Programme Management Specialist

Background Information – Job-specific

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. UNOPS supports partners to build a better future by providing services that increase the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of peace building, humanitarian and development projects. Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organizations.

New York Service Cluster (NYSC) supports the United Nations Secretariat, as well as other New York-based United Nations organizations, bilateral and multilateral partners in the delivery of UNOPS mandate in project management, infrastructure management, and procurement management

Sustainable Development Cluster (SDC) supports diverse partners with their peacebuilding, humanitarian and development operations. It was formed by combining the following portfolios: Grants Management Services (GMS), UN Technology Support Services (UNTSS), Development and Special Initiatives Portfolio (DSIP) It provides Services to partners’ programmes that are designed, structured, and managed with a global perspective and primarily serving partners that are headquartered in New York. The SDC has a footprint of approximately 125 countries.

The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) was established by the General Assembly in June 2017 (A/RES/71/291). The Office has five main functions: (a) provide leadership on the General Assembly counter-terrorism mandates across the United Nations System; (b) enhance coordination and coherence across the 38 Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force entities to ensure the balanced implementation of the four pillars of the Strategy; (c) strengthen the delivery of United Nations counter-terrorism capacity-building assistance to Member States; (d) improve visibility, advocacy and resource mobilization for United Nations counter-terrorism efforts; and (e) ensure that due priority is given to counter-terrorism across the United Nations System and that the important work on preventing violent extremism is firmly rooted in the Strategy.

This position is located in the Victims of Terrorism Unit, within the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT) of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) and supports the implementation of the Global Victims of Terrorism Support Programme (hereinafter, “The Global Programme”). The overall vision of the Global Programme is to protect, promote, and respect the rights and needs of victims of terrorism, and to increase the capacity of Member States and civil society organisations. The Global Programme seeks to (i) show solidarity with and raise awareness on the plight of victims of terrorism; (ii) strengthen victims’ voices and their role in preventing violent extremism conductive to terrorism; and (iii) increase the capacity of Member States and civil society organizations as they assist and support victims of terrorism in protecting their rights and needs. In this regard, technical assistance and advocacy are a key component of the work of the Global Programme. The activities of the Global Programme that the contractor would be required to implement include the development of the Global Programme from 2023 onwards, incorporating lessons learnt, best practices and reflections drawn from the outcomes of the first United Nations Global Congress of Victims of Terrorism; supporting the development of toolkits and handbooks of good practices on victims of terrorism for civil society and Member States; developing technical assistance/capacity building interventions to implement the Model Legislative Provisions to Assist the Needs and Support the Rights of Victims of Terrorism; and design and conduct monitoring and evaluation tools on all relevant areas of the Global Programme.

The incumbent of this position will be a personnel of UNOPS under its full responsibility.

Functional Responsibilities

Purpose and Scope of Assignment

Under the supervision of the Project Manager, the contractor will carry out the following tasks:

1. Collect lessons learnt, best practices and reflections drawn from the outcomes of the first United Nations Global Congress of Victims of Terrorism, including by providing substantive and logistical contributions for the development of the follow-up conference on victims of terrorism to be held in 2024 by doing the following:

• Finalizing the monitoring and evaluation activities designed to include all learning and best practices discussed during the Global Congress into the development of the second phase of the Global Programme;
• Supporting the development of a forward-looking, innovative and victim-centric second phase for the Global Programme for its 2024-2026 cycle;
• Developing the concept note for the follow-up conference on victims of terrorism, in close coordination with civil society organisations, victims’ associations, victims of terrorism and Member States, particularly the Group of Friends of Victims of Terrorism;
• Supporting the drafting of all substantive and logistical documents for the follow-up conference, including concept notes and the outcome report.
• Overseeing and advising on the development and implementation of the Victims of Terrorism Unit’s communications strategy, including by advising on all communications materials, promotional films, thematic campaigns, pre-recorded events, social media posts, and talking points.

2. Develop, publish and launch in specific languages the ‘Handbook of Good Practices on Victims of Terrorism’, to strengthen the efforts and effectiveness of Member States as they assist and support victims of terrorism; and to be made available online through the UN Victims of Terrorism Support Portal and through the UNOCT website:

• Conduct scoping missions to relevant countries to meet with relevant national officials and collect data about needs and best practices
• Conduct comprehensive literature reviews including Civil Society Organization (CSOs reports and relevant Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) country reports and assessment recommendations
• Conduct remote consultations with relevant experts, government officials, civil society representatives, academics, and officials
• Draft the handbook
• Design a dissemination strategy and a monitoring and evaluation program to measure impact and level of use and distribution

3. Perform other duties as may be reasonably required and in line with the incumbent’s scope of services above.

Monitoring and Progress Controls

The Contractor will:

• Deliver and provide direct assistance for the delivery of capacity building activities, including regional, national and subnational workshops and technical assistance.
• Assist and deliver scoping missions to support the programme outcomes.
• Contribute to the continued development and incorporation of good practice and lessons learned into the programme delivery.
• Contribute to the programme’s Measurement and Evaluation framework.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

***FEMALE CANDIDATES ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY

Education**

• Advanced university degree preferably in social science, political science, international relations, peace and conflict studies, security studies, community development, or other relevant fields is required.
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field with additional two (2) years of relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Work Experience
Required experience:

• A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience on programme management is required.
• Experience working in peace and security, preventing violence extremism, or other related areas is required.
• Direct experience working with victims of terrorism projects and programmes, at the local and global level, is required.

Desired experience (the following experience is optional, candidates who do not have it are welcome to apply):

• Experience conducting scoping missions, engaging with government, CSO and industry, and/or delivering workshops, training and technical assistance is desirable.

Language

• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of French is desirable.

Competencies

Develops and implements sustainable business strategies, thinks long term and externally in order to positively shape the organization. Anticipates and perceives the impact and implications of future decisions and activities on other parts of the organization.(for levels IICA-2, IICA-3, LICA Specialist- 10, LICA Specialist-11, NOC, NOD, P3, P4 and above)

Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organizational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.

Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For people managers only: Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles.

Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role).

Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries.

Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements.

Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving.

Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.

Contract type, level and duration

1. Contract type: I-ICA International Individual Contractor Agreement
2. Contract level: I-ICA 2 – ICSC 10
3. Contract duration: Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.

For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link:
https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx

Additional Considerations

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time.
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• UNOPS embraces diversity and it is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, or disability.
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• Work life harmonization – UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (around 4 hours) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS.
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns. Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

Background Information – UNOPS

UNOPS – an operational arm of the United Nations – supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by successfully implementing its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian, and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve peace and sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management, and human resources.

Working with us

We are proud of our people. With a wealth of knowledge and skills in various disciplines – engineering, finance, human resources, ICT, leadership, project management, procurement, and more – they help tackle some of the biggest challenges of our time. Their work around the world supports progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

At UNOPS, we offer a range of short- and long-term opportunities in various environments and duty stations – from Denmark and Kenya to Mexico, Switzerland, Myanmar, Senegal, Uganda, and many more.

Diversity

With over 5,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,400 personnel recruited on behalf of our partners, spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced and diverse labor force — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs. We continually strive to maintain our gender-balanced workplace. We encourage qualified underrepresented groups as per UNOPS Gender, Diversity, and Inclusion Strategy to apply for our vacancies.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.

Background Information – Sustainable Development Cluster

New York Service Cluster (NYSC) supports the United Nations Secretariat, as well as other New York-based United Nations organizations, bilateral and multilateral partners in the delivery of UNOPS mandate in project management, infrastructure management, and procurement management.

Based in New York, the Sustainable Development Cluster (SDC) supports diverse partners with their peacebuilding, humanitarian and development operations.

The SDC’s services include grants management, development and special initiatives support, and technology support to the UN and UN agencies.

The SDC is part of the New York Service Cluster that supports the United Nations Secretariat, as well as a broadening community of other New York-based United Nations organizations, bilateral and multilateral partners in the delivery of UNOPS mandate in project management, infrastructure management, and procurement management.