re|Shaping Policies for Creativity global report series and the Policy Monitoring Platform. The programme places a particular emphasis on promoting gender equality in the cultural and creative sectors, supporting the design of gender-transformative policies and fostering women’s participation and leadership in cultural life.

The current Programme Cooperation Agreement began in 2022 and remains valid until 31 December 2025. Within this framework, an external evaluation is being conducted until the end of 2025 by an independent partner. As part of the renewal process for the next Programme Cooperation Agreement, negotiations with the donor will take place in the first semester of 2026. The standard duration of Programme Cooperation Agreements is four years.

Long Description

Work assignment

In that framework, under the overall authority of the Assistant Director-General for Culture, the general supervision of the Chief of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions and the direct supervision of the Head of the Programme Specialist from the Programme and Capacity Building Unit, the consultant shall:

1.    Completion of the SIDA III project “Reshaping policies for creativity and artistic freedom”

• Finalize the external evaluation report process of phase III following internal consultation review.
• Elaborate the final project report, including consolidation of the results achieved, promotion of the actions carried out, and integration of the conclusions and recommendations of the external evaluation.

2.    Design of the new cooperation programme with Sweden

• Carry out the conceptual development of the new program with a focus on gender equality in the cultural sector, based on an assessment of gender projects implemented by the Entity and the Culture Sector as well as on consultations of concerned UNESCO staff.
• Draft a comprehensive project document including implementation strategies, performance indicators based on the results-based management (RBM) framework, and an indicative budget.
• Develop a methodological guide for UNESCO field offices for implementation.

Long Description

TIMETABLE AND DELIVERABLES

The contractor will submit the following deliverables, for validation by UNESCO, within the expected duration of the contract, as indicated below:

1. 1. By 28 February 2026:    Final report of the external evaluation of Phase III.
   2. By 31 March 2026:        Final project report of Phase III.
   3. By 30 April 2026:           Progress report on the conceptual development of the new cooperation programme.
   4. By 31 May 2026:           Progress report on the conceptual development of the new cooperation programme.
   5. By 30 June 2026:          Comprehensive project document for the new cooperation programme.
   6. By 31 July 2026:              Methodological guide for UNESCO field offices for implementation .

Work Location – UNESCO Headquarters, 7 Place de Fontenoy, 75007 Paris (France).

Expected duration – 6 months

COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial)

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REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree) in disciplines in the field of culture.

Work Experience

• A minimum of 5 years of professional experience acquired in the field of culture of which preferably 3 years at the international level.

Long Description

Skills and Competencies 

• Good knowledge and proven expertise in the coordination of multilateral cooperation projects. 
• Strong ability to collect, synthesize and analyse information from various sources and formulate research documents.
• Ability to interact efficiently with a wide range of partners and stakeholders within and outside the Organization.
• Ability to work both independently and in a multicultural and multilingual environment.
• Strong IT skills.

Languages

• Excellent knowledge of both English and French (speaking, reading and writing) and good knowledge of the other language.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

Work experience

• Experience with the implementation of the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.
• Experience in gender equality in the field of cultural and creative industries.
• Professional experience in the United Nations system.

Skills and Competencies 

• Expert knowledge of UNESCO Culture Conventions and its Programmes.

Languages

• Knowledge of another/other UNESCO official language(s).

APPLICATION PROCESS

Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information.

To apply, please visit the UNESCO careers website. No modifications can be made to the application submitted.

Interested candidates should complete the on-line application, download and complete the Employment History form (Word file). At the end of the Word file, insert extra pages with the following required information:

A written proposal comprising:

• An up-to-date CV;
• A brief technical proposal outlining the approach and methodology for the assignment in line with the terms of reference
• A competitive fee for the assignment quoted in EUR (or USD) and expressed on a monthly basis.

The evaluation of candidates is based on the criteria in the vacancy notice.

UNESCO uses communication technologies such as video or teleconference, e-mail correspondence, etc. for the assessment and evaluation of candidates.

Please note that only selected candidates will be further contacted and candidates in the final selection step will be subject to reference checks based on the information provided.

SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS

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