Program Coordinator

PROGRAMME COORDINATOR, GENDER RESPONSIVE BUDGETTING AND AID EFFECTIVENESS

Location : occupied Palestinian territory (Jerusalem, with travel to other locations in the West Bank)
Additional Category Gender Responsive Budgeting and Aid Effectiveness
Type of Contract : SB-4/1
Post Level : Programme Coordinator
Languages Required : English and Arabic
Starting Date : (date when the selected candidate is expected to start) 01-February - 2012
Deadline for Applications: 10/1/2012
Duration of Initial Contract : 6 months (renewable)
Expected Duration of Assignment : 30 months

Background
In response to calls from gender equality advocates for increased accountability for implementation of gender equality commitments in economic policies and financing decisions related to aid and domestic resources, UN Women will be implementing the programme Increasing Accountability in Financing for Gender Equality (2012-2015) funded by the EU and Spain.
The programme aims at increasing the volume and effective use of aid and domestic resources to implement national commitments to gender equality and women's empowerment. It will be implemented in 15 countries1 in close partnership with the European Commission (EC), ITC/ILO building on the results of collaboration in the area of gender responsive budgeting and aid effectiveness carried out over the past years.
The programme in the occupied Palestinian territory is twofold: (1) to achieve Gender Responsive Planning, Programming and Budgeting within the PA in such a way that Palestinian women and men benefit more equally from national public policies, and related aid and domestic resources, and (2) to enhance effectiveness of aid resources in relation to the advancement of national GE/WE priorities through building capacity for mainstreaming gender equality within aid coordination management and structures, and stepping up accountability for implementation of funding modalities used by donors.
The Programme will focus on: donor performance with regard to gender equality and women’s empowerment content, including donor allocations and expenditures; development and implementation of a set of indicators to measure progress of the 5 principles of the Paris Declaration as a means to promote gender equality within the PA and donor key stakeholders in aid coordination, as well as with Local Aid Coordination Structure (LACS) staff; engagement in the national Public Finance Management system with regard to its responsiveness to gender equality; building capacities and resources of key institutions within the PA and CSO, as well as gender advocates and donors in gender responsive planning, budgeting and aid effectiveness; and, mainstreaming gender equality and women´s rights in aid coordination structure with regard to gender equality and women’s empowerment.

The specific programme objectives are:
1-To strengthen national action plans for gender equality so that they have defined targets, financing and implementation arrangements line with national planning and budgeting processes.
2-To strengthen capacity and accountability of donors and stakeholders in aid coordination mechanisms to achieve commitments towards gender equality in stable and fragile countries.
Globally, the programme will also support the effective engagement of feminist economists and gender equality advocates’ in contributing to stronger policy coherence on gender equality in economic and development policy for a and facilitate learning and south-south exchange.

Duties and Responsibilities
Under the direct supervision of UN Women’s Country Representative,2 the Programme Coordinator will be responsible for ensuring the overall implementation of the programme at country level, which includes:
- Programme planning and implementation
- Technical oversight and support
- Advocacy and partnership building
- Knowledge building and communication


Programme planning and implementation
- Facilitating processes for developing strategic planning of the programme (including the preparation of implementation plans and annual workplans) in consultation with national stakeholders.
- Advising the country representative on ways to ensure synergy with UN Women country strategy and United Nations Country Team (UNCT).
- initiation of necessary actions related to all project procurement activities, including preparation of an annual procurement plan for the project, and complete submission of LAMRC and contracts
- Effective tracking and management of various contracts issued to ensure timely work completion per schedule and disbursements
- Regular monitoring and control of project expenditures in Atlas ensuring that all transactions are correctly recorded and posted in Atlas.
- Timely initiation of project budget revisions to ensure availability of funds, in close coordination with OPT and ASRO teams.
- Ensuring timely and effective implementation of programme activities.

Monitoring and Evaluation
- Ensuring systematic monitoring and reporting on programme implementation and results at country level.
- Finalize and implement a monitoring and evaluation action plan in coordination with HQ programme monitoring expert.
- Follow up on performance indicators/ success criteria, targets and milestones
- Participating in the programme mid-term review and the financial programme evaluation (managed globally).
- Preparing programmatic reports, input to annual report and any other reports as requested.
- Follow-up financial expenditures, disbursements, budgets and work plans and ensure compliance with agreed budgets and targets.

Technical oversight and support
- Generating analysis of country context and opportunities and challenges to guide programme implementation and partnerships.
- Providing technical guidance to the implementation of programme activities in line with a results-and rights-based framework.
- Ensuring quality outputs of analysis and technical assistance generated by the programme (training material, analytical reports, etc.).
- Providing technical inputs to global knowledge products and reports, as well as supporting and participating in global activities.

Advocacy and partnership building
- Facilitating partnership and collaboration with UNCT and Gender Task Force to support the achievement of programme results.
- Convening, building partnerships and showing leadership in advocating for programme objectives among multiple stakeholders;
- Engaging in dialogue and advocacy on financing for gender equality with UN agencies, donors, government and civil society, academia and research institutes.
- Setting up a coordination mechanism of programme partners to provide strategic guidance for programme implementation.
- Facilitating collaboration and regular communication with EU Delegation and other programme partners
- Assisting in resource mobilization efforts in accordance to country resource mobilization plan.
- Researching and presenting of information on donors, preparation of substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, identification of opportunities for initiation of new projects, active contribution to the overall office effort in resource mobilization.

Knowledge building and communication
- Design a communications plan to support advocacy, resource mobilizations, learning, reporting and accountability and ensure its effective implementation.
- Manage the development of knowledge products.
- Ensure that best practices and lessons emerging from the programme are shared with other relevant stakeholders at national level as well as internationally.
- Represent the organization as required by the programme and authorized by supervisor.
- Other tasks as requested by the Country Representative.

Competencies
Core Competencies:
- Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN's values and ethical standards
- Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UN Women
- Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
- Treats all people fairly without favoritism

Technical/Functional:
- Substantive knowledge and understanding of gender and development issues and more broadly, economic governance, financing for development and aid effectiveness.
- Substantive knowledge and experience in the provision of coordinated support and management of rights based programmes to advance gender equality.
- Ability to think conceptually, strategically and analytically.
- Ability to carry out research, to contribute to the formulation of policies, procedures and guidelines.

Development and Operational Effectiveness
- Ability to lead strategic planning, change processes, result-based management and reporting.
- Ability to lead formulation, oversight of implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development projects. Strong organizational skills.
- Ability to coordinate the work of others, work on tight deadlines and handle multiple concurrent projects/activities. Strong analytical and organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Ability to deal with multiple constituencies and represent UN Women to major donors and different government agencies.

Management and Leadership:
- Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback.
- Excellent leadership, networking and interpersonal skills, including ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries.
- Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills.
- Ability to lead effectively, strong facilitation skills as well as conflict resolution skills.
- Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities.
- Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude.
- Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure.
- Ability to make decisions under pressure and to deal with matters that are politically and cultural sensitive.
- Good interpersonal and diplomacy skills.

Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- A bachelor degree in Economics, public administration, or related field.

Experience:
- 4-5 years of relevant experience in programmes on macro-economics, national budgets or related field.
- Proven experience in programmes on gender equality and women’s empowerment.
- Specific expertise on related issues of financing for gender equality, including Gender Responsive Budgeting and Gender and Aid Effectiveness, and gender and economics.
- Experience in results-based and rights-based programming and management of multi-stakeholder programmes.
- Strong familiarity working with UN agencies or other agencies in the development sector.
- Proven advocacy, analytical and writing skills.Experience in training and ability to organize and implement training sessions is an asset

Language Requirements:
- Fluent spoken and written English and Arabic
Submission of application: Please send your updated P11 form, cover letter and CV to
 

as per deadline indicated.
Please be advised that due to the high amount of replies UN Women receives, we can only get back to the candidates who have been shortlisted for an interview.
UN Women encourages the application of both women and men for this position.