Programme Specialist, Governance and Participation

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.About the Portfolio/Programme/ProjectGender inequality remains a key challenge to women's participation at all levels. The Liberian political landscape in terms of women empowerment, including political participation is complex and fluid. This limited political participation is exacerbated by the absence of effective implementation of a legal basis for seat reservation or parliamentary quota mechanisms. The fragility of the democratic system and lack of consistent efforts to mitigate the problem of women’s limited role in decision-making in policy matters such as the Gender Policy, National Policy on Decentralization and Local Governance; the Local Governance Act (2013), the launch of the Deconcentration Platform (2015), Equal Participation and Representation Act, Domestic Violence Act, which are yet to be enacted even makes the situation more fluid. There is therefore need for women’s equal access to political and governance systems especially at the decision-making level, as well as in peace building and peace consolidation.UN Women leads the United Nations Country Team on gender equality and the empowerment of women with over seven years managing programming in Liberia. In line with the implementation of the UN One Programme in Liberia, UN Women aims to strengthen the implementation of its 2017 planned activities in line with its 2014 – 2018 revised Strategic Plan, supporting gender equality priorities in the Government’s Agenda for Transformation in the following impact areas: 1. Women’s leadership and political participation; 2. Women’s economic empowerment; 3. Women, peace and security; and 4. Gender responsive governance. The national reaction to EVD is within UN Women’s scope under humanitarian response.Reporting to the Deputy Country Representative, the programme specialist exercises overall responsibility for planning, implementing, and managing UN Women interventions under his/her portfolio. She/he works in close collaboration with the programme and operations team, UN Women HQ and Regional Office staff, Government officials, multi and bi-lateral donors and civil society ensuring successful UN Women programme implementation under portfolio.

Duties and Responsibilities

Design and develop programmes for the Governance and Participation Pillar of UN Women Liberia:

• Design and formulate programme/ project proposals and initiatives;
• Draft inputs to country strategy documents, briefs, policy dialogue and other documents related to governance and participation.

Manage the implementation and management of the Governance and Participation Pillar:

• 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 timely submission of implementing partner financial and narrative reports;
• Provide guidance to staff 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:

• Build and manage relationships with national partners to support implementation and expansion of the governance and participation Pillar; 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 implementation of programme/ project activities through monitoring and reporting:

• 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.

Manage the people and financial resources of the Governance and Participation Pillar:

• Manage the programme budget and draft financial reports;
• Supervise Interns, Consultants, Programme Analysts and Technical Specialists; Mentor and coach staff and do performance assessments;
• Oversee recruitment processes, as necessary.

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.

Contribute to inter-agency coordination to achieve a coherent and aligned presence for the Governance and Participation Pillar:

• 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 the Governance and Participation Pillar;
• Represent UN Women in meetings and policy dialogues on issues related to Governance and Participation as necessary;
• Develop advocacy strategies and oversee their implementation;
• Develop knowledge management strategies, products and methodologies on Governance and Participation.

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 program performance data and produce analytical reports in order to inform management and strategic decision-making
• Strong Knowledge of Governance and Participation
• Strong organizational skills and ability to pay close attention to detail
• Good conflict resolution skills
• Ability to identify and analyze trends, opportunities and threats to fundraising and develop strategies

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.

Experience:

• At least 5 years of progressively responsible work experience at the national or international level in design, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development projects;
• Technical working experience in Governance and Participation;
• Experience in establishing relationships among international organization and national governments in the field of gender and human rights of women;
• Experience working in the UN System is an asset;
• Management experience is an asset.

Language Requirements:

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