Gender & Development Specialist, P3, WCARO, Dakar, Senegal#103593 (Fixed Term)

Job Number: 516431 | Vacancy Link

Locations: Africa: Senegal

Work Type : Fixed Term Staff

I. Organizational Context and Purpose for the job

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries.

Gender, is one of the three drivers of inequality, along with income and place of residence. As such it represents an important dimension of UNICEF’s equity strategy in the context of the new Sustainable Development framework.  Within this context the UNICEF’s Gender Action Plan 2014-2017 in alignment with the Strategic Plan demonstrates the organization’s strengthened commitment to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls as its core mandate.

The Gender Action Plan 2014-2017 (GAP) defines how UNICEF will contribute to gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in delivering its mandate on children. The GAP identifies four targeted gender priorities – ending child marriage, promoting gender-responsive adolescent health, advancing girl’s secondary education, and addressing gender-based violence in emergencies – and elucidates the gender dimensions within each of UNICEF’s seven strategic outcome areas – Health, Nutrition, Water Sanitation & Hygiene, Education, Child Protection, HIV/AIDs and Social Inclusion. Additionally, the GAP includes indicators for measuring the success of UNICEF’s gender programming and outlines steps to strengthen UNICEF’s institutional effectiveness in promoting gender equality throughout its programmatic work.

Job organizational context

Following the creation of a Gender Advisor post within the Regional Office for West and Central Africa in 2015, UNICEF has been offering policy and programme advisory services and gender capacity strengthening efforts across UNICEF’s portfolio in the region, supporting both regional sector teams and the region’s 24 country offices in advancing GAP programmatic and institutional results.

Purpose for the job

Under the guidance of the Regional Gender Adviser and working as a member of the Gender Unit and in collaboration with other Sections, the Gender Programme Specialist is accountable for the development, design, planning, implementation and management of the Gender program within his/her area of responsibility, in collaboration with other programmers and sectors, governments, and other key partners. He/she provides expert advice, advocacy, analysis and technical support to the West and Central Africa Regional Office (RO) and Country Offices (CO) at all stage of programming, on policies, programs and operational strategies, to facilitate the management and delivery of results on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls as defined by the Regional Office Management Plan and its Annual Work Plans aligned to the implementation of the GAP and the SP in the region. He/she contributes to knowledge development and innovation and also support the regional adviser in managing the unit.

S/he supports the development, implementation, and monitoring of high quality gender programming/projects across sectors in alignment with the Gender Action Plan. S/he 1) supports relevant regional teams and country offices in advancing Targeted Gender Priorities for the empowerment of adolescent girls as well as gender integration at sector level; 2) supports cross-sectional collaboration and coordination on key programmatic results on gender, ensuring coherence, maximization of synergies and efficiency in utilization of resources and delivery of results; 3) supports quality assurance of country programming milestones to ensure that gender results are effectively defined, measured, and reported, including via technical support and operational backstopping to gender programmatic reviews, and to country programme planning and reporting exercises; 4) Supports effective capacity building, and knowledge management on gender through the regional gender network and across other sectoral networks; 5) Supports the assessment and identification of gender needs for emergency preparedness and response, and provides gender relevant guidance and technical input on emergency programming.

II. Key functions, accountabilities and related duties/tasks

1.Programme planning, development and management

• Lead on the development and implementation of the program under his /her responsibility at regional level including design, implementation and oversight of program activities and results, in collaboration with relevant staff at country, regional and head quarter level.

• Assist sectorial colleagues at regional and country level to identify the areas of focus for gender programming/projects with the greatest potential for impact and scale, in alignment with the GAP and the country/regional priorities

• Provide technical support, leadership and professional advice to WCARO and WCAR CO on major program directions on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, in order to support the development of GAP related regional results and promote effective use of available funding.

• Ensure that program delivery, monitoring and evaluation, as well as reporting are carried out efficiently, rigorously and transparently, in compliance with established guidelines and procedures.

2.Technical assistance to country offices

• Coordinate UNICEF’s support to countries in the prioritization, development and the implementation of gender results across programme components based on the GAP’s two pronged approach: support to gender mainstreaming at sector level on one hand and development of specific interventions with a focus on adolescent girls on the other.

• Support the roll out and implementation of GAP Game Plans and Global Programmes in the region, working closely with regional section teams and country offices.

• Participate in the strengthening of the quality of research and evidence building on gender related programming, by supporting the bringing in of the latest learning and insights from the field of gender and development, and supporting the input of a coherent, well-prioritized research agenda in alignment with the GAP.

3.Program oversight and quality assurance

• In collaboration with the other RO section and HQ, contribute to program quality assurance and oversight on integration of gender into country programming exercises through participation to Regional Office planning and review exercises, and support to CO during planning moment (Strategic moment of reflection, Midterm review, mid-year review etc.)

• Contribute to the development and review of key RO, CO and national program documents to ensure they clearly reflect relevant outcomes for children and gender equality in the regional and country context as a result of a joint UN support.

• Support country gender specialists and focal points in enhancing annual reporting on gender results; strengthen regional results reporting and documentation on gender results; and monitor regional performance on GAP programmatic and institutional targets on annual basis ensuring for sharing with senior management.

• Contribute to the development, implementation and monitoring of WCARO and WCAR CO education sectorial work plans and activities, ensuring alignment with country/regional/global priorities and approaches.

4.Innovation, knowledge management and capacity development

• Support knowledge generation and evidence building at regional level; coordinate efforts on knowledge management, including exchange of knowledge, experience and lessons learned and best practices on program design and implementation

• Maintain an active and demand-driven knowledge management platform that responds to the needs of gender specialists and focal points providing tools, documentation and guidance that are relevant to country needs.

• Support Regional Gender Advisor in advancing the technical, innovation and research capacity of country-level staff, offices and programs on gender to continue to build evidence base for programming and to ensure continuous capacity in gender at Country Office level.

5.Advocacy, networking and partnership building

• Support sectoral and inter sectoral partnerships and programming at RO and CO level and participate in relevant coordination bodies at the inter-agency level (gender theme group or other networks,) and/or relevant steering committees.

• Support building and maintenance of internal and external partnerships and strategic alliances for gender equality with various partners, including institutional links with UN agencies and other relevant entities.

• Support mapping of potential new partnerships and leverage existing partnerships to accelerate GAP implementation at the country level in determined priority areas.

6.Communication, resources mobilization and donor reporting

• Ensure quality of ad hoc reports and updates for senior management and donors

• Collaborate with Communication to ensure development of effective communication materials and strategies to support advocacy and resource mobilization efforts.

• Contribute to fundraising and resource mobilization efforts and/or leveraging of existing resources for UNICEF’s support to gender equality; provide technical and advisory support to WCAR CO for the development of funding proposals

• Prepare regional office donor report and review country office donor reports for quality and completeness.

7.Promotion of UNICEF’s Global Goals

• Promote the organizational goals of UNICEF through advocacy and policy dialogue through active engagement in communication, networking and participation at every opportunity inside and outside UNICEF, leveraging the strength of UNICEF mission, goals and programs.

III. Impact of Results

• Effective implementation of annual work plan activities, including the roll-out of global initiatives, enhances gender responsive programming at country and regional level to deliver on gender results for the region (covering both gender mainstreaming at sector level and targeted initiatives for the empowerment adolescent girls).

• Knowledge management is effectively promoted through key Gender documents and reports related to regional GAP results, sharing good practice, lessons learned, and knowledge/information exchange, with partnerships and collaborative relationships with all stakeholders, capitalizing on the know-how and network of knowledge institutions.

• Effective partnerships are formed through networking, advocacy and inter-sectorial collaboration to further program outcomes, including enhanced knowledge on gender equality and the empowerment of adolescent girls at regional level.

• Visibility of the gender unit’s contribution to regional programs and strategies is enhanced at country and regional level

• UNICEF’s global goals are effectively promoted through advocacy and policy dialogue on gender equality and the empowerment of adolescent girls.

The strategic and effective advocacy, planning and formulation of the gender unit’s work plan contributes to the achievement of regional results focusing on adolescent girls and to the integration of gender considerations in sector level work. Achievements in gender responsive programs and projects in turn contribute to maintaining and enhancing the credibility and ability of UNICEF to provide program services that advance results for children while also improving gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in West and Central African countries.

IV. Competencies and level of proficiency required (please base on UNICEF Competency Profiles)

Core Values

• Commitment

• Diversity and inclusion

• Integrity

        Core competencies

• Communication [II]

• Working with People [II]

• Drive for Results [II]

        Functional Competencies:

• Leading and Supervising [II]

• Formulating Strategies and Concepts [II]

• Analyzing [II]

• Relating and Networking [II]

• Persuading and Influencing [II]

• Applying technical skills [II]

• Entrepreneurial thinking [II]

 V. Technical Competencies

• Good understanding of the overall global development context, including issues such as: poverty, conflict, and the impact of these factors on gender equality and child rights and vice-versa; and inter-sectoral approaches to address such issues in collaboration with other sectors (including Social Policy, Child Protection,

Nutrition, WASH, Health and Communications within UNICEF).

• Good knowledge of global developments in country/regional/global gender equality issues, specifically relating to children and women, and the current trends, methods and approaches, including substantive, technical and programmatic skills in gender along with sectorial expertise in at least one of the following sectors: Health, Education, WASH, HIV/AIDS, Protection, Social Policy, C4D, ECD, or combined expertise in Adolescents.

• Proven ability to connect sectorial issues and programmatic approaches on gender; experience with this in emergency contexts an asset. Ability to contextualize and be able to translate the approaches into practicable programme/project design in complex environments where gender issues are often sensitive to raise within certain national contexts

• Demonstrated success in developing proposals and securing resources for programme and research initiatives with a strong gender component.

• Good ability to support policy dialogue: translation of analytical findings and evidence into development programs and policy discussions around gender, equity and child rights with partners, including government, development partners, CSOs and academia in relevant areas.

• Strong capacity to apply innovations and to advance knowledge management by identifying, presenting and disseminating both quantitative and qualitative data and knowledge for advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls

VI. Recruitment Qualifications

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Masters or higher) in the social sciences (i.e. sociology, demography, psychology, political science, social policy or economics), public health, public policy, public administration, international development, or in an area relevant to UNICEF’s sectorial work (e.g. Health, Nutrition, WASH,

Education, Child Protection, Social Inclusion, HIV/AIDs, etc.).

• Academic credentials in gender are a strong asset.

Experience:

• Minimum five years of progressively responsible professional experience and demonstrated track record of having undertaken and led substantive programming and research on gender and development in key issue areas that are the focus of UNICEF’s Gender Action Plan.

• Experience in designing, implementing, managing, and delivering results-based programmes/projects on gender and development or any other cross cutting programme, especially at country/field level, experience in emergency response is an asset.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in both English and French is required.

Closing Date Thu Oct 04 2018 01:55:00 GMT+0200 (heure d’été d’Europe centrale)

Apply: https://www.unicef.org/about/employ/?job=516431