Planning and Coordination Specialist (RE-ADVERTISMENT)

Contract

This is a SB-5 contract. This kind of contract is known as Service Board / Service Contract. It is normally only for nationals. More about SB-5 contracts.

Background

Applicants who have applied to the prior vacancy announcement do not need to re-apply, as we will be reviewing all applications collectively.

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.

In Kenya, the UN Women Country Programme contributes to the development objectives of Kenya’s blueprint, the Vision 2030, the SDGs particularly, SDG 5 and is aligned to the United Nations Development Assistance Frameworks (UNDAF) 2018-2022 as well as UN Women Global Strategic Plan. The Kenya Country Programme - “Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Gains Consolidated' - aims to achieve the following results: (i) Increased women’s leadership and participation in governance; (ii) Strengthened women’s economic empowerment; (iii) Increased protection of women against gender-based violence & access to justice for women; and (iv) Strengthened women’s leadership in peacebuilding and humanitarian response.

KCO coordination work seeks to enhance the sustainability and scalability of GEWE normative work, policy, and programmes. through ensuring government and UN System-wide accountability to gender equality and the empowerment of women through capacity development, policy, support, strategic planning, inter-agency coordination, resource mobilization, strategic partnership building as well as advocacy and communication. Kenya Country also supports the State Department of Gender in reporting on CSW normative work and follow up efforts on CSW Conclusions to strengthen domestic accountability with efforts to ensure the coherent promotion of gender equality in Kenya.

In 2020, through our Coordination work, KCO pushed for visible positioning of gender issues through UN Women’s leadership and technical inputs to inter-agency processes related to e.g. COVID-19 planning – gender mainstreamed in the Socio-Economic Response Framework and gender analysis of COVID informed gender-responsive interventions by partners. Other areas of work include inter-agency PSEA coordination, reporting and accountability, gender analysis and update of the Common Country Assessment, implementation and reporting on the Gender Scorecard action plan among others.

Reporting to the Country Representative, the Planning and Coordination Specialist will provide support to the Country Representative in strategic programme planning, inter-agency coordination, resource mobilization and strategic partnership building, as well as advocacy and communication.

Duties and Responsibilities

Provide support to the Country Representative in strategic planning for the Kenya Country Office

• Provide advice on the formulation of concept notes for UN Women's intervention areas; as well as the office’s strategic note;
• Develop country programming processes and products, including the annual work plan, strategic note, and program/ project documents, the preparation of United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) and other UN system joint programming documents;
• Follow up on required action/outstanding issues and report on outcome/ result. Alert the Country Representative/ CO on critical issues to be addressed.

Provide technical support to the Country Representative and represents the Kenya Country Office on inter-agency coordination

• Participate in and provide support to joint inter-agency UN planning processes and similar exercises;
• Prepare briefing materials for Kenya Country Office on issues to be discussed in the UN and other events and meetings;
• Provide analysis and advice to Resident Coordinator (RC) and the UN Country Team (UNCT) on the gender dynamics and opportunities to support the inclusive engagement of women in the development assistance provided by the UNCT;
• Prepare inputs to Common Country Assessment (CCA)/ UNDAF and other documents;
• Provide technical support to UNCT in monitoring and reporting and preparing analytical and regular progress reports on UN Women’s program experiences;
• Provide substantive support and representation at conferences and meetings, joint program development, joint advocacy, and research in collaboration with the Country Representative.

Provide technical support and guidance to the development of strategic partnerships and resource mobilization efforts

• Manage activities and other promotional events to engage bilateral and multilateral institutions/ donors, private sector, and civil society to expand and/or sustain interest and resources for UN Women programs and joint UN system programs;
• Provide support and advice to the Country Representative in forging and implementing strategic partnerships to increase outreach on UN Women’s work in-country;
• Provide guidance and advice to development partners and national counterparts on implementation of key UN frameworks and conventions on gender equality;
• Provide network and capacity development to partner Civil Society Organizations and other stakeholders.

Provide advocacy and communication support

• Manage the Kenya Country Office Annual Communication Strategy, develop content and ensure proper management/ monitoring of the Kenya Country website and social media channels;
• Develop, implement, and monitor advocacy campaigns on issues related to Gender Empowerment and Women’s Economic Empowerment, with a specific focus on International Women’s Day, the HeForShe Campaign, and the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence;
• Participate in and contribute to policy dialogues around gender equality and the empowerment of women.

Facilitate knowledge building and sharing

• Manage the development and dissemination of good practices and lessons learned; ensure incorporation into program planning;
• Manage capacity building exercises

Key Performance indicators

• Timely and quality contribution to the UNCT and other working groups and other coordination meetings;
• Quality inputs and technical support provided to UN agencies;
• Quality inputs to planning processes and reports;
• Quality briefing notes, and communication and advocacy materials;
• UN Women partners, including donors, provide good feedback on their working relationship with UN Women, based on evaluations and assessments;
• Increased awareness of UN Women’s work;
• Increased resources mobilized and interest in GEWE among partners and donors.

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 knowledge of gender equity and women’s empowerment issues
• Strong knowledge of the UN system and understanding of inter-agency coordination processes
• Strong knowledge of results-based programme planning and management
• Strong analytical skills
• Ability to promote and monitor the inclusion of gender-specific objectives, indicators, targets, and activities in the UN agencies programs
• Ability to provide advice and support.

Required Skills and Experience

Education and certification:

• A Master's degree (or equivalent) in international development, public administration, public policy, or other relevant social science field is required.
• A project/program management certification (such as PMP®, PRINCE2®, or MSP®) would be an added advantage.

Experience:

• At least 8 years of progressively responsible experience working with inter-agency coordination and strategic program planning processes;
• Experience in the development, planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of programs;
• Experience working in gender equality and women’s rights at the international level is an asset;
• Experience working in developing countries within the UN system, Agencies, Funds, or Programs is a key requirement;
• An understanding of UNDAF, the UN system, and SDGs is a key requirement

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English and Swahili is required
• Knowledge of the other UN official working language is an asset.