Gender Programme Specialist

For every child, care.

In 2021, UNICEF adopted a new Gender Policy and Gender Action Plan 2022-2025 (GAP), to advance gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in key areas of UNICEF's work. The GAP specifies how UNICEF will promote gender equality across the organization’s work, in alignment with the UNICEF Strategic Plan and supports the achievement of gender equality goals as outlined in Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The GAP programmatic framework defines a twin track for the 1) integration of gender equality outcomes across all Strategic Plan Result Areas, and 2) specification of ‘targeted gender priorities’ focused on advancing adolescent girls’ leadership and wellbeing. The GAP targeted priorities for adolescent girls are adolescent health and nutrition; education and skills; preventing child marriage and violence; menstrual health and hygiene and social protection. It also provides a gender focus on key results in the major sectoral areas of UNICEF's work: health and nutrition; education; child protection; water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and social protection and describes a series of actions to establish more gender transformative workplaces in UNICEF, including rolling out family friendly policies and achieving gender parity at all levels of staffing.

Building on lessons learned from previous GAPs, UNICEF is applying a gender transformative lens to programme and policy efforts; tackling underlying barriers to gender equality and redressing traditional gender norms. This means stepping up our programming in several areas, such as partnering with men and boys as champions for equality; centering girls’ voices and leadership in programmatic action; and incorporating efforts to tackle gender restrictive norms at policy/ budget, community, and individual levels.

Aligning to the global UNICEF programmatic priorities and strategies, Tanzania Country Office (TCO) during the midterm review of its current country programme and in drafting the new to be launched in July 2022, adopted gender transformative programming approaches. The Gender Programme Specialist will contribute towards the strategic goals of the country office but more specifically take the lead role to facilitate transformative gender programming across sector programmes and operations.   The gender programme specialist shall provide high quality gender technical services to all sectorial programmes and operations for the Tanzania Country Office guided by the Gender Action Plan III.

How can you make a difference?

Facilitate transformative gender programming in UNICEF programming and operations. The gender programme Specialist shall provide high quality gender technical support to all sectorial programmes and operations for the Tanzania Country Office guided by the Gender Action Plan III.

Major duties and responsibilities

Guided by the Gender Action Plan III, the role of the Gender Programme Specialist is primarily technical and programmatic, with the normative advocacy and coordination roles serving as a secondary function. The Specialist provides authoritative technical guidance/operational support throughout all stages of programming to facilitate the management and delivery of results contributing to gender equality in alignment with the Gender Action Plan. S/he supports the development, implementation, and monitoring of high-quality gender programming across sectors in alignment with the Gender Action Plan S/he:

1. Supports senior programme colleagues and management of the Country Office to advance one or more of the four Targeted Gender Priorities in the Gender Action Plan with support from the Regional Gender Adviser.
2. S/he also plays a role in working with one or more of the 7 UNICEF sectors to mainstream gender by prioritizing key gender results within the sector(s) with a strong gender relevance.
3. Leads cross-sectional collaboration and coordination on key programmatic results on gender, ensuring coherence, maximization of synergies and efficiency in utilization of resources and delivery of results.
4. Works with programme colleagues and management so that gender results are effectively defined, measured, and reported, and high-quality assessment, research, evidence generation and evaluation on gender programming is undertaken and utilized.
5. Supports/leads effective review, assessment, planning, capacity building, and knowledge management on gender.
6. Supports the assessment and identification of gender needs for \emergency preparedness and response, and provides gender relevant guidance and technical input on emergency programming.

Key Accountabilities and Duties & Tasks

1. Management and/or advisory support to Deputy Representative, Senior Gender Programme Specialist or Representative

• Actively participate in Country Management Team (CMT); Programme Coordination Team; partnerships, research, financial and contract review committees; and other key country-specific leadership teams to ensure strategic inclusion of gender in all country-specific programming 
• Coordinate with the Regional Gender Advisors and the Headquarters Gender Section to plan, utilize, monitor and report on the Gender Thematic Fund, or other programmatic funds with large gender components that are allocated to the country-specific interventions for the Country Programme, under the Country Office senior management.
• In collaboration with sectoral colleagues and under the guidance of Deputy Representative, participate in the planning and monitoring of the utilization of the budget allocated to sectoral and cross-sectoral gender interventions with sectoral colleagues
• Lead the gender component of the reporting of the routine country-level programme expenditures, including the annual reporting and the RAM.
• Provide technical input and review on the gender components in key funding proposal appeals and submissions and in the design of funded projects/programs so that gender technical components are clearly defined, and technical capacities are included

2. Program development and planning (including emergency contexts)

• Lead and/or support the evidence-based programme planning on gender, incorporating robust measurement and evaluation of results - especially in the event of the Country Programme development and Mid-Term Review.
• Provide technical leadership on integration of gender into country programming phases, including strategic planning, SitAns, strategic moments of reflection, CPDs, CPMPs, mid-term reviews, extended annual reviews, programme component strategy notes and in the programmatic assessment and institutional strengthening components of gender reviews
• In collaboration with sectoral colleagues, identify the areas of focus for gender programming with the greatest potential for impact and scale, in alignment with the GAP and the country/regional priorities.
• Work with sectoral counterparts to incorporate sound gender indicators and measures in programme and policy initiatives, proposals, and advocacy efforts and assist in developing gender-sensitive theories of change models for sector and cross-sectoral programming in alignment with the MoRES framework.
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3. Program management, monitoring and delivery of results (including emergency contexts)

• Provide technical support in indicator identification, measurement and performance tracking as it relates to gender mainstreaming and the Targeted Gender Priorities, in collaboration with Planning, M&E and planning section and sectoral teams.
• Lead cross-sectoral collaboration and coordination on key programmatic results on gender, ensuring coherence, maximization of synergies and efficiency in utilization of resources and delivery of results
• Support the strengthening of data systems and collection, as well as accountability mechanisms to monitor and evaluate progress on gender results.
• Support high quality reporting on gender results, and a biannual performance review of GAP specified results.
• Work closely with evaluation colleagues to effectively integrate data collection, tracking, analysis and reporting on the indicators for the GAP into programme results and gender performance benchmarks into M&E systems.
• Support and strengthen the quality of research and evidence building on gender related programming, bringing in the latest learning and insights from the field of gender and development, and putting in place a coherent, well-prioritized research agenda in alignment with the GAP.
• Oversee the planning and implementation of the gender reviews and make sure that the recommendations that come out of the gender review are integrated into the Country Programme strategy and action plans and humanitarian strategies and action plans in emergency contexts.
• Actively represent UNICEF in relevant coordination bodies at the inter-agency level (gender theme group or other networks, GBV cluster if relevant), participate as a member of steering committees, and provide close oversight of inter-agency joint programmes.

4. Advisory services and technical support

• Provide technical support and guidance to national government, NGOs, UN Agencies and other country-level and local-level partners on aspects of gender programming and to ensure incorporation of gender indicators and measures in programmes/projects, policy initiatives, proposals, and M&E systems.
• Provide technical support and advocacy to reporting and follow-up on international and regional gender equality commitments made by the countries
• Support the development of adequate emergency preparedness measures, updating of contingency plans and establishment of early warning mechanisms that reflect gender needs.
• Support the development and of sex-disaggregated databases on information crucial for the planning and implementation of emergency plans.
• Support the development and deployment of emergency training that incorporates gender issues and relevant strategies.
• Lead and/or participate in needs assessment missions on gender, and in the event of an emergency, be deployed as a member of the Emergency Response Team.
• Identify implementing/operational partners and establish implementing arrangements in order to ensure an effective, gender-inclusive emergency response.

5. Advocacy, networking and partnership building

• Liaise and consult with sections, government and other external partners (civil society, NGOs, UN Agencies, private sector) to identify areas for convergence, and develop and reinforce partnerships in gender programming.
• Forge and support internal and external partnerships and networks in the development of harmonized, gender-transformative programme interventions.
• Build strategic alliances for gender equality with various partners, including institutional links with UN agencies and other relevant entities.
• Collaborate with other UN agencies and partners to enhance robust gender results in sectoral programmes at the country level. If necessary, represent UNICEF in external meetings on gender integration into sectoral and cross-sectoral results, including UN Country Team meetings and UNDAF/UNAF preparations.
• Lead mapping of potential new partnerships and leverage existing partnerships to accelerate GAP implementation at the country level in determined priority areas.

6. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

• Initiate documentation and sharing of the country-level experience in gender programming and lessons learned, which will be shared with internal network and external partners and utilized for South-South cooperation.
• Represent the gender section at sectoral, country-level and regional-level network meetings, and ensure best practices on gender programming according to 5 GAP principles are highlighted in these forums
• Bring best practices in gender programming and measurement to the attention of senior management and sectoral colleagues, as well as Regional Gender Advisor and gender section staff at HQ
• Support and conduct innovative research on gender at the country-level
• Support Regional Gender Advisor in advancing the technical and research capacity of country-level staff, offices and programs on gender to continue to build evidence base for programming and to ensure continuous capacity in gender at Country Office level.
• Support management and HR in the development of systems, tools and processes that enable staff members and external partners to enhance their understanding and adoption of gender sensitive behaviors and to support implementation of the GAP.  

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• Advanced degree in Development Studies, Social Policy, Gender and Development, Social Sciences, Public Health, Business Administration or another relevant field.
• Minimum five years of progressively responsible professional experience and demonstrated track record of having undertaken and led substantive programming and research on gender and development in key issue areas that are the focus of UNICEF’s Gender Action Plan.
• Experience in designing, implementing, managing, and delivering results-based programmes on gender and development or any other cross cutting programme, especially at country/field level, experience in emergency response is an asset.
• Background/familiarity with mainstreaming gender equality in development and in emergency. Knowledge and awareness of gender in emergencies.
• Demonstrated experience with approaches to build capacity on the technical aspects of gender programming and analysis for a diverse set of stakeholders.
• Strong analytical, coordination, and partnership building skills.
• Experience working with the UN or other international development organization; experience working with donor agencies and private sector engagement an asset.
• Fluency in English, knowledge of other UN languages is an asset.