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.

The UN Women Fiji Multi-Country Office (MCO) is based in Suva, Fiji and works alongside over 20 other UN agencies in the region and 14 countries and territories across the Pacific Region. [1]Under its Strategic Note (SN) 2023 - 2027, UN Women Fiji MCO focuses on delivering on four interlinked programme areas underpinned by UN Women’s Strategic Plan 2022 in line with international normative frameworks: 

• Governance and Participation in Public Life.
• Women’s Economic Empowerment.
• Ending Violence against Women and Girls.
• Climate Action/Humanitarian Action and Resilience

Ending Violence Against Women and Girls / EVAWG 

Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) is a central barrier to gender equality and a cause of widespread violation of human rights across the Pacific[2]. To respond to the rates of violence in the Pacific, UN Women has developed a comprehensive elimination of violence against women and girls (EVAWG) programme which takes a transformative approach to prevent violence against women and girls at multiple levels (regional, national and community), and to ensure survivors have access to quality response services.  The approach to preventing and responding to VAWG also takes into account the context of the Pacific, which requires an integrated approach to addressing VAWG across the humanitarian – development nexus. The Fiji MCO EVAWG programme is one of the largest UN Women EVAWG programmes globally. The most substantial programme under UN Women’s EVAWG programme is the Pacific Partnership to End Violence Against Women and Girls (hereafter, Phase I) which is an ambitious, five year joint programme, with UN Women, the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, which brings together governments, civil society organizations (CSO), communities and other partners to change the social norms that allow violence against women and girls to continue; to ensure survivors have access to quality response services; and to support national and regional institutions to meet their commitments to gender equality and prevention of violence against women and girls. 

The Pacific Partnership has completed its first phase of implementation (2018 – 2023) and is expanding into Phase 2 (2023 – 2027). The Pacific Partnership Programme Phase 2 is funded primarily by the Government of Australia, the European Union (EU) and UN Women. 

Phase II builds on the achievements of Phase I and of the Spotlight Initiative Pacific Regional Programme (2019-2023), which are comprehensive, multi-faceted programmes, grounded in an aligned theory of change. The Action is informed by the lessons and key recommendations of the Pacific Partnership Phase I Mid-Term Evaluation and the Spotlight Initiative Mid-Term Assessment. It expands on Phase I results and wide-ranging regional and national partnerships. It will complement and ensure harmonization with other GE programmes in the region, including the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) "Pacific Women Lead" and other major initiatives on GE and EVAWG.

The overall objective of the Phase II action is to promote GE and prevent VAWG in Pacific Island Countries and territories (PICTs). Elements of the Phase II will be delivered over four years in target PICTs through activities that contribute to four key outcomes:

• Outcome 1: Regional and national political leadership ensures EVAWG legislation and policies are in line with international standards and translated into implementation and action.
• Outcome 2: Favorable social norms, attitudes and behaviors are promoted at the individual, family, community, and societal levels to prevent VAWG.
• Outcome 3: Women, girls and children who experience violence (including before, during and after emergencies), have access to coordinated and high quality, essential services (health, police and justice, social services) to recover from violence and perpetrators are held to account.
• Outcome 4: Women's rights groups, autonomous social movements and relevant civil society organizations (CSOs), including those representing youth and groups facing multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination/marginalization, influence and advance progress on GE, women's empowerment and EVAWG.

Reporting to EVAWG Programme Management Support Specialist, the Programme Associate works with and provides support to the members of the EVAWG Programme Team in the development and implementation of effective programmes consistent with UN Women rules and regulations.  The Programme Associate contributes to research, financial management, and programme implementation including providing necessary operational, administrative and programmatic support. 

The Programme Associate further supports the EVAWG Technical Specialist, Programme Management Support Specialist and Finance Officer in their coordination roles towards the Pacific Partnership Programme to End Violence Against Women and Girls and is responsible for the organization and provision of secretariat services to the Pacific Partnership Steering Committee and Coordination Committee meetings. 

The Programme Associate works in close collaboration with the operations, programme and projects’ staff in the UN Women Fiji MCO, RO and UN Women HQs as required for resolving complex finance-related issues and exchange of information. 

Key Functions and Accountabilities

Provide advanced administrative and logistical support to the formulation and management of programmes:

• Provide advanced administrative support and inputs in the preparation of programme work plans, budgets, and proposals on programme implementation arrangements; 
• Provide technical guidance to the country offices and executing agencies on routine delivery and reporting of programme supported activities and finances; 
• Coordinate the collection of information for the audit of programmes/ projects and support implementation of audit recommendations;   
• Contribute to the development or update of standard operating procedures, guidelines, checklists, templates and business processes in programme and project management; 
• Identify sources, and gather and compile data and information for documents, guidelines, speeches and position papers;
• Organize Pacific Partnership Programme Steering Committee meetings, Programme Coordination Committee meetings, project review and/or evaluation meetings, as needed;
• Provide Secretariat services to meetings of the Pacific Partnership Programme Steering Committee and Programme Coordination Committee meetings;
• Prepare partners documentation and upload it in PGAMS. Maintain PGMAS updated regularly including partners progress reports. 

  Provide advanced administrative support to the financial management of the Programme Unit:

• Create projects in Quantum system, prepare budget revisions, revise project awards and status; and determine unutilized funds and the operational and financial close of a project; 
• Monitor budget preparation and the finances of programmes/projects; prepare periodic reports; finalize FACE forms; 
• Review financial reports; prepare non-PO vouchers for development projects; 
• Maintain internal expenditures control system; post transactions in Quantum system; 
• Create requisitions in Quantum system for development projects; register good receipts in Quantum system; 
• Prepare and follow up of cost-recovery bills in Quantum system. 

Provide advanced administrative support to the Programme Unit:

• Oversee all logistical, administrative and financial arrangements for organization for meetings, workshops, events, and missions; 
• Oversee travel arrangements for the EVAWG Programme Team, including travel requisitions and claims;  
• Prepare public information materials and briefing packets; 
• Consult with high level officials on administrative issues;  
• Prepare and assemble briefing materials and prepare power-point and other presentations; contribute inputs to the materials; 
• Provide guidance and training to Programme Assistants as needed;
• Coordinate assets management in the office, prepare and submit periodic inventory reports, coordinate physical verification of inventory items; 
• Lead the preparation of procurement plans for the office and monitor their implementation;
• Generate procurement related reports; research and draft responses to enquiries;
• Review procurement requests and initiate procurement procedures for office and project equipment, supplies and services;
• Organize procurement activities and processes, including preparation and conduct of Request for Quotations, Invitations to Bid or Requests for Proposals, the opening and evaluation of tenders;
• Support the coordination of contract negotiations, prepare request for award of contract for the review and approval of relevant authorities, as required;
• Prepare Purchase Orders (PO) and contracts in and outside Atlas, create vendor profiles in Quantum; 
• Review procurement processes conducted by the EVAW Programme; submissions to the Procurement Review Committee.

Provide administrative support to Resource Mobilization:

• Prepare cost-sharing and other agreements; follow up on contributions within the CO/MCO/RO resource mobilization efforts; 
• Enter cost-sharing agreements in DAMS;
• Organize, compile and process information from EVAWG Programme donors, and programme team, as inputs to various databases and documents. 

 Facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing:

• Support synthesis of lessons learnt, and best practices related to programme management and finance; 
• Coordinate the organization of training for the office staff and partners on programme and operations related issues. 

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities:

N/A.

Competencies :

Core Values:

• Integrity;
• Professionalism;
• Respect for Diversity.

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 Values and Competencies Framework: 

Functional Competencies:

• Strong knowledge of programme management;    
• Ability to create, edit, synthesize and present information in clear and presentable formats;  
• Ability to administer and execute administrative processes and transactions;  
• Ability to provide input to business process re-engineering, elaboration and implementation of new data management systems;  
• Ability to manage data, documents, correspondence and reports information and workflow; 
• Excellent financial and budgeting skills; 
• Excellent IT skills. 

Recruitment Qualifications

Education and Certification:

• Completion of secondary education required. 
• Bachelor’s degree in Business or Public Administration is an asset.

Experience:

• At least 7 years of progressively responsible experience in administration or programme management/support; 
• Experience in working in a computer environment using multiple office software packages is required; 
• Experience in supporting a team is required. 
• Experience in the use of a modern web-based ERP System, preferably Oracle Cloud, is desirable.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required.

Statements :

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.

Diversity and inclusion:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)

Appplication:

• All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from: https://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employment/application-process 
• Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment. 
• Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.