Programme Specialist

<!–

Description

–>

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.  UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

Job Purpose:

UNFPA’s Fourth Country Programme Document (2018-2022, in its initial version) for Myanmar was approved by the Executive Board in September 2017. The programme has been subsequently extended until the end of 2026 given the conflict affecting the country, with UNFPA focusing primarily on Humanitarian interventions on sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence. The Country Programme was aligned with the UNFPA Strategic Plan (2018-2021) but also with the Strategic Plan 2022-2025, as well as with the United Nations Transitional Cooperation Framework (2024-2025). Youth and adolescents, and gender equality and related human rights, are mainstreamed throughout the programme.

UNFPA has partnerships with UN agencies, INGOs and local NGOs, foundations and research institutions.  UNFPA has a presence in a number of priority states/regions, integrating development, peace building and humanitarian programming and coordination. 

While advancing gender equality and promoting the empowerment of women is a key programme priority of UNFPA defined in the 4th Country Programme Document for Myanmar (2018-2026), since 2021 the focus has been specifically placed in responding to and preventing Gender Based Violence (GBV) in the humanitarian crisis. The prevalence of GBV in Myanmar as a symptom of gender inequality in Myanmar, prompted UNFPA to establish a multi-year and multi-donor “Women and Girls First Programme” (2016 – 2026). Through the Women and Girls First programme, UNFPA is committed to leading the international community and supporting national stakeholders in addressing gaps in gender equality, improving sexual and reproductive health services, responding to and preventing GBV and integrating gender equality and women’s human rights perspectives into national policies, development frameworks and laws. 

The Programme Specialist, Humanitarian Coordination and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) will support UNFPA to develop strengthened capacities to formulate and implement multi sectoral, rights-based interventions that prevent and mitigate the impact of gender-based violence across the humanitarian, peacebuilding and development nexus. This will require leadership to support strengthened access to quality multi sectoral GBV services and prevention programming across five states as well as supporting increased participation of women in the peace process, through economic and political empowerment. Further, in terms of Humanitarian Coordination, the incumbent will assume overall responsibility for ensuring effective and efficient coordination, and programmatic and operational support to UNFPA humanitarian programming in Myanmar. The incumbent will manage a team that will ensure the provision of quality Gender Based Violence (GBV) services and GBV prevention and will work with the Team Lead, SRH, to promote access and availability to quality SRH services and response during emergencies and through early recovery phases. The incumbent will represent UNFPA during implementing partner, donor and inter-agency meetings, and ensure strategic vision, rational decision-making and collaborative partnerships are prioritized, with the health and protection of women and girls remaining at the center of all activities and will oversee the provision of technical support and institutional and programmatic capacity building to partners. 

You would be responsible for:

Technical Support and Programming:

• Assume the overall coordination for planning, implementing, and monitoring of UNFPA’s humanitarian response, and remain flexible, adapting to changing political and funding contexts in Myanmar.
• Identify areas of UNFPA interventions and collaborate with humanitarian agencies and national partners to address the needs of the women and girls in Myanmar.
• Oversee the preparation of UNFPA inputs to coordination meetings and others, related to the humanitarian response, ensuring follow-up and attention to the organizational mandate.
• Undertake field visits, as required, to camps, settlements, and host communities to gather information on the immediate/emerging needs of those in need and the services to be provided and recommend strategic approaches for the delivery of quality SRH and GBV services. 
• Ensure appropriate, timely liaison with the operations and program teams to monitor effective and timely distribution and utilization of emergency RH kits, dignity kits, clean delivery kits, essential women’s items, and other commodities that the Myanmar office has procured for the response.
• Participate in /ensure inclusion of UNFPA’s core Areas of Responsibility in rapid field/needs assessments of the crisis-affected populations.
• Coordinate and support the coherent and effective implementation of the GBV components of UNFPA’s humanitarian response, peacebuilding and development activities, using a results-based approach incorporating creativity, innovation, and responsiveness to the needs, and thorough monitoring and reporting.
• Provide programmatic coordination and guidance to strengthen the integration of gender-based violence prevention, response and coordination issues into humanitarian frameworks and other HDP nexus plans.
• Develop/strengthen GBV conflict recovery, peace building and development coordination mechanisms and ensure planning and monitoring linkages with provincial-level structures, and integration into relevant strategies, planning and programming frameworks.
• Provide technical support to the country office, the UN and other partners aimed at capacity building and institutional strengthening.
• Support and advise the country office management and build knowledge and programming practices in relation to GBV programming.
• Support development of guidelines and strategies for UNFPA including partnership, localization and youth strategies, Phase III of the Women and Girls First programme and technical guidelines for the integration of GBV and SRHR as well as other relevant and pertinent guidance as requested and required.
• Contribute in writing proposals and engaging in resource mobilization efforts to support joint programming.
• Provide technical support and leadership for the implementation of the GBVIMS in Myanmar. 
• Lead development of GBV guidelines and standard operating procedures to support quality case management of GBV across the multi sectoral response areas. 
• Provide strategic guidance for the implementation of the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support strategy, inclusive of supervision and mentoring structures. 
• Ongoing management of multiple implementing partners across social, health, security and justice services in both the humanitarian and development responses. 
• Provide technical support to the development of relevant advocacy and policy documents to address GBV and broader gender equality issues through various key ministries and humanitarian partners.
• Promote male involvement strategies in GBV programming and support the identification of promising practices on male involvement in GBV prevention and responses to be scaled up Partnerships and Coordination. 

Partnerships and Coordination:

• Lead and coordinate within UNFPA to support technical assistance for the development and implementation of the Action Plans under the GBV Technical Working Groups (TWGs) and ensure strong and effective UNFPA participation in all TWGs to ensure linkages. 
• Lead the GBV Information Management System Task Force (GBVIMS TF), inclusive of ensure quality reporting, analysis and presentation of data collected through the GBVIMS. This also includes strong collaboration with the Monitoring and Evaluation team and the global GBVIMS Steering Committee. 
• Lead and coordinate multi-sectoral GBV Coordination Working Group (GBV CWG) which works across the humanitarian-development-peacebuilding nexus and lead coordination between the GBVCWG and the national TWGs. 
• Work in close collaboration with the relevant counterparts, the chairs of the various working groups/clusters, and other stakeholders to strengthen and facilitate inter-agency, multi-sectoral GBV prevention and response interventions at national level.
• Represent UNFPA at the Protection Cluster and liaise with other humanitarian cluster and sectors, Country Representatives, GBV managers and gender advisers in other agencies and organizations (including governments, national and international NGOs and women’s groups)
• Provide technical support in developing and implementing a multi-sectoral and coordinated GBV prevention and response program inclusive of safe and effective referral and reporting mechanisms, information sharing and monitoring/evaluation achieved through strong coordination. 
• Work in close partnerships with other sectors to ensure GBV and SRH is mainstreamed across other areas of humanitarian intervention such as Shelter, WASH and Health sectors. 
• Promote and facilitate the inclusion of GBV and SRH into all assessment tools, preparedness and contingency planning, the Humanitarian Response Plan and other appeal processes and documents.
• Support and lead implementation of integrated Gender Equality, SRHR, population dynamics programmes to ensure quality services across the humanitarian, peacebuilding and development nexus. 
• Maintain coordination across both the humanitarian, peacebuilding and development structures to ensure that UNFPA programming is integrated across the sectors. 
• Coordinate with the UNFPA regional office and HQ as and when needed for information sharing and channeling technical support to GBV field level coordination in Myanmar.

Capacity Building:

• Provide technical support to revise, develop and standardize contextualized training and IEC materials.
• Ensure case management assessments are conducted annually with all implementing partners with a view to support annual capacity building plans. 
• Assume overall responsibility for the social services provided by the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, through the Work Plans signed between MSWRR and UNFPA. 
• Coordinate and facilitate training sessions on gender equality and GBV across humanitarian, peacebuilding and development areas of work
• Provide technical support to other sectors/clusters to ensure adequate mainstreaming and inclusion of GBV and SRH related issues. 
• Provide technical assistance and capacity building to ensure integration of SRH and GBV programmes, advocacy and support in the peace process. 

Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting:

• Work in close collaboration with the UNFPA Monitoring and Evaluation team and in compliance with the Women and Girls First programme Monitoring and Evaluation handbook to analyze and report on program and project progress in terms of achieving results. 
• Development and improvement of using existing monitoring and evaluation tools and introducing new mechanisms and systems; identify constraints and resource deficiencies, and recommend corrective action.
• Supervise preparation by implementing partners of periodic workplans and monitors and evaluates progress according to the Project monitoring plan, including contracts with UNFPA partners towards projected programme results; and document and apply lessons learnt to close the gaps.
• Work in close collaboration with the Women and Girls First Programme Manager to monitor project expenditures and disbursements to ensure delivery is in line with approved project budgets and to realize targeted delivery levels; and coordinate timely delivery of quality project and financial reporting and ensures adequacy with finance and activities.
• Undertake regular monitoring missions and meetings with relevant actors including project partners in assessing the GBV trends, patterns and advise on the prevention and response strategies.
• Provide on-going technical support to GBV and Gender Programme Specialists and Analyst in the national office and field offices, if/as/where required. 
• Provide guidance and inputs to supervision of field-based GBV staff and other professional and support staff in UNFPA field offices, ensuring close communication and liaison with partners.
• Carry out any other duties as may be required by UNFPA leadership. 

Qualifications and Experience: 

Education: 

• Advanced University degree in Humanitarian Assistance, Gender Studies, Social Work or other Social Sciences, Public/Community health, Law or other related discipline 

Experience: 

• At least 7 years of increasingly responsible relevant professional experience, including experience on GBV related coordination, programme management, including large multi-sectoral projects, designing and appraising proposals and actively liaising with relevant and potential project partners is required.
• Demonstrated experience working on gender issues in development, particularly Humanitarian Coordination, GBV, including relevant international human rights standards; and operational and advocacy experience implementing UNSC resolutions on Women Peace and Security (1325, 1820, 1888, 1889 and 1960 considered an asset.
• Prior training in gender and GBV issues and their application in humanitarian, conflict, recovery and development settings; Knowledge of sexual reproductive health and rights and protection issues across the development-humanitarian- and peace-building nexus including mental health and psychosocial support is desirable.
• Experience in utilizing the following internationals tools: GBV Standard Operating Procedures; GBV Information Management System; IASC GBV Guidelines; IASC Gender Handbook; GBV Coordination Handbook; GBV Essential Services Package; and WHO Ethical and Safety Recommendations for Researching Gender-based Violence in Emergencies; and the IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support considered an asset.
• Experience advocating for the development and implementation of gender and GBV-related policies at the national and sub-national levels is desirable.
• Field experience in complex emergencies, including humanitarian emergency response considered an asset.

Languages: 

• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of other official UN languages is desirable.  

Source: https://estm.fa.em2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_2003/job/24268

<!—

<!–

–>