UN WOMEN Jobs - 58429- Program Specialist - Gender, Peace and Security (Z

Program Specialist - Gender, Peace and Security (Zimbabwean Nationals Only)

Advertised on behalf of

UN WOMEN

Location :

Harare, ZIMBABWE

Type of Contract :

Service Contract

Starting Date :

01-Sep-2015

Application Deadline :

05-Aug-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

SB-5

Duration of Initial Contract :

One year

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

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

Grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, UN Women will work 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 centre of all its efforts, UN Women will lead and coordinate United Nations System efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It will provide strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.

In 2011 UN Women undertook a number of initiatives to identify strategy entry points for its peace and security program interventions. The outcomes from these different activities as well as additional consultations with key partners from government, UN agencies and civil society organizations have informed a fully funded and comprehensive gender, peace and security programme and contributed to the identification of key priorities and strategic entry points. UN Women has developed global, regional as well as national expertise around the issues on women, peace and security including national action planning processes, participatory research, conflict resolution, peace building and mediation.

The outlined outcomes and outputs in the three identified priority areas for this project:

Women’s participation at all levels of peace and security policy making;
Strengthening capacities of security sector providers to better respond to gender insecurities;
Supporting mechanisms for peace building at the community level.

The programme is being carried out through the various implementation modalities available to UN Women, in partnership with government, civil society organizations and UN agencies. As UN Women is part of the UN Country Team its work contributes to the current Zimbabwe UN Development Assistance Framework (ZUNDAF) jointly developed with the Government of Zimbabwe as well as other collaboration mechanisms on the ground.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the guidance and the direct supervision of the Deputy Representative and in close collaboration with UN Women Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist and other program and operation staff, the Program Specialist is responsible for the technical management and implementation of the Gender, Peace and Security Program. The Program Specialist ensures smooth functions of the day-to-day management of the program, especially implementation and delivery of key results in timely manner and in compliance to UN Women rules and regulations. The Program Specialist identifies new programmatic opportunities and resources for the country office and keeps the country office abreast of latest thinking, knowledge and developments in the field of gender peace and security issues at international, regional and national levels.

Functions

Day to day Program Management:

Manage delivery of results by using up-to-date best practices and know-how in the field of gender and peace building;
Work closely with the M&E Officer in establishing effective monitoring system for delivery of the project results;
Participate in preparing annual work plans and results framework in implementing for delivery of results for the program as well as necessary updates;
Ensure project work plans are accurately reflected in ATLAS, in close collaboration with Finance Officer;
Prepare quarterly and annual progress reports and organize, correspondingly, monthly, quarterly and annual progress reviews, as necessary;
Coordinate all procurement relates issues, identify responsible partners, and provide technical support to partners through regular meetings;
Take responsibility for ensuring effective use of resources and compliance with UN Women rules and procedures as well as with donor or fund requirements;
Guides, supervises and manages the performance of a team of support staff that assists the Program Specialist with fulfilling these functions, including overseeing management of program files;
Performs any other related tasks requested by the Country Representative.

Technical Support and Advisory Role:

Review existing curricula and capacity building initiatives as well as formulate recommendations for and with different security sector institutions;
Undertake interventions aimed at strengthening capacity of key institutions and mechanisms with the aim of mainstreaming gender issues in their policies and programs, including undertaking gender audits;
Provide timely advice to senior management on the programmatic area of women, peace, and governance and their implications for achieving the government’s and UN Women’s gender commitments;
Support and participate in various policy dialogues on the inclusion of women in peace building processes and their specific perspectives and needs including public policy;
Support partners in government and civil society to conduct trainings and awareness raising efforts targeting judiciary, police, traditional chiefs and men and youth associations/clubs on gender and peace building;
Provide feedback on related research and training materials produced in the scope of the project;
Identify strategic programme opportunities, approaches and modalities for strengthening gender and peace programme, in close collaboration with national development stakeholders and partners;
Liaise with relevant UN Women Thematic Section in the Regional Center in Nairobi and Headquarters, notably those in policy and program divisions for effectively technical support, project management and quality assurance, to ensure adequate provision of services, flow of information and the project’s compliance with its obligations;
Perform other tasks as required.

Strategic Partnership and Resource Mobilization:

Network and build credible working relations with key partners in Government, UN, civil society organizations;
Support existing civil society platforms and networks in coordinating joint efforts and provide a space for dialogue on gender and security sector transformation initiatives;
In coordination with senior management of the Country Office, support the project’s donor relations by contributing to timely delivery of progress and annual reports;
Develop proposals for resource mobilization towards the peace and security program portfolio in particular;
Partner with UN system and agencies to enhance collaboration, resource mobilization and joint programming to influence agenda and priority setting on gender and peace issues;
Ensure accurate and timely reporting to donors, working closely with the financial officer on all financial related issues and, with the support of the M&E Office and other project staff, on project activities;
Provide secretariat services for the project’s Steering Committee, keeping up to date minutes and carrying out action plans;
Facilitate donor participation in project activities and when necessary coordinates donor field visits to project sites.

Knowledge Exchange and Information Management:

Develop and contribute to policy briefs, analysis, knowledge generation to inform program direction and policy discussions;
Provide regular updates and reports on progress of the project;
Assist and contributes to knowledge-building and knowledge sharing within the project and the UN Women country office as well global and regional UN Women community of practice on peace and security;
Seek the support of the Advocacy and Communication Advisor in giving visibility to the project results, through developing and contributing to knowledge products;
Keep him/her informed on all project activities and the context in which the project operates;
Ensure that all information and knowledge regarding operational, administrative and finance issues is available as required.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

Integrity, professionalism and respect for diversity;
Demonstrated sensitivity, discretion, tact;
Commitment to advancement of gender equality and women’s rights;
Commitment to upholding the organizational values and principles of UN WOMEN.

Functional Competencies:

Very strong communication and interpersonal skills, demonstrated ability to build trust;
Excellent organizational and planning skills;
Ability to apply judgment in the context of assignments given, plan own work and manage conflicting priorities;
Leadership, vision, ability to empower others and to manage their performance;
Demonstrated ability to work effectively in teams, delivering through and with others;
Writing skills that include an attention to detail as well as a grasp of conceptual frameworks;
Excellent communication, reporting and capacity building skills;
Strong computer skills, including word processing, presentation packages (Power Point), Internet, etc;
Strong skills in the application of communication technologies;
Ability to work in a multicultural environment and in a team.

Technical Competencies:

Technical knowledge and expertise in gender, peace and security;
Issues and risks affected program implementation are identified early and addressed effectively;
Excellent level of conceptual and analytical capacity is essential;
Excellent facilitation skills and strong technical knowledge on gender and security sector issues;
Ability to conduct data collection and research using different methodologies;
Ability to explain complex issues in a simple way, to raise awareness in a participatory approach and in a consensual manner with respect for various levels of understanding, professional abilities and cultural differences.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced university degree (Master or equivalent) in political sciences, international relations, human rights, legal studies or related field, with a strong expertise in gender and peace building.

Experience:

Minimum of 5 years of relevant international experience in program management and in particular in gender, peace and security programming;
International experience in facilitating and conducting trainings on gender mainstreaming to national security sector providers, commissions and other key peace and security institutions;
Sound knowledge of international standards of human rights, women’s rights and related UN resolutions on women, peace and security, including latest tools and best practices;
Experience in mainstreaming gender and women’s rights into curriculum development, trainings, and in policy and program formulation of peace and security mechanisms and institutions;
Previous work experience with international organizations, United Nations Agencies, Funds and Missions, will be an asset;
A proven ability to liaise with a wide variety of stakeholders and partners in government, civil society, international organizations and grassroots organizations and UN agencies;
Demonstrable experience in knowledge management and information sharing through communication technologies required;
Experience in overseeing and managing gender and security research, data collection and analysis will be an asset;
Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages, experience in handling of web based management systems, preferably PeopleSoft.

Language:

Proficiency in written and spoken English and familiarity of local language.