Programme Management Specialist (BURUNDIANS ONLY)

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.

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.

UN Women Burundi’s Strategic Note 2019-2023 aligns with UN Women’s Global Strategic Plan 2018-2021, the National Development Plan 2018-2027, the National Gender Policy (NGP) and UNSC Resolution 1325 action plans for 2017-2021, UNDAF (2019-2023) and the United Nations Resilience Framework. It captures the triple mandate of UN WOMEN (Normative, Coordination and Programmatic) aimed at supporting government and partners to achieve lasting results for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, building on its comparative advantages.

The strategic note prioritizes three outcomes: i) An environment for the implementation of WPS commitment is enabled in Burundi through the participation and influence of key governmental and non-governmental stakeholders; ii Women, including those in refugees/ IDPS camps and other vulnerable situations, experience enhanced safety, security, physical and mental health, and their human rights respected in conformity with ratified regional and international instruments’; iii) Women and girls participate in and benefit from socio-economic recovery opportunities in the context of peace and resilience-building’.

Hence, UN Women Burundi is structured in three main components: (1) Women Leadership & Participation -Peace and Security (WPS); (2) End of Violence Against Women and Girls/Human Rights and (3) Women Economic Empowerment (WEE).

Under the supervision of the Country Representative, the Programme Management Specialist is responsible for managing the development, implementation, monitoring and reporting of programmes for the Country Office, including providing technical support to the implementation of the Country Office programme, managing the monitoring and reporting for the Country Office, overseeing and guiding people and budget management for the programme team, building partnerships and providing support in developing resource mobilization strategies, and managing knowledge building efforts.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Oversee the programmatic development for Country Office, based on the Strategic Note  

• Provide overall programme advisory support to the Office Management;
• Guide the development of the CO programme, and provide technical support to the design and formulation of programme/ project initiatives;
• Review and provide feedback to project/ programme strategies and documents, workplans, case studies and related knowledge products and publications;
• Provide technical advice on the development of systems, processes and mechanisms to support programme planning, implementation, monitoring and progress reporting;
• Review and evaluate proposals and oversee the preparation of donor proposals and reports;
• Oversee drafting of and finalize policy documents, briefs and other strategic papers/ materials for the use in the development and presentation of policy and programmatic positions.

 2. Provide technical support to the implementation of the Country Office programmes 

• Review programme annual work plans to assure compliance with UN Women programme goals and results-based indicators;
• Analyze and ensure alignment of project budgets with logical framework matrices and work plans;
• Draft reports on activities, outputs and outcomes; and compile information in preparations of country office donor and UN Women reports;
• Analyze and ensure alignment of project budgets with logical framework matrices and work plans;
• Manage programme quality control and identification of potential challenges;
• Align programme activities with operations team in close liaison with Operations Managers;
• Build and manage relationships with national partners, as necessary.

3. Oversee monitoring and reporting for Country Offices

• Recommend and establish programme monitoring standards, criteria, and other indicators for measuring and assessing progress/results;
• Oversee the monitoring of progress against mutually agreed results frameworks and performance indicators;
• Coordinate the process of gathering information and preparing progress reports on programme implementation; prepare technical reports;
• Gather information and prepare reports on progress of programme implementation for donors; prepare technical reports;
• Provide technical support in the preparation of audits and follow up on the implementation of audit recommendations;
• Develop, coordinate and provide training on results-based management to CO. Provide training on results-based management to office staff, as necessary.

  4. Oversee and guide people and budget management for the programme team

• Manage the performance of personnel under their supervision by provide managerial direction, guidance and leadership as well as performance feedback and coaching.
• Ensure performance assessment are completed on time and identify learning and development opportunities to support personnel’s engagement.
• Ensure all personnel under their supervision are fully aware of UN Women’s workplace relations policies.
• Monitor and analyze financial situation on the portfolios and programmes to ensure adherence to delivery rates and utilization of resources to meet agreed upon targets and results;
• Ensure effective information flow, communication and coordination across the office, between programmes, projects and operations, and with other UN Women offices and units.

5. Build partnerships and support in developing resource mobilization strategies 

• Develop and implement partnerships and resource mobilization strategies;
• Finalize relevant documentation on donors and develop 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;
• Determine programmatic areas of cooperation, based on strategic goals of UN Women, country needs and donors’ priorities and develop the relevant partnerships.

6. Lead knowledge building and sharing efforts 

• Lead the process of identifying and synthesizing of best practices and lessons learned that are directly linked to the implementation of the programme and contribute to their global dissemination.

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

 

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities:

The incumbent leads a team of 10, which includes 6 direct reports, as well as 4 affiliate personnel (SC, consultants and interns).

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: 

FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES:

• Excellent programme formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation skills
• Ability to develop detailed operational plans, budgets, and deliver on them
• Ability to synthesize program performance data and produce analytical reports to inform management and strategic decision-making
• Excellent analytical skills
• Excellent knowledge of Results Based Management
• Strong knowledge of UN programme management systems
• Ability to lead formulation of strategies and their implementation
• Strong networking skills
• Ability to negotiate and interact with donors, identify and analyze trends, opportunities and threats to fundraising

Required Skills and Experience

Education and Certification

• Master’s degree or equivalent in 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 7 years of progressively responsible experience in programme management, including programme design, programme coordination, monitoring and evaluation, donor reporting and capacity building is required.
• Experience in setting priorities, budgets, work plans, participating in programme development and programme writing is required.
• Experience in working in a gender related area is required.
• Experience in the fields of ending violence against women/human rights of women/ women’s economic empowerment/ women leadership & participation/peace and security is required.
• Experience leading and coaching staff in international settings is required.
• Experience in working independently with minimal supervision is required.
• Experience in country and/or region is desirable.
• Experience in coordinating and liaising with government agencies and/or donors is desirable.
• Experience working in the UN System is desirable.
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling of web-based management systems is required.
• Experience in the use of a modern web-based ERP System, preferably Oracle Cloud, is desirable.

Languages

• Fluency in French and English is required.

Reservation:

UN Women reserves the right to discontinue the recruitment due to any unforeseen circumstances. The output of this assignment shall belong to UN Women and Partners.

Note:  Please note that applications without a completed and signed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment. 

UN Women Personal History form (P-11) can be downloaded from 

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, colour, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need. 

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application. At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, colour, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)