UN WOMEN Jobs - 71850- Consultancy - Gender Justice Reform Specialist

Consultancy - Gender Justice Reform Specialist

Advertised on behalf of

UN WOMEN

Location :

Homebased with travel to Somalia, SOMALIA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

15-May-2017

Application Deadline :

02-May-17 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

6 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

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.

In 2012, the UN Secretary General announced new architecture on rule of law in the UN system in order to strengthen rule of law programming in peacebuilding contexts. Under this new arrangement, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will serve as Joint Global Focal Point (GFP) for the Police, Justice and Corrections Areas in the Rule of Law in Post-conflict and other Crisis Situations. Since 2013, UN Women HQ has provided expertise in support of this team, through co-location of staff. The new arrangement is intended for replication at country level where possible. This arrangement provides an entry point for a UN coordinated effort to mainstream gender into post-conflict rule of law planning, programming and support.

Somalia, as a g7+ country and member of the International Dialogue for Peace and State Building, developed the Somali Compact (2014-2016) which was approved by the international community in Brussels on 16 September 2013. The Somali Compact sets the framework for Somalia’s pathway towards recovery, within five overall peace and state building goals (PSGs). To this end, a Somalia Reconstruction and Development Fund (SDRF) was established, aiming to harmonize and coordinate donor resources and overall decision making around priorities. Funding arrangements are organized as Multi-Partner Trust Funds which goes towards funding overall programs, screened by PSG working groups consisting of government, donor partners, UN agencies and International Financing Institutions, and eventually approved by the SDRF Steering Committee. The UN has established an Integrated Strategic Framework (ISF) (2014-2016) to guide the strategic management of UN’s political, development, human rights and security engagements in Somalia in responding to the Somali Compact. The ISF is meant to lead to ensuring maximization of limited resources and a more coherent and focused engagement with Somali authorities and international partners on shared strategic objectives.

The Somalia Joint Rule of Law Programme is the first UN Joint Programme developed under the United Nations Multi-Partners Trust Fund (UNMPTF) in Somalia. Aligned to the priorities and principles spelled out in the Somali Compact and now the National Development Plan (2017-2020) the Joint Rule of Law Programme aims at supporting the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and responding to the ISF towards achieving some of its objectives under PSG2 on Security and PSG3 on Justice.

The Joint Rule of Law Programme builds on the positive gains, experience, expertise and added value of relevant UN partners under the Global Focal Point Arrangement to advance rule of law and constitutes a key landmark to maximize impact of UN interventions, minimize overlapping activities and maximize UNMPTF resources and know-how of the UN to “deliver as one” to enhance justice and security for all Somalis.

The Joint Rule of Law Programme framework provides a harmonized, coherent and sector-planning approach to address justice, corrections and police within the broader framework of the rule of law. It ensures that collective UN action to enhance rule of law retains capacity building, gender equality and human rights principles as cross-cutting issues of this approach as outlined in the Somali Compact.

The Joint Rule of Law Programme will rely on coordination with and between different national counterparts, while supporting the Compact principle that development efforts are ‘Somali-owned. Somali-led’, while at the same time maintaining interactive partnerships with UNMPTF donors and other partners through steering group arrangements.

The Joint Rule of Law Programme actively engages nine UN entities and agencies operating in Somalia (UNSOM, UNDP, UNODC, UNOPS, UN Women, UNICEF, UNFPA, UNHCR, OIM) at diverse levels of programme support and implementation. Within such framework, UN Women plays a catalytic role for the effective integration of gender and the coordination of all gender-related activities, providing strategic, advisory and technical support to all ROL JP partners in the following areas of work:

Elaboration of normative and policy frameworks to enhance protection of and access to justice for women and girls, supporting the federal Government of Somalia for the operationalization of UN SCR 1325 at federal and state level;
Development of national public institutions - including at legal, structural and operational level - particularly in the areas of women and girls’ protection and gender justice;
Knowledge and capacity building of security and justice sectors’ actors on women rights and gender justice;
Research, advocacy and awareness raising on gender equality and women's empowerment in security and justice sectors.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the ROL Programme Manager and in coordination with gender experts in UNSOM and ROL Joint Programme UN partner agencies, the International Consultant will ensure that gender is mainstreamed in the Justice Component of the ROL Joint Programme in order to strengthen security and access to justice for women and girls across the regions in Somalia. The International Consultant will provide technical support to UN Women Country Office in the implementation of gender-specific activities in support of justice reform process in Somalia and Somaliland as set out in the Annual Work Plan, specifically:

Provide assistance to the Ministry of Justice with the development of a federal Women’s Access to Justice Policy and at least 3 state specific implementation plans;
Support the set up and capacity building initiatives for specialized SGBV units within the prosecution (Puntland and Somaliland);
Provide technical support to UN partner agencies to mainstream gender into their initiatives.

The International Consultant will work in collaboration with the Somali Government at Federal and State level to enhance the capacity of the Somalia Government and of Somali security and justice institutions at federal and state level in carrying out the above duties and responsibilities.

Impact of Results

The International Consultant will significantly contribute to the implementation of gender-responsive activities in the framework of the Justice component of the UN Rule of Law Joint Programme (as per annual work-plan) through the provision of high quality technical expertise and policy/programme advice.

The International Consultant will work closely with the federal Ministry of Justice to develop a federal Women’s Access to Justice and state specific implementation plans. The Consultant will support the Attorney General Office with the establishment and/or strengthening of SGBV specialized prosecution services.

In addition, the consultant will support the sister UN agencies to mainstream gender into their Rule of Law initiatives.

Deliverables:

The International Consultant will be responsible for delivering:

A detailed work-plan, developed in closer partnership with management and UN partners, for the consultancy covering proposed mission dates, key meetings/consultations with counterparts and stakeholders, activities and timeframe for the delivery of consultancy products (listed below). The work-plan and timeframe for deliverables will be discussed and agreed on with UN Women ROL Project Manager;
An “end of project hand-over note” at the end of the consultancy, to be revised and finalized in coordination with UN Women ROL Project Manager;

The International Consultant will be responsible for the following deliverables:

In close consultation with MOJ an initial Women’s Access to Justice draft policy developed;
In partnership with MOJ and partners federal WA2J police finalized;
In partnership with relevant AGOs an action and training plan for establishment/ capacity building initiatives for SGBV specialized prosecution services developed;
2 draft SOPs for SGBV specialized prosecution services;
6 training/ mentoring session for SGBV prosecutors conducted and workshop reports submitted.

The incumbent will be home based with at least 4 mission to Somalia (duration approx. 3 weeks each), and will carry out frequent field visits to Somalia federal states, including but not limited to Puntland and Somaliland.

Competencies

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;

Ethics and Values:

Demonstrate and safeguard ethics and integrity;

Organizational Awareness:

Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment;

Development and Innovation:

Take charge of self-development and take initiative;

Work in 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;

Communicating and Information Sharing:

Facilitate and encourage open communication and strive for 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:

Encourage learning and sharing of knowledge;

Appropriate and Transparent Decision Making:

Demonstrate informed and transparent decision making;

Functional Competencies:

Proven ability to provide policy, programme and strategic advice on Rule of Law with a specific focus on justice sector reforms in conflict/post-conflict settings;
Proven ability to design and implement institutional reform plans from a gender-sensitive / gender-responsive perspective, particularly for the justice sector, with a demonstrated ability to promote change;
Proven ability to support institutional development and capacity building through elaboration and implementation of strategic and operational plans, guidelines and training plans;
Ability to effectively contribute to strategic planning, programme/project implementation, results-based management and reporting;
Ability to develop and maintain strong partnerships with a variety of stakeholders (including government civil society, international development/aid community) and develop inter-institutional coordination and communication mechanisms.

Required Skills and Experience

Education

Master’s degree in law, political science/ international affairs, international development studies, gender/women’s studies, human rights or a related field. Other educational background within social and political science may be accepted provided the candidate has demonstrated experience within gender, human rights, rule of law and/or security sector institutional development.

Experience

Minimum 7 years’ experience in programme/project expertise in rule of law and/or justice sector reform and gender;
Technical expertise and experience in policy development and strategic planning in the area of rule of law from a gender perspective is required;
Demonstrated experience promoting institutional development and strengthening capacity of staff and counterparts in multi-cultural settings;
Proven experience in capacity building for justice service providers including design and implementation of training plans and training materials;
Relevant experience from a conflict / post conflict setting preferred, including countries with Sharia law or knowledge of Sharia law an advantage;
Excellent communication skills required;
Familiarity with the UN system and knowledge of UN Women an asset.

Language

Fluency in the English language required, with strong, confident command of both written and oral English.