Programme Specialist, Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action

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.

The UN Women Myanmar Country Office is based in Yangon, with offices in the capital Naypyitaw as well as in Mon, Kachin and Rakhine States. Under its Strategic Note 2019-2021, UN Women Myanmar focuses on delivering on the following interlinked programme areas underpinned by support for intergovernmental and normative processes:

• Women’s Leadership and Gender Responsive Governance;
• Women’s Economic Empowerment;
• Women, Peace and Security and Gender in Humanitarian Action and Disaster Risk Reduction.

In historically conflict affected areas of the country, the UN Women Myanmar Country Office is implementing humanitarian, peace and development nexus programming which focuses on putting women at the center of community resilience and social cohesion efforts and supporting durable solutions to displacement including livelihood based solutions. This includes interventions to respond to the COVID19 crisis in its multiple dimensions.

Reporting to Humanitarian Advisor, and in close coordination with the Women, Peace and Security Advisor, the Programme Specialist, Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action is responsible for planning, implementing, and managing UN Women interventions under their portfolio.  The Programme Specialist works in close collaboration with the programme and operations team, UN Women HQ staff, Government officials, multi and bi-lateral donors and civil society ensuring successful UN Women programme implementation under portfolio. 

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Design and develop programme strategies in the area of women, peace and security and humanitarian action

• Design and formulate programme/ project proposals and initiatives;
• Draft inputs to country strategy documents, briefs, policy dialogue and other documents related to women, peace and security and humanitarian action.

2. Manage the implementation and management of the women, peace and security and humanitarian action programme

• 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

• Manage the implementation of technical advice and guidance. Develop and implement technical tools, and initiatives
• Build and manage relationships with national partners to support implementation and expansion of the women, peace and security and humanitarian action programme including livelihood focused strategies; 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 women, peace and security and humanitarian action programme

• Manage the programme budget and draft financial reports;

• Supervise staff; 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 on women, peace and security and humanitarian action to achieve coherence and alignment of UN Women programmes with other partners  in the country

• Provide technical support to the Representative and Deputy Head of Office 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 women, peace and security and humanitarian action;
• Represent UN Women in meetings and policy dialogues on issues related to women, peace and security and humanitarian action 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 and humanitarian action.

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 skill
• Strong knowledge of Results Based Managemen
• Ability to synthesize program performance data and produce analytical reports to inform management and strategic decision-making
• Strong knowledge of gender equality and the empowerment of women
• Strong knowledge of women, peace and security and/or gender in humanitarian action
• Strong knowledge of gender and livelihood programming
• 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 social sciences, human rights, gender/women's studies, international development, or a related field 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 would be an added advantage

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 women, peace and security, gender in humanitarian action, including livelihood focused programming
• 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 Myanmar is required;
• Working knowledge of another official UN language is an asset.