Programme Specialist (Women, Peace, Security and Humanitarian Action) at UN Women

Job Description

In July , the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. In doing so, UN Member States took an historic step in accelerating the Organization’s goals on 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, which focused exclusively on gender equality and women’s empowerment:

Duties and Responsibilities : 

Design and develop programme strategies in the areas of Women, Peace, Security and Humanitarian Action:

Design and formulate programme/ project proposals and initiatives on Women, Peace, Security and Humanitarian Action; Provide technical inputs to programme proposals for Women, Peace, Security and Humanitarian Action; Provide advice on contextualizing/ localizing programme documents related to Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action in line with Kenya country Office strategies, and knowledge products; Coordinate proper monitoring and reporting for WPS and humanitarian action in collaboration with programme teams.

Manage the implementation and management of the Women, Peace, Security programme and Humanitarian Action Program:

Finalize the annual workplan and budget and manage their implementation; Manage the technical implementation of the programme/project; ensure synergies with other teams; Manage the submission of implementing partner financial and narrative reports; Provide guidance to personnel and partners on Results Based Management tools and performance indicators; Organize Project Steering Committee, project review and/or evaluation meetings as needed.

Manage technical assistance and capacity development to project/programme partners:

Manage the implementation of technical advice and guidance; Develop and implement technical tools, and initiatives; Build and manage relationships with national partners to support implementation and expansion of the Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action programme, respond to any potential problems; Identify capacity building needs of partners and lead the coordination of technical assistance, mentoring, training, and capacity development initiatives to partners.

Manage the monitoring and reporting of the programme/ project:

Manage the monitoring of programme/ project implementation and finances using results-based management tools; Oversee field missions and review reports on monitoring missions; Write quarterly reports and donor reports, focusing on results, output and outcomes; Contribute to office donor and UN Women reports.

Lead the team and manage financial resources of the Women, Peace, Security and Humanitarian Action programme:

Manage the programme budget and draft financial reports; Supervise the Women, Peace and security and humanitarian team; Mentor and coach personnel and conduct performance assessments; Ensure effective Team-Leadership and overall direction and management of the WPS – Gender in Humanitarian Action (GiHA) portfolio and provide cross-cutting advice on coherence with other programmes; Oversee recruitment processes as necessary.

Build partnerships and resource mobilization for Women, Peace, Security and Humanitarian Action programme:

Develop and implement partnerships and resource mobilization strategies; Finalize relevant documentation on donors and potential opportunities for resource mobilization; Analyze and research information on donors, prepare substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, identification of opportunities for cost sharing.

Contribute to inter-agency coordination on Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian action to achieve coherence and alignment of UN Women programmes with other partners in Kenya:

Provide technical support to the Representative and Deputy Representative on inter-agency coordination related activities by attending meetings, events, and participating in groups and committees as needed; Coordinate with other UN agencies, government departments, donors, and NGOs to ensure the projects’ capacity development programme is harmonized and aligned with other in-country efforts.

Manage advocacy, knowledge building and communication efforts:

Develop and review background documents, briefs and presentations related to Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action; Represent UN Women in meetings and policy dialogues on issues related to Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action as necessary; Develop advocacy strategies and oversee their implementation; Identify best practices and lessons learned to guide programme improvement and strategy planning; Develop knowledge management strategies, products and methodologies on Women Peace.

Key Performance Indicators:

Timely and quality programme design and inputs to Strategic Note; Timely and quality of programme delivery in line with budget and workplans, and in line with all UN Women operational rules and regulations, including security; Timely and quality monitoring and evaluation of programmes; Relations with partners and stakeholders; Quality reports and timely submission; Regular communication with other agencies and partners; Quality of advocacy and communication initiatives.

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 and experience related to current policies and practices in the fields of gender equality, protection and humanitarian action, including humanitarian coordination; Strong knowledge of the Kenya’s WPS and Humanitarian Context; Strong networking skills; Ability to interact with donors, identify and analyze trends, opportunities and threats to fundraising; Ability to perform qualitative and quantitative policy research; Ability to advocate and provide policy advice; Strong analytical skills; Ability to write policy papers, speeches, briefings; Strong knowledge of programme development, implementation, results based management.

Required Skills and Experience

Education and certification:

Master’s degree or equivalent in social sciences, human rights, gender/women’s studies, international development, 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 (such as PMP®, PRINCE2®, or MSP®) would be an added advantage.

Experience:

Minimum 5 years of progressively responsible experience at the national or international level in design, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development projects; Technical experience in Women, Peace Security and Humanitarian Action; Experience coordinating and liaising with government agencies and/or donors is an asset; Experience working in the UN System is an asset; Experience in leading/managing a team is an asset.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English is required; Working knowledge of another official UN language is an asset.