Background
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP: we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.
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.
Organizational Context
UNDP has a global mandate to support the governments in good governance and security & justice sector reforms as well as significant experience in producing policy advice and support to governments. At the requests of the Government of Iraq (GOI), UNDP has been engaging with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the Ministry of Interior (MOI), the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Migration and Displacement, local authorities and a range of national and international interlocutors to provide technical advice and assistance to advance efforts in this sphere. Among others, the ongoing work focuses specifically in supporting the GOI Security Sector Reform and Social Cohesion and Reintegration efforts. In this regard UNDP maintains strong partnerships throughout the security sector, and social cohesion actors at both national and local levels. Its efforts are particularly supporting the MOI and local police reform as well as MoMD, ONSA, local authorities and local peace structures.
In line with the Country Programme Document for UNDP Iraq (CPD 2020-2024), which aims to support the Government of Iraq’s vision for a sustainable peaceful Iraq, UNDP has also a program on Social Cohesion which works in main areas that include 1) Strengthening the national and local frameworks for peace and social cohesion, 2) Preventing violent extremism through community-led initiatives, and 3) community-based reconciliation and reintegration in Iraq for displaced persons, returnees and at-risk groups.
Every stage UNDP’s programme has been guided by principles of gender integration and gender equality with strong commitment to the UNSC Resolution 1325 (women, peace, and security) to ensure that the overall programme of work is gender sensitive and promotes equal outreach to both women and men as much as possible. Efforts in this regard include UNDP’s ROL/SSR supports:
- Ministry of Interior to enhance the role of women in the Iraqi Police to strengthen Access to Justice for women and girls in Iraq.
- Support UNFPA in the adoption and implementation of the Standard Operating Procedures for Police response to Family Violence and All Forms of Violence against Women and Girls;
- Enhancing the role of women in MOI’s Local Policing Services through the Model Police Station initiative.
- Enhancing the focus on security concerns specific to women and children in Iraq through the Security Sector Reforms Programme;
- Working closely with the Association of Iraqi Women Judges under the Supreme Judicial Council of Iraq to strengthen the role and participation of women judges in the Judiciary;
- Set up coordination platforms with NATO Mission in Iraq with a specific focus on Women and Security Sector Reforms between International Organizations, International Political Missions / Representatives, and Civil Society in Federal Iraq.
- The Social cohesion pillar support the Government with the following.
- Return and reintegration of Iraqis from Northeast Syria, 90% being women and children.
- Provision of durable solutions on internal displacement focusing on community acceptance, livelihood, housing rehabilitation, community assets rehabilitation, mental health and social cohesion.
- Prevention of violence extremism, focusing on implementation of plan of Action developed at the Governorate levels, as well as working with universities.
- Promotion of peace community coexistence and prevention of conflicts focusing on capacity building of local peace structures, women and youth and Government institutions
- The overall programme of work recognizes that increasing gender equality and integration in Iraqi security and justice sector (e.g. Iraq local police and criminal investigation spheres) is a long – term goal. Programme activities are therefore designed to act as a precursor to achieving the long – term goal. Furthermore, cognizant of the existing gaps related to the limited female presence in the operational environment (e.g. female police officers) and, absence of tailored service delivery to women and girls who are often reluctant to seek assistance from public security service providers such as local police, all programme activities will also take additional measures to promote gender integration and gender sensitivity.
- Against this backdrop, the Gender Specialist will work under the direct supervision of the SSR / RoL Programme Manager and in coordination with the rest of the programme team, as well as the UNDP Country Officer Gender Specialist and Social Cohesion Team to strengthen the gender mainstreaming and technical advice and assistance to the overall programme on SSR, ROL Social Cohesion, as well as any further initiatives on Women, Peace and Security 1325 Agenda (especially the implementation of the Second National Action Plan for Iraq and the development of Third National Action Plan upon the directives of the National Directorate for Iraqi Women of COMSEC). This position will also document lessons learned and best practices related to gender sensitive programme implementation for SSR and ROL as well as Social Cohesion in Iraq.
Job Purpose
The Gender Specialist is responsible for providing technical advice and assistance to develop a robust gender sensitive and gender equality strategy and approach to overall programme of work, monitor its implementation and lead the implementation of activities that are specifically dedicated to advance gender equality and gender integration in close coordination with the rest of the SSR / RoL team and Social Cohesion Team.
UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across
interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions,
teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.
Duties and Responsibilities
1) Provide technical support to the SSR / RoL and Social Cohesion Programme to develop and implement gender integration and gender equality to programme activities.
- Provide advice and assistance to SSR / RoL & Social Cohesion Programme Managers and Technical Specialists in the development and implementation of the key gender components across all programme activities;
- Ensure gender sensitivity and gender integration for the programme interventions cognizant of Iraqi context, challenges, and entry points therein.
- Provide advice and support on gender integration and gender sensitivity to all technical and programme staff;
- Provide support to the SSR Advisor and Social Cohesion Team Leader, the entire team to mainstream gender perspectives within the GOI’s NSS, SSRP – in line with the Second National Action Plan 1325 for Iraq and Kurdistan as well as the WPS 1325 Agenda and within Social Cohesion programmes, including preventing violent extremism, reintegration, community engagement of women and youth representatives.
- Assist and advice the SSR, Policing and Criminal Justice Technical Specialists and Social Cohesion team to incorporate key principles on gender equality – in line with the Second National Action Plan 1325 and relevant other frameworks, including Social Cohesion, in the development and delivery of specialized training courses to Iraqi interlocutors in the SSR, Policing and Justice spheres as well as social cohesion actors.
- Ensure gender analysis related to all programme activities to ensure that the interventions are gender sensitive and in line with the “do no harm” approach for the operational context.
- Introduce and incorporate the latest tools and methodological approached to ensure gender equality in all programme activities in line with the needs, priorities, and challenges in the operational environment.
- Provide considerable inputs in designing concept notes and project documents for gender mainstreaming and ensure the outputs as well as the project document is assigned the relevant gender markers in accordance with UNDP POPP guidelines.
- Any other relevant task assigned by the SSR / RoL Programme and Social Cohesion Manager that is necessary to advance gender integration priorities within the overall programme implementation.
2) Ensure implementation of activities of the Women Peace and Security (WPS) Project
- Track the project’s workplan, implement project activities and ensure the timely reporting.
- Provide quality assurance for all project products.
- Liaise with project partners and represent the Country Office in meetings with the donor as required.
- Lead the development and implementation of dedicated desks in the model police stations pilot to encourage women and girls to report cases on sexual and gender-based violence, and Violence Against Women (VAW) in close collaboration with the SSR/RoL and Social Cohesion Technical Specialists.
- Develop a viable training and mentoring curricular and deliver trainings and mentorship programmes to the police offices in the model police stations to achieve the programmes stated objectives in close collaboration with the rest of the SSR / RoL Technical Specialists.
- Ensure gender mainstreaming and provide technical support for capacity building and improving engagement of NGOs and women and youth groups in designing and implementing women-led initiatives.
- Monitor, analyze and document the best practices and lesson learned on the programme interventions in close collaboration with the Programme Management Specialist.
- Ensure close coordination, collaboration and joint work with like-minded partners to UNDP i.e. including other UN Agencies within the UNCT in Iraq, like – minded international partners, like – minded international organisation / NGOs and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) engaged on gender, WPS 1325 and SSR / RoL related aspects of work in Iraq
- Any other relevant tasks assigned by the SSR / RoL Programme Manager and Social Cohesion Manager that is necessary to advance gender integration priorities within the overall programme implementation.
3) Facilitate knowledge building to advance gender integration and gender equality within the UNDP SSR / RoL and Social Cohesion multi-year programme to work to Support Security and Justice Sector Governance in Post and Social Cohesion Programmes – ISIL Iraq.
- Monitor, analyze and document the best practices and lesson learned on the programme interventions in close collaboration with the Programme Management Specialist
- Ensure programme M&E system collects the necessary disaggregated data by gender and related information to reflect the gender results and document progress and impact, as well as identify gaps and challenges in achieving gender equality-based results for the programme.
- Any other relevant task assigned by the SSR / RoL Programme Manager and Social Cohesion Manager that is necessary to advance gender integration priorities within the overall programme implementation for RoL / SSR and Social Cohesion Programme
4)Ensure regular and effective networking and coordination with like-minded international partners active in promoting gender equality and gender integration within Iraqi security and justice sector and Social Cohesion programme.
- Other UN Agencies within the UNCT in Iraq engaged on gender, WPS 1325 and SSR / RoL as well as Social Cohesion related aspects of work in Iraq:
- – Like – minded international partners
- -Like – minded international organisation / NGOs engaged or likely to be engaged in the policing sector, social cohesion and reintegration in Iraq.
- Continue to co-chair and lead the Unified Action Partners – WPS 1325 working group established jointly by UNDP Iraq and NATO mission in Iraq to support the coordination of activities; and establish additional forums for coordination between GOI representatives, civil society actors, UN and other international implementing partners and the donor community in Iraq to further support and strengthen evidence led programming for WPS issues related to SSR & RoL for Iraq.
- The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization
- Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities:
Competencies
Core:
- Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact
- Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems
- Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
- Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands
- Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
- Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
- Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity
Cross-Functional & Technical competencies
- Business Direction & Strategy: System Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgment to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.
- Business Management: Portfolio Management: Ability to select, prioritize and control the organization’s programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity; ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimizing return on investment
- Ethics: Legal Analysis and Report Writing: Ability to apply legal analysis to a diverse range of complex issues, and express themselves clearly; ability to communicate well, to all levels of staff and contractors/consultants, governments et.al.
- Partnership management: Relationship management: Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding
- Digital & Innovation: Co-creation: Ability to design and facilitate a process that enables a diverse group of stakeholders to solve a common problem, develop a practice, or create knowledge together.
Ability to embrace diversity, work with a diverse group of stakeholders understand their interests, perspectives and views and tap into to them as a source for creativity.
Ability to facilitate processes and create conditions that are open for diverse inputs, stimulate collaboration and sharing. - Communications: Advocacy strategy and implementation: Ability to create and implement advocacy strategies which lead to impactful change
- General (across the functions): Event planning and execution: Ability to plan, manage and execute of public and private events to ensure that they support and amplify individual communications and advocacy initiatives, as well as UNDP’s overall brand and mandate.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in International Laws, Gender and Security Studies, International Relations, Conflict and Peace Studies, International Development, or related field is required. OR
- A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the above-mentioned fields in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of advanced university degree.
Experience:
- Minimum 5 (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant professional experience and demonstrable knowledge and understanding of gender mainstreaming and gender sensitive security and justice sector reforms related work, with a broad-based understanding of the SSR / RoL related international discourse, policies, actors, and programming is required.
- Experience in security and justice sector programming, including at the field level is an asset.
- Proven experience in gender focused programming in conflict / post – conflict contexts is an asset.
- Proven experience in designing and conducting high quality social research / gender analysis and conflict analysis on issues related to gender, peace and security/ gender integration/ gender equality / gender sensitive approaches/ and, knowledge of relevant research methodologies is desired.
- Proven experience/capacity to engage with national and international stakeholders at a senior level with string liaison capacities and experience is desirable.
- Field experience in crisis and post conflict environments supporting gender integration in security and justice sector spheres at a strategic level is desirable.
- Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc), database packages, and web-based management systems such as ERP is required.
Language Requirements:
- Proficiency in oral and written English is required.
- Working knowledge of Arabic language would be an asset.
Please note that continuance of appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.
Note: Please upload copies of your academic qualifications and 3 latest Performance Evaluations (if applicable)
Disclaimer
Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment.
UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.
Applicant information about UNDP rosters
Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
Non-discrimination
UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.
UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.
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