Capacity Building Specialist

The Asia Pacific Regional Office, based in Bangkok, Thailand, provides strategic leadership and oversight for UNOPS operations across 17 countries, ensuring high performance, operational excellence, and alignment with organizational goals. Operations currently span Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Pacific Islands. Across these countries, we work closely with key stakeholders to strengthen partnerships and maximize impact through five main operating units: Afghanistan (AFCO), Myanmar (MMCO), South Asia Multi-Country Office (SAMCO), East Asia and Pacific Multi-Country Office (EAPMCO), and the Asia Regional Health Cluster (ARHC). Through these entities, we provide agile, client-focused service delivery across diverse sectors - including infrastructure, health, procurement, and project management - supporting the implementation of sustainable development solutions across the region.

The East Asia and Pacific Multi-Country Office (EAPMCO), headquartered in Bangkok, supports UNOPS operations across 24 countries in Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia, and the Pacific. Established in January 2023, EAPMCO provides strategic direction, operational support, and quality assurance to ensure the efficient and effective delivery of projects across its portfolio. EAPMCO implements initiatives in priority areas such as energy transition, climate change, and sustainable development, drawing on UNOPS' core expertise in human resources, procurement, infrastructure, fund management, and programme management.

Established in 2016, UNOPS Philippines supports the government and development partners in advancing sustainable development through services including sustainable procurement, project and grant management, infrastructure, and logistical support. UNOPS projects in the Philippines focus on key areas such as governance, justice, health, and infrastructure, with a strong emphasis on capacity building, community resilience, and accelerating progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Project Background – European Union Governance in Justice III (EU-GOJUST III)

Building on the gains of GOJUST I and II, the European Union, in partnership with UNOPS and the International Development Law Organization (IDLO), supports the third phase of the Enabling Justice and the Rule of Law Programme, otherwise known as the “EUGOJUST III”. This new action seeks to strengthen the rule of law in the Philippines through more coordinated, efficient, and people-centred justice services, while enhancing access to justice for all, especially women and vulnerable populations.

EU-GOJUST III continues the momentum from previous EU-funded justice programmes, including GoJUST I, GOJUST II, and the EU-Philippines Justice Support Programme (EPJUST II). While GOJUST I focused on strengthening national-level institutions, and GOJUST II deepened engagement with civil society and local justice mechanisms, the EU-

GOJUST III places greater emphasis on localized implementation and institutional sustainability. This new program will address access to justice by supporting legal aid services, enhancing the capacity of local governments as entry points into the justice system, increasing rights awareness, and building the capacity of justice actors to respond to the needs of women and people in vulnerable situations.

Despite notable achievements, challenges persist in scaling and sustaining reforms, ensuring equitable access to justice, and improving justice outcomes at the local level. EU-GOJUST III addresses these through a localization approach, strengthening the capacity of JZs and Local Government Units (LGUs) to deliver responsive, inclusive, and gender-sensitive justice services.

This action aligns with the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023–2028 and supports critical justice sector coordination structures such as the Justice Sector Coordinating Council (JSCC) and the Justice Zones (JZs), which have proven instrumental in advancing cross-agency collaboration, data sharing, and innovation in justice delivery. This action is also fully aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, contributing to SDG 16: promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.

In collaboration with IDLO as Technical Lead, UNOPS will support the implementation of key components under the EU-GOJUST III. This includes coordination with Philippine justice institutions, civil society, and local actors, with a focus on improving legal aid services, rights awareness, and institutional capacity.

EU-GOJUST III will contribute to two Specific Objectives (SOs), as follows:

Specific Objective 1 – Justice Coordination: To develop more coordinated, efficient, gender-sensitive, and people-centred justice services;

Specific Objective 2 – Access to Justice for All: To enhance access to justice for all, especially for women and people living in vulnerable situations.

UNOPS, leveraging its experience as an implementing partner in GOJUST I and II, will continue to provide operational support, including training, procurement, grants management, and behavior change campaign in support of the justice sector reform in the Philippines.

The project needs the services of competent and professional Capacity Building Specialists that would bring their expertise from designing training interventions, facilitating complex high-level workshops, and overall managing the training/workshop/conference programs so that expected results are achieved. The Capacity Building Specialists will be working closely with the IDLO as Technical Lead and UNOPS in the development of the activity program design, methods, and requirements. He/she will also provide the overall guidance to ensure that the planning/workshop/consultation process and outputs are properly documented as a reference for all stakeholders. Finally, Capacity Building Specialists may also be expected to provide post-activity insights, reflections and/or reports that could feed into the lessons learning processes of the program and may be used to further improve the interventions.

Under the general supervision of the Senior Project Manager and the guidance of the IDLO as Technical Lead, the Capacity Building Specialist will be responsible for conceptualization, design development, and process management of the identified Training, Workshops, and high-level Multi-stakeholder events as contained in the approved EU-GOJUST3 workplan. Design development would include conduct of preparations/consultation with topic experts/ session holders and recommending appropriate methods/approaches to the delivery of sessions. Process management would include ensuring the preparation, execution, and evaluation, as well as providing guidance to the documentation of the event.

Scope of Professional Services and Deliverables:

1. Training Design and Development

• Develop learning design and modules for the training/workshop
• Prepare educational material and pedagogical methods for online and in-person activities relating to the workshop/training requested
• Develop a detailed workshop activity design and methodology based on the activity objectives and program that will detail the methods, timeframe, and resource requirements for the program
• Coordinate and develop with the Key Experts and/or session Resource Persons the detailed topic contents, requirements, and delivery, and finalize the training/workshop program
• Work with the GoJUST Team to ensure that prework before and during training is in place.

2. Event Delivery and Facilitation

• Serve as expert topic lead or session resource, as may fit and maybe relevant to the training/workshop
• Anchor the main facilitation during online and in-person workshops/training, using interactive and engaging facilitation methods to maximize participation. This will include: Planning, Organizing, Coordination, and Delivery for the whole duration of the activity including preparation and/or compilation of all the resource materials, schedule of activities, PowerPoint presentations, templates, and practical exercises, Face-to-face workshops, Question and answers, Individual and group training exercises

3. Coordination and Logistics

• Coordinate with UNOPS and IDLO focal point to ensure all logistics/preparations requirements are in place
• Coordinate daily debriefing with the IDLO/ UNOPS and Resource Persons/ Trainers.

4. Reporting, Documentation, and Evaluation

• Develop with the support team of GoJUST on the Measurement and Evaluation tools to gauge the progress of participants’ competencies and record participants’ responses and workshop/training lessons, outcomes, and findings
• Provide guidance to the activity documenter to document/capture the activity process, outputs, and assessments, and review the documentation prepared by the documenter prior to submission
• Submit a Workshop/Training Summary Report, which shall include highlights of the activity, process notes, and recommendations

Required

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in development management, education/ pedagogy, social development, politics, law and justice, or related fields with 7 years of relevant experience OR

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in any of the above or related fields with 5 years of relevant experience is required

Required

• Relevant experience is work in designing and delivering high-level and multi-stakeholder training, workshops, consultations, or events in the Philippines setting, preferably involving national and local government agencies, CSOs, and Donors or related areas.

Desired

• Experience working in the development sector in the Philippines, particularly working with international organizations, national and local government agencies, the governance and justice sector, peace and development, development programming design, implementation, and M&E is an asset
• Proven expert-level facilitation of training and capacity building sessions is desirable
• Experience in developing capacity building programs for government partners, including but not limited to justice and governance programs/ projects is an advantage
• Experience in integrating gender mainstreaming initiatives in public sector is preferred
• Experience in providing technical assistance to the public sector in the areas of justice, governance, process improvement, research, strategic development planning and gender-responsive policies, programs, projects, and application of monitoring and evaluation framework is desirable
• Prior experience in working with SC, DOJ, and DILG is an asset
• Experience in organizing training, organizational development, and strategic planning is an asset.
• Proficiency in computer and Google Suite applications is an asset

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