Background:

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. 

Afghanistan is one of the world’s most complex emergencies, including the world’s worst women’s rights crises. Afghan people are grappling with the impact of conflict, poverty, economic decline, and natural disasters. In this context, Afghan women and girls face unique vulnerabilities and require urgent support as gender inequality is interwoven with conflict dynamics and humanitarian needs. It is essential that Afghan women and girls can continue to shape the development of their country, and that their gains are protected. UN Women remains fully committed to supporting Afghan women and girls and to putting them at the center of the global response to the crisis in Afghanistan.

UN Women has been in Afghanistan for two decades. UN Women’s programming approach is informed by analysis of the political, economic and humanitarian situation, risks to and capacities of partner organizations, and needs of Afghan women and girls. UN Women Afghanistan currently has four key programme priorities: (1) Gender in Humanitarian Action, (2) Ending Violence Against Women, (3) Women’s Economic Empowerment, and (4) Women, Peace and Security (WPS).

Reporting to the Programme Manager, the Programme Specialist exercises overall responsibility for designing, implementing, and managing UN Women’s research and analysis within the WPS portfolio, ensuring smooth program and financial management of the projects. The Programme Specialist also works in close collaboration with the programme and operations team, UN Women HQ staff, Government officials, multi and bi-lateral donors and civil society ensuring successful UN Women programme implementation under portfolio. The Programme Specialist is expected to provide supervision to a program analyst and programme assistants, including technical consultants and suppliers working under the research and analysis portfolio.

Key Functions and Accountabilities

1- Design and develop research and analysis initiatives related to WPS and women’s rights/gender equality

• Design and formulate programme/ project proposals and initiatives related to advancing research on WPS and women’s rights/gender equality more broadly;
• Design, manage, and/or commission knowledge products, including country -wide analysis of the status of gender equality in Afghanistan;
• Analyze quantitative and qualitative data and draft reports for publication;
• Supervise technical consultants and other specialists required to implement research initiatives; 
• Track and monitor developments related to WPS, gender equality and women’s rights; 
• Draft inputs to country strategy documents, briefs, policy dialogue and other documents related to WPS 
• Coordinate dissemination of knowledge products and related policy-advocacy; 
• Organize and implement seminars, launches, and meetings related to research/analysis 

2- Manage the program and financial management of the WPS programme with a special focus on research/analysis

• Finalize the annual workplan and budget and manage their implementation; 
• Manage the technical implementation of the programme/project; ensure synergies with other teams and UN agencies; 
• Manage all research and analysis components of the WPS portfolio; 

3- Manage the monitoring and reporting of the programme/ project related to research/analysis

• Manage the monitoring and reporting of the programme/ project related to research/analysis 
• Manage the monitoring of programme/ project implementation and finances using results based management tools; 
• Oversee field missions and review reports on monitoring missions; 
• Write quarterly reports and donor reports, focusing on 

4- Manage the people and financial resources of the WPS programme related to research and analysis

• Manage the programme budget and draft financial reports;
• Supervise Programme Analysts and Technical Specialists (including consultants); mentor and coach personnel and conduct performance assessments;
• Oversee recruitment processes, as necessary.

5- Contribute to inter-agency coordination on gender equality and women’s rights to achieve coherence and alignment of UN Women programmes with other partners in the country

• Provide technical support to the Representative and Deputy Representative on inter-agency coordination related activities by attending meetings, events, and participating in groups and committees as needed; 
• Coordinate with other UN agencies, government departments, donors and NGOs to ensure the projects’ capacity development programme is harmonized and aligned with other in-country efforts. 

6- Manage advocacy, knowledge building and communication efforts

• Develop and review background documents, briefs and presentations related to WPS;
• Represent UN Women in meetings and policy dialogues on issues related to WPS as necessary;
• Develop advocacy strategies and oversee their implementation;
• Identify best practices and lessons learned to guide programme improvement and strategy planning;
• Develop knowledge management strategies, products and methodologies on WPS.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: The Programme Specialist leads a team of 4, which includes 3 direct reports (NOB & G7 & G5), as well as 1 affiliate personnel (National UNV).

Competencies :

Core Values:

• Integrity;
• Professionalism;
• Respect for Diversity.

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
• Accountability;
• Creative Problem Solving;
• Effective Communication;
• Inclusive Collaboration;
• Stakeholder Engagement;
• Leading by Example.

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework: 

Functional Competencies:

• Strong programme formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation skills 
• Strong knowledge of Results Based Management 
• Ability to synthesize program performance data and produce analytical reports to inform management and strategic decision-making 
• Strong knowledge of WPS, particularly in the area of knowledge production and analysis
• Strong analytical skills 
• Ability to identify and analyze trends, opportunities and threats to fundraising and develop strategies 

Recruitment Qualifications 

Education and Certification: 

• Master’s degree or equivalent in social sciences, human rights, gender/women's studies, international development, research, statistics or a related field is required 
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. 
• A project/programme management certification would be an added advantage 

Experience:

• At least 5 years of progressively responsible work experience at the national or international level in design, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development projects relating to gender inequality
• Technical experience in crises contexts related to gender equality and women’s rights is required.
• Experience of using statistical software and qualitative analysis tools is required.
• Experience in designing and managing country-wide assessments and/or research initiatives is required.
• Experience coordinating inter-agency entities and/or donors is required
• Experience in leading/managing a team is required
• Experience working in the UN System is desirable

Languages:

• Fluency in English is required.
• Working knowledge of another official UN language is desirable
• Knowledge of Dari and/or Pashto is desirable

Statements :

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.

Diversity and inclusion:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)

Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.