Project Officer at UN Women

Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Type of Contract: Service Contract
Post Level: SC-11
Starting Date: (date when the selected candidate is expected to start) 02-Apr-2018
Duration of Initial Contract: one Year

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.
• In the context of a European Union-funded joint progamme, UN Women will implement a three-year program on Agriculture based Livelihood for Food Security Programme in Nigeria, in partnership with FAO and WFP
• The programme will seek to build the resilience of conflict affected people and public-sector institutions in Borno State in an environment-friendly way
• The programme will enhance social protection, through creation of employment and the promotion of environment and climate-friendly livelihood opportunities (with a special focus on women, youth and vulnerable households) with the aim of increasing access to basic needs, significantly reducing malnutrition and strengthening resilience in communities affected by the insurgency.
• UN Women’s intervention will be mainly focused on strengthening capacity of women farmers to build their resilience, improve their productivity and enhance their access to market. UN women will also invest in behavior change and strengthen social and State institutions to mainstream gender in their interventions.
• UN Women will recruit a project officer to support the overall coordination of the programme implementation. Direct Reporting to the Senior National Program Officer under the overall supervision of UN Women Deputy Representative, the Agriculture, livelihoods and food security a project officer supports the planning, implementation and management of UN Women’s component of the joint program in Borno State
• She/he works in close collaboration with the programme and operations teams, UN Women staff at the regional and headquarters levels, UN agencies, Government officials, multi and bi-lateral donors and civil society ensuring successful UN Women programme implementation under the agriculture, livelihoods and food security portfolio.
• The scope of work of the project officer on Women, agriculture, livelihoods and food security requires experience in working in conflict situation, in-depth in the targeted sectors and understanding of gender equality and women’s empowerment in the sector.

Duties and Responsibilities

• The Programme Officer will be expected to take responsibility for the following functions with technical support from the National Programe Officer and the Policy Specialist on Humanitarian, Peace and Security with overall supervision of the Deputy Representative of UN Women

Design and develop Women, agriculture, livelihoods and food security programmes:

• Contribute to projects and programme development in relation to the project area by inputting into the process;
• Draft inputs to country strategy documents, briefs, policy dialogue and other documents related to Women agriculture, livelihoods and food security.

Manage the day to day implementation of the Women, agriculture, livelihoods and food security Portfolio in the field:

• Develop the annual workplan and budget and manage implementation of the programme on Women, agriculture, livelihoods and food security;
• Manage the technical implementation of the programme and ensure synergies with other partners and programmes;
• Manage the submission of implementing partner financial and narrative reports;
• Support the Programme Steering Committee, programme review and/or evaluation meetings, as needed.

Manage technical assistance and capacity development of programme partners:

• Build and manage relationships with national partners to support implementation and expansion of the Women, agriculture, livelihoods and food security; respond to any potential problems;
• Identify capacity building needs of partners and lead the coordination of technical assistance, mentoring, training and capacity development initiatives to partners.

Manage the implementation of programme activities through monitoring and reporting:

• Manage the monitoring of programme 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 results, output and outcomes;

Manage the people and financial resources of the Women, agriculture, livelihoods and food security:

• Manage the programme budget and draft financial reports;
• Supervise, mentor and coach staff and do performance assessments;
• Oversee recruitment processes, as necessary.

Build partnerships and support in developing resource mobilization strategies:

• Develop and implement partnerships and resource mobilization strategies for Women, agriculture, livelihoods and food security
• Finalize relevant documentation on donors and potential opportunities for resource mobilization;
• Analyze and research information on donors, prepare substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, and identify of opportunities for cost sharing.
• Contribute to inter-agency coordination to achieve a coherent and aligned presence for the Women, agriculture, livelihoods and food security programme
• Provide relevant information and feedback to the management and country teamon inter-agency coordination related activities after attending meetings, events, and participating in groups and committees as needed;
• Coordinate with other UN agencies on the project, government departments, donors and NGOs to ensure the programme capacity development plan is harmonized and aligned with other in-country efforts.

Manage advocacy, knowledge building and communication efforts:

• Develop and review background documents, briefs and presentations related to Women, agriculture, livelihoods and food security
• Represent UN Women in meetings and policy dialogues on issues related to Women, agriculture, livelihoods and food security as necessary;
• Develop advocacy strategies for Women, agriculture, livelihoods and food security and oversee their implementation;
• Develop knowledge management strategies, products and methodologies on Women, agriculture, livelihoods and food securit.

Key Performance Indicators

• Timely and quality programme design and inputs to the country office strategic orientations
• Timely and quality programme delivery in line with the adopted budget and workplans
• Timely and quality monitoring and evaluation of programmes
• Effective relations with partners and stakeholders
• Timely and quality of reports
• Regular communication with other agencies and partners
• Quality of advocacy, communication and knowledge management initiatives

Competencies
Core Values:

• Respect for Diversity
• Integrity
• Professionalism

Core Competencies:

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

Functional Competencies:

• Strong programme formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation skills
• Tracked Working experience in conflict situations and strong gender integration skills
• Strong knowledge of Results Based Management
• Ability to synthesize program performance data and produce analytical reports in order to inform management and strategic decision-making
• Strong Knowledge of Women, agriculture, livelihoods and food security
• Strong writing and organizational skills and ability to pay close attention to detail
• Good conflict resolution skills
• Ability to identify and analyze trends, opportunities and threats to fundraising and develop strategies

Required Skills and Experience
Education and Certification:

• Master's Degree or Equivalent In Social Sciences, Political Science, Human Rights, Gender/Women's Studies, International Development, or a related field is required.

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
• Technical working experience in Women, agriculture, livelihoods and food security
• Experience in establishing relationships among international organization and national governments in the field of gender and human rights of women
• Experience working in the UN System is an asset
• Management experience is an asset

Language Requirements:

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