UN WOMEN Jobs - 57551- Consultant - IT and Communications Specialist

Consultant - IT and Communications Specialist

Advertised on behalf of

UN WOMEN

Location :

Juba, SOUTH SUDAN

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

15-Jul-2015

Application Deadline :

30-Jun-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

11 months

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

11 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

Organizational Context

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. Placing women’s rights at the center of all its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.

UN Women has established a programme for South Sudan that targets 3 key priority areas: (i) Women’s leadership and gender-responsive governance; (ii) Women’s access to economic empowerment and opportunities; (iii) Security and protection of women and girls

UN Women in South Sudan, following in the path set out in the global strategic plan, has developed the South Sudan Country Programme Document (CPD), which outlines and directs its support to the country in the following key areas.

Enhanced women Leadership and participation in gender responsive governance;
Increased access to women’s empowerment and opportunities;
Improved protection and security for women and girls.

Duties and Responsibilities

Duties and Responsibilities
The IT and Communications Specialist will be working under the overall supervision of the Deputy Country Representative UN Women South Sudan and direct supervision of the Operations Manager. He or she will be mainly responsible for managing UN Women South Sudan’s corporate information and communication management and technology standards, guidelines and procedures for the CO technology environment.

Specifically the IT and Communications Specialist will be responsible for:

Ensures the implementation of IT and Communications strategies and introduction of new technologies, for out- posted teams and government counterparts, focusing on achievement of the following results:

Full compliance with corporate information management and technology standards, guidelines and procedures for the CO technology environment;
Analysis of the requirement and elaboration of internal policies and procedures on the use of ICT;
ICT business processes mapping and elaboration/establishment of internal Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in ICT management, control of workflows in the ICT team;
Participation in the business process re-engineering activities and ensure that business needs drive IT solutions related to corporate resource management;
Conduct of market research and analysis , and introduction of new technology for country office system updating and improvement;
Provision of advice in procurement of new ICT equipment for the CO and projects, provision of technical specifications and information on best options in both local and international markets;
Development and updating of the ICT annual work plan and road map. Development and updating the ICT disaster recovery plan, ICT infrastructure and training plans. Follow-up on their implementation.

Provision of effective and client-oriented service
Advice and provide technical support to the Programme and Project Managers, their Government counterparts, on ICT related issues, while focusing on the following results:

Explanation of the UN WOMEN Corporate ICT Policy to the management to ensure sound understanding before major IT and Communications management decisions are made;
Provision of sufficient information to the management to ensure that the right budgetary allocation is made for the ICT Unit and office ICT needs;
Preparation of IT and Communications Unit Work plan focusing on the input and needs of the office and based on the approval of the Senior Management.

Manages hardware and software packages as requested by programme and project teams, focusing on the achievement of the following results:

Project and counterpart hardware and software platforms meet the standards and the CO key business processes;
Provision of advice on maintenance of equipment and acquisition of hardware supplies;
Supervision of the implementation of corporate UN WOMEN systems.

Development of new software for high impacts
Ensures efficient networks administration at CO, project and out-posted sites, focusing on the achievement of the following results:

Monitoring of the computing resources to provide a stable and responsive environment;
Operating of network utility procedures defining network users and security attributes establishing directories, menus and drive-mappings, configuring network printers and providing user access;
Monitoring of backup and restoration procedures for both server and local drives;
Timely upgrade of LAN infrastructure and internet connectivity to meet UN WOMEN requirements.

Provision of technical advice on network administration to other agencies as requires; monitoring and preparing bills for cost-recovery for the service provided

Capacity Building and mentoring of the members of the UN Women project teams, government counterparts and host community in out-posted sites, focusing on the achievement of the following results:

Identification of relevant training opportunities/workshops for the CO staff, Government counterparts and host communities (in out-posted sites) that will improve on their skills and knowledge;
Better understanding of the IT and Communications policy by staff members. This will be achieved by sharing and explaining the UN WOMEN IT and Communications policy to the staff members and would ultimately enhance their understanding of the overall IT and Communications direction that UN WOMEN is taking;
Better working relations of IT and Communications staff with other staff members by offering overall guidance and mentoring to unit team members in their day to day activities.

Provide web management support services for projects and counterparts, focusing on achievement of the following results:

Identification of opportunities and ways of converting business processes into web- based systems to address the issues of efficiency( e.g. office management systems, donor profile software, knowledge management system;
Provision of technical advice on web management to other agencies as required and monitoring /preparation of bills for cost-recovery for the service provided.

Ensure facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing in the office and amongst partners focusing on the achievement of the following results:

Identification and promotion of different systems and applications for optimal content management, knowledge management and sharing; and information provision;
Organization of training for the operations/project staff on IT and Communications issues;
Synthesis of lessons learned and best practices directly linked to IT and Communications management;
Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.

CO and Projects Communications:

Ensure that all communications are written in the appropriate tone and style for the audience;
Plans, edits and supervises publication of in-house newsletters and bulletins. Writes feature articles and secures necessary approvals;
Seek, obtain and analyze information with respect to political, economic, institutional and policy developments and trends in the Nordic countries and report on this;
Outreach to media in connection with visits, report launches and promotion of corporate priorities;
Formulation of appropriate messaging, tailored to local relevance;
Spearhead distribution/posting of communications (departmental news, personnel announcements, org charts, weekly communications, etc.) through various forums including departmental mailbox, SharePoint and intranet sites, meetings, events and miscellaneous outreach;
Provide event support for a variety of meetings, trainings and other key events including webinars and video conferencing through planning and coordinating logistics and managing communications coordinate the development of printed and digital marketing materials including newsletters, technical literature, presentations, direct mail, press releases and advertising.

Competencies

Strong communication (verbal and written) skills including ability to prepare develop plans; prepare reports, strategies and other policy documents;
Ability to multi task and adjust to changing demands;

Integrity and professionalism:

Demonstrated expertise in area of specialty and ability to apply good judgment; high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take ownership;
Willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures in a politically sensitive environment, while exercising discretion, impartiality and neutrality;
Ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially;
Responsive and client-oriented.

Accountability:

Mature and responsible;
Ability to operate in compliance with organizational rules and regulations.

Commitment to continuous learning:

Initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work environment.

Planning and organizing:

Effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner;
Ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities.

Teamwork and respect for diversity:

Ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries;
Ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity and gender.

Communication:

Proven interpersonal skills;
Good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports;
Ability to conduct presentations, articulate options and positions concisely;
Ability to make and defend recommendations;
Ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds;
Ability to maintain composure and remain helpful towards the staff, but objective, without showing personal interest; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups;
Flexibility, adaptability, and ability and willingness to operate independently in austere, remote and potentially hazardous environments for protracted periods, involving physical hardship and little comfort, and including possible extensive travel within the area of operations;
Willingness to transfer to other duty stations within area of operations as may be necessary;
Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and
Commitment towards the UN core values.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

University degree in Information Systems, Information Management with strong specialization in ICT areas, Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA). Knowledge of ATLAS system would be an asset.

Experience:

7 (seven) years of continuous professional work experience relevant to IT and Communications management in case bachelor degree and 5 (five years in the case of Master degree), experience in conducting IT training would be an asset;
Experience in provision of advisory and technical support and working with government officials is an advantage;
Experience in setting up of ICT infrastructure in establishing new offices;
Setup and managing AD Servers and File Servers
Conversant with VSAT Systems;
Knowledge of and experience in post-conflict environment would be an advantage.

Language:

Fluency in English (written and spoken).