Bosnia and Herzegovina: Women, Peace, and Security, Field Coordinator

Oct 13, 2023 | United Nations Women
View Original

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 Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325) was adopted in 2000 and calls for full and equal participation of women in the process of conflict prevention and building international peace and security. The adoption of the resolution is particularly significant since the last decades the nature of war has changed. Women and girls are involved in conflicts where in a country such as Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), history do state the need of a strong protection of women and girls in conflicts as well as in post conflict situations.

UN Women supports women’s full and equal representation and participation in all levels of peace processes and security efforts. UN Women’s work on women, peace, and security is guided by 10 UN Security Council resolutions and is bolstered by several related normative frameworks, which make up the broader women, peace, and security (WPS) agenda. UN Women is committed to ensuring equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of humanitarian action.

BiH’s progress 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 BiH’s institutional capacity development for the work on gender equality. The legal provisions guaranteeing women’s rights and gender equality are largely in place – the Gender Equality Law, the Gender Action Plan, the Election Law amendment instituting quotas, the Action Plan for the implementation of UNSCR 1325, and the ratification of the Istanbul Convention are normative achievements that influence the institutional practice in promoting gender equality in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Since the adoption of UN Security Council resolution UNSCR 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, the governments in BiH and civil society organizations have been working to raise awareness about women’s role and participation in creation of lasting peace and bolstering social cohesion with strong dedication to implement the resolution and increase participation in the key policy, service delivery and community development processes. Since 2010, BiH institutions and civil society have worked to frame and implement the WPS Agenda in the country. Three Action Pans for the implementation of UNSCR 1325 have been implemented (2010 – 2013, 2014 – 2018 and 2018 – 2022), as the key tools to transform the normative provisions contained in the resolutions into practical action.

Women, Peace and Security Agenda is guided, but not limited to the institutional action plans and their implementation. It also encompasses a wide range of CSO initiatives aimed at addressing the human security concerns of women and girls, supporting peacebuilding and social cohesion. UN Women, together with IOM and UNFPA aim to contribute to advancing and accelerating WPS Agenda in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the period 2023 – 2026.

Under the direct supervision of the WPS Programme Specialist, the Field Coordinator will be responsible for implementing and monitoring the WPS project activities. The Field Coordinator will work in close collaboration with the WPS team, colleagues from UNFPA and IOM and the operations team to ensure consistent service delivery.

Duties and Responsibilities

Coordinate the implementation of the WPS field activities

  • Support the development and coordination of the activities aimed at improving social cohesion, featuring leadership of women in the multi-stakeholder partnerships, supporting capacities of the local CSOs and local governments and improving social cohesion;
  • Actively participate in planning meetings, support the development of work plans and propose interventions based on need assessments;
  • Undertake regular field trips to support the work of key partners, both institutions and civil society organizations;
  • Establish effective working relations with the selected implementing partners and stakeholders;
  • Participate in all aspects of the project implementation, communication and information exchange with the WPS team and implementing partners (government and CSOs);
  • Ensure timely and efficient implementation of the project’s activities in the field and ensure that the project results are aligned with Project document.

Monitor the field work and provide technical support in the selected communities

  • Design and implement monitoring plans, data collection and verification tools;
  • Undertake regular monitoring missions to ensure timely delivery and quality of results;
  • Ensure proper identification of and follow up with the national experts/consultants and institutions/civil society groups who will be involved in the implementation of certain activities;
  • Closely coordinate planning and implementation of the activities with the UN Agencies involved in the project to ensure coherence and optimized targeting and results;
  • 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 the Project Manager, in relevant national seminars, meetings of work groups and panels, and project periodic evaluation and review meetings;
  • Contribute to prepare deliverables and provide technical support and inputs as needed for the project.

Reporting to UN Women

  • Develop quarterly monitoring reports on the state of the project implementation in the communities where the project will be implemented;
  • Contribute to ensure project documentation/communication is properly done and tracking system is in place for effective project closure;
  • Ensure adherence to the UN Women operating rules and procedures;
  • Perform appropriate operations in the UN Women corporate ERP system Quantum.

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

  • Excellent substantive knowledge on gender based violence and the situation in Republika Sprska and Federation BiH.
  • Ability to extract, interpret, analyze data and resolve operational problems;
  • Ability to perform work of confidential nature and handle a large volume of work;
  • Ability to support a team and team building skills;
  • Strong IT skills and ability to apply it consistently in work tasks;
  • Good knowledge of administrative rules and regulations, organizational policies and procedures related to the position and ability to apply it consistently in work tasks;
  • Focus on results and positive response to feedback;
  • Attention to detail;
  • Generates new ideas and proposes new, more effective ways of doing things;
  • Documents and analyses innovative strategies/best practices/new approaches;
  • Reports to internal and external partners in a timely and appropriate fashion;
  • Organizes and prioritizes work schedule to meet partners and donors needs and deadlines;
  • Establishes, builds and sustains effective relationships within the work unit and with internal and external partners;
  • Responds to partners needs promptly; 

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Master’s degree in in gender, development, public policy, social studies or closely related field. Bachelor’s degree with additional two years will be given due consideration.

Experience:

  • A minimum of 3 years (with MA) or 5 years (with BA)  of relevant experience in similar positions is required.
  • Demonstrated programme / project experience will be highly valued as well as the previous work and research on topics related to gender equality, human rights, law and local governance.
  • Experience working with women human rights issues is necessary as well as having a good understanding of gender equality and gender mainstreaming
  • Experience with the international standards related to the Project Cycle Management and Monitoring and Evaluation of Projects is required.
  • Previous experience working with international organizations will be considered an asset;

Language Requirements:

  • Excellent English and B/S/C language skills, both written and oral.