Job Vacancy

Capacity Building Specialist, Afghanistan

Duty Station: Kabul, Afghanistan

Responsibilities

The post holder's role is pivotal in enabling MOWA to continue leading government in gender mainstreaming and building upon the gains of the past four years.  Primarily, s/he will serve as Leader of the UNIFEM Institutional Capacity Building Team in the Ministry of Women's Affairs and will direct and facilitate all actions related to the implementation of NAPWA.  S/he will also support MOWA in ensuring the attainment of gender sensitive benchmarks and in promoting the overall mainstreaming of gender in ANDS.   As such, s/he will perform a variety of high profile management and technical functions to realize the objectives of UNIFEM's Support to Ministry of Women's Affairs Project. Specifically, the post holder's responsibilities and functions are:

a) Guide MOWA in conceptualizing, implementing, monitoring, and coordinating  its  strategy to implement NAPWA, particularly in the following areas:

• Guiding ministries in developing project proposals and NAPWA implementation plans;
• Monitoring and addressing bottlenecks to NAPWA implementation, conducting inter-ministerial coordination and monitoring meetings and preparing government reports on gender mainstreaming;
• Facilitating the assessment of strengths and weaknesses of existing gender mainstreaming mechanisms in ministries (i.e., focal points, gender units, women's representatives) and providing recommendations on how they could be harmonized and strengthened;
• Clarifying the concept and facilitating the establishing of gender working groups in ministries, developing operational guidelines, facilitating coordination among them and linking them with resources and capacity building opportunities to enhance their performance; and
• Facilitating the establishing of enabling mechanisms for NAPWA implementation, including data base, and gender facility fund. 

b) Capacitate and assist MOWA officials and staff in implementing the gender benchmarks and in promoting and monitoring gender mainstreaming in ANDS:

• Develop strategies, guidelines, tools and technical and policy papers on gender mainstreaming for the use of ANDS Working Groups, Consultative Groups and Joint Coordination and Monitoring Body;
• Provide substantive guidance to MOWA International Unit in preparing  meeting agenda and periodic reports of the Working Group on Gender, Cross Cutting Consultative Group on Gender, and MOWA ANDS Secretariat;
• Lead in designing, organizing and conducting briefing sessions and mainstreaming workshops for members of ANDS Working Groups and MOWA officials;
• Oversee  the work of other UNIFEM professionals who may be contracted to assist in mainstreaming gender in the ANDS;
• Represent UNIFEM in relevant ANDS meetings; and
  Assist MOWA officials and staff in articulating policy positions and gender mainstreaming recommendations in ANDS processes.

c) Provide direction and leadership to the UNIFEM Institutional Capacity Building Team in conceptualizing, implementing and monitoring its institutional capacity building interventions to the Ministry of Women's Affairs, by:

• Designing UNIFEM's institutional capacity building strategy and mobilizing support for its implementation;
• Coaching, supervising and evaluating the performance of team members;
• Leading the Team in developing, implementing and monitoring its short and long term plans including mentoring, coaching, technical backstopping, and supervision to its members;
• Documenting and reporting project performance;  and
• Overseeing and preparing reports on project performance and the expenditure of project funds.
• The post holder will oversee and/or undertake routine duties such as contribution to reports and newsletters, organizing seminars/conference, representing MOWA/UNIFEM in national and international events and making presentations, networking, liaising with and consulting national and international partners and other duties requested by MOWA/UNIFEM jointly.

Requirements

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNIFEM
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
• Treats all people fairly without favoritism

Functional Competencies:

Development and Operational Effectiveness

• Ability to lead strategic planning, change processes, results-based management and reporting
• Ability to lead formulation, oversight of implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development projects
• Ability to apply development theory to the specific country context to identify creative, practical approaches to overcome challenging situations

Knowledge Management and Learning

• Promotes knowledge management in UNIFEM and a learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example
• In-depth practical knowledge of inter-disciplinary development issues
• Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more Practice Areas, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills
• Seeks and applies knowledge, information, and best practices from within and outside of UNDP

Management and Leadership

• Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude
• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities
• Ability to lead effectively,  mentoring as well as conflict resolution skills
• Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills
  Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure
• Proven networking, team-building, organizational and communication skills

Languages Required: English. Knowledge of other UN Languages would be an asset

Apply for This Vacancy

Note: UNIFEM does NOT charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application fee, interview meeting, processing, training or any other fees). UNIFEM does not concern itself with information on bank accounts.

To submit your application for this vacancy, please send an e-mail message to Office of Human Resources, , with the following attachments:

• Cover Letter
• Curriculum Vitae or Résumé
• Completed UN Personal History (p11) Form

Or send your application and attachments by regular mail or fax to:

United Nations Development Fund for Women
Attn: Office of Human Resources
304 East 45th Street, 15th Floor
New York, NY 10017
United States
Fax: +1 212-906-6705