Project Coordination Expert

Contract

This is a SB-3 contract. This kind of contract is known as Service Board / Service Contract. It is normally only for nationals. More about SB-3 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.

UN Women assists UN member states in setting international norms and standards for achieving gender equality and works with governments and civil society to develop laws, policies, programs, and services needed to implement these standards.

The Generation Equality Forum is a civil society-centered, global gathering for gender equality, convened by UN Women and co-hosted by the governments of Mexico and France. This global gathering started in Mexico City in March 2021 and continued in Paris in June 2021. The initiative has two objectives: firstly, it brought actors together, especially young people, to chart forward a fresh and bold agenda to foster an intergenerational, intersectional, and multi-stakeholder movement for gender equality. Secondly, it launched the Action Coalitions: a set of innovative multi-stakeholder programs to achieve tangible results on gender equality across six key thematic areas, to support the UN Decade of Action (2020-2030) and accelerate results towards the delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Generation Equality Action Coalitions are mobilizing governments, women’s, feminist and youth-led organizations, international organizations, and the private sector to catalyze collective action; spark global and local conversations among generations; drive increased public and private investment; and deliver concrete progress on gender equality across generations for girls and women.

Six specific themes are being addressed by the Action Coalitions: i) Gender Based Violence; ii) Economic Justice and Rights; iii) Bodily Autonomy and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR); iv) Feminist Action for Climate Justice; v) Technology and Innovation for Gender Equality; vi) Feminist Movements and Leadership and vii) Women Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action.

A Global Acceleration Plan for Gender-based Violence

Through its emphasis on partnerships that centers civil society, the Action Coalition on gender-based violence is mobilizing governments, civil society, youth-led organizations, international organizations, philanthropies, and the private sector to deliver transformational progress towards the elimination and prevention of gender-based violence through four concrete actions: (1) Creating enabling policy, legal and resource environments; (2) Scaling up evidence-driven prevention programming; (3) Scaling up comprehensive, accessible and quality services for survivors; and (4) Enabling and empowering autonomous girl-led & women’s rights organizations to exercise their expertise.

A Global Acceleration Plan for Economic Justice and Rights

Economic justice and rights affect all women and girls globally. Four ambitious actions for economic justice and rights, grounded in unmet asks from feminist activists, have been put forward. These actions leverage the SDG framework, contributing to its targets while enhancing the resources that have been mobilized to achieve them. Furthermore, these actions reflect the need to forge an intersectional approach that addresses the needs of women and girls in all their diversity, everywhere. Together, the four actions of the Economic Justice and Rights Action Coalition will result in accelerated progress towards gender equality and women’s economic empowerment. They approach the critical constraints from all angles – transforming systemic barriers, breaking down discriminatory norms, enacting and implementing transformative laws and policies, ensuring adequate financing and service delivery, and insisting on accountability at all levels.

In 2021 Kazakhstan joined and committed under the two Action Coalitions on Gender-Based Violence and Economic Justice and Rights demonstrating an active position and adherence to principles of Human rights, Gender Equality, and the Empowerment of Women. The coordination and monitoring mechanism has been established to monitor and coordinate national efforts in implementation and delivering on GEF commitments.

Central Asian Women Leaders’ Dialogue

In 2020 a prominent group of women leaders representing the Central Asian states and the United Nations launched a new platform, the Central Asian Women Leaders’ Dialogue to support women in the region to attain a more prominent political, economic, and social role and enable them to increasingly influence the decision-making process on issues related to peace, stability, and sustainable development in the region. Kazakhstan plays an active role in this initiative and plans further to accelerate the regional efforts related to strengthening women’s leadership and political participation. The Dialogue is supported by the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), the UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe, and the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Virtual Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) Knowledge Resource

UN Women and the Government of Kazakhstan are finalising the work on a virtual GEWE Knowledge resource for Central Asia to advance gender equality. It will operate as a virtual learning platform to convene knowledge on priority GEWE issues in the current context of COVID-19 recovery and building back better. It will provide a space for partners from national Women/Gender Equality mechanisms, Gender Focal Points from the sectoral ministries, parliamentarians, CSOs, and experts to meet regularly and exchange views and ideas on how to effectively integrate gender mainstreaming in their work, promote gender equality in line with the international standards and norms. The links between policy and programming by bringing experts and practitioners together in regular dialogues will be ensured.

Thus, the virtual learning platform is expected to support to exchange and network, enhance capacities, create a sense of community, develop and share innovation, and increase effectiveness and efficiency in knowledge management on gender equality and empowerment of women in Central Asia.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the UN Women Programme Specialist and Project Manager, the Project Coordination Expert will provide overall coordination, expert, and documentation support and ensure delivery of results according to the work plan across all workstreams: 1) Generation Equality Forum (GEF) Action Coalitions on Gender-Based Violence and Economic Justice and Rights, 2) Central Asian Women Leaders’ Dialogue and 3) Virtual Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) Knowledge Resource

The Project Coordination Expert will work closely with the UN Women Programme Specialist, Project Manager, and UN Women Senior Adviser and the UN Women Country Office Kazakhstan, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the National Commission for Women and Family Affairs and Demographic Policy under the President of Kazakhstan (National Commission), Parliament of Kazakhstan, UN entities, and other relevant national and international partners to ensure coordination and collaboration in the delivery of results across all workstreams.

The Project Coordination Expert is expected to work in the UN Women Country Office based in Astana, Kazakhstan.

All deliverables should be submitted and approved by the UN Women Country Office in Kazakhstan

Substantive Project Support:

• Provide coordination, expert and documentation support to the UN Women Senior Adviser and the UN Women Country Office in negotiating and networking with partners on the vision, strategy and comprehensive Work Plan on country’s work in the framework of the Action Coalitions on Gender-Based Violence and Economic Justice and Rights and the Central Asian Women Leaders’ Dialogue in close consultations with the National Commission, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Parliament of Kazakhstan and the Central Asian countries, national government and civil society partners.
• Coordinate and facilitate the engagement of regional and national partners in the GEF Action Coalitions and the Central Asian Women Leaders’ Dialogue working groups, initiatives, events and activities.
• Develop working plans, relevant documents, informational materials, briefs, minutes, reports, to achieve strategic goals, coordinate follow up actions at the regional and national levels and disseminate information about regional/national events.
• Provide organizational support to regional events under the supervision of the UN Women Senior Adviser and in close collaboration with focal points and partners in the region, including developing draft concept notes, and agendas, organizing logistical arrangements for meetings, and preparing drafts of regular communications and contributing to follow up reports and action points.
• Provide technical support for the virtual community of practice and maintain it through timely and high-quality interactions with partners in the Central Asian Region, support with the organization of events, creation and maintenance of the virtual repository in GEWE area.
• Coordinate strategic communications and public engagements to promote the Virtual Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Knowledge resource activities.
• Prepare the quarterly digest and reports for a wider dissemination and provide the necessary updates to partners on available knowledge products and resources on GEWE.
• Provide regular inputs for the virtual repository from the focal points representing participating countries.
• Monitor and ensure links with the existing global community of practices, online platforms on GEWE priorities and thematic areas.

Mission logistics and Workshop logistics:

• Assist in organizing events, meetings, workshops, conferences and missions;
• Ensure timely logistical support in coordination with the UN Women Operations unit;
• Provide logistical and administrative support and prepare background materials for use in events, workshops, seminars, training sessions, meetings, visiting missions, field trips, etc.

Travel arrangements:

• Coordinate and assist in making travel arrangements for participants of events, programme team in connection with their domestic and international programme-related travels in accordance with UN Women rules and procedures;
• Prepare Requests for Services and Payments in accordance with UN Women rules and procedures.

Communication support:

• Draft external correspondence with projects’ partners and stakeholders, maintain files and assist in the preparation of documentation in advance of and following meetings;
• Draft inputs for the national and regional initiatives and UN Women social media posts on implementation and achievements where necessary, file developed communication products and required consent forms accordingly;

• Assist in the acquisition of letters of co-financing and support from stakeholders.

  Procurement and financial support:

• Assist in procurement and recruitment processes through drafting necessary documentation in line with the UN Women standards and deadlines;

• Arrange procurement of equipment, supplies and services in accordance with the Work Plan and UN Women policies and procedures;
• Provide support in monitoring of programmatic budget for timely and quality budget execution

Other tasks:

• Provide coordination support to the Project Manager on other initiatives;
• Participate in other initiatives and projects for effective UN Women’s mandate implementation in the country;
• Perform other tasks upon request.

Competencies

Core values:

• Demonstrates integrity and fairness by modelling UN values and ethical standards.
• Demonstrates professional competence and is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments.
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Core competencies:

• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to convey complex concepts and recommendations, both orally and in writing, in a clear and persuasive style tailored to match different audiences.
• Ability to, interact, establish, and maintain effective working relations with a culturally diverse team, as a team member, to build trust, and to manage in a deliberate, transparent, and predictable way.
• Ability to establish and maintain productive partnerships with national partners and stakeholders and pro-activeness in identifying of beneficiaries and partners’ needs and matching them to appropriate solutions.
• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues
• Accountability
• Creative Problem Solving
• Effective Communication
• Inclusive Collaboration
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Leading by Example

Functional co****mpetencies

• Ability to perform a broad range of specialized activities aimed at effective and efficient functioning of the project team including logistical support.
• Creates, edits, and presents information in clear and presentable formats, using appropriate IT functionality.
• Ability to organize and complete multiple tasks by establishing priorities.
• Ability to handle a large volume of work possibly under time constraints.
• Ability to establish, build and sustain effective relationships with clients, demonstrating understanding of client's perspective; anticipates client needs and addresses them promptly.
• Ability to administer and execute financial processes and transactions.
• Ability to manage data, documents, correspondence and reports information and workflow.
• Ability to observe deadlines and achieving results.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in social and philology sciences, finance, business or public administration, international development, or a related field is required;
• Specialized trainings/ certificates in the related fields are an asset.

Experience:

• At least 5 years of relevant administrative or project management support experience at the national or regional level
• Experience working in an environment requiring liaison and collaboration with multiple actors including government and civil society organizations’ representatives, donors and other stakeholders is an asset
• Excellent inter-personal, communication and organizational skills
• Ability to work to tight deadlines and to handle multiple concurrent project components;
• Excellent computer skills (especially Microsoft office applications) and ability to use information technology as a tool and resource
• Experience in the area of gender equality and the empowerment of women is an asset
• Experience with the UN or international organization is an asset
• Knowledge of UN Standard Operational Procedures is a strong asset
• Experience with Enterprise Resource Planning tools is an asset.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in Russian/ Kazakh and English is required.

Please note that applications without a completed and signed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment. UN Women Personal History form (P-11) can be downloaded from https://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employment/application-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.

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.)