UN WOMEN Jobs - 102465- Grant-Giving Consultant

Grant-Giving Consultant

Advertised on behalf of

UN WOMEN

Location :

New York, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

18-Oct-21 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

8 months ( November 2021- June 2022)

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

The UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women (UN Trust Fund) is a global multi-lateral grant making mechanism supporting national efforts to prevent and end violence against women and girls (EVAW/G) managed on behalf of the UN system by UN Women. Since its establishment in 1996 by UN General Assembly resolution 50/166, the UN Trust Fund has awarded USD 198 million to 609 initiatives in 140 countries and territories. In 2020, it managed a grants portfolio of 150 projects aimed at preventing and addressing violence against women and girls in 71 countries and territories. Focusing on preventing violence, implementing laws and policies, and improving access to vital services for survivors, the UN Trust Fund invests in sustainable change through demand-driven initiatives implemented by civil society organizations (CSOs) around the world. It is committed to funding organizations that are operating at the community to national level, focused on women’s rights organizations (WROs) that are women-led.

The UN Trust Fund is seeking a highly motivated and resourceful Grant-giving consultant, preferably with expertise in ending violence against women, to implement the Fund’s 2021-2022 Call for Proposals/grant-giving as well as develop the Fund’s forward-looking grant-making processes. The ideal candidate will have strong organizational and writing skills, great attention to detail, and the ability to take initiative and manage effectively. The role requires the ability to coordinate across a wide array of stakeholders, synthesize a vast amount of information into a clear and compelling narrative, and the aptitude for setting up efficient systems for information management and coordination.

Reporting to the Grants Programme Manager, the Grant-giving consultant will be responsible for operationalizing the UN Trust Fund’s 25th grant-giving cycle which includes coordinating the grantmaking programme, including managing the technical review process, and coordinating relationships with national partners (grantees) and stakeholders, as well as developing options for future grant-giving.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall guidance of the Grants Programme Manager, the Grant-giving consultant will be responsible for:

1. Coordinating the 2021-2022 Grant-making Programme (with a special focus on Leaving No One Behind):

Overseeing the full cycle of grant-giving activities, from solicitation through shortlisting, pre-award assessment, to final grant selection according to established Call for Proposals timelines and 2022 Annual Work Plan document.
Leading the development of all substantive guidance, including reviewer appraisal and webinars that embody the feminist grant-giving principles reflected in the Fund’s 2021-2025 Strategy.
Coordinating effectively with numerous stakeholders, including applicants and external experts, to ensure completion of applications and appraisals in a timely manner.
Managing proposal appraisal and finalization processes at the Regional and HQ levels which includes sharing relevant review materials with each participant and ensuring the appraisal by external consultants and UN Women colleagues is completed within established time-frames.
Updating the UN Trust Fund’s Grants Manual to reflect changes in the Call for Proposal and ensure that guidance, policies and procedures are clearly communicated to new grantees.
Supporting the grant selection processes through servicing the Regional and Global PACs, and developing presentations, supporting documents and minutes as needed.

2. Leading on technical and substantive aspects of the Grant-making Programme:

Developing external/public programmatic guidance, including Call for Proposals and supporting documents, application and reporting templates, and Frequently Asked Questions.
Preparing substantive analytical documents, presentations and other informative packages on the UN Trust Fund call and applications, including a snapshot summary of received applications and an end-of Call lessons-learned document.
Preparing written contributions for various purposes, including inputs for the annual donor reports, newsletters, fundraising efforts, and other reporting needs.
Providing substantive input (including through conducting research) to make the UN Trust Fund’s grant-giving strategy bolder and better.
Finalizing a Grant-Giving Action plan that presents concrete grant-giving scenarios and options for principled and feminist grant-giving.

3. Leading knowledge building and management related to grant-giving

Tracking and synthesizing, on an ongoing basis, developments, tools, emerging, or good practices in the field of ending violence against women and girls, including capturing findings and lessons learned to inform principled grant-giving, as applicable.
Identifying challenges and lessons learned across the grants and the grant-giving process to contribute to institutional learning through documenting lessons learned
Updating and maintaining a grant-making and knowledge management tracking database with relevant grantee information.

4. Other activities or deliverables assigned by the UN Trust Fund Chief or Grants Manager

Competencies

Functional Competencies

Solid organizational, coordination and project management skills.
Capacity to plan, prioritize and deliver tasks on time.
Ability to set priorities; work under pressure with colleagues at all levels.
Ability to synthesize program performance data and produce analytical reports in order to inform management and strategic decision-making
Ability to communicate sensitively and effectively across different constituencies.
Demonstrated capacity to perform within a multicultural work environment, tact and ability to deal with confidential matters in a discreet and reliable manner.
Ability to participate effectively in a team-based, information-sharing environment, to collaborate and cooperate with others.
Ability to perform a variety of tasks in a fast-paced and pressured environment.
Ability to think outside the box and bring a fresh perspective to make grant-giving bolder and better

Technical Competencies

Excellent research, writing and analytical skills.
Ample knowledge and use of computer office tools (Excel, PowerPoint, Word etc.)
Basic knowledge of accounting, finance, and statistics.
Excellent command of the English language.

Required Skills and Experience

Master’s degree in business or public administration, economics, political science or social sciences.
At least five-years’ experience working in the areas of grant-giving and/or grants-management, preferably in the context of gender programming and/or ending violence against women is required.
Experience in drafting or contributing analysis for lessons learned reports or other communications or knowledge products, preferably on gender programming and/or EVAW/G is would be an advantage.
Experience in working collaboratively with civil society organizations, particularly women’s rights organizations would be an advantage.
Experience working with a global funder or a Fund focusing on women’s rights would be an advantage.
Experience with knowledge-based platforms, websites, SharePoint / extranet sites an advantage.
Experience in project management, results-based management and/ or the design and implementation of EVAW/G programmes or projects would be an advantage.
Fluency in English is required.
Knowledge of another UN official working language, especially French or Spanish, is an asset.