Victim Support Specialist

Job title:

Victim Support Specialist

Company

United Nations Development Programme

Job description

:Lead the design and development of policies and strategies related to UNDP’s victim centered approach (VCA)In collaboration with the PSEAH Taskforce and PSEAH TaskTeam:

• Develop a comprehensive victim-centered, trauma-informed response strategy and action plan for victims of sexual harassment (SH) and sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA). This strategy should enhance victims’ choices, recognize their strengths, and ensure efficient triage with various support services available both within and outside UNDP.
• Provide advice and guidance on the development of relevant policies, guidelines, SOPs, investigation templates, communication materials, training modules, and other tools to ensure alignment with a victim-centered approach across the organization.
• In coordination with relevant stakeholders, develop a process to strengthen UNDP’s capacity to analyze risks and identify trends related to sexual misconduct. This includes contributing to the creation of a system that alerts offices to potential patterns of misconduct, to prompt timely action.
• Lead on the design and implementation of initiatives that promote awareness of UNDP’s strategies, policies and relevant guidelines on the victim centered approach
• Ensure relevant principals and standards (eg the UN Protocol on the Provision of Assistance to Victims of SEA) are mainstreamed in relevant policies and procedures as appropriate.

Build capacity and awareness of personnel and partners on UNDP’s victim centered approachIn collaboration with the PSEAH Task Force and Victim Support Task Team

• Design and deliver training sessions and implement learning interventions to raise awareness on the victim centred approach for existing and new personnel, and partners as required.
• Design and develop guidance materials and other resources on the victim centred approach including specifically with the PSEAH Focal Points in Country Offices
• Provide guidance and advice to all Managers, Project Officers, Human Resources staff, and other UNDP personnel on safely and ethically responding to incidents of sexual misconduct in a manner that protects victims and ensures confidentiality and informed consent.
• Contribute to efforts to enhance a speak-up culture across UNDP that nurtures up-stander actions and discourages bystander attitudes.

Serve as the Victim Support Specialist during formal investigation and accountability processesUpon request, serve as a support person during the formal investigation and accountability processes to ensure that UNDP’s complaint handling processes apply a victim centered approach. This includes:

• assessing victim-related needs and risks.
• offering confidential guidance on procedures and available services;
• supporting victims in decision-making processes; liaising with other services involved in the response to incidents of sexual misconduct.
• strengthening linkages between UNDP and external services to meet victims’ needs and wishes.

Advise and support the implementation of on-going initiatives on UNDP’s Victim Centered ApproachWorking closely with the PSEAH Focal Points, support Country Offices in establishing and strengthening a victim centered approach including:

• identifying and mapping locally available services for victims, ensuring that referral pathways are widely circulated and accessible across all UNDP country offices and to all personnel globally.
• Establishing, monitoring and strengthening safe, gender sensitive and victim centered complaints and feedback mechanisms.
• Refer sexual misconduct victims to relevant local services upon request and in accordance with established protocol.
• Establish and maintain a confidential and/or anonymous reference group of victims who consent to provide input into various initiatives that UNDP is developing, oversee research projects and other feedback initiatives to gather the perspectives and recommendations of victims.

Represent and contribute to UN interagency working groups and other relevant fora

• Represent UNDP in relevant interagency working groups and other formal and informal meetings – internally and externally – on issues related to a victim centered approach, providing technical inputs as required
• Build internal and external networks on issues related to the victim centered approach to strengthen implementation of UNDP’s approach

Monitor progress and VCA activities and draft regular reports, briefing notes and other relevant documents on the victim centered approach as required.

• Draft briefings and contribute to speeches and materials to aid in advocating the importance of the victim centered approach.
• Cntribute to Executive Board (EB) reports and related briefings and talking points to support EB discussions on the victim centered approach.
• Support development of relevant M&E frameworks; data collection tools and support report writing
• Gather data and report on progress of the implementation of the victim centered approach to inform corporate reporting requirements.
• Track trends in victim reporting and utilize this data to inform policy or process improvements.
• Monitor progress of VCA activities within the organization and provide support where gaps have been identified in form of reports and updates to leadership teams.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.Competencies:CoreAchieve Results:

• LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact

Think Innovatively:

• LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems

Learn Continuously:

• LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences

Adapt with Agility:

• LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands

Act with Determination:

• LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results

Engage and Partner:

• LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration

Enable Diversity and Inclusion:

• LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:HR -Duty of Care: Psychosocial Support to Personnel

• Ability and certified qualification to provide psychological counselling services to teams and individual personnel

HR -Duty of Care: Occupational safety, health and wellbeing

• Knowledge of OSHW concepts and methods and ability to apply them in the development of the OSHW strategies, policies, management systems and quality standards that are consistent with the business strategy.
• Ability to identity OSHW risks and to develop mitigation strategies and monitoring systems; to create OSHW incident reporting and response systems; understanding of the key workplace stressors and ability to design effective response measures

Business Management: Customer Satisfaction/Client Management

• Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers’ needs. Look for ways to add value beyond clients’ immediate requests.
• Ability to anticipate client’s upcoming needs and concerns.

Business Management: Monitoring and Evaluation

• Ability to systematically monitor results of strategies, programmes, and activities with a view to make sure that they are being implemented effectively; Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback and reporting on the consistency or discrepancy between planned activities and programme management and results.
• Ability to make independent judgment of the management and results of strategies, programmes and activities based on set criteria and benchmark, keeping in mind the needs and concerns of client, current and upcoming.
• Knowledge and understanding of monitoring and evaluation frameworks, concepts, methodologies, systems, processes, and tools. Ability to make an independent judgement based on set criteria and benchmarks. Ability to anticipate client’s upcoming needs and concerns.

Business Management: Portfolio Management

• Ability to select, prioritise and control the organization’s programmes and projects in line with its strategic objectives and capacity.
• Ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives with regular activities for optimal return on investment. Knowledge and understanding of key principles of project, programme, and portfolio management.

Business Development: Integration with the UN

• Ability to identity, and integrate capacity and assets of the UN system, and engage in joint work; knowledge of the UN System and ability to apply this knowledge to strategic and/or practical situations

Business Direction and Strategy: System ThinkingAbility to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the systemRequired Skills and Experience:Education:

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Social Work, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, Counselling, Psychology, Psychotherapy or other relevant field is required, OR
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the above mentioned fields of study, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• Minimum of 7 years (with master’s degree) or 9 years (with bachelor’s degree) of demonstrated experience in case management, preferably involving victims of sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse is required.
• Proven experience in prevention and response to sexual harassment in the workplace or sexual exploitation and abuse is required.
• Demonstrated ability to understand and respect cultural differences when working with victims from diverse backgrounds is required.
• At least 3 years of experience working in developing country contexts is required.
• Experience in designing and delivering learning strategies, capacity-building programs, and training sessions related to victim-centered approaches or similar programs is an asset.
• Experience in providing direct support to victims of sexual harassment and sexual exploitation and abuse and identifying solutions is desired.
• Proven track record of strong global mindset with the ability to work effectively in a multi-cultural environment is an asset.
• A proven track record of delivering impactful results in programs aimed at safeguarding the rights and dignity of victims of sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse within a global organization, including the development and implementation of strategies and action plans is an advantage.

Language:

• Fluency in English is required.
• Working knowledge of another UN language is considered an asset.

DisclaimerUnder US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment.UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.

Expected salary

Location

New York

Job date

Sat, 01 Mar 2025 05:24:17 GMT

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