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.

To support member states in implementing the 2030 Agenda, UN Women’s Flagship Programme Initiative Making Every Woman and Girl Count (Women Count) aims to affect a radical shift in the production, availability, accessibility and use of quality data and statistics on key aspects of gender equality and women’s empowerment. Women Count, delivered significant results in scaling up work on gender statistics availability, accessibility, and use during Phase I of its implementation. Phase II of Women Count (2022-2025) which coincides with gender data being elevated as one of seven systemic outcomes in UN Women’s 2022-2025 Strategic Plan, is the key UN Women programmatic tool to support Member States to strengthen the mainstreaming of gender perspectives in statistics and to monitor the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In Kenya, Women Count is an initiative meant to strengthen the capacity of the Government and Non-State Actors to produce and use gender data and statistics to inform and monitor the implementation of Kenya’s gender-related commitments in the 2030 Agenda.

Reporting to the Deputy Country Representative, the Programme Specialist- Gender Statistics exercises overall responsibility for planning, implementing, and managing UN Women interventions under their portfolio. She/he will also provide technical assistance and capacity development to partners as well as lead resource mobilization, knowledge management and communication efforts. The Programme Specialist - Gender Statistics will work in close collaboration with the programme and operations team, UN Women HQ staff, Regional Gender Statistics specialist, Government officials, multi and bilateral donors and civil society ensuring successful UN Women programme implementation under the portfolio. 

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Design and develop programme strategies in the area of Gender Statistics

• Design and formulate programme/project documents including proposals, Partner Agreements, Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) among others;
• Draft inputs to country strategy documents, briefs, policy dialogue and other documents related to Gender Statistics.

2. Manage the implementation and management of the Gender Statistics programme

• Develop the annual work plan 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;
• Oversee and review the budget and proposed activities as needed ensuring consistency with the objectives of the global programme and in compliance with agreed timelines;
• Develop procurement plans and oversee procurement processes in accordance with corporate rules and regulations.

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

• Manage the implementation of technical advice and guidance;
• Facilitate coordination mechanisms of the project by providing technical assistance;
• Develop and implement technical tools, and initiatives;
• Build and manage relationships with national partners and other key stakeholders, including UN agencies and any other organizations working on gender data/statistics, to support the implementation and expansion of the Gender Statistics programme;
• Identify capacity-building needs of partners and lead the coordination of technical assistance, mentoring, training and capacity development initiatives to partners on Gender Statistics, including strategic direction, training and positioning of gender statistics in national policies, plans and strategies.

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;
• Oversee the regular collection and quality reporting of data and information about the impact of the project, timely prepare and submit high-quality quarterly updates and contribute to the Women Count donor annual report and other UN Women reports as needed.

5. Manage the people and financial resources of the Gender Statistics programme

• Manage the programme budget and draft financial reports;
• Forecast needs related to financial, Human Resources, logistics and administration activities, in consultation with the Manager;
• Supervise Programme Analysts and Technical Specialists; 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;
• Develop and manage the partnerships needed to implement Women Count in Kenya, including with governments, donors, international agencies, civil society and philanthropic organizations and the private sector;
• Strengthen UN Women’s partnerships with key regional and national stakeholders, including the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), UN agencies, civil society organizations and other data collecting organizations in the country in order to present a wide range of relevant data on gender equality and women’s rights to contribute to the regional and thematic monitoring of SDGs, other publications and other associated communications materials.

7. Contribute to inter-agency coordination on Gender Statistics to achieve coherence and alignment of UN Women programmes with other partners  in Kenya

• Provide technical support to the Representative and Deputy Representative on inter-agency coordination-related activities by attending meetings, and 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;
• Provide technical inputs to technical inter-agency discussions related to SDGs indicators and monitoring in the region;
• Participate and/or represent UN Women in meetings, policy dialogues, national and inter-agency policy and statistical forums.

8. Manage advocacy, knowledge building and communication efforts

• Develop and review background documents, briefs and presentations related to Gender Statistics;
• Represent UN Women in meetings and policy dialogues on issues related to Gender Statistics 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 Gender Statistics in line with the Women Count global programme Data and Knowledge Management plan;
• Identify and implement advocacy and resource mobilization opportunities in line with the Women Count global programme Outreach and Advocacy Plan and the Resource Mobilization strategy;
• Codify best practices and lessons learned to guide project improvement and strategic planning.

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 and/or activities
• Relations with partners and stakeholders
• Quality reports and timely submission, including best practices and lessons learned documented and circulated
• Regular communication with other agencies and partners
• Quality of advocacy, communication and knowledge management initiatives
• Effective initiative and participation in further resource mobilization of the gender statistics project
• Adherence to UN Women rules, regulations, policies and procedures in all operations
• Strong relationships with various partners and stakeholders as relevant to role.

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

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-values-and-competencies-framework-en.pdf

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 gender statistics and familiarity with the SDGs
• Strong analytical and writing skills
• Ability to identify and analyze trends, opportunities and threats to fundraising and develop strategies
• Good understanding of and commitment to gender equality and women's empowerment and its policy implications
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team and in a cooperative and productive fashion both with internal and external colleagues
• Ability to work under pressure on multiple projects whilst maintaining high-high quality timeliness.

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 (such as PMP®, PRINCE2®, or MSP®) would be an added advantage 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;
• Experience in programme design, coordination, management and implementation of a gender statistics programme is an asset;
• Technical experience in Gender Statistics is an added advantage;
• 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;
• Experience working in gender equality and women’s rights at the international level is an asset.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English and Swahili is required;
• Working knowledge of another official UN language is an asset;
• Knowledge of any Kenyan local language is an asset.

Application:

Please attach a completed P11 to your application. Kindly note that applications without a completed and signed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.

UN Women Personal History form (P-11) can be downloaded from http://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employment.

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.)