UNDP Jobs - 20388- Technical Specialist (Empowerment of Women in the

Technical Specialist (Empowerment of Women in the Public Sector)

Location :

Hanoi, VIET NAM

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

01-Jan-2011

Application Deadline :

12-Dec-10 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

P-4

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

Post Category: Development Project Fund (DPF) Post

The Government of Viet Nam is committed to achieving gender equality in all sectors of society. Despite significant progress in the fields of education and employment, women remain under-represented in leadership roles in both public and private sectors in Viet Nam. In order to address this gender gap, initiatives are required to assist women in developing and improving the skills and assets required to be influential and effective leaders.

In this context, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) are collaborating on a 5 year capacity development project ‘Empowerment of Women in the Public Sector in the Context of International Economic Integration’ (EOWP). Through the provision of postgraduate scholarships at the University of Cambridge, professional development opportunities in Viet Nam and overseas, including research funding, the project is preparing women to take on leadership roles in Viet Nam’s public sector. Funding is also made available for women to participate at conferences organised by the project along with other relevant international congresses and training programmes. The objectives of the Project are:

To develop a cohort of highly qualified women from Viet Nam’s public sector who have masters, and doctoral qualifications from the University of Cambridge in their area of expertise
To equip talented women in the public sector with the substantive knowledge and skills required to assume leadership roles in various fields
To facilitate access by women in Viet Nam’s public sector to global professional, policy and knowledge networks traditionally dominated by men

The Project was launched in late 2008. After nearly two years of implementation, the Project has developed a good understanding of the current situation and explored key issues which need to be addressed in the coming years. It has also contributed inputs to the National Strategy on Gender Equality 2011-2020, which will be launched early 2011.

In this context, the staff member will support the National Project Director (NPD), MOFA and other strategic partners in the implementation of Viet Nam’s National Strategy on Gender Equality 2011-2020, in developing strategic capacity-building initiatives, as well as advise on gender equality and empowerment policies based on international best practices. The staff member will support policy research and studies carried out by MOFA and project partners in the area of women’s leadership and related issues and build their capacity in policy research design and implementation. The staff member will work closely with MOFA and other strategic partners under the guidance of the NPD and in line with UN priorities to achieve greater gender equality in support of national priorities and international obligations (Millennium Development Goal 3, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women).

Under the guidance of the NPD and based on inputs from key stakeholders, the staff member will support the development and delivery of project activities. The staff member will similarly provide monitoring and evaluation support, assist with annual/quarterly work plan preparation and maintain relationships with key stakeholders.

The staff member will report to the Deputy Country Director (Programme), UNDP Vietnam. The staff member will further be based in the project office.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of key functions:

Provide advice to national counterparts to strengthen women’s leadership in the public sector and to support the development and implementation of national policy and strategy on advancement of women
Provide advice to national counterparts in strategic capacity-building initiatives
Build strategic partnerships and advocate for gender and women empowerment issues covered through the project
Provide advice to the Project Management Unit in project planning, quality assurance, monitoring and evaluation, coordination, and knowledge generation and sharing.

1. Provide advice to national counterparts to strengthen women’s leadership in the public sector and to support the development and implementation of national policy and strategy on advancement of women

Work with MOFA and key stakeholders to develop interventions aimed at strengthening women’s leadership in the public sector and supporting the implementation of the National Strategy on Gender Equality 2011-2020 and other related policies
Advise project partners, ministries and provinces in the development and implementation of their gender equality action plans
Provide advice to MOFA and stakeholders in identifying research gaps and designing research in support of policy objectives
Under the NPD’s guidance and based on stakeholder inputs, develop an advocacy strategy to share key policy messages

2. Provide advice to national counterparts in strategic capacity-building initiatives

Conduct an assessment on capacity-building initiatives to date and provide recommendations and lessons learned
Develop a training/capacity development strategy aimed at forming a cohort of qualified women for senior positions in the public sector
Work with national and international institutions to support training and collaborative research
Provide advice to ensure quality of training, including preparing TOR, reviewing technical proposals, and supporting monitoring and evaluation

3. Build strategic partnerships and advocate for gender and women empowerment issues covered through the project

Contribute to build the relationship between the national counterparts, UNDP and wider UN, donors and other stakeholders working on gender issues
Serve as an advocate for UN core values on gender empowerment and gender equality in the dialogue with national counterparts and facilitate the practical implementation of this dialogue through project activities
Provide substantive inputs to the preparation of Government and UNDP policy notes, statements, etc., for important events (e.g. CG meetings, donor forums, international conferences, etc.)
Ensure coordination with international partners (e.g. UN Programme Coordination Group on Gender, Gender Action Partnership), technical advisors, national experts, and relevant stakeholders.

4. Provide advice to the Project Management Unit in project planning, quality assurance, monitoring and evaluation, coordination, and knowledge generation and sharing

Provide technical advice in identifying priorities issues for quarterly and annual work plans and facilitate a timely and participatory work planning process
Provide technical advice to ensure the overall relevance and sustainability of the project, the effective realisation and quality of outputs
Update activities’ progresses against the project’s intended outputs and outcomes quarterly and annually and provide monitoring and evaluation support
Provide technical advice to strengthen partnerships and coordination with key stakeholders, including by facilitating communication and exchange of lessons learned and good practices
Identify knowledge gaps among project staff, target groups and beneficiaries and suggest measures to address such gaps
Share project results and products, lessons learned and good practices with other projects, government agencies, donors, etc. and participate in UNDP global knowledge networks
Support any other functions required by MOFA and UNDP

Competencies

Corporate competencies

Demonstrates integrity by modelling 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 favouritism

Functional Competencies:

Promotes knowledge sharing and a learning culture in the office
In-depth knowledge of development and gender equality issues
Ability to advocate and provide policy advice
Excellent oral and written communication skills. Documents good practices and encourages peers to do the same
Excellent team building, diplomatic and interpersonal skills
Capacity to build strong networks and partnerships at all levels
Ability to direct and manage teams/organisations involving development of long-term strategies and mobilisation of resources
Able to work effectively and meet deadlines in a high pressure, cross-cultural environment
Self-reliant and able to recommend solutions to complex issues

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Masters degree in international development, political science, public policy, gender issues, economics or related discipline

Experience:

At least 7 years progressively experience working in international development, gender or related fields.
Expertise in gender equality issues particularly relating to women in decision-making/ leadership
Experience in programme/project management
Experience in developing and implementing advocacy/communications strategies
Experience of working with media
Experience of working in Viet Nam is an asset
Familiarity with UNDP policies and procedures is an asset.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in both written and spoken English.
Vietnamese language skills are an asset.