UN WOMEN Jobs - 94477- Programme Agenda Consultant

Programme Agenda Consultant – Generation Equality Forum

Advertised on behalf of

UN WOMEN

Location :

HQ/New York, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

26-Oct-2020

Application Deadline :

15-Oct-20 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

9 Months

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

9 Months

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 year 2020 marks the 25th anniversary of the Fourth UN World Conference on Women and adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995), the international blueprint for gender equality and women’s empowerment. In that context, UN Women is convening the Generation Equality Forum, a global gathering for gender equality, co-chaired by France and Mexico, with the leadership and partnership of civil society.

The Generation Equality Forum (GEF) is a civil-society centred, multi-stakeholder global gathering for gender equality, convened by UN Women and co-hosted by the governments of Mexico and France, in partnership with civil society. Through co-creation and diverse and inclusive consultations, the GEF will bring together feminist advocates from across the globe to foster action and renew movements for gender equality, as well as launch a set of innovative and multi-stakeholder Action Coalitions. The GEF in Mexico City (originally planned for 2020) will be held in early 2021, and will drive the strategic agenda towards this outcome, while the GEF in Paris in mid-2021 will see the culmination of this initiative into the next five years.

Ahead of the Forum, the Generation Equality Forum Secretariat is organizing various stakeholder engagement activities which will deepen and broaden the pool of stakeholders engaged and committed to the GEF and will contribute to the GEF’s outcomes. Such activities include public conversations and citizen engagement; curated discussions on key topics of the Forums with a set of policy-makers, expert from civil society and academia; and large-scale public awareness events- the ‘Activation Moments’. A regional journey for the GEF is also being designed, together with UN Women Regional and Country offices, to ensure that the initiative is inclusive, geographically diverse and youth-focused, and that the GEF is integrated and contributes to the broader UN Women’s response to COVID-19 and its impact on women and girls.

All these engagement activities will contribute to shaping the design and implementation of the Forum in Mexico and Paris in 2021, primarily through the Programme Agenda. To support such effort, the Generation Equality Forum Secretariat seeks to recruit a consultant to lead the conceptualization and coordination of the draft Programme Agenda in consultation with various stakeholders including the Core Group of the GEF. Under the overall guidance of the Executive Coordinator of the GEF and under the direct supervision of the Head of the Generation Equality Secretariat, and in close collaboration with other colleagues in the GEF Secretariat and the Civil Society Division as well as UN Women Policy Division and Action Coalition colleagues, and UN Women field offices, the successful candidate will be responsible for developing an outline of the Programme Agenda for the Forum both in Mexico City and Paris . The Programme Agenda will be based on the inputs and insight from the various preparatory activities that are being planned and will follow a consultative and participatory process with the Forum’s co-hosts and key constituencies. It will also take into account the virtual nature of the Forum as that may manifest.

Duties and Responsibilities

Lead the conceptualization of the linkages between GEF stakeholder engagement activities and the GEF Programme Agenda:

Carry out consultations with relevant stakeholders on their expectations and vision in the GEF Programme Agenda (including the various groups comprising the GEF governance structures, UN Women offices and external partners), and consolidate feedback received.
Support the design of key stakeholder engagement activities, such as public conversations and curated discussions, to ensure that there is a clear linkage between such activities and the development process of the Programme Agenda, and attend stakeholder engagement activities as needed for this purpose.
Support the development and coordination of the GEF Regional Journey and its implementation, gathering inputs as needed and ensuring that such internal consultations feed into the various iterations of the Programme Agenda.
Ensure that the Programme Agenda includes elements that refer to the impact of COVID-19 on women and girls, amplifying the work carried out by UN Women in this regard, as needed.
Produce analytical and synthesis reports on the various consultations carried out to develop the Programme Agenda and the feedback received, outlining linkages between such feedback and the design of the Programme Agenda.
Develop risk assessments and other tools to facilitate decision-making.

Lead the Conceptualization and Coordination of the Draft Programme Agenda:

Work closely with key stakeholders including consultancy companies supporting the GEF; and the GEF governance structure to develop iterative versions of the Programme Agenda and support its finalization.
Develop an outline and draft of the Programme Agenda for both Mexico City and Paris, identifying and recommending a combination of events, activities, and ceremonies.
Develop scenarios (combining physical and virtual) for the Mexico City and Paris Forum, as well as risk mitigation strategies.
Liaise with relevant focal points in UN Women and across the GEF Governance Structure to secure the involvement of proposed speakers, artists and other stakeholders for the events and activities.
Refine and finalize the programme agenda for final endorsement by the GEF governance and decision-making bodies, and subsequently integrate final feedback.

Other tasks as assigned by the supervisor.

Key Performance Indicators

Clear feedback loop developed between the design of the Programme Agenda and the various GEF stakeholder engagement activities.
Draft Programme Agenda for the Mexico City and Paris Forum, including interactive activities and a combination of virtual and in-person engagements.
Effectively lead and support the coordination of the engagement of relevant stakeholders and partners at all levels in UN Women and externally including through setting up of working groups as required

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:

Proven experience in content development/programme development for conferences in the field of gender equality at the international level.
Expertise in working with global coalitions and alliances.
Solid experience in stakeholder engagement, accompanied by proved negotiation and creative problem-solving skills, in the context of multi-stakeholder initiatives.
Experience working with civil society in diverse contexts.
Excellent writing, editing and presentation skills.
Strong teamworking and team leadership skills, and the ability to approach work in a professional and positive manner.
Strong knowledge of women’s rights and gender equality issues.
Familiarity with the UN system.

Required Skills and Experience

Education and certification:

Master’s degree or equivalent in gender equality, social sciences, international relations, international development or similar fields.
Certification in project management an advantage.

Experience:

Strong experience in conference programme development
At least 5 years of experience in project coordination, programme design and implementation, including in the context of multi-stakeholder initiatives and processes.
Experience in working with broad-based alliances and partnerships.
Experience in the design, roll out and monitoring of conference programme agendas
Experience working on gender equality and the empowerment of women at the international level.
Experience working in fast-paced environment, with proven attention to details.
Experience working with the UN an added advantage.

Language Requirements:

Written and oral fluency in English is required.
Knowledge of French and/or Spanish is an asset.