Readvertisement - Programme Specialist (Gender and PSEA), NOD, Fixed-Term, Kenya Country Office, Nairobi #107132 (Open to Kenyan Nationals Only)

Contract

This is a NO-4 contract. This kind of contract is known as National Professional Officers. It is normally only for nationals. It's a staff contract. More about NO-4 contracts.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, a future!

UNICEF is at an important turning point since the adoption of the Sustainable Development framework. Within this context, implementation of UNICEF’s Gender Action Plan 2021-2025 in alignment with the Strategic Plan demonstrates the organization’s strengthened commitment to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls as its core mandate.

The Secretary-General in its 2017 Report on special measures for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA), has confirmed and strengthened the United Nations’ commitment to take action for prevention, response and end of impunity for Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) by UN staff and related personnel. UNICEF has developed Minimum Operating Standards for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (MOS-PSEA), which establishes necessary measures for the organization to meet its responsibilities and accountability regarding SEA. One of these measures is to have PSEA focal capacity in UNICEF country-offices, in line with the IASC PSEA task force initiative. This role will also ensure compliance with these MOS and act as the PSEA focal point for UNICEF Kenya for the duration of the country programme.

UNICEF’s work on gender equality is guided by the Gender Action Plan 2021-2025 (GAP), which advances gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in key areas of UNICEF's work. The GAP identifies four targeted gender priorities – ending child marriage, promoting gender-responsive adolescent health, advancing girl's secondary education, and addressing gender-based violence in emergencies – and elucidates the gender dimensions within each of UNICEF’s seven strategic outcome areas – Health, Nutrition, Water Sanitation & Hygiene, Education, Child Protection, HIV/AIDs and Social Inclusion. Additionally, the GAP includes indicators for measuring the success of UNICEF’s gender programming and outlines steps to strengthen UNICEF’s institutional effectiveness in promoting gender equality throughout its programmatic work.

In order to increase dedicated gender and PSEA capacity and expertise in Country Offices, the GAP Steering Committee has specified that Gender Programme Specialists at Level 4 be senior enough within the office structure to carry influence in their own right, and be given an office-wide mandate to engage with sectors in meaningful programming, including during emergency.

https://www.unicef.org/kenya/what-we-do

How can you make a difference?

In alignment with the GAP, the role of the Programme Specialist, Gender and PSEA is primarily technical and programmatic, with the normative advocacy and coordination roles serving as a key capacity to mainstream Gender and PSEA within the Country Office, in support to the PSEA Specialist. The Specialist provides authoritative technical guidance/operational support throughout all stages of programming to facilitate the management and delivery of results contributing to PSEA and gender equality in alignment with the Gender Action Plan and UNICEF corporate commitments on PSEA. S/he supports the development, implementation, and monitoring of high-quality gender programming across sectors in alignment with the Gender Action Plan. The Programme Specialist;

1) supports PSEA Specialist, senior programme colleagues and management of the Country Office to advance one or more of the four Targeted Gender Priorities in the Gender Action Plan with support from the Regional Gender Adviser. S/he also plays a role in working with one or more of the 7 UNICEF sectors to mainstream gender by prioritizing key gender results within the sector(s) with a strong gender relevance, including during emergency.

2) Leads cross-sectional collaboration and coordination on key programmatic results on gender, ensuring coherence, maximization of synergies and efficiency in utilization of resources and delivery of results;

3) Works with programme colleagues and management so that gender results are effectively defined, measured, and reported, and high-quality assessment, research, evidence generation and evaluation on gender programming is undertaken and utilized, including through the application of the MoRES framework and effective theories of change;

4) Supports/leads effective review, assessment, planning, capacity building, and knowledge management on gender, PSEA and Accountability for Affected Population (AAP).

5) Supports the assessment and identification of gender needs for emergency preparedness and response and provides gender relevant guidance and technical input on emergency programming.

6) Oversees Country office Accountability for Affected Population (AAP) mechanisms, and the response to communities on complaints raised across the sectors

The Gender and PSEA specialist will also work with relevant sections to ensure all UNICEF IPs have been assessed and adopted PSEA policies and mechanisms enabling prevention, investigation and case management. Her/His duties include support the CO to adopt and implement a Gender and PSEA Action Plan as per the existing office governance structures; support UNICEF Representative to manage Office PSEA Taskforce as well as represent UNICEF Kenya in the UN-wide system PSEA network.

1. Management and/or advisory support to the PSEA Specialist

• Actively participate in Country Management Team (CMT); Programme Coordination Team; partnerships, research, financial and contract review committees; and other key country-specific leadership teams to ensure strategic inclusion of gender and PSEA in all country-specific programming, including during emergencies;
• Coordinate with the Regional Gender and PSEA Advisors and the Headquarters Gender Section to plan, utilize, monitor and report on the Gender and PSEA Thematic Fund, or other programmatic funds with large gender components that are allocated to the country-specific interventions for the Country Programme, under the Country Office senior management.
• In collaboration with sectoral colleagues and under the guidance of Representative, participate in the planning and monitoring of the utilization of the budget allocated to sectoral and cross-sectoral gender interventions with sectoral colleagues
• Lead the gender component of the reporting of the routine country-level programme expenditures, including the annual reporting and the RAM.
• Provide technical input and review on the gender components in key funding proposal appeals and submissions and in the design of funded projects/programs so that gender technical components are clearly defined and technical capacities are included.

2. Program development and planning (including emergency contexts)

• Lead and/or support the evidence-based programme planning on gender and PSEA including during emergencies, incorporating robust measurement and evaluation of results - especially in the event of the Country Programme development and Mid-Term Review.
• Provide technical leadership on integration of gender into country programming phases, including strategic planning, strategic moments of reflection, CPDs, CPMPs, mid-term reviews, extended annual reviews, programme component strategy notes and in the programmatic assessment and institutional strengthening components of gender reviews
• Undertake and follow up the recommendations of Gender Programmatic Review as well as Gender audit during emergencies;
• In collaboration with sectoral colleagues, identify the areas of focus for gender programming with the greatest potential for impact and scale, in alignment with the GAP and the country/regional priorities.
• Work with sectoral counterparts to incorporate sound gender indicators and measures in programme and policy initiatives, proposals, and advocacy efforts and assist in developing gender-sensitive and transformative theories of change models for sector and cross-sectoral programming.

3. Program management, monitoring and delivery of results (including emergency contexts)

• Provide technical support in indicator identification, measurement and performance tracking as it relates to gender mainstreaming and the Targeted PSEA Gender Priorities, in collaboration with Planning, M&E and planning section and sectoral teams.
• Lead cross-sectoral collaboration and coordination on key programmatic results on PSEA, gender, ensuring coherence, maximization of synergies and efficiency in utilization of resources and delivery of results
• Support the strengthening of data systems and collection, as well as accountability mechanisms to monitor and evaluate progress on gender results.
• Support high quality reporting on PSEA and gender results, and a biannual performance review of GAP specified results.
• Work closely with evaluation colleagues to effectively integrate data collection, tracking, analysis and reporting on the indicators for the GAP into programme results and gender performance benchmarks into M&E systems.
• Support and strengthen the quality of research and evidence building on gender related programming, bringing in the latest learning and insights from the field of gender and development, and putting in place a coherent, well-prioritized research agenda in alignment with the GAP.
• Oversee the planning and implementation of the gender reviews and make sure that the recommendations that come out of the gender review are integrated into the Country Programme strategy and action plans and humanitarian strategies and action plans in emergency contexts.
• Actively represent UNICEF in relevant coordination bodies at the inter-agency level (gender theme group or other networks, GBV cluster if relevant), participate as a member of steering committees, and provide close oversight of inter-agency joint programmes
• Ensure the office fully implements PSEA action plan in accordance with the UN-wide system PSEA network action plan on awareness raising, prevention, community-based complaints mechanisms, and victims’ assistance.

4. Advisory services and technical support

• Provide technical support and guidance to national government, NGOs, UN Agencies and other country-level and local-level partners on aspects of gender programming and to ensure incorporation of gender indicators and measures in programmes/projects, policy initiatives, proposals, and M&E systems.
• Coordinate the PSEA actions for UNICEF, including provision of technical support and guidance to sectoral PSEA focal points and alternates at national and field level, provide continuous support for the improvement of partners capacity in preventing and responding to SEA and support implementation of the PSEA country action plan
• Provide technical support and advocacy to reporting and follow-up on international and regional gender equality commitments made by the countries
• Support the development of adequate emergency preparedness measures, updating of contingency plans and establishment of early warning mechanisms that reflect gender needs.
• Support the development and of sex-disaggregated databases on information crucial for the planning and implementation of emergency plans.
• Support the development and deployment of emergency training that incorporates gender issues and relevant strategies.
• Lead and/or participate in needs assessment missions on gender, and in the event of an emergency, be deployed as a member of the Emergency Response Team.
• Identify implementing/operational partners and establish implementing arrangements in order to ensure an effective, gender-inclusive emergency response.

5. Advocacy, networking and partnership building

• Liaise and consult with sections, government and other external partners (civil society, NGOs, UN Agencies, private sector) to identify areas for convergence, and develop and reinforce partnerships on PSEA and in gender programming.
• Forge and support internal and external partnerships and networks in the development of harmonized, gender-transformative programme interventions.
• Build strategic alliances for gender equality with various partners, including institutional links with UN agencies and other relevant entities.
• Collaborate with other UN agencies and partners to enhance robust gender results in sectoral programmes at the country level. If necessary, represent UNICEF in external meetings on gender integration into sectoral and cross-sectoral results, including UN Country Team meetings and UNDAF/UNAF preparations.
• Lead mapping of potential new partnerships and leverage existing partnerships to accelerate GAP implementation at the country level in determined priority areas.

6. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

• Initiate documentation and sharing of the country-level experience in PSEA and gender programming and lessons learned, which will be shared with internal network and external partners and utilized for South-South cooperation.
• Represent the gender section at sectoral, country-level and regional-level network meetings, and ensure best practices on gender programming according to 5 GAP principles are highlighted in these forums
• Bring best practices in PSEA and gender programming and measurement to the attention of senior management and sectoral colleagues, as well as Regional Gender Advisor and gender section staff at HQ
• Support and conduct innovative research on gender at the country-level
• Support Regional Gender Advisor in advancing the technical and research capacity of country-level staff, offices and programs on gender to continue to build evidence base for programming and to ensure continuous capacity in gender at Country Office level.
• Support management and HR in the development of systems, tools and processes that enable staff members and external partners to enhance their understanding and adoption of gender sensitive behaviors and to support implementation of the GAP.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• Advanced university degree (Masters or higher) in human rights, gender studies or any other social sciences (i.e. sociology, demography, psychology, political science, social policy or economics).
• Academic credentials in gender are a strong asset.
• Minimum eight years of progressively responsible professional experience and demonstrated track record of having undertaken and led substantive programming and research on gender and development in key issue areas that are the focus of PSEA and UNICEF’s Gender Action Plan.
• Experience in designing, implementing, managing, and delivering results-based programmes on gender and development or any other cross cutting programme, especially at country/field level, experience in emergency response is an asset.
• Experience in emergency context, in particular in Gender-Based Violence in Emergency (GViE).
• Fluency in English and Swahili is required. Knowledge of another local language is an asset.

Technical Knowledge:

• Strong substantive, technical, programmatic and research skills in gender along with sectoral expertise in at least one of the following sectors: Health, Education, WASH, HIV/AIDS, Protection, Social Policy, C4D, ECD, or combined expertise in Adolescents.
• Substantive knowledge on human rights agenda, with particular attention to the right to protection from exploitation, abuse and all types of violence;
• Experience and knowledge in Gender Based Violence, including during emergencies (GBViE).
• Proven ability to work on sensitive gender and PSEA issues in a variety of organizations or contexts.
• Proven ability to connect sectoral issues and programmatic approaches on gender; experience with this in emergency contexts an asset.
• Substantive knowledge and experience integrating gender into humanitarian responses and programming, including needs assessment, programme implementation and monitoring, an asset.
• Proven rigor in analytical, conceptual and programme design skills relevant to gender and development with an understanding of theories of change and path from intervention to results.
• Demonstrated experience in conducting rigorous research and analysis on gender, including quantitative research methodologies, and monitoring and evaluation.
• Wide knowledge and understanding of country/regional/global gender equality issues, specifically relating to children and women, and the current trends, methods and approaches. Familiarity and work experience in the country/region of preferred placement also an asset.
• Demonstrated success in developing proposals and securing resources for programme and research initiatives with a strong gender component.
• Ability to contextualize and be able to translate the approaches into practicable programme design in complex environments where gender issues are often sensitive to raise within certain national contexts
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including an ability to write succinctly and clearly and speak in public forums compellingly and with confidence.
• High level of initiative and independence in ability to undertake complex tasks while proactively seeking relevant input, cooperation, and guidance from key constituents.
• Experience and demonstrated ability to motivate others and create and encourage a climate of teamwork and collaboration across sectors and in a multi-cultural environment.
• Ability to make effective use of political processes to influence and persuade others inside and outside UNICEF and negotiate a desired direction and/or outcome
• Ability to think outside the box, generate new ideas, approaches, or insights and develop innovative ways to undertake projects and initiatives, shape solutions to problems.
• Strategic thinker who can pull disparate ideas into a cohesive vision, strategy, plan that is positive and compelling for other to join, collaborate, and implement.
• Proven ability to build rapport with individuals and groups and maintain an effective network of individuals across organizational departments as well externally

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others.

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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.

Remarks:

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.