Programme Specialist, Ending Violence against Women

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 is implementing an initiative Asia funded by the EU, with the short title of the project: ‘PROTECT, Protection of the Rights of Women and Children in Labour Migration.’

Implemented through a partnership between the ILO, UN Women, UNODC and UNICEF, ‘PROTECT’ will address women migrant workers’ vulnerabilities to violence, trafficking and labour exploitation, with financial support of the European Union. It will include project implementation in select ASEAN countries with a focus on Cambodia and Thailand. The ‘PROTECT’ project contributes to making labour migration safer by addressing important gaps with respect to protecting the rights of women migrant workers to a life free from labour exploitation and violence. UN Women’s role is focused on ending violence against women, including women migrant workers, with attention to response, prevention, systems, policies and structures. The project is part of UN Women’s regional portfolio on ending violence against women and girls in Asia and the Pacific.

Reporting to and collaborating closely with the Ending Violence against Women (EVAW) Programme Manager in the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, the Programme Specialist exercises responsibility for planning, implementing, and ensuring quality assurance for UN Women interventions related to the ‘PROTECT’ project.  The oversight for the PROTECT project is with the Ending Violence against Women Programme Manager. The Programme Specialist works in close collaboration with the programme and operations team, UN Women regional and HQ staff, UN agency partners, Government officials, multi- and bi-lateral donors, civil society and regional bodies, ensuring successful UN Women programme implementation under this portfolio.

Duties and Responsibilities

1.  Design and develop programme strategies in the area of ending violence against women for the PROTECT project

• Design and formulate programme/ project proposals and initiatives, for both regional and country levels;
• Draft inputs to strategy documents, briefs, policy dialogue and other documents related to the PROTECT project and related regional EVAW strategy initiatives.

2.  Manage the implementation and management of the programme

• Develop, implement and closely monitor the project annual workplans and budget;
• Manage the technical implementation of the programme/project;
• Ensure synergies with other UN agencies in the project, UN Women teams and the rest of the EVAW unit;
• Coordinate regularly with the other UN agencies and partners implementing the project;
• 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 UN Women’s and partner’s participation in 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 on ending violence against women in the context of the PROTECT project.
• Develop and implement technical tools, guidance and initiatives
• Build and manage relationships with partners to support implementation and results of the PROTECT project; 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;
• Review the submissions of implementing partner financial and narrative reports as required, to ensure quality reporting;
• 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 programme

• Manage the programme budget and draft financial reports;

• Supervise Programme Analysts, Technical Specialists, consultants and contracted firms;
• 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 as needed;
• Finalize relevant documentation on 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 ending violence against women to achieve coherence and alignment of UN Women programmes with other partners at regional and country levels

• Provide technical support to partners 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 project;
• Represent UN Women in meetings and policy dialogues on issues related to the PROTECT project as necessary;

• Develop advocacy strategies and oversee their implementation;
• Identify best practices and lessons learned to guide programme improvement and strategy planning;
• Support knowledge management strategies, products and methodologies.

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

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

• 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 Ending Violence against Women
• 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;
• Experience in implementing initiatives focused on ending violence against women is required;
• Experience writing technical materials in English language is required;
• Experience in working in humanitarian and emergency contexts is desirable;
• Experience coordinating and liaising with government agencies and/or donors is desirable;
• Experience working with civil society organisations is desirable;
• Experience working within the UN System is desirable;
• Experience living and working in Asia is desirable;
• Experience in leading/managing a team is desirable.

Languages:

• Fluency in English is required.
• Working knowledge of another official UN language is an asset (French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish).

Application:

• All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from
• Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.

Note:

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality, and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW, and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Diversity and Inclusion Statement:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits employ, trains, compensates and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, 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.

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.)