Programme Specialist – Care Economy and Social Protection (Re-advertisement) Mid level

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 Programme Specialist – Care Economy and Social Protection provides substantive inputs to programme design, formulation, implementation and evaluation. The Programme Specialist – Care Economy and Social Protection 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 Programme 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

Design and develop programme strategies in the areas of the Care Economy and Social Protection:

• 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;
• Draft inputs to country strategy documents, briefs, policy dialogue and other document related to the care economy and social protection.

Manage the implementation and management of the Care Economy and Social Protection portfolio:

• Finalize the annual workplan and budget and manage their implementation;
• Manage the technical implementation of the programme/project; ensure synergies with other RO, CO, MCO and HQ 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 the coordination of the call/request for proposals, including the organization of technical review committees, and capacity assessment of partners.

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 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;
• Build and manage relationships with regional and continental partners to support implementation and expansion of the care and social protection areas of work;
• Identify opportunities for capacity building of partners and facilitate technical/ programming support and trainings to partners, as needed.

Manage the monitoring and reporting of the programme/project:

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

Build partnerships and support in developing resource mobilization strategies:

• Develop and implement partnerships and resource mobilization strategies; analyse and maintain information and databases;
• 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;
• Prepare relevant documentation such as project summaries, conference papers, briefing notes, speeches, and donor profiles;
• Liaise and 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;
• Participate in donor meetings and public information events, as delegated.

Manage advocacy, knowledge building and communication efforts:

• Develop and review background documents, briefs and presentations related to the care economy and social protection;
• Represent UN Women in meetings and policy dialogues on issues related to the care economy and social protection;
• Coordinate and organize advocacy campaigns, events, trainings, workshops and knowledge products and oversee their implementation;
• Identify best practices and lessons learned to guide programme improvement strategy planning;
• Develop knowledge management strategies, products and methodologies on the care economy and social protection.

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 programme formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation skills;
• Strong knowledge of results-based management;
• Ability to synthesize programme performance data and produce analytical reports to inform management and strategic decision-making;
• Strong knowledge of the care economy and social protection, as well as women’s economic empowerment;
• Strong analytical skills with excellent communication skills (oral and written);
• Ability to identify and analyse trends, opportunities and threats to fundraising and develop strategies.

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 project/programme management certification would be an added advantage.

Experience:

• A minimum of eight (8) years of progressively responsible work experience at the national or international level in design, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development projects, is required;
• Technical experience in the care economy and social protection is required;
• Experience in gender equality programming is required;
• Experience working in East and Southern Africa Region 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.

Language Requirements:

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

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.

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