UN Women: Programme Specialist, Violence against Women Data and Research

Background

The duration of the assignment is until 31 December 2023.  Whereas an external candidate will be offered a temporary appointment; subject to release agreements, staff members in UN Women may be administered as a temporary assignment and staff members in the UN Common system may be administered under a loan arrangement.

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.

Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is the most pervasive human rights violation and public health concern, with nearly 1 in 3 women globally, subjected to physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) and/or non-partner sexual violence (NPSV) in their lifetime. The work of UN Women’s Ending Violence against Women (EVAW) Section is broadly focused on a comprehensive approach to ending violence against women that addresses legislation and policies, prevention, services for survivors, research and data.  Data and research on the nature and extent of different forms of VAWG, the root causes and drivers as well as the impacts are critical to inform effective laws, policies and programmes in different contexts. VAW data are also critical for advocacy on ending VAW (EVAW) and for mobilizing political commitments and investments as well as for measuring progress over time.

UN Women has spearheaded VAW data work through a Global Joint Programme (2018-2022) funded by the UK and implemented in partnership with the World Health Organization, “Strengthening methodologies and measurement and building national capacities for violence against women data” and through Phase I of the Women Count programme. This work has led to enhancements in methodological standards on VAW data collection; increased the availability of VAW prevalence data; strengthened technical capacities at the country and regional levels to collect VAW data; and increased advocacy and evidence-based policy making through improving VAW data use.

UN Women is building on this work and, with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation through Phase II of the programme Women Count, is working on two outcomes for “Scaling up data-driven action on violence against women” (“the VAW data programme” hereinafter): increasing VAW data production through supporting surveys and improving data access and use.

Reporting to the Policy Specialist on Violence against Women Data, the Programme Specialist is responsible for providing technical, programmatic and operational inputs in the implementation of the VAW data programme, including the monitoring of results, annual planning and reporting, and building partnerships with global stakeholders and development partners.  S/he works in close collaboration with the EVAW Section, Women Count team and other Policy, Programme and Intergovernmental Division teams, UN Women staff in HQ and in field offices, multi- and bi-lateral donors, academia, government representatives and civil society as relevant, ensuring successful UN Women programme implementation under her/his portfolio. The Programme Specialist will also contribute to the broader work of the Ending Violence against Women Section, particularly in the area of violence against women data and research.

Duties and Responsibilities

Provide technical assistance and support to VAW data collection at country level:

• Provide technical assistance and support to UN Women country offices and national statistics offices at all stages of VAW data collection to ensure quality, comparable VAW data is produced in accordance with established global standards.
• Provide technical inputs into survey design, safety and ethical protocols, VAW data analysis and other survey stages.
• Identify capacity building needs of partners and coordinate the provision of technical assistance, training and capacity development to partners, national statistics offices and country offices to equip them with sustainable skills for future VAW data work.

Increase access to and use of VAW data and knowledge:

• Develop and implement capacity strengthening strategies for policymakers and civil society organizations through training on how to use VAW data to inform policies and advocacy.
• Develop knowledge management strategies and knowledge products on violence against women data, as needed.
• Develop and disseminate communication materials, including developing policy briefs to increase access and use of VAW data across all levels.
• Support the organization of dialogues with policy makers at national and local levels on VAW survey findings to increase uptake and use to inform policymaking to prevent VAW.
• Contribute to the update and expansion of the Global VAW Prevalence Database and visualization platform and the generation of VAW estimates including for SDG monitoring.

Support the implementation and management of the Violence against Women Data Programme

• Develop and coordinate the implementation and finalization of the annual workplans and budgets.
• Contribute to the technical implementation of the programme; ensure synergies with other teams.
• Coordinate the submission of implementing partners’ financial and narrative reports, as needed.
• Contribute to programme Steering Committee, project review and/or evaluation meetings, as needed.
• Contribute to resource mobilization initiatives and documentation in the area ofzz violence against women data and research, as relevant.
• Build and manage relationships with global/regional/national partners to support implementation of Violence against Women Data initiatives.
• Identify best practices and lessons learned to guide programme improvement and strategy planning.

Manage the monitoring and reporting of the programme

• Manage the monitoring of the programme implementation and finances using results-based management tools.
• Write quarterly reports and donor reports, focusing on results, output and outcomes.

Contribute to inter-agency coordination on violence against women data and research to achieve coherence and alignment of the programme with other partners 

• Contribute to provision of technical support on inter-agency coordination related activities by attending meetings, events, and participating in groups and committees, as needed.
• Contribute to coordinating with other UN agencies and relevant partners to ensure the programme’s capacity development component is harmonized and aligned with other global, regional and in-country efforts.
• Organize expert meetings, advocacy events, panels and other interactive events on violence against women data and research.
• Represent UN Women in meetings and policy dialogues on issues related to violence against women data and research as necessary.

Provide technical contributions to the data and research activities of the EVAW Section, Research and Data Team, and country/regional offices

• Technically contribute to data and research activities for all products of the EVAW Section, including technical assistance to UN Women field offices.
• Develop, review and provide inputs into background documents, reports, briefs and presentations related to violence against women data and research. 

Key Performance Indicators

• Timely and quality implementation of Violence against Women Data activities in line with budget and workplans, and in line with all UN Women operational rules and regulations;
• Quality and timely reporting of Programme activities;
• Regular and timely monitoring of activities;
• Timely and quality technical advice to UN Women field offices and other partners;
• Strong partnerships developed/strengthened which lead to results;
• Quality and timeliness of knowledge products, briefs, reports, proposals and other documents.

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: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women- values-and-competencies-framework-en.pdf

Functional Competencies

• Strong knowledge of violence against women data and research;
• Strong programme formulation, implementation and monitoring skills;
• Ability to produce well-written reports and publications in coordination with and input from multiple partners;
• Ability to interact effectively with partners, especially with other UN organizations;
• Ability to establish, build and sustain effective relationship with clients, demonstrating an understanding of client’s perspective;
• Knowledge and understanding of UN system and familiarity with inter-governmental processes;
• Strong analytical skills;
• Strong communication skills, both written and oral;
• Ability to manage complexities;
• Ability to organize and complete multiple tasks by establishing priorities.

Required Skills and Experience

Education and certification:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in social sciences, public health, 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.

Experience:

• At least 5 years of progressively responsible work experience at the national or international level in design, planning, implementation, management and monitoring of development projects, particularly in the area of gender equality and/or ending violence against women;
• Technical experience in the area of violence against women data and research;
• Experience in developing capacity strengthening initiatives on violence against women data and research;
• Experience in conducting primary research (quantitative methods, qualitative methods) on violence against women, gender equality or related fields, is an asset;
• Experience coordinating and liaising with government agencies and/or donors is an asset;
• Experience working in the UN System is an asset.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required;
• Working knowledge of another official UN language is an asset;

Application:

All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-P11-Personal-History-Form.doc. Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.

Note:

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.

Diversity and inclusion:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background