Mission and objectives

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.

Context

The Gender & Reproductive Health and Rights Officer substantively contributes to the effective management of UNFPA activities in the areas of gender & reproductive health and rights in the GCC region. S/He analyses and assesses relevant political, social and economic trends and provides substantive inputs to project formulation, implementation and monitoring, joint programming initiatives with other UN agencies and national development frameworks. The Gender & Reproductive Health and Rights Officer guides and facilitates the delivery of UNFPA’s programmes in the GCC sub region, in collaboration with other colleagues from the office, and in partnership with other UN agencies, by using and developing appropriate mechanisms and systems and ensuring compliance with established procedures, as well as by monitoring results achieved during implementation. Specifically, the volunteer will support partners in strengthening institutional capacity to mainstream gender in selected institutions; and enhancing capacity to protect women’s and girls’ rights in the areas of gender-based violence, and gender sensitive and responsive integrated SRH and HIV/AIDS programmes, including contributing to accelerating progress on the ICPD beyond 2030 agenda and SDGs. The volunteer will also support gender mainstreaming efforts by the Office across all programme areas. The volunteer will collaborate closely with other UN agencies in the GCC countries and provide substantive inputs and contribution to gender thematic groups and to joint programmes. Additional information: International UN Expert Volunteers in Saudi Arabia are entitled to: • Volunteer living allowance $2,898.22 • Expertise differential $1,159.28 • Annual and learning leaves; • Free Medical and life insurance; • Free access to different learning platforms. For more information on UN Volunteer benefits, entitlements and support, please visit: https://www.unv.org/volunteer-your-country-conditions-service Duty stations: the volunteer will work with the 6 GCC countries; therefore the volunteer will be working from UNFPA Regional office in Oman and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia noting that the position will be hosted by the UNRCO office in Riyadh.

Task Description

The volunteer will be accountable for carrying out the following duties and responsibilities: • In collaboration with counterparts in the governments, the Regional Office and other partners, contributes substantively to the formulation and design of programmatic partnerships in the respective GCC countries, in line with governments priorities and according to UNFPA policies and procedures; Ensures quality of programme / project design and implementation, incorporating lessons learned, newly developed policies and best practices’, and establishing appropriate execution and monitoring mechanisms and systems in the areas of gender & reproductive health and rights. • Keep abreast of new policy developments analyzing policy papers, strategy documents, national plans and development frameworks; Analyzes the political, social and economic environment relevant to gender equality and women empowerment, sexual reproductive health and rights and human rights, and prepares briefs and inputs for policy dialogue, technical assistance coordination, and development frameworks; Assesses implications of new policy developments on programmatic partnerships; Adapts findings in a cultural appropriate manner for the GCC as required for the advancement of the ICPD agenda and identifies opportunities for UNFPA assistance and intervention. • Manage implementation of partnerships in the area of work, establishing collaborative relationships with experts, government counterparts and other UN agencies, facilitating timely and efficient delivery of project inputs and addressing training needs of UNFPA personnel and counterparts; Analyses and reports on programme and projects progress in terms of achieving results, using existing monitoring and evaluation tools and introducing new mechanisms and systems where necessary; Identifies constraints and resource deficiencies and recommends corrective actions. Monitors projects expenditures and disbursements to ensure delivery is in line with approved project budgets and to realize targeted delivery levels. • Collect data and evidence and organizes knowledge about current and emerging gender & reproductive health and rights issues, by analyzing programme, projects, strategies, approaches and ongoing experience for lessons learned, international and regional best practices, and ensures its availability for further knowledge sharing among GCC countries and use for future strategies. • Contribute substantially to advocacy and partnerships efforts of the GCC Office by preparing relevant documentation, i.e. concept notes, project summaries, conference papers, speeches, donor profiles, factsheets, briefing materials, infographics, and presentations for public information, and participating in donor meetings and public information events.; Develops strategic partnerships, maintains networks and close linkages with relevant government stakeholders, international organizations, donors, key policy makers, women and youth organizations, educators, donor community, research institutions. • Support UNFPA’s engagement in coordination mechanisms on gender & reproductive health and rights; Participates in relevant GCC and national fora, enhancing UNFPA mandate on gender & reproductive health and rights, and work to ensure that technical issues are incorporated in national development policies, plans and frameworks; Acts as an active member of the UNCTs gender related groups, develop strategic partnerships with UN agencies in order to enhance UN coordination, and strengthen the overall UN agencies’ performance on gender equality by mainstreaming gender into all key policies and programmes; Ensures that gender & reproductive health and rights are streamlined across programme and activities. • Perform other duties as assigned by the UNFPA office management.

Competencies and values

Values: Exemplifying integrity, Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system, Embracing cultural diversity, Embracing change Functional Competencies: Advocacy/ Advancing a policy-oriented agenda Leveraging the resources of national governments and partners/ building strategic alliances and partnerships Delivering results-based programmes Internal and external communication and advocacy for results Core Competencies: 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 Managerial Competencies: Providing strategic focus, Engaging in internal/external partners and stakeholders, Leading, developing and empowering people, creating a culture of performance Making decisions and exercising judgment

Living conditions and remarks

Riyadh the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is a peaceful city with over two million residents. People are friendly to visitors. Services in terms of banking, transportation, health and communications are easily available. Though Arabic is the official language, English is widely spoken. The road network and while public transport is limited, taxis are relatively cheap and easily available. There are many shopping malls, restaurants, gyms, and cinemas. A large variety of accommodation options can be found; There are no specific security threats. Riyadh is a very easy city in which to live; large, many amenities, very modern and serviced by an international airport with direct flights to most capital cities. According to the assessment of the UN Department of Safety & Security (UNDSS) is a family duty station. Conditions of Service for International UN Volunteers The initial contract is issued upon arrival for the period indicated above. The contract can be extended depending on continuation of mandate, availability of funding, operational necessity and satisfactory performance. However, there is no expectancy of renewal of the assignment. A UN Volunteer receives a Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA), which is composed of a Monthly Living Allowance (MLA) and a Family Allowance (FA) for those with dependents (maximum three). The Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) is paid at the end of each month to cover housing, utilities, transportation, communications and other basic needs. The VLA can be calculated using by applying the Post-Adjustment Multiplier (PAM) to the VLA base rate. The VLA base rate is a global rate across the world, while the PAM is duty station/country-specific and fluctuates monthly according to cost of living. This method ensures that international UN Volunteers have comparable purchasing power at all duty stations irrespective of varying costs of living. The PAM is established by the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) and is published at the beginning of every month on the ICSC website – http://icsc.un.org. In non-family duty stations that belong to hardship categories D or E, as classified by the ICSC, international UN Volunteers receive a Well-Being Differential (WBD) on a monthly basis. Furthermore, UN Volunteers are provided a settling-in-grant (SIG) at the start of the assignment (if the volunteer did not reside in the duty station for at least 6 months prior to taking up the assignment) and in the event of a permanent reassignment to another duty station. UNV provides life, health, permanent disability insurances as well as assignment travel, annual leave, full integration in the UN security framework (including residential security reimbursements). UN Volunteers receive flight tickets for periodic home visit and for the final repatriation travel (if applicable). Resettlement allowance is paid for satisfactory service at the end of the assignment. UNV will provide, together with the offer of assignment, a copy of the Conditions of Service, including Code of conduct, to the successful candidate

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements