Consultancy: Planning and Systems Strengthening Consultant - Gender Section, PD - NYHQ, Requisition# 507023

The Gender Section is seeking a consultant to support greater systemization of its planning processes and facilitation of collaborative team work, hiring, and completion of deliverables. The consultant will also support the planning and organization of key meetings and events aimed at advancing GAP results. Concurrently, s/he will also support the Planning Specialist in overall staffing and consultancy management.

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you.

For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

BACKGROUND & RATIONALE:

UNICEF is finishing the implementation of its Gender Action Plan 2014-2017 (GAP 1.0)  and planning the implementation of its Gender Action Plan 2018-2021 (GAP 2.0). It is concurrently undertaking systems strengthening both within the Gender Section at New York Headquarters and in its engagement with and support to relevant sections and divisions in HQ, as well as in its support and engagement with the Regional and Country offices. There is need to ensure the effective planning and roll-out of the key systems that will support the delivery of GAP 2.0 and the trnasition between the two plans.  There is also need to support the systematic engagement with relevant UNICEF stakeholders for developing the implementation efforts, input the 2018 work plan, and the transition to the new OMP that accompanies the new Strategic Plan and GAP 2.0

PURPOSE:

The Gender Section is seeking a consultant to support greater systemization of its planning processes and facilitation of collaborative team work, hiring, and completion of deliverables. The consultant will also support the planning and organization of key meetings and events aimed at advancing GAP results. Concurrently, s/he will also support the Planning Specialist in overall staffing and consultancy management.

EXPECTED RESULTS: (MEASURABLE RESULTS)

1. Support the enhancement, efficiency and routinization of key planning and administrative processes in the section.
   1. Produce an assessment of the admin and planning tasks that are functioning most effectively within the section, and those that are functioning least effectively along with the factors responsible.
   2. Review the assessment with the senior team and prioritize actions along with a timeline and responsibilities for effectively addressing the weak areas and communicating the strong ones to staff.
   3. Review existing Gender Section SOP’s and templates to examine and undertake the required revision, streamlining, finalization.
   4. Consult with the admin and planning staff to review the templates and SOPs from PD or other divisions that are most often used for Gender Section purposes, and assess what portions need to be communicated with staff.
   5. Set up an ongoing system for regularly communicating with section staff (via email, teamsite, through section meetings, one on ones, Senior team meetings, etc) Gender Section and other SOPs and decisions so that they are well understood and followed.
2. Support the organization and flow of staff and consultant recruitment for the section to make it more expeditious and efficient.
   1. Consolidate the current recruitment tracking sheets so that they are more streamlined, and can be more easily updated and reviewed by the admin staff and hiring managers on a regular basis.
   2. Create and regularly populate with the relevant analysis a simple staffing and consultant and related cost status update for the Section chief’s review on a monthly basis.
   3. Support hiring managers in drafting, reviewing and expediting the posting of Terms of Reference so that they meet organizational standards and are successful in attracting a strong pool of candidates
   4. Manage a database of recruitment sites where Gender Section jobs and consultancies can routinely advertised, and review them for head-hunting purposes as required.
   5. Support hiring managers in expeditiously reviewing candidate credentials, testing, shortlisting, interviewing, candidates and getting recommendations completed.
   6. Effectively organize all recruitment and HR related files on the Gender Section’s teamsite, and set up a system for their regular updating.
3. Support the preparation for and follow on to key section meetings and multilateral events
   1. Set up an effective calendar that is regularly updated by the extended gender team on the Gender teamsite to note the organizational and external meetings most important for Gender Section staff and Regional Gender Advisors.
   2. Set up a system for timely emails advising the relevant gender staff members who are focal points for key meetings to take the necessary preparary steps and inform other section members as required.
   3. Support the planning officer in the development of agendas, pre-read materials, and meetings notes/action points for the key meetings under her jurisdiction.
   4. Support the planning officer in her role to organize the Annual Gender Network meeting.
   5. Support the consolidation, response, tracking and review of OED requests sent to the section.
   6. Support the consolidation, response, tracking and review of CSW events relevant to the section.
   7. Support the section’s communication with internal and external partners, event sponsors and gender staff and senior management.

DUTY STATION: NYC

TIMEFRAME: 11.5 Months; 237 Days

START DATE: 25 September 2017      

END DATE: 31 August 2018

DELIVERABLES:

Key competences, technical background, and experience required 

• First university degree (Bachelor's) in social sciences or business management.
• A minimum of 5 years of relevant experience;
• Demonstrated skills in and knowledge of project planning and management;
• High level of facility and ease with word, excel, other software/apps that support project management and budgetary analysis.
• Proven skills in organization, research and analysis to address different systems related demands
• Highly organized and efficient work style and attention to detail
• Responsiveness to deadlines and deliverables, and ability to work independently and flexibly;
• Ability to organize information in multiple forms suitable to the audience in question.
• Excellent communication and writing skills.
• Strong team player able to work effectively within large and diverse teams
• Familiarity or experience with multilateral systems, bilateral and other partners an asset;
• Fluency in English required; knowledge of another UN language an asset. 

To view our competency framework, please click here. 

Please indicate your ability, availability and daily/monthly rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference above (including travel and daily subsistence allowance, if applicable).  Applications submitted without a daily/monthly rate will not be considered.

Remarks

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organisation.