UN Women - Gender Equality Facility (GEF) Project Manager

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 leads and coordinates United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action globally. It provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.

Progress of North Macedonia in recent years respecting and promoting Gender Equality is highlighted in a series of international commitments and in national legal and policy frameworks. The main achievements in the field of gender equality and women’s empowerment reside in the Country’s institutional capacity development for the work on gender equality. Indeed, the legal provisions guaranteeing women’s rights and gender equality are largely in place – the Law of Equal Opportunities of Women and Men, the National Action Plan for Gender Equality, the Election Law amendment instituting quotas, the Action Plan for the implementation of UNSCR 1325 (2020-2025), and the ratification of the Istanbul Convention are normative achievements that influence the institutional practice in promoting gender equality in North Macedonia.

However, the Country still copes with deep-rooted, patriarchal stereotypes regarding the role and responsibilities of women and men in the family and in society at large. Women in North Macedonia face a precarious reality – they remain underrepresented in central and local government, have disproportionately limited access to employment, and many are subjected to violence. Gaps in policy development and slow implementation of the adopted legislation constitute important structural obstacles to achieving gender equality. Improvements are needed in both strengthening institutional capacities and enhancing cooperation between the gender mechanisms, the key ministries and civil society organizations in order to increase gender mainstreaming in all aspect of government work - primarily policy development and budgeting - as the means for achieving gender equality.

In line with the European Council’s decision of March 2020 to open accession negotiations with the Country, the Sida-funded “Gender Equality Facility” (GEF) in North Macedonia aims at strengthening the effective implementation of national and international legal frameworks on gender equality and women’s rights, mainstreaming gender equality into EU integration and planning processes for pre-accession assistance, and strengthening institutional mechanisms for gender equality in line with EU standards. Expert support will be provided for the integration of gender perspectives into sector dialogue, policy revisions and ongoing reforms in line with the National Programme for Adoption of the Acquis (NPAA), recovery programmes, including EU-funded IPA programmes and actions, the Government’s Annual Work Programme, and the strategic planning of line Ministries. Thereby, GEF supports institutions to correctly align with the EU Gender Equality acquis. The intervention will also address challenges in implementation of laws and gender equality policies by providing support for enhancing coordination and monitoring of gender equality policies and measures. In the medium to longer-term, and in line with the EU Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025 and the Principles of the EU Gender Action Plan III (2021-2025), the Project aims to secure implementation/application of gender equality legislation, policies and standards through policy dialogue, technical expertise and guidance, development and sharing of good practice, and strategic partnerships and cooperation.

The main partners of the Project are the Secretariat for European Affairs (SEA, the main project beneficiary), Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) structures, the Equal Opportunities Department at the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy (MLSP), and National Gender Machinery institutions.

The UN Women Office in North Macedonia is seeking to recruit a GEF Project Manager who will work under the direct supervision of the UN Women Head of Office, technically supported by the international GEF senior gender mainstreaming expert, and in close collaboration with the Secretariat for European Affairs (SEA), the Equal Opportunities Department at the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy (MLSP), Government officials, media, multilateral and bilateral donors, and civil society.

Duties and Responsibilities

Design and implementation of GEF programme intervention

• In close consultation with the main stakeholders and partners, develop and manage implementation of activities
• Oversee, monitor and technically resource implementation of consultancy contracts and agreements with the implementing partners
• Develop Letters of Agreement, project plans, budgets, Terms of Reference for national and international consultants, experts/ institutions and CSOs, and supervise and evaluate their performance in delivering required outputs
• Supervise and evaluate work performance of the two project coordinators
• Coordinate the work of the consultants for the sectorial working groups and provide inputs as required
• Participate in relevant meetings and ensure timely preparation of quality minutes and reports
• Prepare all documentation for selection and management of consultants
• Undertake close supervision and quality assurance of any studies, analyses and consultancies that are undertaken/commissioned by the project and troubleshoot as needed
• Engage in quality control of all visibility and communication materials prepared under the project, in line with UN Women guidelines and donor regulations, and in coordination with the Head of Office and Communication Specialist
• Identify and obtain any support and advice required for the management, planning and control of the project
• Organize and coordinate evaluation requirements of the project
• Assess project performance to identify success factors and incorporate best practices into project work
• Research linkages across project activities to identify critical points of integration
• Monitor specific stages of projects/programme implementation
• Analyze country situation to identify opportunities for programme development
• Participate in the formulation of project proposals and ensure substantive rigor in the design and application of proven successful approaches and drafts proposals accordingly

Gender Equality Facility / European Integrations Technical Support

• Provide technical/expert support and guidance to UN Women, main project stakeholders, implementing partners as well as consultants and collaborators, towards the achievement of intended results
• Foster strategic partnerships with key stakeholders in the field of gender equality and European integrations / public administration reform / governance
• Coordinate the work of the experts for sectorial working groups in coordination with the Head of Office and under guidance of the Senior Gender Mainstreaming and EU Integration Expert
• Identify and link to related ongoing activities within other institutions and encourage collaboration and synergies
• Promote and advocate for the project in the media as agreed with supervisors, in relevant national and regional fora
• Regular monitoring to ensure timely delivery and quality of results
• Flag in a timely way issues of strategic concern and seek advice from the supervisors in finding appropriate solutions
• Prepare deliverables and provide technical support and inputs as needed
• All other technical tasks as agreed with the supervisor according to this ToR

Provide technical inputs to the monitoring and reporting of the project

• Ensure project documentations/communication is properly done, tracking system is in place for effective project closure and any anticipated human resources changes on the project
• Develop and update quarterly work plans and expenditure plans based on the agreed annual work-plan
• Prepare requested quarterly and annual progress reports in line with corporate and donor requirements for the clearance by supervisor
• Contribute to annual reporting of the Office
• Prepare donor report
• Responsible for timely monitoring of project implementation and delivery
• Contribute to UN Women planning and reporting corporate requirements as requested by the supervisor

Provide substantive inputs to building partnerships and resource mobilization strategies

• Establish effective stakeholders’ relationships
• Ensure proper identification and mapping of relevant partners and donors, and follow up with all relevant counterparts
• Organize coordination meetings (participates and contributes) to ensure harmonization and sustainability of achieved results
• Maintain and establish network of contacts for general information sharing and to remain up-to-date on partnership related issues
• Analyze and select materials for strengthening strategic alliances with partners and stakeholders

Ensure facilitation of capacity building and knowledge sharing, guidance to all stakeholders

• Identify, map and communicate relevant information for a variety of audiences for advocating UN Women’s mandate
• Document and analyse innovative strategies/best practices/new approaches
• Enhance processes or products and generate new ideas and propose new, more effective ways of doing things
• Research potential solutions to stakeholders’ needs and reports back in a timely, succinct and appropriate fashion
• Anticipate stakeholder needs and addresses them promptly

Impact of Results

The intervention will address challenges in implementation of the national and EU legislative and policy framework for gender equality through support to the institutions mandated for gender equality, and through coordination and monitoring of gender equality procedures and measures among them.

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

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies: http://www.unwomen.org/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/about%20us/employment/un-women-employment-values-and-competencies-definitions-en.pdf

FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES

• Ability to gather and interpret data, reach logical conclusions and present findings.
• Good analytical and research skills
• Knowledge of Results Based Management
• Programme formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation skills
• Good organizational skills and ability to prioritize work schedule to meet stakeholder’s needs and deadlines
• Solid knowledge of organizational policies and procedures relating to the position and their consistent application in work tasks
• Solid knowledge of EU integrative processes and/or IPA
• Striving to keep job knowledge up-to-date through self-directed study and other means of learning
• Good knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments
• Understands and applies fundamental concepts and principles of a professional discipline or technical specialty relating to the position
• Solid knowledge of organizational policies and procedures relating to the position and applies them consistently in work tasks

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in Gender/Women’s Studies, Development Studies, European Studies, Public Policy, Law, Public Administration, Social Sciences, or closely related fields.
• 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:

• Minimum five years of relevant professional experience in Project Management, and engagement on gender equality/gender policy issues is required. Previous experience in working with international organizations on this topic is considered an asset;
• In-depth knowledge and experience of the legal and policy framework on gender equality and the relevant international instruments and mechanisms, and thorough conceptual understanding of gender inequalities and the status of women in the Country is desirable;
• Proven understanding of and hands-on experience in processes of European Integration and/or IPA processes in the Country is required;
• Evidence of solid knowledge of and familiarity with stakeholders in the country, in particular national institutions working in the field of gender mainstreaming, EU integration, and development is an asset;
• Demonstrated experience in programme/project design,  coordination and management with UN agencies or similar international organizations is an advantage;
• Experience in IT Microsoft skills

Language requirements:

• Excellent English and Macedonian language skills is required