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.
Women's rights to participate in political and public life are essential for achieving gender equality and inclusive societies, protected by international standards for decades. The 1979 Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) advocates for equal rights for women to vote, stand for election, and hold public office. CEDAW General Recommendation No. 23 urges states to review and amend legislation from a gender perspective, and General Recommendation No. 25 suggests measures to increase women’s access to decision-making. The Sustainable Development Goals call for ensuring women’s full participation and equal leadership opportunities in political, economic, and public life. The Agreed Conclusions from the 65th session of the Commission on the Status of Women set a numerical target of 50/50 gender balance in elected positions, reaffirming the commitment of Member States to women's full participation in decision-making.
Despite these international standards, implementation lags, and power imbalances between women and men persist at all levels of decision-making. UN Women works with government partners and regional and national stakeholders to advocates for legislative and constitutional reforms to (i) ensure women’s fair access to political spheres—as voters, candidates, elected officials and civil service members. ‘ii) provide support to CSO /WRO in building communication, leadership and other skills to influence political and governance processes, including those related to elections; (iii) advocate for laws and budgets to promote gender equality, while helping legislators gain new knowledge of the value of gender equality and skills to advance it.
Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Country Representative, the Specialist, Governance and Leadership will lead and supervises and leads the programme team(i) the analysis of policy options, (ii) the development of programmes on Governance and Leadership to Country, (iii) technical support and capacity development to national partners; (iv) manage inter-agency and country coordination support for UN Women in Governance and Leadership.
Scope of Work :
Lead the analysis of policy options to develop solutions to critical problems
Provide policy recommendations and guidance to strategic planning and positioning on Governance and Leadership. Design and deliver research; develop and present analytical reports, research papers, briefing notes, background papers, summaries, correspondence, Researching, developing, and implementing new policies Work closely with and provide advice to national bodies and interagency groups that influence national policies related to Governance and leadership and where necessary represent UN Women. Engaging with policymakers, the public, and the media to explain policies and gain support for them Collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to inform policy development and review Analyzing current policy trends and predicting future policy changes Preparing policy reports and briefing papers Identify promising practices, technical expertise, and strategic opportunities in Governance and Leadership.
Lead the development of programmes on Governance and Leadership to Country
Provide substantive technical support on Governance and Leadership to national partners and other stakeholders Build relationships with national partners to support implementation and expansion of the country programme; respond to any potential problems. Manage capacity building opportunities and initiatives of key institutions and mechanisms. Provide timely inputs and suggestions on programmatic areas. Provide partners with technical assistance, training, and capacity development initiatives as needed.Lead technical support and capacity development to national partners
Provide substantive technical support on Governance and Leadership to national partners and other stakeholders Build relationships with national partners to support implementation and expansion of the country programme; respond to any potential problems. Manage capacity-building opportunities and initiatives of key institutions and mechanisms. Provide timely inputs and suggestions on programmatic areas. Provide partners with technical assistance, training, and capacity development initiatives as needed.Manage the implementation of programme/ project activities through monitoring and reporting
Establish an effective monitoring system for the delivery of programme results. Prepare quarterly and annual progress reports and donor reports and organize progress reviews as necessary. Attend field missions and write reports on monitoring missions. Manage people and financial resources of the programme Manage programme budget, and office operations as necessary. Write financial reports in accordance with UN Women procedures and submit the reports to the Regional Office and donors. Supervise and coach programme staff and manage performance;Write terms of reference for consultants and contractors and oversee the recruitment process, as necessary
Manage inter-agency and country coordination support for UN Women in Governance and Leadership Participate in country level Comprehensive Country Assessment (CCA)/The UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) processes and similar exercises related to the Resident Coordinator (RC) system, as necessary. Provide guidance to the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in supporting enhanced response to national partners in advancing gender equality and women's empowerment. Write progress reports on UN Women’s programme experiences in support of UN women inter-agency coordination role; Collaborate with the Regional Office, provide coordination support to UN Agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and national authorities to promote gender equality and women empowerment activities in Governance and Leadership
Identify and inform the RO of joint programming opportunities and participate in the development of UN joint programmes, 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.
Manage knowledge building and sharing and communications advocacy Develop knowledge management strategies and methodologies. Identify and synthesize of best practices and lessons learned to disseminate information. Provide the MCO, RO or HQ with updates and relevant information for publication and advocacy campaigns.
The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organisation.
Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities:
The Specialiat Leadership and Governance will lead a team of 3 staffs ( programme officers, analysts and assistants)
Competencies :
Core Values:
Integrity; Professionalism; Respect for Diversity.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 Values and Competencies Framework:
Functional Competencies:
Strong knowledge of gender equality and women's empowerment Strong knowledge on Governance and Leadership Strong knowledge of country Excellent networking skills Ability to interact with donors, identify and analyze trends, opportunities and threats to fundraising Ability to perform qualitative and quantitative policy research Ability to advocate and provide policy advice Excellent analytical skills; Strong knowledge of programme development, implementation, results-based management and reporting Strong programme formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation skills Ability to identify and analyze trends, opportunities and threats to fundraising and developing strategiesEducation and Certification:
Master’s degree or equivalent in human rights, international relations or other social science fields 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 degreeExperience :
At least 7 years progressively responsible experience in designing and managing programmes and advocating for Governance and participation ideally with some experience in developing countries is required. Experience in programme, policy analysis, and strategic planning is required. Experience working with, and building partnerships with governments, donors and civil society organizations internationally and in the field is required. Experience working with the UN is desirable. Experience working in the Senegal is desirable. Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling of web-based management systems is required. Experience in the use of a modern web-based ERP System, preferably Oracle Cloud, is desirable.Languages :
Fluency in French and nglish is required. Knowledge of another official UN language is desirable (Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish).Statements :
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.
Diversity and inclusion:
At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, 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 you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your 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.)
Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.