Office/Unit/Project Description 

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan.

Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. BPPS’s staff provides technical advice to Country Offices, advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government and civil society dialogues, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas. BPPS works closely with UNDP’s Crisis Bureau (CB) to support emergency and crisis response. BPPS ensures that issues of risk are fully integrated into UNDP’s development programmes. BPPS assists UNDP and partners to achieve higher quality development results through an integrated approach that links results-based management and performance monitoring with more effective and new ways of working. BPPS supports UNDP and partners to be more innovative, knowledge and data-driven including in its programme support efforts.

UNDP has achieved significant progress in making gender equality and women’s empowerment integral to its work on human development. The new UNDP Gender Equality Strategy 2022-2025 builds on the lessons of the previous strategies it has established as the main goal to help governments to shift systems and power structures that generate gender inequalities and women’s disempowerment. It will work through its six signature solutions on poverty and inequality, governance, resilience, environment, energy and gender equality; and promote integrated approaches in each thematic area, stronger investments in data and analysis, and the implementation of innovative solutions to transform social norms, and stronger partnerships with UN agencies and with civil society.

The Gender Team (BPPS) has the leading role in the implementation of the Gender Equality Strategy 2022-2025, including through the implementation of the Gender Equality Global Program 2023-2025 and the implementation of the 3+2Rs framework towards gender equality, including to recognize, reduce and redistribute unpaid care work, as well as properly reward and represent care in decision-making.

In line with ongoing efforts led by the Deputy Secretary General to unify the UN System in defining a shared vision for expanding care and support systems, the United Nations Partnership on the Rights of persons with disability (UNPRPD) is launching an unpaid care and disability programme with UNDP, UN Women, UNFPA, UNICEF, ILO and OHCHR aimed at reducing women’s time poverty by recognizing, reducing and redistributing care, while embedding a strong disability inclusion lens. The programme’s focus countries are Colombia, Tanzania, Panama, Mozambique and Kenya.

Scope of Work 

1.           Lead, manage and coordinate the day to day planning and implementation of the unpaid care and disability project.

• Manage, coordinate, and supervise project implementation to ensure the overall project performance and relevance to related global efforts.
• Liaise with national and global counterparts and partners to ensure the programme results are monitored and achieved.
• Ensure proper execution of all administrative activities associated with project implementation, including preparing Terms of Reference, completing contracting processes, recruiting/selecting consultants, and managing financial arrangements/transactions and their correct authorization.
• Identify opportunities for synergies with other projects on care systems within UNDP and beyond, to advance the key objectives and explore expansion of the program.

2.           Develop strategic partnerships.

• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships and strategic linkages with implementing and development partners, government officials, businesses, NGOs, other national and regional stakeholders, and beneficiaries to support and ensure accurate interpretation of project objectives and promote inclusive project implementation.
• Substantively contribute to project communications and visibility efforts ensuring Fund’s guidelines are respected. Make recommendations to the management team on activities with potential for scale-up, replicability and synergies.
• Provide technical support to the implementing partners and act as a liaison between UNDP and the partners.

3.           Monitor and report on progress in implementing project activities and achieving the targets set.

• Provide technical advice to the project in managing indicators for the monitoring and reporting framework.
• Monitor the implementation of activities and expenditure of funds by partners;
• Lead the development of and conduct mid-term and annual reviews, and coordinate the submission of implementing partners’ and narrative reports. Organize project review and evaluation meetings.
• Coordinate the preparation of corporate, donor and government reports in line with the MPTF reporting schedule, UNDP and donor requirements.
• Ensure proper operational and financial closure of the project.

4.           Facilitate knowledge and capacity building, knowledge sharing, and advocacy relevant to the assigned thematic areas.

• Ensure appropriate training, project workshops and other relevant activities are organized and implemented in a consultative manner, involving technical experts and stakeholders that may include the government, private sector, NGOs, donors, and/or academia.
• Ensure project reports capture results, lessons learned and good practices for possible wider application.
• Participate in and ensure sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice on development and project related issues.
• Ensure quality assurance process for knowledge management tolls is followed.

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

Institutional Arrangement

• The Project Coordinator works under the general supervision of the Gender Specialist on Inclusive Economies and women’s economic empowerment.

Competencies

People Management

UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies 

Minimum Qualifications of the Successful IPSA

Minimum Education requirements         

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Business Administration, Public Administration, Economics, Political Sciences, Social Sciences, or related field is required, or
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Minimum years of relevant work experience    

• Minimum 5 years (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible relevant experience at the national or international level in leading and managing projects on gender and development, with a special focus on the care economy.

Required skills  

• Experience in the use of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and web-based management systems, and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages.
• Knowledge and experience in relevant thematic areas (e.g. care economy and disability).

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the competencies section      

• Experience in working, liaising, and collaborating with UN agencies, governments, NGOs, civil society organizations, and public international organizations.
• Understanding and experience on social protection and care work.
• Understanding and experience on integrating a disability lens to a development programme or initiative.
• Knowledge of capacity building theory and capacity building/assessment methodologies

Required Language(s)   

• Fluency in English (written and spoken) is required.
• Fluency in Spanish is an asset.