Background

In adopting the current 2012-2016 quadrennial comprehensive policy review (QCPR) of UN operational activities for development Member States, made an unequivocal commitment to gender equality and the empowerment of women.  There is an unprecedented emphasis is given to the centrality of gender equality and the empowerment of women in development.  The QCPR requests the UN system to increase investment and focus on gender equality.  It also recognizes UN Women’s unique role and mandate to support system-wide coherence on gender equality and women’s empowerment.  Much emphasis is also given to the accountability of UN organizations for implementing, monitoring and reporting on gender equality commitments including via the UN-SWAP, gender scorecards and audits and the use of the gender marker.  The UN-SWAP is an accountability framework to accelerate mainstreaming of gender equality and the empowerment of women within the UN system. Spearheaded by UN Women, it helps to identify areas of strength and weakness; and the human, financial and knowledge resources required within the system to address the issue. The UN development system has to work coherently to support implementation of these commitments. The current move within the UN system toward greater effectiveness, coherence, harmonization, and being fit for purpose, makes it incumbent upon UN entities – and the UN Country Teams (UNCTs) – to have a well-coordinated approach to supporting gender equality and women’s empowerment. In view of the above, UN in India has committed to implement the UN-SWAP and to ensure that current and future programming reflect women’s human rights.

The United Nations system in India includes 24 organisations. The United Nations Development Action Framework (UNDAF) 2013-17 guides the collective work of the United Nations in India.  The UNDAF has six broad outcomes:

• Inclusive Growth,
• Food and Nutrition Security,
• Gender Equality,
• Equitable Access to Quality Basic Services,
• Governance, and
• Sustainable Development.

Gender Equality has been identified as one of the normative principles upon which the UNDAF and effective UN country programming is meant to be based.

With the support of the UN Resident Coordinator, India has been chosen as a pilot country for the development of the country level UN-SWAP. At the global level, the UN-SWAP requires annual reporting by each participating entity, department and office. The UN-SWAP can be a key tool in ensuring that the UN system is prepared to support a transformative change for women and girls as envisaged in Agenda 2030. In India, UN Women plans to pilot the adaptation and implementation of the global UN-SWAP at the national level. Further, the roll-out of the India UN Development Action Framework (UNDAF) 2018-2022 will begin with the development of the Common Country Assessment (CCA) in mid-2016. It is critical that both CCA and UNDAF are informed by rigorous analysis of gender issues.

The UN Resident Coordinator office needs an UNV especially for implementing UN-SWAP framework, gender mainstreaming in CCA and UNDAF and strategic gender analysis in the context of formulating and adjusting appropriate UN responses.

The UNV shall be expected to work closely and seek guidance and feedback from UN Women Representative in India.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of Chief of Staff, UNRC Office, the national UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

A.  Design Country specific implementation of UN-SWAP

• Develop a country specific UN-SWAP report integrating the recommendations of the India UNCT Gender Scorecard;
• Work closely with UN agencies working in India to implement the assessment with a view of ensuring its usefulness for the UNCT when preparing for the upcoming UNDAF cycle; and
• Work closely with other system-wide coordination groups.

B.  Contribute to CCA and UNDAF

• Provide programmatic support to the roll-out of the UNDAF and contribute to gender mainstreaming into UNDAF process in a coherent manner, through close consultation with all UN agencies and result groups;
• Coordinate and support capacity building efforts on gender mainstreaming at all stages of the CCA and UNDAF roll-out and implementation;
• Support the roll-out and implementation of the CCA and UNDAF with work planning, monitoring, reporting and evaluation as well as any other relevant processes; and
• Contribute to the integration of women’s human rights instruments into the UNCT’s planning, programming and reporting.

C.  Support communication and advocacy on women’s empowerment and gender equality issues

• Contribute to development of policy briefs, speeches and background materials and other advocacy activities undertaken by the office of the Resident Coordinator; and
• Initiate and/or participate in local volunteer groups, including assisting them in submitting stories and experiences on gender issues to the World Volunteer Web site.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to:

• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark IVD);
• Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country;
• Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities;
• Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.;
• Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers;
• Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering, or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.

Results/Expected Output:

• Country specific implementation plan for UN-SWAP
• Sound analysis of gender issues available for CCA
• Integration of women human rights instruments in UNDAF
• A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed.

Competencies

Experience:

• Seven years of increasingly responsible professional experience in the substantive area

• Extensive experience in gender mainstreaming, human rights based programming expertise

• Substantial experience in research and policy-level analysis

• Experience in coordination is desirable

Language:

• Fluency in English language, including excellent drafting and presentation skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Master's Degree in social science especially gender studies, or relevant discipline

Living Conditions:

New Delhi and the surrounding National Capital Region is a large and bustling metropolis of some 14 million people undergoing rapid changes. The capital city is an administrative, cultural and commercial center with modern amenities and well connected by air. It is a safe place with large expatriate community drawn from embassies, UN agencies, MNCs and foreign businesses. It has short moderate winter and long hot summer.

Conditions of Service (National UNV COS_ENG )

A 12 month contract; with subsequent contract extensions subject to availability of funding, operational necessity and satisfactory performance. However, there is no expectation of renewal of the assignment.

Travel to duty station (if applicable) and a Settling-In-Grant will be provided in the event duty station is not within commuting distance from the place of recruitment. A Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) of INR 39,584 is provided monthly to cover housing, utilities and normal cost of living expenses. Life, health and permanent disability insurance are included (health insurance for up to 3 dependents), as well as final repatriation (if applicable) and resettlement allowance for satisfactory service.

Interested candidates should submit their applications online including the names and contact address of three references. The closing date of application is 8th March 2016.