Programme Specialist

Background

The 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 centre of all its efforts, the UN Women leads and coordinates the United Nations system-wide efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action. It provides strong and coherent leadership and technical advice in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.

Under the overall guidance and leadership of the Country Representative, and under the direct supervision of the Deputy Representative, the Programme Specialist is responsible for effective and efficient management and implementation of the UN Women programme in the Acholi sub-region, including the smooth running and management of the Gulu Field Office. She/he provides technical competence on gender equality and women’s empowerment with a holistic approach to development challenges facing women in Northern Uganda. The Programme Specialist analyzes political, social and economic trends and leads formulation, management, implementation and evaluation of program activities within his/her portfolio and provides policy advisory services to partners in local government, UN and CSOs. Through the Deputy Country Representative, the Programme Specialist provides analysis for formulation of strategies and briefings to senior management.

The UNDAF is the main coordinating mechanism for gender mainstreaming within the UN system in Uganda. UN Women is co-lead of the Human Rights and Gender Equality Result Group under the UNDAF. The Program Specialist will lead and provide support to the UN Area Coordination mechanism in Gulu to enhance system wide coherence and provide strategic advice on gender equality, women’s rights and empowerment issues in Acholi region to the UN Women Representative as the Co-Chair of the UNDAF Gender and Human Rights Group. In addition to the management and delivery of UN Women programs and support to the UNAC on gender, the Program Specialist will have overall responsibility for the smooth running and management of the UN Women Field Office in Gulu. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Technical Leadership

• Provide technical leadership in the formulation, design, implementation, monitoring and reporting of UN Women Programs in Acholi Sub-Region in northern Uganda.
• Provide technical advice and leadership to implementing partners and to apply lessons learnt and recommendations from project evaluation
• Ensure quality and timely implementation of the programme, documentation of good practices, success stories as well as high quality and timely reporting for results
• In close collaboration with partners, monitor programme delivery and take timely corrective action as necessary, in line with UN Women policies and procedures
• Maintain budget awareness and ensure funds are utilised in line with agreed plan and budgets. Entering projects into Atlas, finalization of contribution agreements; determination of required revisions; coordination of the mandatory and budget re-phasing exercises, closure of projects through review.
• Financial and substantive monitoring and evaluation of the projects, identification of operational and financial problems, development of solutions.
• Participation in audit of projects, follows up on audit recommendations and all exceptions are timely reported.
• Maintain awareness of contractual obligations with donors and ensure full compliance of reporting requirements
• Conduct environmental policy scanning on a continuous basis for Northern Uganda and regularly update and advise the head office accordingly

Partnerships and Coordination

• In close collaboration with the UN Area Coordination structure in Northern Uganda, provide technical leadership in overall coordination of the GE/WE/ GBV Convergence Group, ensuring full implementation, monitoring and reporting of the Northern Uganda gender work plan.
• Maintain active interaction with the GE/WE/GBV Convergence Group in Kampala, ensuring critical information is shared by and between the two levels and follow up actions are implemented
• Represent UN Women on issues of violence against women and girls, women’s economic empowerment, women’s leadership and political participation during district level planning processes, donor missions, budgeting processes, town hall meetings and other such forums.
• Provide technical support to the development of relevant advocacy and policy documents to address women, peace and security, violence against women and broader gender issues in northern Uganda
• In close collaboration with partners, identify capacity gaps in GE/WE/GBV and design plans for addressing them

Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting:

• In collaboration with the Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist,  – collect, compile, analyse and share periodic data/ information on programme performance to inform continued programme efficiency and effectiveness
• Provide analytic and strategic inputs to the Country Strategy and Annual Work plans to ensure the GE/WE specific issues to Acholi sub-region are effectively addressed.
• Collect and compile program activity information, evaluating progress toward achievement of annual work plans and related program outcomes.
• Ensure effective application of RBM tools, establishment of management targets (BSC) and monitoring achievement of results, in close collaboration with the M&E Specialist.
• Ensure that aggregate reports are regularly prepared and submitted on time.

Administrative and Miscellaneous Duties:

• Ensure the organizational assets in the office are maintained and used in line with the UN Women policy on asset management
• Ensure all travel undertaken complies with all requirements for travel and is approved in line with the travel plan
• Assist in writing program proposals.
• Other duties as required.

Competencies

Advocacy/Advancing A Policy-Oriented Agenda: Preparing information for advocacy

• Identifies and communicates relevant information for a variety of audiences for advocating UN Women’s mandate.

Results-Based Programme Development and Management

• Contributes to results through primary research and analysis
• Assesses project performance to identify success factors and incorporates best practices into project work.
• Researches linkages across project activities to identify critical points of integration.
• Monitors specific stages of projects/programme implementation.
• Analyzes situation to identify opportunities for Acholisub region for project development and implementation.
• Participates in the formulation of project proposals and ensures substantive rigor in the design and application of proven successful approaches and drafts proposals accordingly.

Building Strategic Partnerships: Maintaining a network of contacts

• Maintains an established network of contacts for general information sharing and to remain up-to-date on partnership related issues.
• Analyzes and selects materials for strengthening strategic alliances with partners and stakeholders, including identifying of areas for strengthening of capacities.

Innovation and Marketing New Approaches: Enhancing processes or products

• Generates new ideas and proposes new, more effective ways of doing things.
• Documents and analyses innovative strategies/best practices/new approaches.

Resource Mobilization

• Provides inputs to resource mobilization strategies
• Analyzes information/databases on potential and actual donors.
• Develops a database of project profiles.
• Identifies opportunities for project proposals for presentation to donors, in close consultation with senior management.

Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing

• Basic research and analysis
• Generates new ideas and approaches, researches best practices and proposes new, more effective ways of doing things.
• Documents and analyses innovative strategies and new approaches.

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise: Fundamental knowledge of own discipline

• Understands and applies fundamental concepts and principles of a professional discipline or technical specialty relating to the position.
• Possesses basic knowledge of organizational policies and procedures relating to the position and applies them consistently in work tasks.
• Strives to keep job knowledge up-to-date through self-directed study and other means of learning.
• Demonstrates good knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments.
• Demonstrates in-depth understanding and knowledge of the current guidelines and project management tools and utilizes these regularly in work assignments.

Global Leadership and Advocacy for UN Women’s Goals: Preparing information for global advocacy

• Identifies and communicates relevant information for advocacy for UN Women’s goals for a variety of audiences.
• Identifies and takes advantage of opportunities for advocating for UN Women’s mandate.

Client Orientation: Establishing effective client relationships

• Researches potential solutions to internal and external client needs and reports back in a timely, succinct and appropriate fashion.
• Organizes and prioritizes work schedule to meet client needs and deadlines.
• Anticipates client needs and addresses them promptly.

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.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master’s Degree or equivalent in Law, Economics, Political Sciences, Public Administration, Social Sciences, especially in gender studies or related field.

Experience:

• 7 years of relevant experience at the national or international level in gender equality and women’s empowerment programming and implementation as well as providing management advisory services, hands-on experience in design, monitoring and evaluation of development projects.
• Demonstrate analytical and advocacy skills on gender equality, women’s rights and empowerment of women issues especially with regard to policy advocacy in line with CEDAW and BFPA.
• Familiarity and experience with UN inter-agency coordination processes and or results based management for advancing gender equality and women’s rights would be an asset.
• Strong links with national networks on gender equality and women’s rights in Uganda.
• Experience in capacity building, gender mainstreaming and gender auditing required
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages, experience in handling of web based management systems.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in written and spoken English and basic working knowledge in any of the UN working languages in Uganda