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 MCO Caribbean 2022 – 2026 programme; and envisaged 2027 – 2031 programmeare aligned to the agency’s global 2026-2030 Strategic Note with a focus on the four (4) Thematic areas most critical to women and girls; Women’s Leadership and Decision-making, Women’s Economic Empowerment in Resilient Economies and  Women and Girls Free from Violence; and Women, Peace and Humanitarian Action. All the impact areas, like the SDGs, are interconnected and interrelated and these programmes will be implemented both at the regional and multi-country level. 

The Planning and Coordination Specialist, Trinidad and Tobago will support strategic planning, technical support and guidance for the development of strategic partnerships and resource mobilization and advocacy for the countries in the Southern Caribbean, i.e. Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, Curacao, Guyana and Suriname.  S/he will also serve as Technical Lead on Women and Girls Free from Violence and Women, Peace and Security for the MCO Caribbean and will be expected to liaise closely with counterpart Planning and Coordination Specialists in the MCO who are the Technical Leads for Women’s Leadership and Decision-Making and Women’s Economic Empowerment.

Reporting to the Deputy Representative, the Planning and Coordination Specialist will provide support for strategic programme planning, inter-agency coordination, resource mobilization and partnership building, as well as advocacy and communication. 

Key Functions and Accountabilities:

1. Provide support for strategic planning for the Multi Country Office
   • Provide advice on the formulation of concept notes for UN Women's intervention areas; as well as the office’s strategic note.
   • Develop country programming processes and products, including the annual workplan, strategic note, and programme/ project documents, the preparation of UN Multi-Country Sustainable Development Framework and other UN system joint programming documents.
   • Follow up on required action/outstanding issues and report on outcome/ result. 
   • Alert the Deputy Representative and Senior Management of the MCO on critical issues to be addressed.
2. Provide technical support to the Country Representative and Multi Country Office on inter-agency coordination especially as it relates to the agency’s programmes on Women and Girls Free from Violence and Women, Peace and Security 
   • Participate in and provide support to joint inter-agency UN planning processes and similar exercises, including those related to Women and Girls Free from Violence and Women, Peace and Security
   • Prepare briefing materials for the MCO on issues to be discussed in the UN and other events and meetings.
   • Provide analysis and advice to Resident Coordinator (RC) and the UN Country Team (UNCT) on the gender dynamics and opportunities to support inclusive engagement of women in the development assistance provided by the UNCT.
   • Prepare inputs to Common Country Assessment (CCA)/ MSDCF and other documents.
   • Provide technical support to UNCT in monitoring and reporting and prepare analytical and regular progress reports on UN Women’s programme experiences.
   • Provide substantive support and representation at conferences and meetings, joint programme development, joint advocacy and research..
   • Serve as the MCO’s Technical Lead on Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse including in the agency’s inter-agency emergency response.
3. Provide technical support and guidance to the development of strategic partnerships and resource mobilization efforts
   • Manage activities and other promotional events to engage bilateral and multilateral institutions/ donors, private sector and civil society to expand and/or sustain interest and resources for UN Women programmes and joint UN system programmes.
   • Provide support and advice on forging and implementing strategic partnerships to increase outreach on UN Women’s work in Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, Curacao, Guyana and Suriname.
   • Provide guidance and advice to development partners and national counterparts on implementation of key UN frameworks and conventions on gender equality.
   • Provide network and capacity development to partner Civil Society Organizations and other stakeholders.
4. Provide advocacy and communication support to the Multi Country Office
   • Support the MCO Annual Communication Strategy, develop content and ensure proper management/ monitoring of the MCO website and social media channels.
   • Develop, implement, and monitor advocacy campaigns on issues related to Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, with a specific focus on International Women’s Day, the HeForShe Campaign and the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence. 
   • Participate in and contribute to policy dialogues around gender equality and the empowerment of women.
5. Facilitate knowledge building and sharing
   • Manage the development and dissemination of good practices and lessons learned; ensure incorporation into programme planning.
   • Manage capacity building exercises.
6. The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

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 gender equity and women’s empowerment issues
• Strong knowledge of UN system and understanding of inter-agency coordination processes
• Strong knowledge of results-based programme planning and management
• Strong analytical skills
• Ability to promote and monitor inclusion of gender-specific objectives, indicators, targets and activities in the UN agencies programmes
• Ability to provide advice and support.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: The incumbent will be required to provide direct supervision to Consultants, United Nations Volunteers (UNVs), Interns, Junior support staff or other affiliate personnel.

Recruitment Qualifications

Education and Certification: 

• Master's degree (or equivalent) in international development, public administration, public policy, or other relevant social science field is required.
• 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 (such as PMP®, PRINCE2®, or MSP®) would be an added advantage.

Experience:

• At least 5 years of progressively responsible experience working with inter-agency coordination and strategic programme planning processes is required; 
• Experience in the development, planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting of programmes is required;
• Experience working in gender equality and women’s rights at the international level is an asset;
• Experience working in developing countries within the UN system, Agencies, Funds or Programs is an asset;
• Experience in a multi-country context and/or in Trinidad and Tobago is an asset;

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required
• Knowledge of the other UN official working language is desirable; Spanish is an asset.

Nationals of Trinidad and Tobago, individuals with legal right to work in Trinidad and Tobago as well as individuals holding a valid CARICOM skills certificate can and are invited to apply.

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.)

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.