Background

Achieving gender equality is one of UNDP’s core commitments. To succeed in this goal, gender issues must be addressed in all UNDP practice areas and programmes, including crisis prevention and recovery. UNDP’s work must recognize the differentiated roles women and men play in crisis situations, the contribution of women to peace building and reconstruction, the appalling rates of violence against women in times of crisis, and the opportunities offered by post-crisis reconstruction to set the foundation for gender equality in governance processes.
 
Responding to the need to address these issues, UNDP has recently developed the Eight-Point Agenda for Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality in Crisis Prevention and Recovery. The Eight Point agenda emerged from broad-based consultations held within and beyond UNDP.
 
The Eight-Point Agenda is an advocacy tool and a strategic approach to achieve gender equality through the following objectives:

• Strengthen Women’s Security in Crisis
• Advance Gender Justice
• Expand Women’s Citizenship, Participation and Leadership
• Build Peace with and for Women
• Promote Gender Equality in Disaster Risk Reduction
• Ensure Gender-Responsive Recovery
• Transform Government to Deliver for Women
• Develop Capacities for Social Change
   

The Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery (BCPR) and the Bureau for Development Policy (BDP) Gender Team have agreed to establish a coordinated approach to mainstream gender within UNDP’s crisis and prevention practice area. This coordinated approach will include:

• Advancing the Eight-Point Agenda on Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality in Crisis and Prevention, including the development of appropriate tools and guidelines for use by country offices;
• Creating strong cross-practice linkages on gender issues between crisis prevention and recovery and good governance and poverty reduction; and
• Supporting strong programmes to reduce violence against women in countries, through provision of technical and financial support to UNDP country offices.  

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide high level technical expertise to the Gender Team in mainstreaming crisis prevention and recovery
• Provide technical guidance to the Gender Team in the operationalisation (criteria for resource allocation, project vetting, monitoring, CO support) of its various non-core trust funds
• Provide technical expertise to crisis country offices/country teams in the development of proposals for the Gender funding
• Develop UNDP wide advocacy strategy for and promotion of the Eight-Point Agenda for Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality in Crisis Prevention and Recovery
• Develop partnerships with UN agencies and funds including UNIFEM, UNICEF, UNFPA, OCHA, DPKO and UNHCR.
• Represent UNDP in the UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict initiative and work closely with OCHA on developing strategies for country level support.
• Develop a strategy for the roll out and implementation of the intensified programmes to address violence against women in 5 countries in close collaboration with the UN Action.

• Develop corporate policies, guidelines and indicators on gender and crisis prevention and recovery by working closely with the BCPR Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist;
• Manage the overall technical support to promote the Eight-Point Agenda through BCPR’s five-year strategy and work planning process, contribute gender expertise to the BCPR Allocations Committee (BPAC) deliberations, and track the Bureau’s gender and CPR policy development;
• Establish close collaboration and division of labour with the Geneva-based Senior Gender Advisor/Early Recovery/Cross-Cutting Issues
• Provide guidance and oversight for the Gender Programme Specialist in CSPC 
• Oversee the integration of the Eight Point Agenda in all BCPR policies and knowledge products by working closely with all BCPR teams.
• Facilitate cross practice policy development and programming, bringing out the linkages with the BDP Gender Team, crisis prevention and recovery, democratic governance and poverty reduction.
• Act as the CSPC Focal Point on the development of knowledge products reflecting the Eight Point Agenda.

Competencies

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
• Treats all people fairly without favoritism

• Ability to provide leadership and take responsibility for policy development and mainstreaming gender perspectives into CPR substantive work.
• Understanding of the United Nations system, operations and structures, particularly those related to gender and crisis prevention and recovery.
• Demonstrated analytical, programming and advocacy skills on gender issues especially with regard to policy advocacy, in line with Security Council Resolution 1325, CEDAW, and BPFA. 
• Establishes and maintains strong links with international, regional and national networks on gender equality and women’s rights.

• Knowledge of inter-disciplinary and cross-cutting development issues
• Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more Practice Areas, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills
• Shares and applies knowledge, information, and best practices from within and outside of UNDP

• Ability to lead and contribute to strategic planning, change processes, results-based management, work planning, and reporting
• Ability to lead formulation, oversight of implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development projects
• Ability to build and sustain effective partnerships, advocate effectively and communicate to various constituencies.

• Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback
• Establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support, and is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives.
• Consistently approaches work with energy and positive, constructive attitude
• Monitors progress against milestones and deadlines
• Demonstrates openness to change, flexibility and ability to manage complexities
• Ability to work under pressure and with multi-disciplinary and multi cultural team and possess excellent inter-personal skills.
• Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills
• Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure
• Provennetworking, team-building, organizational and communication skills
• Ability to establish priorities for self and others, and to work independently

Required Skills and Experience

• Advanced university degree in international relations, development, and law and/or gender studies.
• A minimum of ten years of 10 years experience in the field of gender, peace and security
• Proven experience in policy development and implementation.
• Expertise and experience in some of these areas: GBV, gender and governance reforms, security sector reforms, rule of law and gender justice issues.
• Excellent command of English, ability to draft in English. 
• Knowledge of at least one other UN language and any others an asset.
• Capacity to plan, prioritize and deliver tasks on time. Ability to set priorities; work under pressure with colleagues at all levels.
• Strong interpersonal, writing and research skills.
• Excellent written and oral skills in English language.
• Working knowledge of another UN language preferable.