Programme Specialist (Ending Violence Against Women and Girls/Ending Child Marriages)

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.

UN Women Eastern & Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO) maintains a large presence in Eastern and Southern Africa region, covering 13 countries with program presence in Somalia and Zambia.In accordance with the UN Women Strategic Note which is premised on the Africa Strategy, UN Women works to advance social, economic and political rights and protection of women and girls from violence including harmful practices. The program also focusses on those from marginalized, excluded and under-represented groups, including rural women, women with disabilities, women living with or affected by HIV, women survivors of violence, women migrants, elderly women and others.

The Project entitled “Reducing Child Marriage in Malawi and Zambia” is funding by the India, Brazil and South Africa Facility for Poverty and Hunger Alleviation (IBSA Fund)through the UN South-South Cooperation (UNSSC).The above position is to support the implementation of the project in Zambia, in close partnership with the relevant government departments, CSOs and UN Agencies through UN Women ESARO coordination and supervision.The program will also establish linkages with the Global Programme to accelerate action to end child marriage in Zambia and other similar initiatives in Zambia and the region.The IBSA program in Zambia also establishes linkages with the Child Marriage program in Malawi and also works closely with the related departments of the African Union through the UN Women Ethiopia African Union Liaison team.

Reporting to the Regional Program Manager-EVAW, the EVAW Programme/Child Marriage Specialist provides programme support to the effective management of UN Women programmes related to “Ending Child Marriage” in Zambia by contributing in the programme design, formulation, implementation and evaluation.S/he supports the delivery of UN Women programmes by analyzing results achieved during implementation and supporting appropriate application of systems and procedures.She/he works in close collaboration with the government and CSO partner agencies in ensuring successful UN Women programme implementation and in achieving the intended results.

Design and develop programme strategies in the area of Ending Child Marriage 

• Design and formulate programme/ project proposals, call for proposals and initiatives;
• Draft inputs to technical briefs, policy dialogue and other documents related to child marriage;
• Draft inputs to country strategy documents including technical inputs to development of the Zambia component of Phase 2 of the Global Program to Accelerate Action to End Child Marriage;

Manage the implementation and management of the EVAW/Child Marriage programme

• Finalize the annual workplan and budget for the IBSA program and manage their implementation;
• Manage the technical implementation of the programme/project; ensure synergies with UNW Malawi and UNW Ethiopia CO and other teams;
• Manage the submission of implementing partner financial and narrative reports;
• Provide guidance to staff and partners on Results Based Management tools and performance indicators;
• Organize Project Steering Committee, project review and/or evaluation meetings, as needed.

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 child marriage programme; respond to any potential problems;
• Identify capacity building needs of partners on ending child marriage and lead the coordination of technical assistance, mentoring, training and capacity development initiatives to partners.

Manage the monitoring and reporting of the programme/ project

• 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 quarterly, annual and other reports.

Manage the people and financial resources of the child marriage programme

• Manage the programme budget and draft financial reports;
• Supervise, mentor and coach staff and conduct performance assessments;
• Oversee recruitment processes, as necessary.

Build partnerships and support in developing resource mobilization strategies

• Develop and implement partnerships and resource mobilization strategies;
• Finalize relevant documentation on donors and potential opportunities for resource mobilization;
• Analyze and research information on donors, prepare substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, identification of opportunities for cost sharing.

Contribute to inter-agency coordination on Gender, GBV and Child Marriage  to achieve coherence and alignment of UN Women programmes with other partners  in Zambia

• Provide technical support to the UN Women ESARO Program Manager and Team on inter-agency coordination related activities by attending meetings, events, and participating in groups and committees as needed;
• In consultation with the EVAW Regional Program Manager, coordinate with other UN agencies, government departments, donors and NGOs to ensure the projects’ capacity development programme is harmonized and aligned with other in-country efforts.

Manage advocacy, knowledge building and communication efforts

• Develop and review background documents, briefs and presentations related to the child marriage;
• Represent UN Women in meetings and policy dialogues on issues related to child marriage as necessary;
• Develop advocacy strategies and oversee their implementation;
• Identify best practices and lessons learned to guide programme improvement and strategy planning;
• Develop knowledge management strategies, products and methodologies on ending child marriage in Zambia.

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

Functional Competencies

• Strong programme formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation skills
• Strong knowledge of Results Based Management
• Ability to synthesize program performance data and produce analytical reports to inform management and strategic decision-making
• Strong knowledge of Ending Violence against Women, specifically, Ending Child Marriage
• Strong analytical skills
• Ability to identify and analyze trends, opportunities and threats to fundraising and develop strategies

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 Ending Child Marriage;
• Experience coordinating and liaising with government agencies, African Union and/or donors is an asset;
• Experience working in the UN System is an asset;
• Experience in leading/managing a team is an asset.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in spoken and written English and local languages is required;
• Knowledge of the other UN official working language is an asset;
• Knowledge of Zambia context is an asset.

Important applicant information

All posts in the SC categories are subject to local recruitment.

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