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 “Gaziantep Women-only Centre: Providing Livelihood Support” project aims to support the social and economic stabilization of refugee women, and to contribute to their self-reliance and ability to co-exist with women from the host community by creating a women-only centre/oasis that provides Syrian and host community women with: (i) a protected social space with childcare, referral services and language/vocational/empowerment skills development; (ii) a platform for dialogue, co-existence and the development of joint empowerment activities.

The Gaziantep Women-only Centre will serve as a one-stop-shop for women with a Temporary Protection Status (primarily Syrian but possibly from Iraq) as well as women from the host community. While several centres currently function in Gaziantep to meet Syrians’ needs, this one will specifically be “women-only,” offering a protected space to the most excluded and reaching out to women who until now have been cloistered in their homes, isolated and with little or no access to existing services. . Services that will be available at the women-only centre in Gaziantep will include:  a) referrals and community-building support; b) basic life skills trainings (including language courses, communication courses, self-reliance and empowerment programs; c) an understanding of gender equality, women’s rights and Gender Based Violence (GBV); d) psychosocial support; g) childcare support and h) legal support on access to employment.

The project will directly be implemented by UN Women, in cooperation with the Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality, International Labor Organization (ILO) and Association for Solidarity with Asylum Seekers and Migrants (ASAM).

The project is expected to be initiated in May 2017.

Reporting to UN Women Project Manager in Gaziantep and working closely with the UN Women Country Programme Office in Ankara, the Project Associate will provide support to the UN Women Project Manager in Gaziantep.

Duties and Responsibilities

Programme Support:

  • Supports the work of the UN Women Project Manager as necessary in implementing and monitoring activities under the project;
  • Support the Project Manager in operational and programmatic aspects of project implementation;
  • Ensures logistics are properly undertaken pertaining to the organization of workshops, seminars, events, and other activities, and prepares relevant budgets and participant lists;
  • Assists in the preparation of field visits, special events, coordination of meetings, Project Manager’s missions, including the development of background materials and other relevant reports and documentation;
  • Maintains ongoing contact with partners/project stakeholders, including government, civil society organizations, international organizations, UN agencies, and donors;
  • Communicate with stakeholders and partners from governmental bodies, CSOs and experts;
  • At the direction of the Project Manager drafts routine correspondence, and translation as necessary;
  • Assist the Project Manager in the preparation of annual work plans, annual progress reports;
  • Assists the Project Manager in work relating to monitoring and evaluating the performance of partners and responsible parties under contracts/agreements with UN Women;
  • Assist the Project Manager in identification of Human Resource;
  • Provides assistance in relation to any preparatory work related to new UN programmes, in which UN Women is a leader or participates as a partner;
  • Assists in the preparation of field visits, special events, coordination of meetings, Project Manager’s missions, including the development of background materials and other relevant reports and documentation;
  • Provides translation from English to Turkish and vice versa;
  • Performs any other tasks assigned by Project Manager and Turkey, Country Programme Manager;
  • Ensure full compliance with operational UN Women rules and regulations in terms of procurement; human resources and finance;
  • Support work that may lead to development of any new UN programme led by UN Women led or where UN Women is a partner.

Administration and Finance:

  • Supports and coordinates all logistics related to staff travel such as lodging, transportation and prepares Travel Authorizations and ensures Travel Claims are properly filled and original documents kept on file;
  • Receives and approves invoices for purchased goods and services and submits them to the Regional Office in Istanbul for payments in a timely manner.  Ensures that correct information on vendors is provided to the Regional Office in Istanbul.  Ensures all original financial records are kept on file, including both vendor and partner contracts and documentation;
  • Provide support to Project Manager monitoring and evaluating performance of partners/responsible parties with respect to partnership agreement overseeing the financial and operational aspects;
  • Manages electronic /manual registry of all correspondence received, ensures correct distribution, monitors and tracks correspondence to ensure responsiveness;
  • Provides general advice and information on UN rules and regulations and ensures that all operations are in compliance with these rules/regulations;
  • Performs any other tasks assigned by Project Manager and Country Program Manager
  • Ensure full compliance with Key Performance Indicatorsoperational UN Women rules and regulations in terms of procurement; human resources and finance.

Key Performance Indicators:

  • Timely and quality inputs and delivery in the area of project support
  • Timely and high quality delivery and response of administration and finance targets
  • Adherence to UN Women standards and rules
  • High quality of event planning, communication and organization
  • High quality and timely reporting
  • Ensure and maintain high quality and efficient communication and collaboration with responsible parties and project partners and all other relevant focal points and contacts .

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: http://www.unwomen.org/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/about%20us/employment/un-women-employment-values-and-competencies-definitions-en.pdf

Functional Competencies

  • Good knowledge of project management cycle
  • Knowledge of peace&security context
  • Excellent organizational skills and ability to pay close attention to detail
  • Ability to work under pressure against strict deadlines
  • Good oral and written communication skills

Required Skills and Experience

Education and certification:

  • Secondary education is required , preferably supplemental training in gender issues, administration and finance .
  • University degree (social sciences, political science or related subjects)is considered an asset.

Experience:

  • At least 6 years of relevant work experience;
  • Experience in working with international organizations and supporting similar programmes;
  • Experience in relation to implementation of women’s empowerment related projects considered an asset;
  • Previous UN experience considered considered an asset;
  • Experience of using ERP system considered an asset;
  • Experience in projects / programmes on empowerment of women in humanitarian contexts considered an asset;
  • Excellent computer skills (MS applications).

Language Requirements:

  • Excellent proficiency in English and Turkish, both written and verbal.