Programme Specialist, Gender Based Violence(GBV)

Job Description

 Job Title                                             Programme Specialist, Gender Based Violence (GBV), Sittwe, Myanmar, P-3

        Job ID                                                41586

         Location                                            Asia and Pacific

         Full/Part Time                                   Full-Time

         Regular/Temporary                          Regular

This post is non-rotational.

Closing Date: 26 April 2022 (5 pm New York time)

Duration: One year (renewable)[i]

Duty Station: Sittwe, Myanmar

 [i] No expectancy of renewal in accordance with UN Staff Regulations 4.5

The Programme Specialist will provide technical, operational and coordination support to UNFPA’s programme implementation in Rakhine State. The incumbent will work in close collaboration with humanitarian and development agencies (UN, NGOs and INGOs), and civil society organizations to lead multi-sectoral programme response and coordination for prevention and response to GBV in Rakhine state. The Programme Specialist, GBV will report directly to the Gender Equality/GBV Programme

Specialist based in Yangon.

How you can make a difference:

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.

UNFPA expands the possibilities for women and young people to lead healthy and productive lives.

UNFPA supports countries in using population data for policies and programmes to reduce poverty and to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of HIV and

AIDS, and every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect. Advancing gender equality and promoting the empowerment of women is a key programme priority of UNFPA defined in UNFPA strategic plan (2022-2025).

UNFPA has launched the second phase of the “Women and Girls First” Programme (2019-2022), which is a large multi-year, multi-donor initiative, including EU, that provides knowledge and technical

leadership in partnership with civil society organizations and a wide range of national stakeholders to advance: gender equality, improving sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services, responding to and preventing gender based violence (GBV) and integrating Mental Health and

Psychosocial Support (MHPSS).

The Programme Specialist will oversee multi-sectoral GBV prevention, response and coordination efforts in Rakhine state. This will include the provision of high quality technical, advocacy and coordination support in order to ensure compliance with international standards across the areas of

UNFPA mandated areas of work, in close coordination with UNFPA County Office team in Yangon and Nay Pyi Taw. The Programme Specialist is directly responsible for the implementation and coordination of GBV programming with relevant stakeholders and representation of UNFPA in humanitarian coordination mechanisms.

1. Partnerships and Coordination

• Lead multi-sectoral GBV coordination in close coordination with the Protection Working Group in Rakhine State, as well as with the UNFPA GBV Sub-Cluster lead at the national level. This includes ensuring implementation of the GBV strategy and action plan for Rakhine GBV Working Group (WG). The Action Plan also requires maintenance of mainstreaming efforts and information management;
• Lead the analysis of GBVIMS as the lead of the GBVIMS state-level task force in coordination with other GBVIMS Task Force members;
• Develop strategic relationships with women’s groups and CSOs in accordance with the UNFPA CSO Engagement Strategy for Rakhine to best promote and engender survivor centred responses to GBV and prevention activities;
• Work in close collaboration with the relevant humanitarian actors, 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 regional and township level;
• Represent UNFPA at the Protection Working Group, state-level Inter-Cluster Coordination Group and relevant sector clusters/working groups and humanitarian forums;
• Support Gender in Humanitarian Action workstream’s activities in Rakhine state;
• Establish linkages between existing gender equality, SRHR/HIV and youth programmes to ensure a continuum of care, synergies between programmes and the maximizing of programme impact;
• Promote and facilitate the inclusion of GBV into all strategies, analyses, assessments and other documents for Rakhine as required to ensure consistent identification and advocacy efforts on the needs of women and girls, particularly survivors of GBV;
• Participate in development partner meetings including the Rakhine Coordination Group to ensure support for GBV programming across the humanitarian, peace building and development nexus;
• Enable and support donor missions and ensure critical representation for the women and girls of Rakhine State;
• Support the provision of safe and effective referral pathways for the implementation of the PSEA framework for Rakhine state in coordination with Rakhine PSEA Network; and
• Provide oversight for GBV coordination in northern Rakhine and Chin states.

2. Technical Support and Programming

• Coordinate, support and manage the coherent and effective implementation of the GBV components of UNFPA’s humanitarian response activities, using a results-based approach incorporating creativity, innovation, and responsiveness to the needs, and thorough monitoring and reporting;
• Provide technical support in developing and implementing a multi-sectoral and coordinated GBV prevention and response programmes to include referral and reporting mechanisms, information sharing, coordination, and monitoring/evaluation;
• Provide support for the implementation of the UNFPA Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Strategy, in close coordination with MHPSS Specialist based in Yangon, to support quality GBV case management responses, inclusive of technical assistance for the MHPSS Peer Support Networks in Sittwe and Maungdaw and the structural support for coaching and mentoring systems;
• Provide technical support to the sub-office, country office, the UN and other partners aimed at capacity building and institutional strengthening in the areas of GBV and MHPSS;
• Support and advise the sub-office and country office management; build knowledge and programming practices in relation to GBV and MHPSS in Rakhine State;
• Assist in writing proposals and engaging in resource mobilization efforts to support joint programming;
• Responsible for the overall coordination, design and monitoring of UNFPA’s GBV and MHPSS programming in Rakhine State;
• In line with WHO’s Ethical and Safety Recommendations for Researching, Documenting and Monitoring Sexual Violence in Emergencies, consolidate existing assessments on the GBV situation and/or work with relevant agencies and the displaced and host populations to conduct relevant participatory analyses of GBV;
• Provide technical support to the development of relevant advocacy and policy documents to address GBV and broader gender issues through various key partners;
• Support increased focus on innovative programming to support income generating activities, linkages with SRHR programmes, male engagement and women’s participation in social cohesion efforts; and
• Participate relevant humanitarian planning and programming, as necessary, including contingency planning, UN “Flash” and other emergency appeal mechanism and recovery processes.

3. Capacity Building

• Provide technical support to revise and develop contextualized training and IEC materials. This includes maintaining GBV training tracking which is managed by the CO M&E team;
• Coordinate and facilitate training sessions on GBV in emergencies for various actors, such as health care providers, community focal points/volunteers, case workers, etc;
• Lead provision of structured GBV prevention, mitigation and prevention training for partners to support sustainable outcomes;
• Strong engagement with CSO partners to increase capacity to ensure mainstreaming of GBV response programming;
• Provide technical support to other sectors to ensure integration of GBV in humanitarian action in accordance with the 2015 IASC Guidelines for the Integration of GBV in Humanitarian Action;
• Manage training updates to ensure inclusion and compliance with international standards and guidelines;
• Identify opportunities for the development of guidelines and standards in GBV response and prevention programmes;
• Support increased communication and advocacy efforts; and
• Strengthen preparedness measures for UNFPA to support ongoing GBV response and prevention services.

4. Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting

• Analyze and report on programme and project progress in terms of achieving results, using existing monitoring and evaluation tools and introducing new mechanisms and systems as needed; identify constraints and resource deficiencies, and recommend corrective actions;
• Supervise preparation by implementing partners of annual and other periodic work plans and monitors and evaluates progress according to the Project monitoring plan, and document and apply lessons learnt to close the gaps;
• Monitor projects expenditures and disbursements to ensure delivery is in line with approved project budgets and to realize targeted delivery levels; and coordinates 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;
• Enable remote monitoring of programmes when access to UNFPA programme areas is constrained; and
• Support programme evaluations of the overall UNFPA country programmes as well as implementing partners’ activities.

5. Programme Management

• Ensure full awareness and adherence to all organizational policies (travel, vehicle, procurement, human resources, etc);
• Liaise with the International Operations Manager, Humanitarian Response Specialist (Yangon), the GBV Programme Specialist (Yangon) and relevant technical units in the UNFPA Country Office in Yangon to strengthen Country Office support to field based office and staff;
• Inputs to workplan development as well as donor reporting to ensure timely execution of activities;
• Ensure organizational equipment and assets are maintained and used in accordance with UNFPA policies and business practice. Support supervisees to develop Performance Appraisal and Development plans and provide regular feedback and support to facilitate professional development of staff; and ensure their safety and well-being; and
• Perform other duties as required.

Advanced university degree in social work or other social sciences, public/community health, gender, legal advice as it relates to gender and GBV, and development or related field.

• At least 5 years of increasingly responsible relevant professional experience, including experience in programme management, including large multi-sectoral projects, designing and appraising proposals and actively liaising with relevant and potential project partners
• Knowledge of gender issues, particularly GBV, including relevant international human rights standards
• Field experience in complex emergencies, including humanitarian emergency response, peace building and reconciliation
• Knowledge of reproductive health, HIV and protection issues in humanitarian and post-conflict recovery settings
• Prior training experience in gender and GBV issues, as well as their application in humanitarian, conflict, recovery and development settings
• Experience in utilizing the following internationals tools: GBV Standard Operating Procedures; GBV Information Management System; IASC Guidelines for Integrating GBV Interventions in Humanitarian Settings; IASC Gender in Humanitarian Action Handbook; GBV Coordination Handbook; and WHO

Ethical and Safety Recommendations for Researching Gender-based Violence in Emergencies

• Prior experience in case management and psychosocial support will be an asset

Fluency in oral and written English is essential; working knowledge of other UN languages are in an asset.

Required Competencies Values:

• Exemplifying integrity
• Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system
• Embracing diversity in all its forms
• Embracing change

• Achieving Results
• Being Accountable
• Developing and Applying Professional Expertise/Business Acumen
• Thinking analytically and Strategically
• Working in Teams/Managing Ourselves and our Relationships
• Communicating for Impact

• Advocacy/ Advancing a policy-oriented agenda
• Leveraging the resources of national governments and partners/ building strategic alliances and partnerships
• Delivering results-oriented programmes
• Internal and external communication and advocacy for results mobilization

        UNFPA Work Environment

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, teamwork, Embracing diversity in all its forms, integrity and a healthy balance of work and life. We are committed to maintaining our balanced gender distribution and therefore encourage women to apply. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities for all including persons with disabilities.

        Compensation and Benefits

This position offers an attractive remuneration package commensurate with the level of the post. The package includes a competitive net salary plus cost of living adjustment, housing allowance, home leave, health insurance and other benefits

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