Programme Specialist (Care Economy and Social Protection)

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

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.

Women in East and Southern Africa represent the most deprived group of the population in spite of their paramount social and economic role. They have limited access to, and control over critical resources, as a result of social, cultural, and economic norms. UN Women’s work to support women’s economic empowerment in the region is centered around: (i) Improving women’s access to climate resilient agricultural value chains and green jobs in the context of the transition to the blue/green economy; (ii) Promoting and strengthening women entrepreneurship; and (iii) Advancing the care agenda, promoting decent work and social protection.

The East and Southern Africa Regional Office supports UN Women’s work in 25 countries including 13 where UN Women has a physical presence, and through the UN System in the remainder of the countries. The work of the regional office focuses on providing technical support to the country teams, supporting regional entities such as the Regional Economic Commissions, the African Union and regional civil society organizations. A key part of the RO’s work is on providing thought leadership and supporting or conducting research on issues related to women’s economic empowerment at both macro and micro levels.

Under the overall guidance and direct supervision of the Regional Policy Specialist on Women’s Economic Empowerment, the Care Economy and Social Protection Specialist by providing substantive inputs to programme design, formulation, implementation and evaluation. The Care Economy and Social Protection Specialist guides and facilitates the delivery of UN Women programmes by monitoring results achieved during implementation and ensuring appropriate application of systems and procedures and develops enhancements if necessary. The Care Economy and Social Protection Specialist works in close collaboration with the programme and operations team, UN Women HQ personnel, Government officials, multi and bi-lateral donors and civil society ensuring successful UN Women programme implementation under portfolio.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of key functions:

1. Provide technical support to Country offices in the areas of gender and macro-economics, advancing the care agenda, promoting decent work and social protection as well as other areas of the Women’s Economic Empowerment Portfolio as required.
2. Management of the project, implementing activities by mobilizing goods and services, in accordance with UN Women rules and regulations
3. Support to programme operations (finance, asset management, administration, HR) in line with UN Women corporate rules, regulation and policies
4. Support partnership activities at project level
5. Facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing, guidance to all stakeholders on programme management and operational matters

Contribute technically to the development of programme strategies in the area of Women’s Economic Empowerment

• Provide substantive inputs to the design and formulation of programme/project proposals and initiatives with a focus on care and social protection at a macro-policy level as well as at programmatic levels;
• Identify areas for support and intervention related to the care and social protection areas of work;
• Identify linkages and synergies between the various projects under the WEE team and across UN Women thematic areas.

Provide substantive technical support to the implementation and management of the Women’s Economic Empowerment programme

• Provide technical inputs to the annual workplan and budget;
• Lead the implementation of programme activities;
• Lead the coordination of the call/request for proposals, including the organization of technical review committees, and capacity assessment of partners;
• Review, coordinate and monitor the submission of implementing partner financial and narrative reports.

Provide technical assistance and capacity development to project/programme partners

• Coordinate and provide technical support in the implementation of programme activities in the care and social protection areas of work;
• Provide substantive inputs to the research initiatives in their design, the review of methodologies, data, findings and conclusions at national, regional and country levels;
• Develop technical knowledge products
• Maintain relationships with regional and continental partners to support implementation and expansion of the Women’s Economic Empowerment programme;
• Identify opportunities for capacity building of partners and facilitate technical/ programming support and trainings to partners, as needed.

Provide technical inputs to the monitoring and reporting of the programme/project

• Monitor progress of implementation of activities and finances using results-based management tools;
• Draft reports on monitoring missions, programme results, outputs and outcomes;
• Provide substantive inputs to the preparation of donor and UN Women reports.

Provide substantive technical inputs to the management of people and finances of the Women’s Economic Empowerment programme

• Monitor budget implementation and make budget re-alignments/revisions, as necessary;
• Provide substantive inputs to financial reports.

Provide substantive inputs to building partnerships and resource mobilization strategies

• Provide substantive inputs to resource mobilization strategies; analyze and maintain information and databases;
• Prepare relevant documentation such as project summaries, conference papers, briefing notes, speeches, and donor profiles;
• Participate in donor meetings and public information events, as delegated.

Provide technical support to inter-agency coordination on Women’s Economic Empowerment to achieve coherence and alignment of UN Women programmes with other partners in the region

• Provide substantive technical support to the Regional Director and Deputy Regional Director on inter-agency coordination related activities by drafting background reports and briefs as delegated.

Provide substantive inputs to advocacy, knowledge building and communication efforts

• Develop background documents, briefs and presentations related to Women’s Economic Empowerment;
• Coordinate and organize advocacy campaigns, events, trainings, workshops and knowledge products;
• Coordinate the development of knowledge management methodologies, and products on Women’s Economic Empowerment.

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:

• Good programme formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation skills
• Good knowledge of Results Based Management
• Ability to gather and interpret data, reach logical conclusions and present findings and recommendations
• Good analytical skills with excellent communication skills (oral and written).
• Ability to identify and analyze trends, opportunities and threats to fundraising
• Ability to formulate and manage budgets, manage contributions and investments, manage transactions, conduct financial analysis, reporting and cost-recovery

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in economics, social policy, development studies, gender studies, 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:

• A minimum five (5) years of work experience in planning, implementation, coordinating, monitoring, and reporting the implementation of women’s economic empowerment programmes is required.
• Experience in gender equality programming is required
• Experience working in report writing, knowledge management and preparing communication materials is required.
• Experience working in East and Southern Africa is an asset.
• Experience coordinating and liaising with government agencies and/or donors is an asset.
• Experience working within or with the UN system, Agencies, Funds or Programs is an asset
• Experience in leading/managing remote teams and stakeholders is an asset.
  • Strong IT skills, knowledge of Quantum system desirable

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English

Application:

All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-P11-Personal-History-Form.doc. 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:

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.