UN WOMEN Jobs - 71043- UN Women: Policy Specialist

UN Women: Policy Specialist

Advertised on behalf of

UN WOMEN

Location :

New York, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

27-Mar-17 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

P-4

Duration of Initial Contract :

1 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

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.

The Policy Division develops and implements the UN Women program of work on analysis, research and knowledge management that provides the evidence base for the advice and guidance UN Women provides to the intergovernmental process, the UN system, and to UN Women staff working at country and regional level on issues of gender equality and women’s empowerment. It identifies emerging issues and trends, and develops and proposes new strategies for achieving the agreed goals through innovative approaches and lessons learned about what works in practice. It also designs and oversees the training and capacity development programs of UN Women, working closely with the UN Women training facility in Santo Domingo.

The Policy Division staff is organized in Thematic Clusters, bringing together technical experts who undertake issues-based research; analyze data on country, regional or global trends, build a knowledge base on policy commitments and their implementation, propose evidence-based options for global policy, norms and standards and for UN Women global programme strategies, and contribute substantive inputs to policy advocacy and technical cooperation programmes.

Peace and Security is one of five thematic areas of UN Women’s strategic plan, and an area in which UN Women coordinates and leads the UN system. The Peace and Security section, located within the Policy Division, is responsible for knowledge functions, technical support, programme inception, interagency coordination, monitoring and accountability of the UN system to key frameworks and intergovernmental support on the full women, peace and security agenda.

Working in tandem to the Policy Division, the Programme Division develops and manages effective and efficient programmes that deliver on UN Women’s established goals and priorities for gender equality and women's empowerment. All of the programmes are aligned with UN Women’s strategic objectives. Included in the Programme Division is the Humanitarian Section which delivers on UN Women’s triple mandate in humanitarian action, covering its normative, coordination and operational roles.

Building on the outcomes of the 15-year review of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), a new pooled funding mechanism to accelerate the full implementation of women, peace and security was launched – the Global Acceleration Instrument (GAI) on Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action. UN Women acts as the Secretariat of the GAI at the global level.

Under the overall supervision of the Chief, Peace and Security and the technical guidance of the Chief, Peace and Security and Chief, Humanitarian, the Policy Specialist will be responsible for providing the secretariat functions for the Global Acceleration Instrument, including leading relations with Funding Board members, and the Administrative Agent, the Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office (MPTFO), convening Funding Board meetings at executive and working level, leading resource mobilization efforts; providing results-based monitoring, reporting and evaluation of the Funding Board, providing advisory and technical support to implementing countries, and leading on capacity building and knowledge management.

Duties and Responsibilities

Provide Secretariat functions of the Global Acceleration Instrument:

Lead the development and maintenance of partnerships with Funding Board members, MPTFO, civil society partners, and country offices implementing the GAI;
Convene and provide technical support and guidance to the Funding Board meetings at executive and working levels;
Lead the monitoring and oversight of the GAI;
Lead resource mobilization efforts of the Funding Board including through regular technical inputs to donor Funding Board members, outreach to donors, and proposal development.

Provide results-based monitoring, reporting and evaluation of policy tools:

Manage the close monitoring of the Fund’s activities and results;
Ensure quality control for the proposals submitted at country level;
Draft quality and results oriented narrative reports;
Conduct mid-term reviews and ensure independent evaluations of the country allocations and/or the fund as a whole.

Provide advisory and technical support on the Global Acceleration Instrument to implementing countries:

Provide programmatic and technical support to country offices acting as Secretariat of the National Steering Committees and Management Entities for Civil Society Organizations;
Provide technical support to the recruitment for dedicated GAI staff in country offices and coordinate across GAI Staff;
Undertake regular missions to GAI countries as needed.

Provide representative duties, and build partnerships and undertake advocacy:

Develop partnerships with appropriate international civil society, governmental and intergovernmental institutions to advance common goals;
Establish and nurture relationship with academia, research institutes, civil society and experts in women, peace and security and humanitarian to expand and share knowledge, exchange views on latest findings, incorporate cutting-edge thinking in UN work;
Represent the GAI in appropriate forums to further advocacy goals and strategic partnerships.

Provide knowledge management, capacity building and communications:

Identify and develop key knowledge products needed for GAI development;
Contribute to the development of knowledge management elements with implementing countries, linking all initiatives through communities of practice and sharing of products;
Establish a knowledge platform for the GAI;
Assess capacity building needs and develop capacity building support for the GAI implementing partners;
Develop and monitor the implementation of a communications strategy for the GAI.

Key Performance Indicators:

Timely and quality implementation of the GAI in countries;
Increase in resources;
Timely and quality inputs to Funding Board members and meetings;
Timely monitoring and reporting of the Fund’s activities, and quality reporting;
Increase in awareness of the work of GAI;
Quality knowledge products.

Competencies

Core values and Guiding principles:

Integrity:

Demonstrate consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UN Women in actions and decisions, in line with the UN Code of Conduct.

Professionalism:

Demonstrate professional competence and expert knowledge of the pertinent substantive areas of work.

Cultural sensitivity and valuing diversity:

Demonstrate an appreciation of the multicultural nature of the organization and the diversity of its staff. Demonstrate an international outlook, appreciating difference in values and learning from cultural diversity.

Core Competencies:

Ethics and Values:

Demonstrate and promote ethics and integrity by creating organizational precedents.

Organizational Awareness:

Build support for the organization and ensure political acumen.

Development and Innovation:

Support staff competence development, and contribute to an environment of creativity and innovation.

Work in teams:

Build and promote effective teams. Demonstrate ability to work in a multicultural, multi ethnic environment and to maintain effective working relations with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.

Communication and Information Sharing:

Create and promote an environment for open and effective communication.

Self-management and Emotional Intelligence:

Stay composed and positive even in difficult moments, handle tense situations with diplomacy and tact, and have a consistent behavior towards others.

Conflict Management:

Surface conflicts and address them proactively acknowledging different feelings and views and directing energy towards a mutually acceptable solution.

Continuous Learning and Knowledge Sharing:

Share knowledge across the organization and build a culture of knowledge sharing and learning.

Appropriate and Transparent Decision Making:

Ensure fair and transparent decision making processes and manage risk.

Functional Competencies:

Good knowledge of gender related issues including in recovery, crisis, peacebuilding, fragile contexts, statebuilding and transitions;
Good knowledge of Women, Peace, and Security related programming;
Ability to organize and complete multiple tasks by establishing priorities;
Ability to handle a large volume of work under time constraints;
Ability to establish, build, and sustain effective relationships with clients, demonstrating understanding of client’s perspective;
Strong communications skills, with proven expertise in writing cogent and convincing policy and programme documents for development practitioners;
Proven analytical and problem-solving skills, including skills in marshaling evidence, including quantitative data, to support programming and policy;
Ability to use information technology, executive information systems, statistical data, management techniques and tools for optimal office performance;
Ability to work in a team;
Ability to develop and maintain roster of experts, and a databank of research institutes, academics, civil society experts, etc. of direct relevance to gender issues in transitional justice and protection systems;
Maturity, ability to take decisions under pressure and ability to deal with matters that are politically or culturally sensitive;
Strong results-based management, and negotiating and communication skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master’s degree in law, social sciences, political science/ international affairs (i.e. international development studies, gender/women’s studies) or a related technical field is required.

Experience:

At least 7 years of experience in programme and policy analysis and strategic planning in one of the following fields: human rights, peacebuilding, women, peace and security, gender and development;
At least 3 years of working experience in the field;
At least 3 years of progressively responsible experience in professional project management, coordination, monitoring and evaluation;
Experience working with women’s organizations and governments;
Familiarity with the UN system’s rules and procedures is an asset;
Familiarity with UNDP Atlas system and Prince 2 is an asset.

Languages:

Fluency in English is required;
Fluency in French or Spanish is desirable;
Knowledge of the other UN official working language is an asset.

Note:

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.

All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from http://www.unwomen.org/about-us/employment.

Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment. Please combine all your documents into one (1) single PDF document as the system only allows to upload maximum one document.