Programme Specialist, Women, Peace and Security (WPS)

Background

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. In doing so, UN Member States took a historic step in accelerating the Organization’s goals on gender equality and the empowerment of women. UN Women is providing technical and financial support to partners worldwide to design laws, policies, programmes, and services needed to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of women.

UN Women Georgia Country Office has growing portfolio in Women, Peace and Security (WPS) thematic area of work that entails programming to ensure that  women and girls contribute to and have greater influence in building sustainable peace and resilience, and benefit equally from the prevention of natural disasters and conflicts and from humanitarian action by ensuring that a) governmental, public and civil society organizations possess the required capacities to implement WPSA-relevant policies and programmes; b) women are enabled and capacitated to take part in decision-making processes around the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda  and last but not least c) IDP and conflict affected women (in Abkhazia, Georgia and across ABL) have enhanced human security and resilience through women’s economic empowerment and end violence against women interventions.

Reporting to the Deputy Country Representative, the Programme Specialist contributes to the effective management of UN Women programme portfolio in Women, Peace and Security thematic area of work in the Georgia Country Office by providing substantive inputs to programme design, formulation, implementation, and evaluation.  S/he guides and facilitates the delivery of UN Women programme in WPS thematic area by monitoring results achieved during implementation and ensuring appropriate application of systems and procedures and develops enhancements if necessary. She/he works in close collaboration with the programme and operations team, UN Women HQ staff, Government officials, multi and bi-lateral donors and civil society ensuring successful UN Women programme implementation under the portfolio.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Design and develop programme strategies in the area of WPS

• Design and formulate programme/ project proposals and initiatives;
• Draft inputs to country strategy documents, briefs, policy dialogue and other documents related to WPS.

2. Manage the implementation of the WPS programme portfolio of UN Women Georgia CO

• Finalize the annual workplan and budget and manage their implementation;
• Manage the technical implementation of the programme/project; ensure synergies with other teams;
• 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 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. Develop and implement technical tools, and initiatives
• Build and manage relationships with national partners to support implementation and expansion of the WPS programme portfolio; 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;
• 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 WPS programme portfolio

• Manage the programme budget and draft financial reports;

• Supervise Programme team and Technical Specialists; 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;
• Finalize relevant documentation on donors and 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 WPS to achieve coherence and alignment of UN Women programmes with other partners in Georgia

• Provide technical support to the Representative and Deputy Representative 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 WPS thematic area;
• Represent UN Women in meetings and policy dialogues on issues related to WPS as necessary;

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

9. Perform any other job-related duties as assigned by the supervisor

Key Performance Indicators: 

• Timely and quality programme design and inputs to Strategic Note
• Timely and quality of programme delivery in line with budget and workplans, and in line with all UN Women operational rules and regulations, including security
• Timely and quality monitoring and evaluation of programmes
• Relations with partners and stakeholders
• Quality reports and timely submission
• Regular communication with other agencies and partners
• Quality of advocacy and communication initiatives

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

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 gender and good governance & women’s participation in political life issues
• 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 law, 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; At least 2 years of technical experience in gender and good governance & women’s participation in political life issues; Experience coordinating and liaising with government agencies and/or donors is an asset; Experience working in the UN System is an asset; Experience in leading/managing a team is an asset.
Language Requirements:	Fluency in English and Georgian is required; Working knowledge of another official UN language is an asset;

 

Application package should consist of:

• Duly filled in Personal History Form PHF11 that can be downloaded from
• CV;
• Motivation letter.

How to Submit the Application:

• Download and complete the UN Women Personal History Form (P11) –
• Merge your UN Women Personal History Form (P11), CV and Motivation Letter into a single file. The system does not allow for more than one attachment to be uploaded;
• Click on the Job Title (job vacancy announcement);
• Click ‘Apply Now’ button, fill in necessary information on the first page, and then click ‘Submit Application’;
• Upload your application/single file as indicated above with the merged documents (underlined above);
• You will receive an automatic response to your email confirming receipt of your application by the system.

Notes:

• UN Women retains the right to contact references directly. Due to the large numbers of applications we receive, we are able to inform only the successful candidates about the outcome or status of the selection process.

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, 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.).