National Programme Officer, Women, Peace and Security at UN Women

UN Women seeks to recruit a National Programme Officer to support implementation of the Programme in target areas (Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Gombe, Kaduna and Plateau states) for the remaining part of 2024. Under the strategic guidance of the Country Representative, overall supervision of the Deputy Representative and day to reporting to the WPS Team Lead  in Abuja, the Programme Officer exercises overall responsibilities for planning, implementing, and managing UN Women interventions under the WPS thematic area in target areas.  She/he works in close collaboration with the programme and operations team, UN Women HQ staff, Government officials, multi and bi-lateral donors and civil society to ensure the sound coordination of activities’ implementation, facilitate the smooth and effective implementation of the Programme in the target states, and provide continuous supervisory and coaching support to implementing partners  and WPS structures established in the target states.  

Duties and Responsibilities

Design and develop programme strategies in area of WPS

• Design and formulate programme implementation strategies to guide the roll-out of the UN Women’s WPS programme, Phase II;
• Oversee the implementation of the Programme’s inception phase activities including the inception workshop, advocacy visits to stakeholders, identification of target beneficiaries and the finalization of the Programme’s implementation plans, among others;
• Undertake ongoing research and analysis to inform the refinement of programme implementation strategies; 
• Draft inputs to country strategy documents, briefs, policy dialogue and other documents related to WPS.

Manage the implementation and management of the WPS programme

• Finalize the annual workplan and budget and manage their implementation in accordance with the program document;
• Facilitate the technical implementation of the programme and ensure synergies with other teams;
• Oversee the timely submission of implementing partners’ financial and narrative reports;
• Provide guidance to partners on Results Based Management tools and performance indicators, in collaboration with the M&E Specialist;
• Organize the Project Steering Committee, project review and/or evaluation meetings, as needed.

 Manage technical assistance and capacity development to project/programme partners

• Build and manage relationships with national partners to support the implementation and expansion of the WPS Program, respond to any potential problems; 
• Provide guidance and support to implementing partners to enhance programme implementation and reporting;
• Identify capacity building needs of partners and lead the coordination of technical assistance, mentoring, training and capacity development initiatives targeted to partners.

Manage the monitoring and reporting of the programme/ project

Under the guidance of, and in collaboration with the M&E Specialist and WPS Team Lead:

• Regularly monitor programme implementation and finances, using results-based management tools;
• Monitor the implementation of activities and spending of funds by partners and conduct regular monitoring visits;
• Prepare and timely submit quarterly and annual progress reports, including reports to donors;
• Provide inputs from WPS programme activities and results to inform corporate reporting requirements.

 Manage the people and financial resources of the WPS programme

• Manage the programme budget and draft financial reports;
• Oversee programme financial monitoring, including budget revisions, and expenditure tracking and reporting;
• Oversee and monitor the allocation and disbursement of funds to implementing partners
• Oversee recruitment processes, as necessary;
• Oversee the work of programme staff under direct supervision and provide mentorship and coaching support as necessary.

Build partnerships and support in developing resource mobilization strategies

• Develop and implement partnerships and resource mobilization strategies;
• Review donor funding trends and priorities and identify opportunities for resource mobilization;
• Prepare substantive briefs on possible areas of donor cooperation and identify opportunities for cost sharing.

 Contribute to inter-agency coordination on WPS 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.

 Manage advocacy, knowledge building and communication efforts

• Develop and review background documents, briefs and presentations related to the WPS Programme; 
• Represent UN Women in meetings and policy dialogues on issues related to WPS as necessary;
• Develop advocacy strategies and oversee their implementation;
• Organize major advocacy campaigns, trainings, workshops and knowledge products to share lessons on the WPS Programme;
• Identify best practices and lessons learned to guide programme improvement and strategy planning;
• Develop knowledge management strategies, products and methodologies on WPS;
• Ensure documentation of the WPS Programme implementation process and products, in accordance with UN Women guidelines;
• Contribute to the sharing and exchange of information and WPS knowledge products internally and externally through the programme.

Key Performance Indicators

• Timely and quality programme design and inputs to Strategic Note;
• Timely and quality of programme delivery in line with budget and workplans, and in line with all UN Women operational rules and regulations, including security;
• Timely and quality monitoring and evaluation of programmes; 
• Relations with partners and stakeholders;
• Quality reports and timely submission;
• Regular communication with other agencies and partners;
• Quality of advocacy and communication 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;
• 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; 
• Strong analytical 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, human rights, gender/women's studies, international development, or a related field is required;
• 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; 
• Technical experience in WPS
• Experience coordinating and liaising with government agencies and/or donors is an asset;
• Experience working in the UN System is an asset;
• Experience in leading/managing a team is an asset.
• Awareness and sensitivity regarding gender issues
• Strong IT Skills. Experience in the use of computers applications and software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.)

Education and certification:

• Fluency in English is required
• Knowledge of the other UN official working language is an asset;
• Knowledge of a Nigeria Language (Hausa) is an asset.