Afghanistan: Programme Specialist, Women Peace and Security (WPS) -(Afghan national only) - Re-advertised-Those who previously applied do not need to re-apply

Jun 11, 2023 | United Nations Women
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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, UN Women leads and coordinates United Nations System efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.
Afghanistan is one of the world’s most complex emergencies, and the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. Afghan people are grappling with the impact of conflict, poverty, economic decline, and natural disasters. In this context, Afghan women and girls face unique vulnerabilities and require urgent support as gender inequality is interwoven with conflict dynamics and humanitarian needs. It is essential that Afghan women and girls can continue to shape the development of their country, and that their gains are protected. UN Women remains fully committed to supporting Afghan women and girls and to putting them at the center of the global response to the crisis in Afghanistan.
UN Women has been in Afghanistan for two decades. UN Women’s programming approach is informed by analysis of the political, economic and humanitarian situation, risks to and capacities of partner organizations, and needs of Afghan women and girls. UN Women Afghanistan currently has four key programme priorities: (1) Gender in Humanitarian Action, (2) Ending Violence Against Women, (3) Women’s Economic Empowerment, and (4) Women, Peace and Security.
Under the overall guidance from the Special Representative and Special Representative, the WPS Specialist will report directly to the WPS Programme Manager and will primarily focus on leading implementation of key components of the WPS portfolio, including engagement with Afghan women civil society and women human rights defenders - in country and globally; the UN and other international partners and stakeholders. She/he will support the ACO, on the planning, coordinating, implementing, and monitoring UN Women interventions to advance its overall priorities under the WPS portfolio, working in close collaboration with programme and operations team, UN Women Regional, and HQ staff.


Duties and Responsibilities

1. Design and develop programme for women civil society and women human rights defenders, focusing on Women Peace and Security:

  • Draft programme/ project proposals and initiatives related to WPS and social cohesion – with focus on women-led civil society organizations and women human rights defenders;
  • Draft inputs to country strategy documents, briefs, policy dialogues, reports and other documents related to WPS and social cohesion;

2. Manage the implementation and management of the WPS portfolio:

  • Finalize the annual workplan and budget and manage their implementation;
  • Lead initiatives that seek to meaningful consult with diverse women leaders, connecting them to policy windows to increase their influence;
  • Provide technical support to the implementation of the programme/project; ensure synergies with other teams and other UN agencies implementing work related to WPS;
  • Provide guidance to personnel and partners on Results Based Management tools and performance indicators;
  • Facilitate 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 WPS programme; 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 projects under the WPS portfolio,

  • 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 specified WPS programme

  • Draft and support the WPS implementing partners projects budget and financial reports;
  • As assigned by the WPS Programme Manager, provide support to the guiding relevant consultants, mentor and coach staff and conduct performance assessments;
  • Support the recruitment processes, as necessary;

6. Build partnerships and support developing resource mobilization strategies

  • Develop and support the implementation of partnerships and resource mobilization strategies;
  • Contribute to the finalization of relevant documentation on donors and potential opportunities for resource mobilization;
  • Undertake relevant research information on donors, prepare substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, identification of opportunities for cost sharing;

7. Manage advocacy, knowledge building and communication efforts

  • Develop and review background documents, briefs and presentations related to WPS Programme area;
  • As delegated represent UN Women in meetings and policy dialogues on issues related WPS;
  • Draft advocacy strategies and support their implementation;
  • Draft best practices and lessons learned to guide programme improvement and strategy planning;
  • Draft knowledge management strategies, products and methodologies in line with civil society engagement component of the WPS;
  • Contribute to visibility of the partners’ results by identifying promising and notable achievements for amplification by UNW communications;

Key Performance Indicators

  • Programme team workplans and budgets are developed and implemented in line with Strategic Note and Afghanistan Country Office work plans;
  • Programme team adhere to UN Women’s Rules, Regulations, policies and procedures, using a results based management approach;
  • Programmes are implemented according to workplan and budget;
  • Regular monitoring of programmes, issues/deviations are raised in a timely manner;
  • Timely and quality reporting and regular dissemination and sharing of information, including best practices/ lessons learned;


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 programme formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation skills
  • Ability to develop detailed operational plans, budgets, and deliver on them
  • Ability to synthesize program performance data and produce analytical reports to inform management and strategic decision-making
  • Strong analytical skills
  • Strong knowledge of Results Based Management
  • Good knowledge of UN programme management systems


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;
  • Experience organizing meaningful consultations required;
  • Understanding of how to manage risks related to work on WPS and with women human rights human rights defenders in Afghanistan required;
  • Experience coordinating and liaising with international-bilateral and multilateral partners, and/or donors is an asset;
  • Experience working in the UN System and UN Women is an asset;
  • Experience in leading/managing a team is an asset.

Language Requirements:

  • Fluency in English is required
  • Fluency in Dari and /or Pashto 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

Application and recruitment process | About us: Careers at UN Women | UN Women – Headquarters 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.

Inclusion Statement:

UN Women is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits employ, 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 an applicant needs any reasonable accommodation to support their participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in their 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 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.)