Background

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action, and peace and security. In Nigeria, UN Women works to support the Government’s national development agenda, which prioritizes the empowerment of women and girls and their contribution to all areas of economic, political, and social development. The objective of building and sustaining peace and security across the country is critical for Nigeria, which faces several security challenges including the Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast, the Farmers/Herders conflict in the Middle Belt, and conflicts over natural resources in the oil-rich Niger Delta region and insecurity in the Northwest region of the country. Ongoing efforts to address these conflicts often overlook women’s roles and contributions. Women are often seen only as victims of conflicts that need to be protected rather than agents of change for peace. This leaves untapped, the potential and capacities of women whose contributions can be harnessed to promote transformative change and sustainable peace.

The Strengthening Local and State Level Peace Architectures for Peacebuilding and Prevention in Katsina and Kaduna States of Northwest Nigeria is a 2-year joint project (2022-2024) being implemented by UNDP, UN Women, and IOM in partnership with the Government of Kaduna and Katsina states and other key stakeholders in the states. The project aims to reinforce non-kinetic responses to conflict and insecurity in Kaduna and Katsina States by strengthening existing infrastructures for peace, providing safe spaces for inclusive (inter-and-intra)-community dialogue, enhancing the resilience of communities directly affected by conflict through the provision of psychosocial support and increasing access to sustainable livelihoods. The project will catalyze key partnerships within the States and revive local peace processes; widen representation and increase the participation of young men and women in peace processes; strengthen prevention capacities, including the protection of women and girls from violence, and initiate a roadmap towards a gender-sensitive peace and security infrastructure for resilience and sustainable peace in Kaduna and Katsina States. Efforts at sustaining capacities for peace in Katsina and Kaduna States will also provide an entry point for broader engagement and support in Northwest Nigeria that is needed for robust and responsive peace infrastructures. These will be complemented by a more downstream-victim-centered approach that seeks to the delivery of trauma healing, psychosocial and community-based livelihood support to affected and to at-risk communities.

Specifically, the joint project will:

1. Enhance the capacities of Kaduna and Katsina states to respond to inter and intra communal violent conflicts in a timely, coordinated, inclusive, gender-responsive, youth-inclusive, and collaborative manner;
2. Contribute to community resilience to trauma caused by cycles of violence through the integration of psychosocial support, mental health services for healing; and
3. Contribute towards increased access to sustainable livelihoods by target communities affected by violence Kaduna and Katsina State.

UN Women seeks to recruit a National Programme Officer to support the implementation of UN Women’s component of the joint project and support gender equality and the empowerment of women in the entire joint project. Under the strategic guidance of the Country Representative, and with day-to-day reporting to the UN Women Deputy Representative, with support from the WPS Team Lead, the Programme Officer exercises overall responsibilities for planning, implementing, managing and reporting of the project in the target areas. She/he works in close collaboration with the programme and operations team, UN Women HQ staff, UNDP, IOM and other relevant UN agencies, Government officials, multi and bi-lateral donors and civil society to ensure the smooth and effective implementation of the project and provide continuous supervisory and coaching support to implementing/responsible partners and structures established in the target states.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Programme Officer will perform the following specific tasks:

Manage the implementation and management of the Peacebuilding and Prevention programme

• Develop the project annual workplan and budget and manage its implementation in accordance with the program document;
• Facilitate the technical implementation of the programme in consultation with WPS Team lead, and ensure synergies with the other UN agencies co-implementing the project;
• Oversee timely submission of implementing partner financial and narrative reports;
• Provide guidance to implementing partners on Results Based Management tools and performance indicators;
• Identify and support entities that promote women’s participation in peace building, conflict resolution and mediation processes.

Manage Interagency coordination and joint engagements

• Participate in interagency annual planning for the implementation of the project;
• Participate in the project Technical Committee and support Project Steering Committee;
• Provide technical support to other implementing UN agencies on gender mainstreaming and women empowerment;
• Provide regular gender analysis of the implementation using the project’s gender markers;
• Collaborate and liaise with other UN Country teams and CSOs in undertaking tasks related to WPS;

• Contribute to joint project activities in the target states and at the national level;
• Contribute to joint agency project mid-term review and evaluation in collaboration with other agencies and relevant stakeholders;
• Participate in project review and/or evaluation meetings, as needed.

Manage technical assistance and capacity development to project partners

• Build and manage relationships with partners to support implementation of the project;
• 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 project

• Monitor project implementation and finances, using results-based management tools;
• Monitor the implementation of activities and the expenditure of funds by partners and conduct regular monitoring visits;
• Prepare quarterly and annual progress reports, and biannual and final reports to donors;
• Provide inputs from WPS programme activities and results to inform corporate reporting requirements;
• Promote the substantive quality of all knowledge products, reports and services, and ensure effective integration and compatibility with other result areas;
• Contribute to the production of reports and publications, and serve as peer reviewer;
• Forge links with other initiatives to identify good practices and share lessons.

Manage the people and financial resources of the Project

• Manage the programme budget and draft financial reports;
• Manage programme financial monitoring, including budget revisions, expenditure tracking and reporting;
• Manage and monitor the allocation and disbursement of funds to implementing partners.

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 and collaborations with partners and stakeholders;
• Quality reports and timely submission;
• Regular communication with other agencies and partners.

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 programme performance data and produce analytical reports to inform management and strategic decision-making;
• Strong knowledge of WPS, conflict prevention and peacebuilding;
• Strong analytical skills for gender and conflict analysis and gender mainstreaming;
• 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, peace, conflict and security studies, 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 women, peace and security, conflict prevention, and peacebuilding;
• 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 and technical experience in gender mainstreaming;
• Strong IT Skills. Experience in the use of computers applications and software packages (MS Word, Excel, , etc.)

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required;
• Knowledge of Hausa Language is an advantage.