Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is among the most pervasive and serious violations of human rights, with inextricable links to broader peace and security. Globally, one in three women have been subjected to violence; the global cost of violence against women has been estimated at approximately US$1.5 trillion.

Against this background, Spotlight Initiative was launched in 2017 as the world’s largest effort to end violence against women and girls. A pooled fund of the United Nations (UN) system, Spotlight Initiative is an SDG Accelerator, a United Nations’ High Impact Initiative to deliver on the 2030 Agenda and a model for localization, unifying communities, civil society, governments, donors, and experts under a common approach rooted in local needs. Spotlight Initiative is also a model for operationalizing the UN Development System reform.

Spotlight Initiative has, over 6 years, delivered proof of concept across 25 countries and 5 regions and will now scale up to greater investment and reach, bringing on board new countries and new partnerships. The Initiative will deepen its “whole-of-society” approach, placing the goal of ending violence against women and girls at the centre of national development priorities. Spotlight Initiative promotes a multi-sectoral approach to the complex issue of violence against women and girls and its variety of root causes. The Initiative’s workstreams include four main pillars:

• Laws, policies, institutions.
• Prevention and social norms change.
• Response and services for survivors and perpetrators’ accountability, and
• Support to civil society and women’s movements.

Under the leadership of the Executive Office of the UN Secretary-General and in accordance with the guidance received from the Spotlight Initiative’s Governance Mechanisms, the day-to-day management of the Spotlight Initiative is led by a Secretariat, housed within the Development Coordination Office (DCO) with a reporting line to the Executive Office of the Secretary General and servicing the whole UN System.

The Secretariat’s core technical responsibilities are to support the design, implementation and monitoring of comprehensive and effective country programmes on EVAWG, to contribute to increased global awareness, knowledge sharing and networking on EVAWG as well as to ensure that the achievements and results of the Spotlight Initiative are expanded and sustained. Specifically, the Secretariat is responsible for the following outputs:

• Data and research on GBV and various forms of violence at global and regional level is enhanced and disseminated.
• Technical package in line with the Spotlight Initiative model, and evidence-based strategies, knowledge, and tools on violence against women and girls is consolidated and made available for new programmes and advocacy purposes.
• Global and regional strategic partnerships are expanded to advance efforts on ending gender-based violence, including through communication, behaviour change strategies, events and campaigns; and
• Increased expertise at country level to ensure the development and sustainability of comprehensive programmes to end violence against women and girls in line with Spotlight Initiative model.

Job Purpose and Organizational Context:

Under the supervision of the Spotlight Initiative Global Coordinator and the Technical Specialist, the Programme and Reporting Specialist is responsible for effective programme management, and the documentation of results and progress of the Spotlight Initiative in line with the work plan, and results framework. The Programme and Reporting Specialist continually assesses methodologies and instruments for collection, documentation, analysis and data and manages the development of all Spotlight Initiative reports, including through direct support and advice to Spotlight Initiative teams.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Ensure effective programme management, budget oversight and compliance.

• Establish systems for programme planning, implementation and work plan monitoring.
• Guide and coordinate the development and preparation of comprehensive work plans, programme budgets, and related processes including budget revisions, expenditure tracking and financial controls, in line with programme documents.
• Support the systematic monitoring of cash flow management and planning needs; oversee and monitor the allocation and disbursement of resources to PUNOs.
• Monitor the progress of implementation of programme activities and key schedules, including monitoring of financial resources.
• Liaise with PUNOs and other stakeholders as needed, to ensure that programme results are achieved, and resources managed.
• Ensure effective management support to strategic planning, including risk management and quality control; identifies issues and recommends solutions.
• Advice management on key programme implementation elements, issues and supports development of strategies.
• Record and maintain documents on programme activities, issues and risks.
• Liaise with MPTFO for application of relevant UNSDG policy and guidance documents, results-based management, risk management, fund allocation, financial/administrative management, monitoring, evaluation and reporting support; manage Gateway up-loads, when necessary.

Provide technical advice on reporting.

• Develop reporting templates and formats that meet programme reporting requirements, including account of implementation of the action, programme partnerships, governance, challenges, lessons learned, degree of achievement of results as measured by corresponding indicators, among others.
• Provide technical and coordination support to the consolidation of results, in line with the results framework.
• Review and provide feedback on Spotlight Initiative Programme narrative reports and supports their finalization.
• Compile monitoring updates and prepare annual/final reports based on inputs received from PUNOs and Spotlight Initiative programmes, provide quality assurance, finalize and coordinate the submission of reports.
• Upload consolidated Spotlight Initiative programme reports on the Administrative Agent website.
• Facilitate with other reporting exercises as needed.

Ensure effective programme coordination and governance. 

• Manage the annual plan for the Steering Committee (SC).
• Provide substantive administrative support to the Steering Committee and coordinate inputs to supportive documentation, technical notes, briefs and information notes on related areas of work.
• Elaborates in coordination with EOSG and co-chairs draft agendas, meeting minutes and background documentation; circulates for comments and finalization.
• Monitors implementation of action points and reports back to the EOSG and the SC.
• Ensures timely communication of relevant decisions of the SC to the concerned stakeholders.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Core

Achieve Results: 

• Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact.

Think Innovatively: 

• Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems.

Learn Continuously:

• Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences.

Adapt with Agility:

• Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands.

Act with Determination:

• Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results.

Engage and Partner:

• Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration.

Enable Diversity and Inclusion:

• Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity.

Cross-Functional & Technical

Business Direction & Strategy – System Thinking:

• Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.

Business Development – Knowledge Generation: 

• Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need.

Business Development – Integration within the UN:

• Ability to identify, and integrate capacity and assets of the UN system, and engage in joint work; knowledge of the UN system and ability to apply this knowledge to strategic and/or practical situations.

Business Management – Portfolio Management:

• Ability to select, prioritise and control the organizations programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity; ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimising return on investment.

Business Management – Results based management: 

• Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results.

Finance – Financial reporting and analysis:

• Understands changes in regulatory, legal and ethical frameworks and standards for financial reporting in the public sector. Ability to extract, evaluate financial data, derive relevant findings and present them in a meaningful and coherent manner to facilitate effective decision making and performance monitoring. Understands the benefits of integrated reporting, including non-financial resources such as human, social and intellectual capital, and environmental and governance performance.

Communication – Writing and editing:

• Ability to create and/or edit written content in different UN languages.

Required skills and Experience:

Education:

• Advanced university degree (master’s or equivalent) in International Relations, International Development, Public Administration, Management, Business Administration, Political or Social Sciences, or related field is required. OR
• A first-level university degree in the above- mentioned fields of study, with two additional years of relevant work experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• Minimum of five (5) years (with master’s degree) or seven (7) years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible professional experience in programme/project management, coordination and/or financial management is required.
• Experience in coordination, implementation, and monitoring of programmes, and experience with EU-funded programmes will be considered an asset.
• Experience in drafting and overseeing the preparation of briefing packages, technical notes, and information packages is desirable.
• Experience with donor reporting, and drafting reports, preferably in the context of gender equality, EVAWG and/or human rights is desirable.
• Prior experience working in a multi-stakeholder Initiative, pooled funding mechanisms, preferably within the United Nations.

Note:
Please note that continuance of appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.