Gender Specialist

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.

By invitation of the Government of Botswana, UN Women just established a presence in Botswana to coordinate and advance gender equality and women’s empowerment. The National Program Officer will provide support in setting up a UN Women presence in Botswana consistent with UN Women rules and regulations. 

In pursuit of its mandate, UN Women has partnered with the De Beers Group in a Programme aimed at enhancing the capacity of female micro-entrepreneurs and co-operatives in South Africa, Botswana and Namibia. For Botswana, the Project will be operating in the Okavango Delta Districts through training on business and life skills. A Programme of support called Acceleration of Women Micro-Entrepreneurs (AWOME) has been developed to be implemented from 2018 to 2020. The National Programme Officer for the Botswana Programme will be responsible for the overall coordination and oversight of UN Women Programmes.

The NPO will be expected to:

a) Provide technical support for the implementation of the AWOME Programme

b) Provide Technical support to mainstreaming GEWE into UN Women Programmes, UNDAF, and other sectoral policies;

c) Establish coordination mechanisms on GEWE;

d) Initiate strategic partnerships and representation with key stakeholders in particular the Government of Botswana, UNCT, Resident Coordinators Office, Civil Society and women networks, private sector and development partners;

e) Contribute to knowledge and information management by drafting policy briefs and reports.

The NPO will work under the administrative guidance of Operations and programmatic guidance at UN Women SAMCO in South Africa as required.  

The NPO will work in close collaboration with UNCT members, Programme staff (in particular gender focal persons) of agencies represented in the UNCT and technical advisors on GEWE, development partners and civil society ensuring successful elaboration and implementation of GEWE activities in UNDAF/UNCT activities.

Summary of Key Functions:

1. Coordinate and manage UN Women Programmes including AWOME in Botswana

2. Provide technical assistance to UNDAF/UNCT in advancing GEWE

3. Support to establishing strategic partnerships and representation

4. Administrative and Fiscal Management Support

5. Facilitation of Knowledge Building and Knowledge Sharing

1.         Coordinate and manage UN Women Programmes including AWOME in Botswana

·         Facilitate the implementation of the AWOME Programme and others.

·         Organize stakeholders for engagements and consultations on the Programme/s.

·         Supervise and oversee Programme Assistant and IPs for effective implementation of the Programme.

·         Conduct Monitoring and Evaluation of the UN Women Programmes in Botswana

2. Support in the formulation of technical assistance to UNDAF/UNCT in advancing GEWE

·         Collect and present background information on the political, social and economic situation in the country including support to provide technical assistance to UNCT in advancing GEWE.

• Assemble briefing materials and prepare power-point and other presentations for the mission leader.
• Identify sources and gather and compile data and information for the preparation of documents, guidelines, speeches and position papers.

3.         Support to strategic partnership building and representation 

·         Support and organize visits, meetings with key stakeholders on GEWE.

• Participate in GEWE thematic group meetings, UNDAF thematic working groups and preparation of inputs to such meetings.
• Organize meetings and briefing packs as well as summarize meeting proceedings.
• Support resource mobilization efforts of the SAMCO for Botswana.

4.         Administrative and Financial Management Support to the mission leader

·         Liaise with operations at regional office to ensure maintenance of the internal expenditures control system which ensures that vouchers processed are matched and completed; transactions are correctly recorded and posted in Atlas.

·         Take timely corrective actions on un-posted vouchers, including the vouchers with budget check errors, match exceptions, unapproved vouchers.

·         Create requisitions in Atlas for development projects registers of goods receipt in Atlas.

·         Make budget check for requisitions, POs and vouchers.

• Assist in the preparation of cost-recovery bills in Atlas by elaboration and implementation of the income tracking system and follow up on cost recovery.

5.         Facilitation of Knowledge Building and Knowledge Sharing

Support the MCO Communications Specialist in developing policy briefs and regular reports as required.

The key results have an impact on the efficiency and the deliverables of the contract based in Gaborone and successful setting up of a UN Women presence in Botswana

CORE VALUES / GUIDING PRINCIPLES

1. Integrity: Demonstrate consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UN Women in actions and decisions, in line with the UN Code of Conduct.
2. Professionalism: Demonstrate professional competence and expert knowledge of the pertinent substantive areas of work.
3. Cultural sensitivity and valuing diversity: Demonstrate an appreciation of the multicultural nature of the organization and the diversity of its staff. Demonstrate an international outlook, appreciating difference in values and learning from cultural diversity.

Functional Competencies: 

Preparing information for advocacy

• Identifies and communicates relevant information for a variety of audiences for advocating UN’s priorities
• Maintains a functioning network of contacts with a variety of stakeholders to promote a better understanding of UN’s development agenda and to support advocacy efforts

Building Strategic Partnerships:

• Maintaining a network of contacts
• Maintains an established network of contacts for general information sharing and to remain up-to-date on partnership related issues
• Analyzes and selects materials for strengthening strategic alliances with partners and stakeholders

Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing:

• Basic research and analysis
• Generates new ideas and approaches, researches best practices and proposes new, more effective ways of doing things
• Documents and analyses innovative strategies and new approaches

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise:

• Fundamental knowledge of own discipline
• Understands and applies fundamental concepts and principles of a professional discipline or technical specialty relating to the position
• Possesses basic knowledge of organizational policies and procedures relating to the position and applies them consistently in work tasks
• Strives to keep job knowledge up-to-date through self-directed study and other means of learning
• Demonstrates good knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments
• Demonstrates in-depth understanding and knowledge of the current guidelines and project management tools and utilizes these regularly in work assignments

Client Orientation:

• Establishing effective client relationships
• Researches potential solutions to internal and external client needs and reports back in a timely, succinct and appropriate fashion
• Organizes and prioritizes work schedule to meet client needs and deadlines
• Establishes, builds and sustains effective relationships within the work unit and with internal and external clients

Education: Master’s Degree or equivalent in Business Administration, Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Sciences or related field

Experience: 6 years of progressively responsible experience with Government, Inter- Governmental Organizations, and the UN in Gender and development

Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required

Working knowledge of another UN official language is an asset.

UN Women is an equal opportunity employer which strives to achieve balance in its staffing patterns.