UN Women: Programme Specialist – Strategic Planning

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.

The Strategy, Planning, Resources and Effectiveness Division (SPRED) of UN Women was established in late 2019 as a part of the change management process in UN Women HQ. The division is to integrate corporate strategy, resources, and performance measurement to improve decision-making in order to manage for results while increasing transparency and accountability to its Governing Bodies and Stakeholders. Specifically, the Division will formulate corporate strategies aligned to the corporate objectives, ensure internal controls and risk management are fully in place, and that resources from all sources to budget plans and the organization priorities. Additionally, the Division will monitor and report on corporate programmes and budget implementation to ensure coherent achievement of results in keeping with the Corporate Strategic Plan and Strategic Framework. The decisions will ensure coherent and integrated strategic analysis, planning and budgeting across UN Women while providing advice to senior management and governing bodies as necessary. The Strategy, Planning, Resources and Effectiveness Division will help strengthen UN Women, improve services to the field by defining a clear set of priorities with aligned resources, ownership, accountability, and oversight. It will also provide arm’s length analysis of the performance of the organization.

The Strategic Planning Unit (SPU) in SPRED focuses on assisting UN Women and partners to achieve higher quality development results through an integrated approach that links strategic planning and Results-Based Management (RBM) with more effective and new ways of working. The SPU is the custodian of RBM as well as field and HQ level strategic planning and results-based reporting in UN Women. The SPU provides quality assurance on strategic planning and results reporting exercises at the corporate and field levels. It takes a collaborative approach to strategic planning and programmatic learning, creating space for innovation and enabling UN Women and its partners to be more effective, knowledge and data-driven, and driving higher quality UN Women programming. It is also charged with engagement on all planning inter-agency initiatives. SPU is also the leading unit to develop and implement the business process on the Planning, Monitoring and Reporting of the Strategic Plan, Strategic Note and Work Plan.

Under the direct supervision of the Chief in SPU and the Programme Specialist – Results Management, and in close collaboration with other units in SPRED, other HQ divisions and Regional Strategic Planning Specialists in the Regional Offices of UN Women, the Programme Specialist – Strategic Planning will act as the technical lead on strategic planning and RBM at the corporate level. The incumbent will: 1) lead the development, revision and roll-out of corporate policy, procedures and guidance associated with strategic planning and RBM; 2) lead the coordination and management of planning processes at the corporate level associated with UN Women Strategic Plan, Strategic Notes and Work Plans; 3) lead the RBM corporate initiatives to strengthened RBM capacities of UN Women personnel.  She/he will also contribute to the development and enhancement of corporate systems of UN Women on strategic planning and RBM at the corporate level, ensuring the alignment with the relevant corporate policies, procedures, and guidance.  She/he also acts as the technical focal point within SPU to coordinate and ensure the implementation of the relevant recommendations from audits, assessments, and evaluations.

Key Functions and Accountabilities:

Develop and revise policies, procedures, guidance, and tools on UN Women’s strategic planning at the corporate level

• Conceptualize, draft, and finalize planning components of Planning, Monitoring and Reporting Procedures (Strategic Notes, Workplans) and provide technical inputs to other components (monitoring, reporting) in collaboration with SPU team, relevant business owners, planning focal points and the PPG team.
• Lead overall drafting of guidance, tools, templates, and other annexes for Strategic Notes and Workplans at CO, RO, and HQ levels by soliciting and coordinating inputs from different business owners as well as focal points from HQ and Regional offices.
• Lead capacity building and knowledge management efforts related to planning components of PMR PPG (linked to RBM workstream) and manage the Strategic Planning Hub for country planning, ensuring the intranet page remains a relevant knowledge platform with useful and updated information and resources.
• Provide technical contribution to development and revision of other corporate policies and procedures from other business owners, ensuring the integration of relevant requirements and processes associated Strategic Plan, Strategic Notes and workplans.

Lead and coordinate the development of HQ, RO, CO Strategic Notes and HQ and RO workplans, in collaboration with HQ Divisions and Regional Offices

• Lead overall coordination and process management for CO Strategic Notes development and finalization, closely collaborating with Regional Strategic Planning Specialists, HQ Quality Assurance Team, and HQ Divisions.
• Provide quality assurance and technical support to Country Offices in developing Strategic Notes by offering detailed feedback and leading working sessions, when needed.
• Lead overall coordination of revisions to HQ biennial workplans in line with HQ SNs, providing guidance and technical support to HQ Divisions.
• Lead overall coordination of development and/or revisions of RO workplans in line with RO SNs, providing guidance and technical support to ROs.
• Provide quality assurance and technical support to drafting teams developing large project proposals coming to HQ for review, offering detailed feedback, and conducting working sessions when needed.
• Promote cross-regional knowledge sharing on Strategic Notes and workplans through intranet articles and close coordination with Regional Strategic Planning Specialists and other planning focal points in COs and HQ.
• Leads the development, monitoring of and reporting against the Strategic planning Unit’s workplan and contribute to development of SPRED’s Strategic Note.
• Facilitate cross-regional learning and knowledge sharing on RBM through the RBM intranet site and RBM Community of Practice, ensuring content remains relevant and up to date (at least twice per year), and via UN Women broadcast as appropriate, collaborating with Regional Planning & Coordination Specialists.
• Organize learning sessions relevant to field offices’ needs.
• Develop and disseminate user-friendly RBM tools and resources to support the application of RBM principles and implementation of the new planning, monitoring, and reporting policy and procedures.

Provide technical and coordination support for corporate processes associated with strategic planning for the development of new Strategic Plans of UN Women

• Provide technical inputs and coordination support to overall processes for the development new Strategic Plans.
• Provide technical inputs and support preparatory work associated with informal sessions and formal sessions with Executive Board on Strategic Plan-related subjects.
• Provide technical and coordination support for broader strategic planning exercises of UN Women at the corporate level.
• Provide technical and coordination support to broader inter-agency collaboration and joint efforts on strategic planning and reporting with various UN agencies and entities.

Lead RBM initiatives at the corporate level to strengthen RBM capacities of UN Women personnel across the organization

• Provide RBM-specific guidance, technical support, training and working sessions to strengthen RBM capacity of UN Women personnel to facilitate strategic planning, programming, monitoring, and reporting work.
• Provide technical inputs to inter-agency RBM-related initiatives and act as the main focal point within SPU to coordinate UN Women’s contribution to the UN Strategic Planning Network (UNSPN)

Provide business requirements for the development and enhancement of UN Women’s IT systems on strategic planning at the corporate level

• Conceptualize, develop, and finalize business requirements on strategic planning, considering interrelations with monitoring and reporting needs, in close collaboration with HQ, RO and CO colleagues.
• Participate in technical discussions with IST as needed to communicate business requirements and refine related systems requirements.
• Participate in User Acceptance Test (UAT) for new system functionalities to ensure they meet business needs.

Contribute to audits, assessments and evaluations

• Act as the technical focal point to coordinate within SPU to track the implementation of the relevant recommendations from internal and external audits, assessments and corporate evaluations and coordinate with the audit coordination team to provide necessary updates.
• Implement the planning-related recommendations from audits, assessments, and evaluations.
• Contribute to internal and external audits, assessments, and corporate evaluations from the planning perspective.
• Contribute to the preparation of background documents, talking points and presentations for meetings with senior managers and the Executive Board.

Lead and manage personnel under their supervision

• Manage the performance of the 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.

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:

• Integrity;
• Professionalism;
• Respect for Diversity.

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 Values and Competencies Framework:

Functional Competencies:

• Strong writing skills.
• Strong organization and coordination skills.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate the drafting of complex official documents and procedures and guidance tools.
• Demonstrated ability to manage and analyze large amount of information/data and identify trends.
• Ability to build and maintain strong partnerships.
• Excellent knowledge and experience in RBM principles and approaches to strategic planning, monitoring and results-based reporting.
• Strong understanding of gender equality issues and UN Women’s priorities.

Recruitment Qualifications:

Education and Certification:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in development-related disciplines, Social Sciences, Political Science, Development Studies, Public Administration, Gender, 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 experience in development, international relations, public administration, or other related field, some of which must be in the areas of strategic planning and RBM at the country, regional and/or global level is required.
• At least 2 years of experience in supporting preparation of planning documents, including supporting and coordinating the development of strategy, multi-year planning documents, work plans, and/or programme/project documents is required.
• At least 2 years of experience in development and/or revision of policies, guidance and/or business processes related to planning and/or RBM is required.
• At least 2 years of experience in providing RBM-specific technical support and guidance (ex. results framework, Theory of changes, indicators) and/or in conducting RBM training as trainer, in order to support gender-related initiatives and/or programme/projects at the country, regional and/or international level is required.
• Experience in using Microsoft Power Point to prepare and deliver presentations is required.
• Experience in the use of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, Power Point, etc.), spreadsheet and database packages is required.
• Experience in specifying business requirements for development/enhancement of IT systems related to planning and/or RBM is desirable.
• Experience with the UN system at the country, regional and/or global level is desirable.
• Experience in the use of a modern web-based results management system is desirable.

Languages:

• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of another official UN language is desirable (French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish).

Statements :

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:

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.)