II. Organizational Context
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Somalia works with partners to achieve the goal of a peaceful and secure nation in which every Somali has the opportunity to build a better life. It supports Somalis to build peace, reconstruct their infrastructure and rebuild their institutions.
UNDP supports Somalis through Democratic Governance, Rule of law and security, Poverty Reduction and Environment Protection, human development and economics and the fight against HIV/AIDS programmes. In each of areas, UNDP Somalia designs projects, in line with the Somali Compact, that contribute to real, measurable improvements in the lives of the Somali people. UNDP often works with non-governmental organizations, civil society and government partners to develop these projects.
As part of the overall framework of UNDP Country Programme for Somalia, the cross-cutting unit comprises of the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) project and Responding to HIV and AIDS project.
The GEWE project focuses on strengthening women’s representation and participation in public decision-making processes rendering them more inclusive; engaging community structures to transform negative traditions which limit women’s and girls’ rights; and addressing challenges of limited capacity and insecurity all of which adversely affect women’s ability to voice out their concerns, put forward their agenda, negotiate their interests, claim their rightful space in society and enhance their access to resources and opportunities. The project leverages on partnerships built with ministries of government, other governing institutions and CSOs to promote legal and policy reforms that eliminate structural barriers to gender equality and put in place policies to empower women and girls. The overall objective of the project is that Somali women and men attain greater gender equality and are empowered.
The HIV project support the government to respond to HIV& AIDS by providing technical assistance and building the capacity of the AIDS Commissions by strengthening M&E systems and by advocating and supporting other sectors to mainstream HIV into their work. Support Behavior Change Communication (BCC) initiatives such as Community Conversations on HIV and by Providing support to Networks and People Living with HIV (PLHIV).
Both projects work in collaboration and have built synergies of implementation within the past year, leading to more streamlined operations and stronger holistic results overall. Therefore, UNDP intends to hire a Somali national as Programme Officer (PO) to work on both HIV and Gender projects under the cross cutting programme. The programme officer will intersect both the GEWE and HIV project teams. The PO will primarily report to the GEWE Project Manager (PM) while secondarily reporting to HIV PM. The PO will be responsible for providing strategic advice and overall implementation and monitoring for both project outputs and activities assigned to them. He/she will also support the PM with oversight, coordination of activities and maintaining a liaison with UNDP Country Office and relevant government and non-government organisations.
The programme officer must be able to develop and maintain viable working relationships with colleagues across the organization and strategic partnerships with stakeholders including participating UN agencies, and be able to work with them in a responsive, client-oriented and problem-solving approach.
III. Functions / Key Results Expected
Summary of Key Functions:
- Coordination, liaison and strategic direction of the GEWE and HIV projects
- Ensures efficient and effective project management
- Ensures effective and efficient financial resources management
- Resource mobilization and efficient procurement and logistical services
- Efficient advocacy, planning and programming, monitoring and evaluation, and representation.
- Facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing.
Specific Responsibilities will include:
Ensures strategic direction of the GEWE and HIV projects, focusing on achievement of the following results:
- Participate in the planning, prioritizing and sequencing of project activities in close coordination with the Project Manager and Project Team
- Support the programme/project manager and the Country Office in fundraising for the project;
- Provide other advice and support as may be required by the UNDP and the government as is to be expected in a dynamic process of change
- Participate in review of the work plan and budget on a monthly/quarterly basis in view of prioritizing activities;
- Provide Technical Guidance and oversee the implementation of all work with the partners on gender equality and women’s empowerment as well as HIV and AIDS.
- Prepare, facilitate and follow-up on project board/steering committee and present work plans and periodic progress reports;
- Coordinate workshops at national and sub-national level to ensure information dissemination of activities related to the project as appropriate;
- Provide operational advice to the Project Board/Steering Committee on the implementation of the different aspects of the project.
- Provide support, oversight and coordination of implementation of both HIV and Gender project activities;
- Assist in recruitment and supervision of technical and training expertise as required for implementation of the projects;
- Develop and maintains close linkages with relevant sectorial government agencies, UNDP, NGOs, civil society, international organisations and implementing partners of the projects;
- Ensure, in close consultation with Project Manager and Support Team, the effective application of RBM tools, elaboration of coherent work plans, regular donor progress and impact reports, project documents and proposals, monitors the project work plans, project effectiveness and achievement of results and provides inputs to the Strategic Results Framework and Results Oriented Annual Report;
- Improve/establish communication and coordination mechanisms and procedures amongst the various stakeholders;
- Manage and monitor identified project risks and issues and update the status of these risks and issues in UNDP’s ERP system (Atlas);
- Ensure that the project is founded on Human Rights Based approach and that resources are used in a balanced way and are “conflict sensitive”, ensures adherence to the Do-No-Harm principle and any joint UN operating principles in Somalia relevant to the project area;
- Ensures the integration of cross-cutting issues, such as gender, HIV/AIDS, and human rights into the design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of project;
- Writes quarterly, annual and ad-hoc progress updates/reports;
- Keeps the Project Managers abreast of emerging project issues;
Ensures efficient and effective Project Management
- Contribute in leading and coordinating the project teams in project implementation and operation;
- Coordinate the implementation of activities as outlined in the project documents;
- Ensure day to day direction and management of the components of the projects;
- Develop an Annual Work plan (AWP) and annual budget with timeframes, activities, outputs and outcomes in line with the Results & Resource Framework;
- Review the work plan and budget on a monthly basis in view of prioritizing activities;
- Supervise support services as specified in the project documents and AWPs to carry out project activities (e.g. issuance of contracts and sub-contracts, procurement, arrange training and workshops, staff recruitment, etc.);
- Develop Terms of Reference for the national members of the project teams and recruit staff as necessary;
- Mobilize technical expertise on issues related to project capacity building/development outputs and activities;
- Ensure appropriate supervision, reporting, and evaluation mechanisms for all staff recruited under the projects;
- Identify operational, administrative and financial problems, develop solutions with others;
Ensures effective and efficient financial resources management focusing on achievement of the following results:
- Coordinate inputs into annual results-based work plans, project budgets and results and resources framework as endorsed by the management;
- Coordinate inputs into all project reports as required (including Annual Project Reports, financial reports, Inception Report, Quarterly Reports and the Terminal Report);
- Contribute to the elaboration budgets for all activities and the continuous monitoring of project work plan;
- Contribute to the consistent application of UNDP rules and regulations and ensures the implementation of clear accountability mechanisms throughout the project duration;
- Participate in internal control mechanisms for adherence to UNDP rules and regulations in contracts, assets, procurement, recruitment, etc. as required;
Ensure efficient advocacy, planning and programming, monitoring and evaluation and representation focusing of achievement of the following results:
- Develop Annual Monitoring Plans;
- Organize and participate in field monitoring missions;
- Prepare regular reports on monitoring findings and project results and outputs;
- Prepare regular briefings on the projects’ progress;
- Formalize any government, private institutions, academic institutions, NGOs/CBOs contractual agreement;
- Develop training materials, conducting workshops and preparing and disseminating materials such as briefing notes, fact sheets, presentations, guidelines for youth employment;
- Support overall resource mobilization for the project area;
- Advocate for UNDP with government counterparts, donor community, and the UN;
- Ensure project compliance with corporate human resources policies and strategies,
- Mobilize goods and services, including drafting TORs;
- Ensure project compliance with corporate rules and regulations in the field and management of procurement processes and logistical services;
Ensures proper facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing focusing on achievement of the following results:
- Help build capacity of national counterparts through on the job-training and regular briefings on new tools and skills related to initiatives implemented under the project;
- Contribute to the identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learned from the project for organizational sharing and learning;
- Actively participate in the knowledge networks and takes advantage of best practices and lessons learned that are available in the zonal, national, region and globally;
- Support capacity-building of national counterparts;
- Promote a knowledge sharing and learning culture in the CO
IV. Impact of Results
The key results will have an impact on the overall success of the specific areas of cooperation under the UNDP country programme. In particular, the key results will have a direct impact on the effectiveness on the design, implementation and outcome of key project activities results.
V. Competencies
Corporate Competencies:
q Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards
q Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP
q Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
q Treats all people fairly without favoritism
Functional Competencies:
Knowledge Management and Learning
q Promotes knowledge management in project team and a learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example
q Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more Practice Areas, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills
Development and Operational Effectiveness
q Ability to organize and coordinate results-oriented strategic and thematic evaluations. Knowledge and understanding of evaluation and development evaluation in particular.
q Good knowledge of current development issues particularly those pertinent to UNDP employment generation practice areas. Ability to conceptualize issues and analyze data.
q Good technical skills in measurement and evaluation, including grasp of methodological and operational dimensions and the ability to link corporate and country level issues.
q Ability to coordinate the work of the team.
q Good knowledge of Results Management Guide and Toolkit
Management and Leadership
q Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback
q Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude
q Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities
q Leads teams effectively and shows mentoring as well as conflict resolution skills
q Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills
q Demonstrates ability to work with the government institutions, including labour, youth, municipality and planning institutions
VI. Recruitment Qualifications
Education:
· Master’s degree preferably in Economics, Business Administration, Development Studies, Political science , Public Health, or related areas.
· First level university degree in related fields with minimum 4 years’ relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Experience:
· A minimum of 2 years of relevant experience in development issues, Gender, HIV/AIDS is required with an advanced university degree.
· Demonstrated effectiveness in a project officer role.
· Strong IT skills.
· Experience with ATLAS or another platform for enterprise financial resource management an asset.
· Previous experience with UNDP or UN Women (ex-UNIFEM) preferred and good knowledge of UNDP rules and procedures is desirable
· Strong diplomatic skills in handling counterpart relations
Language Requirements:
Fluency oral and written English and Somali is required.
HOW TO APPLY:
Interested and qualified candidates should submit their application by visiting: http://jobs.undp.org/ or
