Programme Officer, Climate Smart Agriculture

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.
 

Women South Africa Multi-Country Office (SAMCO) is based in Pretoria, South Africa and covers 5 countries (Botswana, Lesotho Namibia, South Africa, and Swaziland). SAMCO works with government, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and the Private Sector to contribute to gender equality through formulation and implementation of norms, laws, policies, programmes and services that ensure the human rights of women and girls and increases economic participation. SAMCO’s programmes include increasing women’s political participation and leadership, securing women’s economic rights, strengthening women's involvement in peace building, ending violence against women and making government budgets and policies gender responsive.
 

UN Women South Africa is implementing a flagship programme on Stimulating Equal Opportunities for Women Entrepreneurs through Affirmative Procurement, Investment and Supply Chain Policies. The programme seeks to improve women’s access to public and private procurement of goods and services in general, linking women through the value chain. Within Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA), UN Women focuses on supporting women in agriculture to fully and equally participate in decision-making at all levels as necessary for the development of: appropriate policy interventions; deployment of more effective tools, technologies, infrastructure and institutions to implement measures to build resilience; and the achievement of sustainable resource management for resilient green value chains.
 

Reporting to Programme Specialist for Women’s Economic Empowerment, the incumbent will be responsible  for planning, implementing and managing UN Women interventions under the Women’s Economic Empowerment-Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA)  Portfolio which includes ensuring the delivery of project commitments, coordinating relationships with national partners and stakeholders, monitoring and tracking progress, and managing project finances in accordance to UN Women rules and procedures S/he contributes to project research, financial management, and programme implementation including providing necessary operational, administrative and programmatic support.

1. Design and develop project strategies in the area of Climate Smart Agriculture.

• Design and formulate project proposals and initiatives;
• Draft inputs to country strategy documents, briefs, policy dialogue and other documents related to Climate Smart Agriculture.
   

2. Manage the implementation and management of the Climate Smart Agriculture project

• Finalize the annual workplan and budget and manage their implementation;
• Manage the technical implementation of the programme/project; ensure synergies with 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.

3. Manage technical assistance and capacity development to project  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 Climate Smart Agriculture 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 project

• Manage the monitoring of 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 the Climate Smart Agriculture project

• Manage the project budget and draft financial reports;
• Supervise Technical Specialists;
• Oversee recruitment processes, as necessary.
   

6. 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.
   

7. Contribute to inter-agency coordination on Climate Smart Agriculture   to achieve coherence and alignment of UN Women programmes with other partners in the South Africa

• Provide technical support to the Representative and Deputy Representative on inter-agency coordination related activities by attending meetings, events, and participating in groups and committees as needed;
• 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.
   

8. Manage advocacy, knowledge building and communication efforts

• Develop and review background documents, briefs and presentations related to the Climate Smart Agriculture;
• Represent UN Women in meetings and policy dialogues on issues related to Climate Smart Agriculture 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 Climate Smart Agriculture.

Key performance indicators

• Timely and quality programme design and inputs to Strategic Note
• Timely and quality of programme delivery in line with budget and workplans, and in line with all UN Women operational rules and regulations, including security
• Timely and quality monitoring and evaluation of programmes
• Relations with partners and stakeholders
• Quality reports and timely submission

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 Women’s Economic Empowerment and Climate Smart Agriculture 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 project/programme management certification would be an added advantage

Experience:

• At least 4 years of progressively responsible work experience at the national or international level in design, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development projects; (A first-level university degree in combination with 4 additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the masters (or equivalent) university degree)
• Technical experience in Women’s Economic Empowerment and climate smart agriculture;
• Experience coordinating and liaising with government agencies 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 English and is required
• Working knowledge of another official UN language is an asset;
• Knowledge of at least 2 dominant languages in Limpopo and Free State is an asset.

THIS POSITION IS OPEN TO SOUTH AFRICAN CITIZENS ONLY 

Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted