UN WOMEN: INTER-AGENCY COORDINATION SPECIALIST

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 will lead and coordinate United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It will provide strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors. The Intergovernmental Support and Strategic Partnership Bureau provides the inter-governmental bodies with the timely, high quality and relevant substantive support and inputs they need for successful deliberations related to gender equality and the empowerment of women. This includes supporting the work of the main bodies of the UN (GA/ECOSOC/Security Council, Functional Committees etc.), organizing and supporting the meetings of CSW and organizing and supporting the meetings of the UN Women Executive Board. The Bureau also leads the efforts to develop and oversee the implementation of the strategy for UN Women’s role to “lead, coordinate and promote the accountability of the United Nations system in its work on gender equality and the empowerment of women” at Global, regional and Country level. The Bureau leads the work to develop, and implement UN Women’s strategy for interaction with external partners, including for advocacy, communications and for mobilization of support both in terms of political will, and financial resources, using effective partnerships with multi-lateral organizations and the staff work together in close collaboration with the staff in the rest of UNW and civil society, as well as with the media and private sector. The Inter-Agency Coordination Specialist reports to the Senior Advisor on Coordination and Focal Point for Women in the UN System D-1, who provides supervision and guidance. The Inter-Agency Coordination Specialist will support the improvement in the status of women in the UN System by assisting in: analyzing, monitoring and reporting on actions and initiatives in the UN System; identifying opportunities, challenges and obstacles in the achievement of gender balance; coordinating and supporting the formulation and implementation of strategies; developing technical tools and guidelines; and leading knowledge acquisition and management. He/she will support functions related to the implementation of the System-Wide Action Plan and Accountability Framework on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (SWAP). Key responsibilities include assisting with: substantive support for system-wide coordination and engagement of UN entities in the SWAP roll out e.g. training, guidance, monitoring and evaluating progress, and collecting, collating and analyzing data. The Inter-Agency Coordination Specialist is also responsible for assisting in establishing partnerships with experts in the private sector, research institutes etc. on topics related to both gender balance in the work place and accountability, representing the organization in relevant meetings and providing substantive and organizational support for UN Women’s participation and contributions to relevant inter-agency and organizational activities including workshops and expert group meetings.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of key functions Provide substantive and organizational support for: promoting gender balance in the UN System through support to policy development and implementation, monitoring and reporting, research and knowledge management implementing the System-Wide Action Plan and Accountability Framework on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women – SWAP- through monitoring coordination and technical support Promoting gender balance in the United Nations System Policy Development and Implementation: Assist the Senior Advisor on Coordination and Focal Point for Women in the UN System to advise on policies and procedures to improve the status of women in the UN System through the development of common policies, strategies, and mechanisms for managerial accountability. Monitoring and Reporting: Conduct quantitative and qualitative monitoring of progress made by the organizations of the UN System in improving the status of women, including detailed analysis of statistics and implementation of specific measures governing the appointment, promotion and retention of women, work life fit and other gender related policies including the preparation of the Report of the Secretary-General on the improvement of the status of women in the United Nations System. Prepare the annual reports to intergovernmental bodies e.g. the Commission on the Status of Women, including detailed statistical tables. Provide substantive input in the preparation of position papers and reports for policy-making organs. Work with UN entities and internal and external auditors and consultants to monitor and evaluate progress towards gender balance. Implementing the System-Wide Action Plan and Accountability Framework on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women – SWAP Technical Support: Assist the Senior Advisor on Coordination and Focal Point for Women in the UN System in providing support for implementation ofthe SWAP, collaborating closely with other UN agencies, funds and programmes and UN coordinating bodies such as CEB to ensure a coherent and coordinated use of the action plan and accountability framework, including advice, training, guidance and the deployment of expert advisors to support the adoption of accountability mechanisms by entities. Support the Senior Advisor on Coordination and Focal Point for Women in the UN System and focal points to promote the use of data generated through checklists, the use of the gender marker system, gender focused evaluations, gender audits, gender responsive evaluations and similar tools. Oversight and Coordination: Assist the Senior Advisor on Coordination and Focal Point for Women in the UN System to strengthen partnerships and cooperation with entities of the UN System through regular contacts to discuss concerns, review progress in implementation, and promote initiatives for increased collaboration. Organize regular meetings with key stakeholders to ensure that they are supported in their implementation of the accountability framework. Provide concise and focused written and verbal briefings and advice to UN Women colleagues on the challenges emerging through implementation of the accountability framework to ensure timely and effective response. Collect and compile data from all UN bodies and analyze results and overall trends. Prepare full report and summary of findings for the Senior Advisor on Coordination and Focal Point for Women in the UN System and eventual publication by the Executive Director. Organize and service meetings between Senior Advisor on Coordination and Focal Point for Women and individual entities to review progress and support them to develop action plans for continued improvements. Prepare summary findings, and recommendations in addition to taking notes and keeping records. Evaluate and review accountability framework in light of feedback from entities. Research, Knowledge Management and Outreach: Produce the newsletter ‘Network’. Serve as a liaison between the Gender Balance and Mainstreaming Focal Points of the various entities and bodies including the Interagency Network on Women and Gender Equality (IANWGE) on all matters concerning the SWAP and the representation of women. Organize regular focal point meetings. Develop and strengthen partnerships with a broad range of actors in the private and non-governmental sectors working on accountability for gender mainstreaming and improving the status of women in the workplace. Coordinate, and/or contribute substantively to seminars, expert group meetings, panel discussions etc. on emerging topics related to the SWAP and the representation of women and exchange views on the latest findings, policy guidelines, and models for implementation. Research and compile information on initiatives taken by specialized agencies, programmes and funds in the UN System, other international organizations, NGOs, and the private sector to improve the representation of women in their respective organizations and to improve accountability and assess the broader applicability and relevance of these initiatives for the UN System. Develop and circulate recommendations. Maintain a database of good practices. Programme Support: Assist in the administration of the work of the unit including the development and monitoring of work plans and budgets and preparation of inputs for results-based budgeting. Assist in the selection, orientation and supervision of support staff and interns. Impact of Results: The results of the work of the Inter-Agency Coordination Specialist impact the effectiveness of UN Women’s support to the UN System in meeting the gender balance goals and improving accountability.

Competencies

CORE VALUES / GUIDING PRINCIPLES: Integrity: Demonstrating consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UN Women in actions and decisions, in line with the UN Code of Conduct. Cultural Sensitivity/Valuing diversity: Demonstrating an appreciation of the multicultural nature of the organization and the diversity of its staff. Demonstrating an international outlook, appreciating differences in values and learning from cultural diversity. CORE COMPETENCIES: Ethics and Values: Demonstrate and safeguard ethics and integrity Organizational Awareness: Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment Development and Innovation: Take charge of self-development and take initiative Work in teams: Demonstrate ability to work in a multicultural, multi ethnic environment and to maintain effective working relations with people of different national and cultural backgrounds. Communicating and Information Sharing: Facilitate and encourage open communication and strive for effective communication Self-management and Emotional Intelligence: Stay composed and positive even in difficult moments, handle tense situations with diplomacy and tact, and have a consistent behavior towards others Conflict Management: Surface conflicts and address them proactively acknowledging different feelings and views and directing energy towards a mutually acceptable solution. Continuous Learning and Knowledge Sharing: Encourage learning and sharing of knowledge Appropriate and Transparent Decision Making: Demonstrate informed and transparent decision making FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES: Strong interpersonal and communication skills. Demonstrated negotiating, cultural sensitivity and diplomatic skills. Effectiveness orientation and pro-activity. Ability to leverage information technology for optimal performance. Excellent skills in data research and statistical analysis, as well as demonstrated knowledge in qualitative and quantitative monitoring. Demonstrated skills in organizing large inter-agency/inter organization meetings, preparing reports, keeping records, follow-up etc. Demonstrated skills in the use of Knowledge Management (KM) strategies and practices.

Required Skills and Experience

Education: Master’s degree (or equivalent) in one or more of the following disciplines: gender issues, social sciences, economics, or other related fields. Qualifications/Training in data analysis, data research, and/or knowledge management highly desirable. Experience: At least five years of progressively responsible experience, partly with the UN system. Demonstrated engagement with gender issues including research, writing and data compilation and analysis of relevance to broad accountability frameworks and its multiple dimensions including the representation of women. Some experience in Knowledge Management (KM) preferably in the field of gender. Language Requirements: Fluency in English, with strong written and oral communications skills, is required. Knowledge of another UN working language is an asset. Note: 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. All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from http://www.unwomen.org/about-us/employment Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.

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UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.