Background
The UN Women (UNW), grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security. UN Women will provide support to Member States’ efforts and priorities in meeting their gender equality goals and for building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.
Placing women’s rights at the centre of all its efforts, the UN Women will lead and coordinate United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality translate into action. UN Women supports improved UN coordination and accountability mechanisms, and up-scaling of the quality of support provided to Member States in addressing national gender equality priorities.
In Zimbabwe, the United Nations is working to enhance system-wide coherence at national level through the United Nations Development Assistance Framework, the ZUNDAF. In 2011 the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office commissioned a Gender Scorecard assessment, with the objective to:
- Assist the UNCT to assess the status of gender mainstreaming performance against minimum standards; Identify successes and best practices toward fostering gender equality;
- Highlight shortcomings and challenges with achieving gender equality;
- Encourage stakeholder dialogue and deepen understanding of the value of gender equality results; and
- Outline steps to facilitate a more comprehensive mainstreaming approach among UN and partner agencies.
The UN Gender Theme Group (GTG) is the main coordinating mechanism for gender mainstreaming within the UN at country level. UN Women co-chairs the GTG with the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development. In this regards UN Women Zimbabwe is hiring a Coordination and Gender Mainstreaming Specialist/Consultant with the aim of strengthening its capacity in system-wide coordination in gender equality and gender mainstreaming.
The Coordination and Gender Mainstreaming Specialist/Consultant reports to the UN Women Representative who provides strategic guidance and direction to UN Women’s work in Zimbabwe. In carrying out the functions s/he will work closely with counter parts in the UN Country Team, as well as national stakeholders and relevant units in headquarters, such as Programme and Coordination Divisions.
The Coordination and Gender Mainstreaming Specialist/Consultant supports the UN Women Representative to a) manage and implement activities to enhance system wide coherence on gender equality and the empowerment of women; b) strengthen specific coordination mechanisms for gender equality and women’s empowerment within the UNCT; and c) identify emerging opportunities for gender mainstreaming and coordination within the UNCT and provide strategic advice on gender mainstreaming and coordination on gender equality and women’s empowerment to the UN Resident Coordinator.
Duties and Responsibilities
Manage and implement activities to enhance system wide coherence on gender equality and the empowerment of women.
- Finalize the draft UN/GoZ Joint Program on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, in close collaboration with UN Women Program staff.
- Finalize the gender mainstreaming review of the ZUNDAF outcomes, indicators, JIM outputs and propose appropriate recommendations in consultation with PMT and the GTG.
- Develop a ToR for the Development Partner Gender Coordination Group
- Organize at least 2 GTG expanded meetings with key line ministries.Coordinate the gender mainstreaming review of at least 3 key flagship programmes, in close partnership with GTG relevant focal points.
- Identify strategic linkages between GTG and the GBV Cluster in HCT, in close partnership with key UN OCHA, UN Women and UNFPA colleagues.
Strengthen specific coordination mechanisms for gender equality and women’s empowerment.
- Support the UN Women Representative in the role of Chair of the GTG, by calling GTG meetings, preparing meeting agendas and minutes of the meetings.
- Organise a GTG retreat for strategic planning and strengthening of the capacity of GTG members/Gender Focal Points.
- Coordinate the 2013 GTG ZUNDAF Planning Meeting, the GTG ZUNDAF 2013 Mid-Year Review and the 2013 GTG ZUNDAF Annual Review meeting, including preparing for all documentations and undertaking preparatory meetings between the GoZ and UN GTG
- Coordinate GTG technical monitoring visits and the high level monitoring visit on GBV Flagship
- Coordinate report of the GTG that identifies data gaps in ZUNDAF outcome and share with other UNCT thematic themes
- Assess the UNCT capacity needs on gender mainstreaming, and prepare report for sharing with UNCT for further action
- Coordinate a training session on the Gender Marker System for UN GFPs and M&E officers; and develop strategy and monitoring framework to ensure that the Gender Marker System is used by agencies to assess their level of GM in their programming.
- Coordinate UN support to the GoZ in key 2013 events, in particular participation in the CSW, International Women’s Day, Rural Women’s Day, The International Day of the Girl Child, 16 Days of Activism.
- Provide timely reports to the GTG on the above tasks.
Identify emerging opportunities for gender mainstreaming and coordination and strategic advice.
- Provide timely reports to the RCO on GTG meetings and other developments relating to gender mainstreaming and coordination on gender equality and women’s empowerment within the UNCT.
- Identify strategic entry points for better collaboration and partnership between GTG and civil society groupings
- Attend the Programme Management Team meetings on behalf of the GTG and provide timely report to the GTG
- Participate in the UN Women Coordination Community of Practice.
- Undertake any requests by the Representative, in relation to the above duties.
Competencies
Core Values and Guiding Principles:
- Integrity: Demonstrating consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UN Women in actions and decisions, in line with the UN Code of Conduct.
- Cultural Sensitivity/Valuing diversity: Demonstrating an appreciation of the multicultural nature of the organization and the diversity of its staff. Demonstrating an international outlook, appreciating differences in values and learning from cultural diversity.
Core Competencies:
- Ethics and Values: Promoting Ethics and Integrity / Creating Organizational Precedents
- Organizational Awareness: Building support and political acumen
- Developing and Empowering People / Coaching and Mentoring: Building staff competence, creating an environment of creativity and innovation
- Working in Teams: Building and promoting effective teams
- Communicating Information and Ideas: Creating and promoting enabling environment for open communication
- Self-management and Emotional intelligence: Creating an emotionally intelligent organization
- Conflict Management / Negotiating and Resolving Disagreements: Leveraging conflict in the interests of the organization & setting standards
- Knowledge Sharing / Continuous Learning: Sharing knowledge across the organization and building a culture of knowledge sharing and learning
- Appropriate and Transparent Decision Making: Fair and transparent decision-making; calculated risk-taking
Functional Competencies:
- Substantive experience in the area of development and or gender equality and women's empowerment issues
- Knowledge of UN system and understanding of inter-agency coordination processes
- Ability to conceptualize and convey strategic vision from the spectrum of development to experience
- Demonstrated negotiating, cultural sensitivity and diplomatic skills
- Familiarity with results-based programme planning and management, and the ability to clearly communicate and explain RBPPM approaches
- Well-developed people management skills
- Effectiveness and pro-activity
- Ability to leverage information technology, executive information systems, management techniques and tools for optimal office performance
- Strong interpersonal, communication and presentation skills
- Good planning, goal-setting and prioritization and organizational skills
Required Skills and Experience
Education
- Masters Degree or its equivalence in development related disciplines, international relations, development studies or other social science fields.
Experience
- At least 5 years of progressively responsible development experience that combines programme coordination and strategic planning in the UN system, in the area of gender equality and women’s rights at the international level, preferably in developing countries within the UN system, Agencies, Funds or Programs.
- Familiarity and experience with UN inter-agency coordination processes and or results based management would be an asset.
- Experience working with UN gender theme/working groups
- Experience in providing gender mainstreaming support to the UN and to international organization working in Africa and Zimbabwe in particular.
Language Requirements:
- Written and oral proficiency in English is required.
- Knowledge of one of the other UN working languages is highly desirable.
Application Details
- Period of assignment/services: 25th February 2013 to 31st October 2013 (170 working days)
Proposal should be submitted at the following address; - Registry
UNDP
Arundel Office Park
Block 10
Norfolk Road, Mount Pleasant
Harare
Or by email to; - bidstechnical.zw@undp.org (for technical proposals)
bidsfinancial.zw@undp.org (for financial proposals) - Deadline: No later than 18th February 2013 by 16.00 PM (Harare/Pretoria time; GMT +2 Hours)
- Marked: “UNWomen Gender Mainstream and Coordination Specialist Consultancy”
- Your package should contain two envelopes:
- One marked “Technical Proposal” and containing CVs as described below in Section 4 and the second envelope “Financial Proposal”.
- Request for clarification on TORs should be sent in writing by email to procurement.zw@undp.org no later than 13th February 2013.
Please download the procurement notice and confirmation of interest and submission of financial proposal doc.using the link below.
UNDP 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.