Gender Programme Specialist (Immunization), P4- Temporary Appointment, Regional Office for South Asia, Kathmandu, Nepal (364 days)

Regional Office for South Asia is looking for a dedicated Gender Programme Specialist (Immunization) to join the Gender section to provide overall technical support and oversight for the implementation of the Gender component of the Immunization and Zero dose Programme to recipient countries of the UNICEF/Global Affairs Canada (GAC) grant in the region. The Specialist will also support the manage knowledge management, promote cross-learning, identify opportunities, develop Programme tools, and ensure quality oversight for Programme implementation, including ensuring effective and timely fund utilization and reporting.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, a future

UNICEF adopted its new Gender Action Plan 2022-2025 (GAP) which is an ambitious effort at catalyzing field level programming and results that advance gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in key areas of UNICEF's work. The UNICEF Gender Action Plan 2022-2025 prioritizes a gender-equitable approach to promoting gender equality.

Developed in tandem with UNICEF’s new Gender Policy and Gender Action Plan (GAP), The UNICEF Strategic Plan for 2022-25 emphasizes structural and norms change to transform the underlying drivers of gender inequality and reflects an intersectional approach to the compounding social exclusion and marginalization related to factors like poverty, racism, disability and migration. With this new, transformative approach, UNICEF is strengthening the mainstreaming of gender equality throughout our programming and systems, while increasing investment in gender-related data.

The UNICEF Immunization Roadmap 2022–2030 outlines and updates UNICEF’s priorities in immunization through 2030. The importance of the equity agenda to reach zero-dose children and communities with full vaccination is one of the strategic shifts for UNICEF and South Asia. To increase immunization coverage, and to sustainably reach “zero-dose” children and missed communities -One of UNICEF organizational priorities -, it is necessary to understand and address the many ways in which gender interacts with additional socioeconomic, geographic, and cultural factors to influence access, uptake and delivery of vaccines. 

How can you make a difference?

Reporting to the Regional Gender Advisor, and working closely with the Regional Chief of Health in ROSA, the Gender Programme Specialist (Immunization) will be responsible for the below:

1. Provide technical support and oversight function of Gender Specialist (immunization) portfolio and programming to Country Offices

• Actively participate in Programme coordination and management within ROSA and countries; partnerships with regional partners; and other key leadership teams to ensure effective implementation of the Programme.
• Coordinate with the country office Gender and immunization focal points to plan, utilize, monitor and report on the Gender and immunization Fund, or other programmatic funds with large gender components that are allocated to the country-specific interventions.
• In collaboration with sectoral colleagues, participate in the planning and monitoring of the utilization of the budget allocated to gender interventions at RO and country levels.
• Lead the gender component of the reporting of the Programme expenditures, including the annual reporting and donor reporting.
• Provide technical input and review on the gender components in key funding proposal appeals and submissions and in the design of funded projects/programs so that gender technical components are clearly defined, and technical capacities are included.
• Contributing to milestone and grant reporting, maintaining a repository of gender-related knowledge materials and dashboard to track support to countries and the status of their gender interventions, etc.

2. Program development and planning (including emergency contexts)

• Support countries in conducting comprehensive gender analysis/ integrating gender as part of existing equity analysis and develop gender briefs for countries developing portfolio proposals or national immunization strategies.
• Provide technical leadership on the integration of gender into programme design and strategic directions phases, including strategic planning, mid-term reviews, extended annual reviews 
• Deploying and using proxy indicators in identifying gender-related barriers to immunization and in the developing country-specific gender-responsive implementation plans.
• Liaise with the implementation research team in planning and rolling out implementation research and qualitative assessments to identify and address gender equity barriers.
• Support countries to plan and implement evidence-based advocacy for gender, health, and immunization reviews and planning.

3. Prioritizing support for gender-responsive interventions in reaching unvaccinated children, adolescents and women, and missed communities with vaccinations

• In collaboration with sectoral colleagues, identify the areas of focus for gender equitable approaches with the greatest potential for impact and scale, in alignment with zero dose, covid vaccination, and new vaccines.
• Build the capacity of country gender focal persons to create a pool of master trainers in the RO and COs who will support gender integration into national Planning processes, health system strengthening (HSS), and other planning or funding proposals including vaccine campaigns, and new vaccine introductions.
• Test gender-specific indicators and assist in incorporating technology such as GIS in monitoring and measuring gender interventions in national monitoring systems.
• Strategic technical assistance to RO & COs, supporting the rollout of the interactive gender learning tool and gender checklist in select countries

4. Measuring and monitoring the effectiveness of gender-related immunization interventions

• Support the strengthening of data systems and collection, as well as accountability mechanisms to monitor and evaluate progress on gender results.
• Support countries to document lessons learned and good practices that reduce gender-related barriers on both the demand and supply sides.
• Facilitate gender-related knowledge management across countries including the documentation and dissemination of promising practices
• Assist with planning and rollout of interactive webinars to share lessons and good practices thereby building regional, national, and subnational capacities.

5. Support integration of Immunization in primary health care programmes

• Identify opportunities to support the community health workforce with a focus on policy and Programme support for female health workers.
• Support country examples to strengthen integration with Nutrition and maternal health programmes.
• Liaise and consult with sections, government, and other external partners (civil society, NGOs, private sector) to support convergence, and develop and reinforce partnerships in gender programming.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: Gender and development, Public Health, global/international health and nutrition, Policy and/or management, health sciences, nutritional epidemiology, or another health-related science field
• Minimum of five years experience in gender and development programming
• A track record of achieving or contributing to tangible change in planning, designing, implementing, and delivering results-based programmes on gender and development.
• Experience in conducting or supporting rigorous gender analysis, including quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, and applied gender measurement, monitoring, and evaluation.
• Expertise in evidence-based advocacy and communication skills on gender equality
• Experience in a developing country programme in one or more of the following areas is required: public health, immunization, gender, adolescent girls’ nutrition, or maternal, infant, and child health care.
• Knowledge of international development, humanitarian issues, and children’s rights.
• Experience in training and facilitation is an asset
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of other UN languages is considered an asset

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are...

• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1)
• Works Collaboratively with others (1)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (1)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (1)
• Drive to achieve impactful results (1)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

UNICEF’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable females are encouraged to apply.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.