Background

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

 

As part of the UN system in Ukraine, UN Women supports national partners to implement their commitments to Women, Peace and Security Agenda (WPS), since 2015. UN Women has been providing technical assistance to develop, implement and monitor the first and the second National Action Plans for the implementation of UN SCR 1325 as well as other relevant international and national commitments related to the advancement of gender equality and women’s empowerment (GEWE) in Ukraine. In doing so, UN Women has partnered with and provided demand driven technical assistance to the key governmental institutions of the National Machinery for the Advancement at national, regional and local levels, and women’s CSOs and grassroots women, especially those affected by conflict and marginalized.

 

In 2020 the world commemorated the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the landmark UNSCR 1325 on WPS, and Ukraine has adopted  the second NAP 1325 covering the period 2021-2025. In April 2020, Ukraine also joined the UN Group of Friends of Women, Peace, and Security. The renewed country commitments to the advancement of gender equality and implementation of WPS agenda create a momentum to effectively address areas of WPS agenda, which require special attention. These, according to the UN Secretary General’s Report to the UN Security Council (2020) globally include  a) radical shift in women’s meaningful participation in decision-making and in all states of peace processes, b) unconditional defense of women’s rights as part of WPS agenda, c) greater investment in social infrastructure for human security d) increase investments in women’s organizations, and e) improve gender data for WPS.

 

On 24 February 2020, Russian invasion to Ukraine triggered mass movement of population inside and outside the country. In three weeks after the invasion around 3 million refugees, mainly women and girls, left the country, and 1.9 million were internally displaced. In a situation when humanitarian corridors did not provide safe delivery of humanitarian assistance to people inside the country and a safe and secure pass way for people to move to safer places, manly local CSOs, including women’s CSOs and volunteers have provided much needed assistance. Women and girls have again demonstrated their preparedness to step in and fill in the gaps in basic services provision, and in maintaining community resilience. Their leadership, experience and expertise should be adequately translated in their meaningful participation and representation in decision making, peacebuilding, post-conflict reconstruction.  

 

Reporting to Representative, the Programme Specialist exercises overall responsibility for planning, implementing, and managing UN Women interventions on programmatic action related to WPS agenda under the project funded by the government of Norway (2021-2024).  The Programme Specialist works in close collaboration and cooperation with the program and operations team, UN Women HQ staff, Government officials, multi and bi-lateral donors and civil society ensuring successful UN Women programme implementation under portfolio. 

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Design and develop programme strategies in the area of Women, Peace and Security

  • Design and formulate programme/ project proposals and initiatives;
  • Draft inputs to country strategy documents, briefs, policy dialogue and other documents related to Women, Peace and Security

 

2. Manage the implementation and management of the Women, Peace and Security programme

  • Finalize the annual workplan and budget and manage their implementation;
  • Manage the technical implementation of the programme/project; ensure synergies with other teams;
  • Manage the submission of implementing partner financial and narrative reports;
  • Provide guidance to personnel and partners on Results Based Management tools and performance indicators;
  • Organize Project Steering Committee, project review and/or evaluation meetings, as needed.

 

3. Manage technical assistance and capacity development to project/programme partners

  • Manage the implementation of technical advice and guidance. Develop and implement technical tools, and initiatives
  • Build and manage relationships with national partners to support implementation and expansion of the Women, Peace and Security programme; respond to any potential problems;
  • Identify capacity building needs of partners and lead the coordination of technical assistance, mentoring, training and capacity development initiatives to partners.

 

4. Manage the monitoring and reporting of the programme/ project

  • Manage the monitoring of programme/ project implementation and finances using results based management tools;
  • Oversee field missions and review reports on monitoring missions;
  • Write quarterly reports and donor reports, focusing on results, output and outcomes;
  • Contribute to office donor and UN Women reports.

 

5. Manage the people and financial resources of the Women, Peace and Security programme

  • Manage the programme budget and draft financial reports;
  • Supervise Programme Analysts and other members of project team; Mentor and coach personnel and conduct performance assessments;
  • Oversee recruitment processes, as necessary.

 

6. Build partnerships and support in developing resource mobilization strategies

  • Develop and implement partnerships and resource mobilization strategies;
  • Finalize relevant documentation on donors and potential opportunities for resource mobilization;
  • Analyze and research information on donors, prepare substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, identification of opportunities for cost sharing.

 

7. Contribute to inter-agency coordination on Women, Peace and Security  to achieve coherence and alignment of UN Women programmes with other partners  in the Ukraine

  • Provide technical support to the Representative  on inter-agency coordination related activities by attending meetings, events, and participating in groups and committees as needed;
  • Coordinate with other UN agencies, government departments, donors and NGOs to ensure the projects’ capacity development programme is harmonized and aligned with other in-country efforts.

 

8. Manage advocacy, knowledge building and communication efforts

  • Develop and review background documents, briefs and presentations related to the WPS;
  • Represent UN Women in meetings and policy dialogues on issues related to WPS as necessary;
  • Develop advocacy strategies and oversee their implementation;
  • Identify best practices and lessons learned to guide programme improvement and strategy planning;
  • Develop knowledge management strategies, products and methodologies on WPS.

Key Performance Indicators:

  • Timely and quality programme design and inputs to Strategic Note
  • Timely and quality of programme delivery in line with budget and workplans, and in line with all UN Women operational rules and regulations, including security
  • Timely and quality monitoring and evaluation of programmes
  • Relations with partners and stakeholders
  • Quality reports and timely submission
  • Regular communication with other agencies and partners
  • Quality of advocacy and communication initiatives

Competencies

Core Values:

  • Respect for Diversity
  • Integrity
  • Professionalism

 

Core Competencies:

  • Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues
  • Accountability
  • Creative Problem Solving
  • Effective Communication
  • Inclusive Collaboration
  • Stakeholder Engagement
  • Leading by Example

 

Functional Competencies

  • Strong programme formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation skills
  • Strong knowledge of Results Based Management
  • Ability to synthesize program performance data and produce analytical reports to inform management and strategic decision-making
  • Strong knowledge of WPS
  • Strong analytical skills
  • Ability to identify and analyze trends, opportunities and threats to fundraising and develop strategies

Required Skills and Experience

Education and certification:

 

  • Master’s degree or equivalent in social sciences, human rights, gender/women's studies, international development, or a related field is required
  • A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
  • A project/programme management certification would be an added advantage

Experience:

  • At least 5 years of progressively responsible work experience at the national or international level in design, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development projects;
  • Technical experience in WPS;
  • Experience coordinating and liaising with government agencies and/or donors is an asset;
  • Experience working in the UN System is an asset;
  • Experience in leading/managing a team is an asset.

Language Requirements:

  • Fluency in English is required;
  • Working knowledge of another official UN language is an asset;
  • Knowledge of Ukrainian and/or Russian is an asset.

Application:

All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-P11-Personal-History-Form.doc. Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment.

 

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination.  All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)