Job Description

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 in South Sudan supports the government in implementing commitments to international normative standards on gender equality and women’s human rights. The new UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) for 2023-2027 and the corresponding UN Women South Sudan Strategic Note (2023-2027), defining UN Women’s strategic engagement in South Sudan, focuses on strengthening the national structures and mechanisms for gender mainstreaming in policies, plans, and budgets; supporting efforts to prevent and eliminate violence against women; promoting women’s economic empowerment; promoting policies and government investment in women’s empowerment and resilience building in the context of climate change, humanitarian crisis as well as threats to peace and security. UN Women works with a range of stakeholders in South Sudan, including the government, civil society and women’s organizations, youth, UN agencies, and donors, to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment.

In the area of Women, Peace and Security, in line with the UNSDCF (2023-2027), UN Women’s Strategic Note (SN) (2023-2027) has been championing and supporting the operationalization of the four (4) pillars of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 (2000) i.e. Participation: Ensuring women's equal presence and influence in decision-making processes related to peace and security; Protection: Safeguarding women's rights and promoting their protection from gender-based violence and conflict-related violence; Prevention: Addressing gender inequality as a root cause of conflict and preventing violence against women and girls and- Relief and Recovery: Incorporating gender perspectives in humanitarian aid and recovery efforts to empower women and address their needs. Subsequent to the expiry of the Government of South Sudan’s first National Action Plan (2015-202), efforts to secure the adoption of a second costed National Action Plan (NAP II) developed by the Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare with support from UN Women have been a challenge.

UN Women has also continued to champion the gender-responsive implementation of the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS), including through the realization of 35% affirmative action on women’s leadership and participation in the extended transitional period’s roadmap; gender-responsive security sector reform (SSR) and the security sector’s modification according to related regional and international instruments on Gender Equality and Women Empowerment. Additionally, UN Women has been supporting efforts to address the vulnerabilities of women and girls to conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) and other forms of gender-based violence (GBV), which are exacerbated by conflicts driven by national and localized factors. UN Women has also been supporting national capacities to track, collate, analyze, and use gender-disaggregated data on indicators for Women, Peace, and Security, for monitoring South Sudan's commitments under the R-ARCSS and UNSCR 1325. Additionally, UN Women has been supporting the UN Coordination on this agenda. Key to these efforts is our leadership and engagement of projects under the Secretary General’s Peacebuilding Fund (PBF), which form a key component of our program portfolio. UN Women also leads and advocates for multilateral efforts to advance the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, including through the Women, Peace and Security Working Group, to which UN Women serves as secretariat, and through UN reporting to the UN Security Council, including through the Informal Expert Group.

UN Women works closely with the UN Development System, UNMISS as a key partner, and the African Development Bank. Additionally, UN Women works closely with key national and state-level line ministries, including the Ministry of Peacebuilding, the Ministry of Gender, Child, and Social Welfare, Ministry of Youth and Sports, among others.

Other key partners include the South Sudan Peace and Reconciliation Commission, the National Bureau of Statistics, and women’s rights organizations and broader civil society engaged in peacebuilding, at both national and subnational levels.

Reporting to the Deputy Country Representative, the Programme Specialist (Women, Peace and Security) will exercise overall responsibility for planning, implementing, managing, and providing technical support to the Women, Peace and Security interventions under UN Women’s portfolio. The Programme Specialist (Women, Peace and Security) will work in close collaboration with the Programme and Operations teams, UN Women regional office for East and Southern Africa (ESARO), and Headquarters personnel, Government officials, UN entities, multi and bi-lateral development partners, and civil society, ensuring successful UN Women programme implementation under the portfolio.

Scope of Work

1. Design and develop programme strategies in the area of Women, Peace and Security

• Provide strategic guidance and lead in the design and adaptation of Women, Peace and Security (WPS) programming, ensuring coherence with national peacebuilding priorities and the UN Women global Strategic Plan.
• Lead or contribute to conflict and gender analyses to inform programme design, risk mitigation, and evidence-based decision-making within UN Women South Sudan to inform strategic documents, coordination efforts, briefings, and presentations, within the UN and with external actors.
• Ensure alignment of Women, Peace, and Security interventions with ongoing efforts in governance, humanitarian response, and development programming.
• Ensure day-to-day administration of the Women, Peace and Security project and ensure UN Women’s relevance in UN efforts in line with the UNSDCFD (2023-2027) and any UN strategic planning efforts.
• Design/formulate programme/ project proposals and initiatives, in line with UN Women’s corporate policies and procedures.
• Draft inputs to country strategy documents, briefs, policy dialogue, and other documents related to Women, Peace and Security

2. Manage the implementation and management of the Women, Peace and Security programme

• Finalize the annual work plan and budget and manage their implementation, including guidance on implementation.
• Provide guidance on the implementation of UN Women corporate policies and procedures and good practices, including on implementation modalities, i.e., Direct Implementation or through partnerships
• Manage the technical implementation of the programmes/projects under this portfolio, ensuring synergies within the team, and complementarity or strengthened linkages with other thematic areas.
• Promote integrated approaches that address the interconnections between peace, gender equality, and sustainable development.
• Manage and quality assure the submission of partners’ financial and narrative reports.
• Provide guidance to personnel and partners on Results-Based Management tools and performance indicators.
• Organize Project Steering Committee or other technical-level meetings to support project reviews and/or evaluation meetings, as needed.

3. Manage technical assistance and capacity development to project/programme partners

• Identify capacity building needs of partners and lead the coordination of technical assistance, mentoring, training, and capacity development initiatives to partners, in line with UN Women corporate policies and procedures and good practices and respond to any potential problems as needed.
• Develop and implement technical tools and initiatives in line with UN Women corporate policies and procedures and good practices
• Build and manage relationships with national partners to support the implementation and expansion of the Women, Peace and Security programme.

4. 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.
• Draft and finalize quarterly reports and donor reports, focusing on results, output, and outcomes, and ensure timely submission in line with corporate quality assurance guidance.
• Contribute to the office donor and UN Women corporate reporting requirements.

5. Manage the people and financial resources of the Women, Peace and Security programme

• Manage the programme budget (including regular monitoring and tracking), and draft financial reports.
• Supervise team members, mentor and coach personnel, and conduct performance assessments.
• Oversee recruitment processes, as necessary.

6. Build partnerships and support in developing resource mobilization strategies

• 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.
• Lead on the coordination of UN Women’s efforts with the UN system, including UNMISS, and support the Secretariat to the Women, Peace and Security Working Group and its mandate

7. Contribute to inter-agency coordination on Women, Peace and Security to achieve coherence and alignment of UN Women programmes with other partners in the country

• 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 project’s capacity development programme is harmonized and aligned with other in-country efforts.

8. Manage advocacy, knowledge building, and communication efforts

• Develop and review background documents, briefs, and presentations related to the Women, Peace, and Security.
• Represent UN Women in meetings and policy dialogues on issues related to Women, Peace, and Security 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, and Security.

9. The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: The Programme Specialist will, where applicable, supervise the Women, Peace and Security Team members.

Competencies:

Core Values:

• Integrity;
• Professionalism;
• Respect for Diversity.

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
• Accountability;
• Creative Problem Solving;
• Effective Communication;
• Inclusive Collaboration;
• Stakeholder Engagement;
• Leading by Example.

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework:

Functional Competencies:

• Strong knowledge of Thematic Area - Women, Peace and Security
• Strong knowledge of Results-Based Management
• Strong programme formulation, implementation, budget planning and management, monitoring, and reporting skills
• Ability to synthesize program performance data and produce analytical reports to inform management and strategic decision-making
• Strong analytical skills
• Ability to identify and analyze trends, opportunities, and threats to fundraising and develop strategies.

Education and Certification:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in Social Sciences, Political Science, Development, Public Administration, and Gender 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

• At least 5 years of progressively responsible experience in programme management, including programme design, programme coordination, monitoring and evaluation, donor reporting, and capacity building, is required.
• Experience in working in a gender related area is desirable.
• Experience in setting priorities, budgets, work plans, participating in programme development, and programme writing is required.
• Experience in leading and coaching staff in international settings is required.
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling web-based management systems is required.
• Experience in the use of a modern web-based ERP System, preferably Oracle Cloud, is desirable.
• International experience is desirable

Languages:

• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of Arabic would be an asset.

Statements :

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.)

Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process