Background

Organizational Context 

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 line with its Strategic Plan 2019-2021, UN Women Serbia is working under the impact area of achieving life free from violence for all women and girls, with particular focus on the most vulnerable groups. UN Women emphasize the prevention of VAWG through transforming negative social norms and strengthening the availability of services to women survivors of violence.

Activities in the area of countering violence against women and domestic violence are continuously implemented in Serbia for more than 15 years. This is one of the goals of gender equality policy, rooted in the Constitution of Republic of Serbia and in the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (hereinafter Istanbul Convention) that Republic of Serbia ratified. Since 2012, the UN agencies (UNDP, UNICEF, UN Women, UNFPA) and the Government of Serbia have been implementing a joint project “Integrated Response to Violence against Women”. The Phase III of the project will build upon the existing interventions undertaken by the Government of Serbia, the Provincial Government and the UN agencies. The project objective is further development of social and institutional environment that does not tolerate violence against women and girls. It will tackle the main issues related to prevention and protection of women and girls-survivors of domestic violence, accelerate the process of Sustainable Development Agenda 2030. It will also support the implementation of international commitments and recommendations, particularly CEDAW and Istanbul Convention. The project will be implemented through three components corresponding to the three key results: 1: Legal and institutional measures effectively address the complexity of domestic violence, intimate partner violence and gender-based violence. 2: General and service providers capacitated to effectively reduce the risks of repetition and escalation of domestic violence and deliver integrated service for protection of women and children survivors of violence.3: Perception of gender-based violence and dominant gender norms changed and increased understanding of general public on violence against women and girls.

Through its activities, the project will work to prevent violence before it occurs, and will also ensure that when violence is committed, all the victims get timely and effective support from relevant institutions and be protected from further acts of violence and its possible escalation. UN Women Serbia will implement the project with a goal to strengthen the institutional and technical capacities of the Provincial Government to develop policies and measures that will effectively address the complexity of domestic violence, intimate partner violence and gender-based violence, capacitate general and specialist service providers to effectively reduce the risks and to change perception of gender-based violence and dominant gender norms. The proposed actions include drafting of a new Programme on the protection of women from domestic and intimate partner violence and other forms of gender-based violence for the period 2021-2025, developmentof the Local Action Plans on GBV, technical assistance for organizing case conferences, trainings for professionals from social prevention, police, healthcare, education, prosecutor’s office, judiciary and non-governmental sector, exchange of knowledge between professionals on protection and support to women survivors of violence with an focus on women from marginalized groups, technical assistance to 2 Centres for Victims of Sexual Violence in Vojvodina and identify a sustainable solution for functioning of the Centres and develop package for replication of the model.

Reporting to the Head of Office, the Project Officer contributes to the effective management of UN Women project in the PP by providing substantive inputs to programme design, formulation, implementation and evaluation. S/he guides and facilitates the delivery of UN Women programmes by monitoring results achieved during implementation and ensuring appropriate application of systems and procedures and develops enhancements if necessary.  She/he works in close collaboration with the programme and operations team, UN Women HQ staff, Government officials, multi and bi-lateral donors and civil society ensuring successful UN Women programme implementation under portfolio.

Duties and Responsibilities

Functions 

1. Oversee and guide project management 

• Coordinate and facilitate the development, implementation, and monitoring of the project workplan, including budget and results framework; 
• Coordinate delivery of the day-to-day project activities to ensure prompt and adequate delivery of results;  
• Monitor effective use of resources and compliance with UN Women rules, policies, and procedures as well as donor/fund requirements; 
• Facilitate the preparation of audits and to the implementation of its recommendations. 

2. Provide technical support and capacity development to project partners 

• Provide technical support to the project team in the area of gender responsive governance; 
• Facilitate and maintain relationships with national partners to support implementation and expansion of the project;  
• Coordinate capacity building opportunities and initiatives of key institutions and mechanisms;  
• Provide partners and the local government with assistance, training, and capacity development initiatives as needed. 

3. Provide substantive technical support to the implementation and management of the programme area

• Provide technical inputs to the annual workplan and budget; 
• Lead the implementation of programme activities;
• Lead the coordination of the call/request for proposals, including the organization of technical review committees, and capacity assessment of partners;
• Review, coordinate and monitor the submission of implementing partner financial and narrative reports;
• Train partners on Results Based Management and monitor implementation.

4. Provide technical inputs to monitoring and reporting of project activities  

• Provide technical inputs to the establishment an effective monitoring system for the delivery of project results;  
• Draft quarterly and annual progress reports and donor reports and organize progress reviews, as necessary;  
• Attend field missions and draft reports on monitoring missions.

5. Provide substantive technical inputs to people and financial management of the project

• Monitor budget implementation and make budget re-alignments/ revisions, as necessary; 
• Provide substantive inputs to financial reports; 
• Provide substantive inputs to terms of reference for new staff, consultants and contractors, as necessary. 

6. Provide substantive inputs to building partnerships and resource mobilization strategies 

• Provide substantive inputs to resource mobilization strategies, analyzing and maintaining information and databases on donors; 
• Prepare relevant documentation such as project summaries, conference papers, speeches, donor profiles;
• Participating in donor meetings and public information events as delegated. 

7. Provide substantive inputs to knowledge building and sharing and communications and advocacy 

• Provide substantive inputs to knowledge management strategies and activities; 
• Identify best practices and lessons learned that are directly linked to the implementation of the project and disseminate information; 
• Provide the office with storylines for publication and advocacy campaigns.

Key Performance Indicators

• Timely coordination and monitoring of project strategies and activities; 
• Timely and quality substantive inputs to workplans and budgets; 
• Timely monitoring and tracking of finances; 
• Regular interaction with partners and other stakeholders;  
• Partners and other stakeholders provide positive feedback on the implementation of the project; 
• Number of monitoring visits scheduled;
• Timely organization of events.

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

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies: 

https://www.unwomen.org/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/about%20us/employment/un-women-values-and-competencies-framework-en.pdf?la=en&vs=637

Functional Competencies: 

• Good programme formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation skills;  
• Good budget and finance skills; 
• Good knowledge of Results Based Management; 
• Ability to gather and interpret data, reach logical conclusions and present findings and recommendations; 
• Good knowledge of gender equality and women's empowerment;
• Good knowledge of local country context; 
• Ability to work with little orto no supervision; 
• Ability to identify and analyze trends, opportunities and threats to fundraising.

Required Skills and Experience

Education and certification:

• Master degree in gender studies, international relations, political sciences, legal or social sciences, MBA.
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• A project/programme management certification would be an added advantage.

Experience:

• 2 year of relevant experience in coordinating, programming and reporting; 
• Proven track record and experience in reporting and communicating results, and developing programme and project planning documents;
• Experience or understanding of issues of gender equality and violence against women; 
• Excellent writing skills in preparing briefs, reports, human interest stories or similar for various audiences;
• Previous experience in the development sector, particularly on gender equality will be considered an asset; 
• Prior work experience with UN is highly desirable.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English and Serbian both verbal and written, is required.

Application Procedure:

The following are steps for on-line application:

• Submit the application through the UNDP Serbia Jobs website. http://www.rs.undp.org/content/serbia/en/home/operations/jobs.html
• Upload completed and signed P11 form in the required resume field.

Special consideration:

• As this position is under Service Contract modality, only applications of applicants with Serbian nationality or valid working permit in Serbia will be considered for the vacancy.

UNDP/UN Women are committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.