UN WOMEN Jobs - 55068- Programme Specialist (Africa Region)

Programme Specialist (Africa Region)

Advertised on behalf of

UN WOMEN

Location :

New York, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

13-Apr-2015

Application Deadline :

02-Apr-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

2 months

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

2 months

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. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

UN Women, 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.

The Programme Division (PD) sets the standards, assures the quality of program design, and provides guidance to country level program work of UN Women, as well as supports the coordination role of UN Women at regional and country level. It supports the effective use of results based management and reporting across the organization. It also manages global Trust funds, and Global Programs, and it provides technical capacity to countries on request, including a humanitarian response capacity.

The Programme Team makes possible the oversight function of the Programme Directorate for UN Women’s programmes and activities in the field. It supports corporate planning and the oversight of planning processes. It leads UN Women’s corporate analysis of developments and trends at the country and regional level, ensuring UN Women’s senior management receives timely advice and recommendations. It supports UN Women’s field based presences, specifically Regional Offices including on operational matters, and connects them appropriately to other parts of headquarters as required. The Programme Team’s members represent UN Women in interagency fora, and provide support to UN Women normative work in intergovernmental processes, as well as contributing to resource mobilization and partnership building more broadly at headquarters level.

Under the general supervision of the Programme Advisor, the Programme Specialist is responsible for providing operational programme support to the Directorate of PD, Regional Office (RO), Multi Country Office (MCO) and Country Office (CO) in the region. The Programme Specialist provides substantive technical support to the development of program standards and tools to support results based management, quality of program design and adherence to UN Women Strategic Plans (SP) and commitments on gender equality and women’s human rights in UN Women programs/ projects as well as standards of accountability framework.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of key functions:

Technical Support to the Directorate, RO and MCOs/COs;
Programme development, management and oversight support;
Support to UN inter-agency coordination and normative process;
Support to partnership building and resource mobilization efforts;

Technical support to the Directorate, RO, and MCOs/CO

Contribute to the PD and Programme Team’s work-planning and priority setting processes;
Under the oversight of the supervisor, facilitate the review, appraisal and approval of UN Women regional and country programs in HQ by actively facilitating communication between HQ offices and RO/MCOs/COs to ensure the timely submission of Country Program documents and materials that are in accordance with UN Women strategies, policies and guidelines. Liaise for the RO and MCO/CO with EB on format and content;
Prepare briefing materials for the Senior Management’s missions and participation in meetings and international events based on reports and other materials submitted from regional and country offices;
Keep abreast of regional and country office development and program issues and advise the Directorate for timely intervention and action; including recommendations for UN Women input in meetings and events on gender and women’s human rights issues;

Programme development, management and oversight Support

Under the oversight of the supervisor, contribute to the review of the regional and country program performance and progress reports to assess impact and compliance with development goals and results-based performance indicators;
Contribute to regular assessments of the regional and country offices’ strategic and implementation plans. Identify lessons learned to guide program improvements and future strategic development planning;
Review proposals for programs and operations that are above the regional approval threshold and submit recommendations for approval in PD;
Under the guidance of the supervisor, facilitate the flow of information to the Policy Division and Inter-governmental Divisions on thematic trends, from the regions/countries so that policy direction and guidelines respond appropriately to demand from the countries.

Support to inter-agency coordination and normative processes

Under the guidance of the supervisor, liaise, as required, with HQ based inter-agency task forces, committees and initiatives to ensure that UN Women issues are taken into account in development planning and formulation;
Under the guidance of the supervisor, support UN Women positions in IATFs, ITFS, HQ-based inter-agency coordination and crisis mechanisms thematic trends, from the respective regions/countries so that policy direction and guidelines respond appropriately to demand from the countries;
Under the guidance of the supervisor, support the Directorate on issues related to normative processes as required including attendance in meetings and other events and preparing reports/results of participation and following up on actions and commitments taken.

Partnership building and resource mobilization Support

Under the guidance of the supervisor, establish partnerships with UN system agencies at HQ to collaborate on joint projects and interagency efforts to promote/advocate UN Women interests and commitments on gender equality and women’s empowerment and to maximize results and achievements;
Contribute to resource mobilization efforts in PD and/or on behalf the regional and country offices through liaison with donor agencies and support to fundraising activities/events;
Liaise and facilitate the flow of information with/to the Partnership Division on corporate partnerships /resource mobilization related issues from the respective regions/countries so that corporate partnership strategies respond appropriately to the field’s demands and needs.

Competencies

Core values/Guiding Principles

Integrity:

Demonstrate consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UN Women in actions and decisions, in line with the UN Code of Conduct;

Professionalism:

Demonstrate professional competence and expert knowledge of the pertinent substantive areas of work;
Cultural sensitivity and valuing diversity: Demonstrate an appreciation of the multicultural nature of the organization and the diversity of its staff. Demonstrate an international outlook, appreciating difference in values and learning from cultural diversity.

Core Compentencies

Ethics and Values: Demonstrate and promote ethics and integrity by creating organizational precedents;
Organizational Awareness: Build support for the organization and ensure political acumen;
Development and Innovation: Support staff competence development, and contribute to an environment of creativity and innovation;
Work in teams: Build and promote effective teams. Demonstrate ability to work in a multicultural, multi ethnic environment and to maintain effective working relations with people of different national and cultural backgrounds;
Communication and Information Sharing: Create and promote an environment for open and effective communication;
Self-management and Emotional Intelligence: Stay composed and positive even in difficult moments, handle tense situations with diplomacy and tact, and have a consistent behavior towards others;
Conflict Management: Surface conflicts and address them proactively acknowledging different feelings and views and directing energy towards a mutually acceptable solution;
Continuous Learning and Knowledge Sharing: Share knowledge across the organization and build a culture of knowledge sharing and learning;
Appropriate and Transparent Decision Making: Ensure fair and transparent decision making processes and manage risk.

Functionnal Competencies

Demonstrated development/programming skills particularly those that are pertinent to UN Women strategic priorities on gender issues and women’s rights;
Ability to lead formulation and evaluation of development programmes and projects;
Ability to develop detailed operational plans, budgets, and deliver on them for development results;
Good knowledge of Results Based Management principles and approaches;
Ability to establish and maintain broad strategic networks and partnerships with UN agencies and other international partners to promote partnership and build alliances to advance organizational interests and competencies. Cores Values / Guiding Principles (applies to all).

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master’s degree (or equivalent) in development related disciplines, economics or public policy or other social science fields.

Experience:

At least 5 years of extensive development programs experience some of which should be 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. Knowledge/experience of the region is an asset.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English and working knowledge of French is an asset;
Working knowledge of another UN official language is an asset.