Programme Specialist

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. Placing women's rights at the center of all its efforts, the UN Women will lead and coordinate United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It will provide strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States' priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.

Under the direct supervision of the Director and Deputy Director of the Europe and Central Asia Regional Office, and working in close consultation with the Resident Coordinator [RC], the Programme Specialist is responsible for the provision of coordination, programme and technical support on women’s rights and gender equality to the RC and the UN Country Team [UNCT] and manages and coordinates all aspects of UN Women programming in Kosovo as required, including programme development, management of operational projects, as well as continued monitoring of implementation and reporting.

She/he works in close collaboration with UN Women programme and operations staff, UN staff and UN agencies, government officials, technical advisors and experts, multi and bi-lateral donors and civil society ensuring the successful interventions of UN Women in the country.

Duties and Responsibilities

1.       Design and develop programme strategies for the programme office

·         Design and formulate programme/ project proposals and initiatives;

·         Draft inputs to country strategy documents, briefs, policy dialogue and other documents related to programming within the office.

2.       Manage the implementation and management of the programme office

·         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 staff and partners on Results Based Management tools and performance indicators;

·         Organize Project Steering Committee, project review and/or evaluation meetings, as needed.

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

·            Build and manage relationships with national partners to support implementation and expansion of the programme office; 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.

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;

·         Write quarterly reports and donor reports, focusing on results, output and outcomes;

·         Contribute to office donor and UN Women reports.

5.       Manage the people and financial resources of the programme office

·          Manage the programme budget and draft financial reports;

·          Supervise Programme team; Mentor and coach staff 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.

7.       Contribute to inter-agency coordination to achieve coherence and alignment of UN Women programmes with other partners in the Kosovo

·         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.

8.       Manage advocacy, knowledge building and communication efforts

·         Develop and review background documents, briefs and presentations related to the programme office;

·         Represent UN Women in meetings and policy dialogues on issues related to the programme office 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 the programme office.

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 program performance data and produce analytical reports to inform management and strategic decision-making

·         Strong knowledge of Thematic Areas covered by the office

·         Strong analytical 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 International Development, Gender, Social Sciences, Economics, Public Administration, Business Administration, Communications, Psychology or related area.

·         A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

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 experience in programming related to the office considered an asset;

·         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 and Albanian is required;

·         Knowledge of Serbian language is considered an asset; and

·         Working knowledge of another official UN language is an asset.