UN WOMEN Jobs - 1514- UNIFEM Country Programme Manager, Vietnam

UNIFEM Country Programme Manager, Vietnam

Advertised on behalf of

UN WOMEN

Location :

Hanoi, VIET NAM

Type of Contract :

200 Series

Starting Date :

15-May-2007

Application Deadline :

17-Apr-07 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

L-4

Duration of Initial Contract :

1 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

UNIFEM is consolidating and expanding its work and presence in Vietnam, a country of strategic significance, among 8 other countries in East and Southeast Asia, under the purview of the UNIFEM East and Southeast Asia Regional Office (SRO), Bangkok.

UNIFEM's work in Vietnam is moving forward in the following areas.

(a) UNIFEM has since 2004 been implementing the CEDAW Southeast Asia Programme (2004-9) in close collaboration with government, civil society and UN partners. The Programme designed to facilitate the realization of women's human rights through effective implementation of the CEDAW Convention, has to date progressed as follows:

Enhanced understanding of state and non-state stakeholders on the substantive principles of the CEDAW Convention. A pool of national resources/advocates on CEDAW is being built through sustained capacity strengthening, including the institutionalization of localized course/training material on CEDAW in academic and training institutions. Further CEDAW principles and provisions have through co-ordinated efforts of programme stakeholders, been mainstreamed into the Gender Equality legislation in Vietnam and the Domestic Violence Bill.
Strengthened the capacity of State and non-state stakeholders to participate effectively in the CEDAW review process in January 2007. For the first time, NGOs prepared a report, participated in the review - process that fostered govt-NGO collaboration through pre and post reporting consultations, insight exchange and debriefs.
Building pervasive support and commitment for the implementation of the CEDAW Committee's Concluding Comments. UNIFEM is committed to ensuring delivery of results under this programme.

(b) Vietnam is a pilot country for the "One UN" initiative, whose objective is UN system wide coherence for greater development impact. Under the "One UN Pilot" UN organizations will work together as a coordinated UN Country Team (UNCT) under the leadership of the UN Resident Coordinator and with a view to having common programmes, a common budget budgets and a common administrative system. UNIFEM is one of the six UN agencies currently part of the one UN Pilot, and is committed to strengthening its support to Vietnam through its programme activities and resources that have been integrated into the One UN Plan; through the development of new programmes; through technical and other support to the RC and UNCT to establish and implement programme focussed on gender equality and women's empowerment and to mainstream gender into the work of the UN system as a whole.

To address the above, UNIFEM will be enhancing its country presence in Vietnam through the recruitment of a UNIFEM Country Programme Manager (international position), based in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Duties and Responsibilities

The UNIFEM Country Programme Manager, Vietnam will work under the supervision of UNIFEM Regional Programme Director, (RPD) East and Southeast Asia and in close collaboration with the UN Resident Coordinator (RC).

Specific duties include:

Managing ongoing programme activities in Vietnam, more specifically (a) the Vietnam CEDAW Southeast Asia Programme in close co-ordination with the Vietnam CEDAW SEAP National Co-ordinator and the Regional CEDAW SEAP team. This includes ensuring that the CEDAW Concluding Comments are mainstreamed into Vietnam's Social and Economic Development Plan, the National Plan for the Advancement of Women, the one UN Plan and joint Programmes; provision of strategic and technical support to government counterparts to advance implementation of the concluding comments and plans; facilitate engagement of NGO actors with a view to supporting strategic collective action between NGOs as well as improved cooperation between NGOs and the government; and ensure that the Programme work plan is effectively implemented to deliver anticipated results; (b) manage the implementation of the UNIFEM HIV/AIDS Trust Fund Project, entitled, " Combating Sexual Violence against Women and HIV/AIDS prevention in lao Cai and lang Son, implemented by the Center for reproductive and Family Health and the Vietnam Women's Union
Identify strategic programme opportunities and develop further programmes, which include a second phase of the CEDAW Programme, a programme on migration that is underway, a programme on gender and HIV/AIDS and on Gender responsive budgeting. Other emerging issues for programming such as Gender and Trade should also be addressed.
Support the development and implementation of Activities under the UN Theme Group on Gender, including UN Joint Programming on specific Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment Issues: Support the development and implementation of Activities under the UN Theme Group on Gender, including UN Joint Programming on specific Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment Issues, that responds to priorities identified in the gender equality national strategy, drawing on the comparative advantage of each UN agency and ensuring throughout, the full engagement of relevant national partners in government and civil society; lead knowledge management and ensure documentation and dissemination of lessons learned; support resource mobilization efforts for programming under the UNTGG.
Carry out ongoing advocacy to maximize UN support towards the realization of national plans and priorities
Support the Resident Coordinator's office to enhance gender mainstreaming, internal UN coordination as well as country-coordination on gender, in the One UN Initiative: Work closely with the Gender Advisor to the RC/UNCT to promote and sustain inter-agency cooperation and harmonization of gender-related activities in the one UN Initiative. This includes (a) ensuring that gender perspectives are well mainstreamed and resourced under the one UN Plan; that agencies that are part of the one plan harmonize activities and results on gender; that the results framework for the one plan has gender perspectives at its core; (b) that gender equality and women's empowerment perspectives are mainstreamed into and well resourced under the Joint Programmes of different UN Theme Groups; that there are synergies on gender equality interventions under the one plan and theme groups; (c) lead knowledge management on gender issues for UN organizations participating in the One UN Pilot, ensuring documentation and dissemination of lessons learned for UN coordination; draw on UN/UNIFEM good practices and experiences on gender equality, including from other One UN pilots; (c) support UNCT in monitoring and reporting of UN work focused on gender; ensure that existing UN policies and any new guidance on gender equality work are widely disseminated and supported at country levels; (d) support the Chair/co-Chair in identifying and negotiating agreements with donors/funding mechanisms (e.g. UNDEF, Spanish Development Fund, bilateral donors).

Managerial Functions

The Vietnam Country Programme Manager is accountable for integrity, transparency, and equity in the management of UN resources including:

People Management through recruitment, performance and career management of 1-2 Professional staff; Learning Management, establishing Learning Plans and ensuring staff supervised meet their development needs while meeting the needs of UN
Providing strategic and data inputs into UNIFEM programme activities, and the eventual gender component of the One UN programme, including budget preparation exercises and management of sub-allotment to the gender programme
Content Management by ensuring (1) prescriptive content on gender equality is continuously updated and available through the UN web site; (2) Good Practices are continuously identified, documented and made available to clients and peers through the web site; and (3) appropriate and up-to-date information and learning tools are available
Matrix Management by ensuring products and results, handovers and consultations are prepared; effective and efficient management of partnerships with partners
Reporting once a month on progress to the UNIFEM East and South East Asia RPD

Competencies

Managerial:

Leads teams effectively, motivates and manages teams well, inspiring confidence in others; manages matrices fluidly by encouraging inter-agency collaboration.
Builds strong relationships with both internal and external actors - cultivates productive relationships with donors, partners and other important institutions and individuals.
Manages programmes effectively - consistently ensures timeliness and quality of project work carried out by the office or team
Strong oral and written communication skills. Good listener and responsive to the opinions of others. Speaks confidently and exercises diplomacy in dealing with governments, UN system and national partners; demonstrates determination and tact in negotiations.
Displays cultural sensitivity and adaptability - communicates effectively with and relates to people of different cultures, demonstrating an ability to see issues from other perspectives

Technical/Functional:

Substantive knowledge and understanding specifically on gender equality issues as well as more broadly, human rights and development cooperation, with an emphasis on the provision of coordinated support and management of strategic programmes to advance gender equality in transition countries
Substantive knowledge and experience with the development of fund mobilization and management for the UN's work in support of gender equality
Demonstrates the ability to carry out research, to contribute to the formulation of policies, procedures and guidelines
Experience in results-based and rights-based programming (Results-based Management and Human Rights-based Approach to Programming)
Experience in evaluation of programme and projects

Required Skills and Experience

A Masters degree in International Affairs, Human Rights, Economic and Political Development, gender equality or a related discipline Essential knowledge and experience
At minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible experience for work focused on, or strongly involving a focus on gender equality at national, regional and international levels, preferably within transition countries, of which a minimum of 5 years experience is in the field with an international organization
Strong familiarity with UN inter-agency cooperation
Excellent written and spoken English; working ability in at least one other of the UN Official languages preferred.