Office/Unit/Project Description

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan.

Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. BPPS’s staff provides technical advice to Country Offices, advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government and civil society dialogues, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas. BPPS works closely with UNDP’s Crisis Bureau (CB) to support emergency and crisis response. BPPS ensures that issues of risk are fully integrated into UNDP’s development programmes.  BPPS assists UNDP and partners to achieve higher quality development results through an integrated approach that links results-based management and performance monitoring with more effective and new ways of working. BPPS supports UNDP and partners to be more innovative, knowledge and data-driven including in its programme support efforts.

UNDP has achieved significant progress in making gender equality and women’s empowerment integral to its work on human development. The new UNDP Gender Equality Strategy 2022-2025 builds on the lessons of the previous strategies it has established as the main goal to help governments to shift systems and power structures that generate gender inequalities and women’s disempowerment. It will work through its six signature solutions on poverty and inequality, governance, resilience, environment, energy and gender equality; and promote integrated approaches in each thematic area, stronger investments in data and analysis, and the implementation of innovative solutions to transform social norms, and stronger partnerships with UN agencies and with civil society.

The Gender Team (BPPS) has the leading role in the implementation of the Gender Equality Strategy 2022-2025, including through the implementation of the UNDP Gender Equality Seal and the Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions.  The Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions is currently being implemented in 94 public institutions in 30 countries and quickly expanding. Latin America and the Caribbean is the front runner, with already 14 countries engaged in the Seal.

Scope of Work 

Under the direct supervision of the Manager of the Gender Seal for Public Institutions, they Gender Specialist- Gender Seal for Public Institutions will:

1.           Coordinate, facilitate and ensure quality assurance of external assessments of Public Institutions applying for the Seal certification.

• Manage the whole technical process of the external asessments, coordinating with Gender Seal regional and national coordinators the calendar of external assessments and coordinating, expanding and training the roster of external assessors of the Gender Seal for Public Institutions, including developing the training materials, with a focus on building partnerships with relevant associations of evaluators/assessors or academic bodies.
• Coordinate and facilitate online external assessments of public institutions (preparation, online missions, reporting and presentation of Results); monitor and ensure quality assurance of the performance and products of the external assessors.
• Manage the external assessment section of the Seal online platform, provide support to external assessors to use it, and propose any technical adjustments needed.

2.           Provide advisory and technical support to country offices and public institutions throughout the Seal implementation process.

• Review and validate the self-assessment baselines produced by participant public institutions, produce validated baseline matrix, and report and facilitate conversations with country offices and public institutions along the results.
• Develop and implement capacity building activities on gender mainstreaming in public institutions, Gender Seal methodology, the steps towards the Gender Equality Seal and any other relevant themes, for regional bureaus, country offices and participant public institutions according to the specific needs (trainings, learning sessions, webinars etc.).
• Design learning materials and tools to strengthen the program and the services provided to UNDP regional and country offices and institutions.
• Periodic and timely follow up and advisory to UNDP Regional Bureaus and Country Offices for ensuring an effective implementation of the program; priority for this position will be the support to Latin America and the Caribbean due to its rapid expansion.
• Contribute to communication activities and products of the Seal team: blogs, Seal Newsletter, and any others.

3.           Strenghten partnerships and resource mobilization efforts.

• Represent UNDP and the Gender Team in UN interagency coordination spaces, as well as in other fora, to advance UNDP strategic agenda on the Gender Seal for Public Institutions.
• Provide advice and support to foster/strengthen strategic partnerships to advance UNDP strategic agenda on the Gender Seal for Public Institutions.
• Contribute to the  resource mobilization efforts for the expansion of the Gender Seal for Public institutions, including identifying funding opportunities, preparing funding proposals, donor briefings, etc.
• Attend meetings, prepare concept notes, presentations, briefs and talking points for senior management as needed.

4.           Facilitate  day-to-day management of the Seal Gender Seal for Public Institutions initiative.

• Facilitate preparation and monitoring of the annual work plan, budget and procurement plan for all activities related to the Gender Seal for Public institutions.
• Coordinate the procurement of services including the development of terms of references and procurement strategies, the timely submission for procurement of goods and services (UNALL) and the quality assurance/approval of the deliverables; and the recruitment of personnel if needed.
• Ensure timely and high-quality reporting to management and donors against work plans.
• Prepare correspondence, notes-to-the-file, and coordinate other routine documentation or communications required by the Director, maintaining the highest standard of confidentiality, discretion and professional integrity.

5.           Facilitate knowledge building and knowledge sharing. 

• Facilitate knowledge management on the topic, aligned to the new global Knowledge Management Strategy and Framework for Action (e.g., CoPs, knowledge platforms, high-quality knowledge products, evidence-based good practices, among others).
• Systematize and manage knowledge arising from the external assessments, in terms of results and impact of the Seal, including by developing case studies, briefings, or others as needed.
• Keep the external assessment tracker updated, particularly in terms of public institutions results and good practices.
• Ensure continuous systematization of learnings arising of the process of the external assessments, both in terms of the external assessments methodology and on the applicability and results of the Seal standard and benchmarks across sectors and countries; propose adjustments and updates to the Seal methodology accordingly.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization

Institutional Arrangement

The incumbent will provide critical support to the BPPS/Gender Team under the direct supervision of the Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions Manager.

Competencies

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies 

Minimum Qualifications of the Successful IPSA

Min. Education requirements   

• Advanced University Degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in International Development, Gender Equality, Business Administration, Social Sciences or related disciplines. Or
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the above-mentioned fields of study, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Min. years of relevant work experience              

• Minimum of 5 years (with masters degree) or 7 years (with bachelors degree)  working on governance and public administration for advancing human rights, particularly gender equality and women’s empowerment.
• At least  5 years working at international level, and/or regional or global level regional is required.

Required skills               

• Experience and comprehensive knowledge in gender and public institutions and inclusive governance, gender institutional development and gender mainstreaming, working with diverse stakeholders.
• Knowledge of gender equality certification schemes and / or expertise implementing gender incentive and gender certification programmes.
• Experience with gender audits, evaluations, and capacity assessments for gender mainstreaming.

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section

• Proven record on fundraising and partnership building in international development programmes.
• Proven capacity to produce high quality qualitative research and ability to absorb, analyze and synthesize large amounts of complex information within tight deadlines.
• Coordination and management skills and experience liaising and coordinating with field offices/ projects across countries and development programs particularly promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment at global level.
• Experience and knowledge managing online platforms and coordinating online support and advice to stakeholders and partners at international level.
• Experience and knowledge on UNDP project management systems and procedures.

Required Language(s)   

• Fluency in English and Spanish (written and spoken) is required.
• Fluency in another UN language, particularly French or Portuguese, is an asset.