Короткотерміновий/ва експерт/ка з підтримки грантоотримувачів програми «Кластери Відродження»

Location: Kyiv

Expected start date: 22 September 2025

Background

Ukraine’s Cohesion and Regional Development project, UCORD, is implemented with the support of Switzerland via the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation through NIRAS Sweden AB.  

UCORD aims for citizens, businesses, and public authorities to contribute and equally benefit from recovery actions and coherent regional development that fosters improved quality of life, resilience, peace, and social cohesion in Ukraine. The project currently supports six pilot oblasts of Ukraine: Khmelnytskyi, Sumy, Ternopil, Vinnytsia, Volyn and Odesa oblasts as the starting points, targeting capacity development and awareness-raising initiatives nationwide. UCORD consists of three components: 

Component 1 embeds regional policy development in Ukraine by supporting and strengthening Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) in pilot oblasts. 

Component 2 seeks to improve public service delivery in the WASAW (water supply, sanitation, and waste management) sector, focusing on the environment. 

Component 3 aims to construct social cohesion through culture, dialogue, and creative industries. 

The UCORD is progressing the Renaissance Clusters Grant Programme. This programme is supporting the establishment and development of cultural and cultural-tourism clusters. These clusters are intended to demonstrate significant contribution to regional development, creating added value for local economies, improving human capital, and strengthening social cohesion.  

In May, UCORD selected eight partnership initiatives across six pilot regions. Each partnership consists of a Lead Partner (typically an NGO) and other collaborators such as hromadas, cultural or educational institutions, public spaces, NGOs, and more. To support their efforts, UCORD is planning to launch a comprehensive Mentorship Programme that will provide tailored guidance, strengthen institutional capacity, and enhance the sustainability and impact of the Renaissance Clusters Grant Programme on regional development. 

In this context, UCORD is looking to engage a Short-Term Experts for Mentorship support of the Renaissance Clusters programme grant recipients on Leave No One Behind Approach and Gender Mainstreaming, who is expected to perform the following tasks: 

• The expert will lead introductory cross-project mentorship sessions for the project teams on global best practices and Ukraine’s national commitments to equality, accessibility, and non-discrimination
• The expert will evaluate action plans and deliverables of the projects and prepare questionaries/lists of tasks for the teams to evaluate needs assessment on the subject of inclusivity
• The expert will conduct inclusion and accessibility reviews of project concepts, implementation plans, and outputs
• The expert will conduct regular (monthly or other period specified) interactive group or individual sessions on inclusive communication, outreach, and consultation practices—ensuring language, visuals, and channels are accessible and representative
• The expert will provide recommendations for improving the accessibility of physical infrastructure and digital content
• The expert will conduct training and provide technical support to project teams to effectively integrate gender mainstreaming and the Leave No One Behind approach using existing tools and guides, such as gender analysis frameworks, inclusivity checklists, and participatory planning guidelines, in their work and planned activities. This will include structured training sessions and ongoing technical guidance
• The expert will align and coordinate the work with the Leave No One Behind expert working under Component 1 to ensure consistency of approaches, avoid duplication, and maximize synergies across activities
• The expert will participate actively in coordination meetings with the Primary Mentor and Mentorship Coordination Lead and other relevant stakeholders to align efforts and share updates, supporting timely delivery of key outputs
• The expert will prepare and submit monthly progress reports according to provided templates and detailed quarterly reports to the Mentorship Coordination Lead, documenting achievements, challenges, and next steps related to the institutionalization of inclusive practices

Candidate Qualifications

Education & Knowledge:

A master’s degree in Sociology, Gender Studies, Human Rights, or related disciplines.

Specific Knowledge:  

• Strong knowledge of inclusive policy and practice frameworks in Ukraine

Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years of professional expertise in inclusion, accessibility, gender equality, social or community engagement

• A proven experience in providing inclusion-related support to multi-stakeholder projects in Ukraine, and working with/for local governments or civil society organizations
• A proven track record in implementing large-scale projects in public and/or private sector areas

Skills:

• Excellent research and analytical skills
• Strong facilitation and mentoring skills with the ability to tailor support to different capacity levels of project teams

• Knowledge of participatory planning methods and community consultation practices
• Familiarity with digital tools and platforms
• Proficient in articulating ideas through reports and presentations
• Strong written and communication skills 
• Knowledge of English (B2 or higher)

Evaluation of response & selection: 

• The expert will collaborate with the UCORD Component 3 Leader;
• Interested applicants should send their proposals to [email protected] no later than August 31, 2025

The proposal should contain the following documents: 

• Cover letter highlighting relevant experience.
• Up-to-date CV indicating relevant experience and qualifications, including at least three contact references.
• The proposal should be submitted in English.