UN WOMEN Jobs - 20640- Project Officer

Project Officer

Advertised on behalf of

UN WOMEN

Location :

Kampala, UGANDA

Type of Contract :

Service Contract

Starting Date :

01-Mar-2011

Application Deadline :

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

Post Level :

SB-4

Duration of Initial Contract :

8 months

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

The United Nations (UN) in Uganda is implementing a Joint Programming on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment with current funding from DFID. The programme is being coordinated by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM, Part of UN Women). The UN Joint Programme is a collaboration between 11 participating UN Agencies in the concept of Delivering as One, the Government of Uganda (GOU) and civil society. The programme includes resources for strengthening strategic institutions within government in gender mainstreaming activities.

The Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development (MGLSD) is responsible for the coordination of gender mainstreaming across government, mainly through the Department for Gender and Women's Affairs within MGLSD. The roles and responsibilities of the MGLSD in relation to gender, as laid out in the National Gender Policy, are coordination and support:

Establish appropriate mechanisms for coordinating gender mainstreaming at different levels
Provide technical support on gender mainstreaming to sectors (including Gender Focal Points and Sector Working Groups), institutions, local governments, civil society and the private sector
Set standards, develop gender guidelines, disseminate and monitor their implementation
Coordinate the monitoring and evaluation of the National Gender Policy and gender responsive development in the country

It is in the above context that MGLSD requires the services of a Project Officer on Gender Equitable Capacity Development to the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Director of Gender, and in collaboration with the programme officers and staff of the Ministry and other personnel in UNIFEM, the Project on Gender Equitable Capacity Development to the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, hired at Service Band 4, SC level 9, will perform the following functions:

Summary of Key Functions:

Develop and implement an institutional and capacity development plan that considers the findings and recommendations of the participatory gender audit and related capacity assessment reports on the Ministry, to ensure that the Department of Gender technical staff has the required skills and knowledge to support gender mainstreaming in the identified sectors of the Joint Programme
Strengthen the Gender Focal Points (GFPs) at sectoral and local government levels through the development of clear Terms of Reference (TOR) for Gender Focal Points and support for their implementation
Design and implement gender training and mentoring programme for the gender focal points in national sector agencies
Facilitate the harmonization of capacity development plans, training curricula and materials, monitoring and evaluation systems between the MGLSD and other sectors; viz, Finance, Agriculture, Education, the National Planning Authority, the Justice Law and Order Sector, Health and Public Services, Water and sanitation
Assist in the conduct of gender audit of sector agencies and local governments; and in related project assessment and monitoring activities
Coordinate gender advocacy strategies with key stakeholders from Government, Parliament, women's groups, CSOs and the private sector to monitor the effective implementation of gender related laws and policies and address implementation gaps
Systematize the documentation of capacity development activities and results into a compendium of validated knowledge products that will be packaged for publication and web uploading
Develop partnerships with civil society organizations, academic institutions, and development partners with relevant work
Prepare, consolidate and submit periodic reports in relation to the tasks above
Work closely with UNIFEM, other collaborating UN agencies, Ministries and civil society organizations working on the Joint Programme on Gender Equality

Key deliverables:

An inception report on capacity needs assessment and an annual work plan with clear outputs.
A capacity development plan and system for Department of Gender and of the gender focal persons of the 7 priority sector ministries
Training reports, activity documentation and periodic reports on the key activities in connection with the tasks outlined above
Gender training manuals, tools and related knowledge products
Annual report and evaluation of progress and accomplishments vis-à-vis plans

Competencies

Knowledge of human rights and gender and development framework
Familiarity with the results-based management framework and indicators
Proficiency in applying and adapting gender mainstreaming knowledge tools and products to country and sector-specific contexts
Substantial technical competence in working with national and local government systems on gender mainstreaming
Training management and facilitation skills
Technical writing and documentation skills
Good computer research and network management skills
Excellent interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills
A strong team player, willing to lend a hand to other team members and partners when required

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced University degree or equivalent in social sciences, development, gender or a related field

Experience:

Minimum of 7 years relevant gender and development experience in Uganda, preferably with government and/or with women's non-governmental organizations at a senior level
Proven track record in training or institutional capacity development especially in the area of gender, development, and women's empowerment

Language requirement:

Fluency in English (written and oral)
Knowledge of another UN language is an asset

This vacancy is only open to Ugandan nationals.