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.

Under the overall guidance and leadership of the Country Representative, and under the direct supervision of the Deputy Representative, the Programme Specialist, Women’s Economic Empowerment is responsible for the formulation, management and implementation of programmes under his/her portfolio. She/he provides technical expertise on gender equality and women’s empowerment with a holistic approach, to address opportunities and challenges in women’s Economic Empowerment in Uganda; aimed at achieving a substantial increase in women’s access to and control over economic assets, decision-making, land, labor, livelihoods and other means of production and social protection, especially for the most vulnerable and at the risk of being left behind in the development process.  

The Programme Specialist analyses, social and economic trends, provides policy advisory services to partners in government, UN, development partners, CSOs (particularly the Women’s Movement in Uganda) and academia; she/he works closely with UN Women thematic advisors at regional office and at headquarters, ensuring successful implementation of the UN Women Uganda Strategic Plan, under his/her portfolio. The Programme Specialist provides regular analysis of policies and practices to senior management and compiles lessons learned for formulation of strategic interventions, including support on resource mobilization.

The Programme Specialist exercises overall responsibility for planning, implementing, and managing UN Women interventions under their portfolio.  The WEE Specialist will also be responsible for supporting capacity building of national actors, establish and strengthen partnerships, and develop relevant systems to advance Women’s Economic Empowerment among women facing multiple forms of discrimination .The Programme Specialist works in close collaboration with the programme and operations team, UN Women HQ staff, Government officials, UN System Agencies, multi and bi-lateral donors and civil society ensuring successful UN Women programme implementation under this portfolio.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Design and develop programme strategies in the area of women’s economic empowerment.  

• Design and formulate programme/ project proposals and initiatives;
• Draft inputs to country strategy documents, briefs, policy dialogue and other documents related to women’s economic empowerment.

2. Manage the implementation and management of the women’s economic empowerment programme

• Finalize the annual workplan 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.

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

• Manage the implementation of technical advice and guidance. Develop and implement technical tools, and initiatives
• Build and manage relationships with national partners to support implementation and expansion of the women’s economic empowerment programme; respond to any potential problems;
• Identify capacity building needs of partners and lead the coordination of technical assistance, mentoring, training and capacity development initiatives to partners.

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;
• Contribute to office donor and UN Women reports.

5. Manage the people and financial resources of the women’s economic empowerment programme

• Manage the programme budget and draft financial reports;
• Play the role of WEE Team Lead and supervise Programme Analysts, Technical Specialists and other WEE Team members; 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.

7. Contribute to inter-agency coordination on women’s economic empowerment to achieve coherence and alignment of UN Women programmes with other partners in the country.

• Provide technical support to the Representative and Deputy Representative on inter-agency coordination related activities by attending meetings, 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.

8. Manage advocacy, knowledge building and communication efforts

• Develop and review background documents, briefs and presentations related to the women’s economic empowerment;
• Represent UN Women in meetings and policy dialogues on issues related to women’s economic empowerment 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 women’s economic empowerment.

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
• Relations with partners and stakeholders
• Quality reports and timely submission
• Regular communication with other agencies and partners
• Quality of advocacy and communication initiatives

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

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 women’s economic empowerment
• Strong analytical skills
• Ability to identify and analyze trends, opportunities and threats to fundraising and develop strategies

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 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;
• Technical experience in women’s economic empowerment;
• 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.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required;
• Working knowledge of another official UN language is an asset