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Papua New Guinea: Governance, Peace and Security Technical Specialist

Mar 19, 2024 | United Nations Women
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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.  

Papua New Guinea ranks second lowest in the Inter-Parliamentary Union's global ranking of women in parliament. In the 2022 National General Elections (NGEs), two women out of 118 parliamentarians were elected to the National Parliament, while three women lead political parties. Additionally, 159 women contested in the 2022 NGE with 40% being endorsed by political parties, compared to 23% in the previous NGE. Low participation of women in politics is due to multiple interconnecting factors that include social resistance to electing women to political positions, unequal opportunities, and limited financing. Proposals to pass Temporary Special Measures (TSMs) to increase women’s participation in politics have not received the requisite political support despite numerous calls to enable women to participate at the highest level of decision making in the country. 

Papua New Guinea ranks 145th out of 170 countries in the Georgetown Institute’s Women, Peace and Security Index. The complex peace and security context of PNG compounds the already extreme pressures on women and girls. Inter-group violence occurs cyclically in the Highlands and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (ABG). Women and children are exposed to various forms of insecurity before, during, and after conflicts, most notably VAWG, including sexual violence and harmful socio-cultural practices like forced marriages. Women and girls suffer a disproportionately negative effect as they are more prone to become victims of sexual and genderbased violence, their ability to access basic health and education services is impaired and they are not able to have their grievances addressed in a formal manner. Women are often widowed and their status in communities becomes undermined and this leads to exploitation and abuse. Adolescent girls also face early and forced marriage from early adolescent onwards often to older men through polygamous relationships. This further bar them from such opportunities as they are expected to fulfil the role of wife including domestic responsibilities as well as childbearing. 

Women have played an instrumental role in promoting peace and reconciliation between parties. They successfully pressured those pursuing military solutions to consider alternatives, enabling moderates to be elevated into positions of authority. They were also integral in local peacebuilding initiatives, crossing enemy lines with messages and appeals to end the violence. While progress has been made on the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda in specific sub-national areas, there has been little attention given to the relevance of this agenda at the national level. PNG does not have the National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security. 

Climate change has emerged as a threat to peace and security in PNG. The island state ranked as ‘severe’ on the OECD's environmental fragility index and is highly susceptible to the impacts of climate change, as evidenced by past El Niño events. Indeed, PNG was the first country to register climate refugees. By affecting food and water security, livelihoods, mobility and workloads, while intensifying the inter-tribal conflicts in the Highlands, climate change and climate-related natural disasters are disproportionately impacting women and girls. Women predominantly engage in small-scale agriculture, which is particularly susceptible to the impacts of climate change. Their involvement in key sectors that will be affected by climate change places women at the forefront of climate change resilience by offering opportunities for them to lead renewable energy, solar power, recycling, and other green initiatives. 

Reporting to the Deputy Country Representative, the Governance, Peace and Security Technical Specialist is responsible for efficient management and implementation of Inclusive Governance and Women, Peace and Security portfolio,  including Climate Security related interventions. She/he provides technical competence on gender equality and women’s empowerment with a holistic approach to development challenges facing women in the area of Governance, Peace and Security. The Technical Specialist provides technical expertise on political, social and economic trends and leads formulation, management, implementation and evaluation of programme activities within his/her portfolio and coordinates activities with partners in local government, UN and CSOs.

Duties and Responsibilities

1.  Design and develop a programme portfolio in the area of Governance, Peace and Security, particularly as it relates to Women’s Leadership and Political Participation and Women, Peace and Security (WPS) for the Country Office

  • Design and formulate programme/ project proposals and initiatives based on robust analysis and assessments.
  • Draft inputs to country strategy documents, briefs, policy dialogue and other relevant documents.
  • Develop an engagement strategy with all relevant stakeholders.

2.  Manage the implementation of UN Women’s inclusive governance portfolio, such as Women’s Leadership and Political Participation, and Women, Peace and Security (WPS)  programmes

  • Finalize the annual work plan and budget and manage their implementation.
  • Lead initiatives that seek to meaningful consultation with diverse women leaders, connecting them to policy windows to increase their influence.
  • Provide technical support to the implementation of the programme/project; ensure synergies with other teams and other UN agencies implementing work related to inclusive governance, particularly Women’s Leadership and Political Participation, and WPS;
  • Provide guidance to personnel and partners on Results Based Management tools and performance indicators.
  • Facilitate Project Steering Committee, project review and/or evaluation meetings, as needed.

3.  Manage technical assistance and capacity development to project/programme partners

  • Manage the implementation of technical advice and guidance.
  • Develop and implement technical tools, and initiatives.
  • Build and manage relationships with national partners to support implementation and expansion of the WPS programme; respond to any potential problems.
  • Identify capacity building needs of partners and lead the coordination of technical assistance, mentoring, training and capacity development initiatives to partners.

4.  Manage the monitoring and reporting of Governance, Peace and Security programmes

  • Manage the monitoring of programme/ project implementation and finances using results-based management tools;
  • Oversee field missions and review reports on monitoring missions;
  • Write quarterly reports and donor reports, focusing on results, output and outcomes;
  • Contribute to office donor and UN Women reports.?

5.  Build partnerships and support developing resource mobilization strategies

  • Develop and support the implementation of partnerships and resource mobilization strategies;
  • Contribute to the finalization of relevant documentation on donors and potential opportunities for resource mobilization;
  • Undertake relevant research information on donors, prepare substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, identification of opportunities for cost sharing.?

6.  Manage advocacy, knowledge building and communication efforts

  • Develop and review background documents, briefs and presentations related to inclusive governance and WPS.
  • As delegated represent UN Women in meetings and policy dialogues on issues related to inclusive governance, particularly Women’s Leadership and Political Participation and WPS;
  • Draft advocacy strategies and support their implementation;
  • Draft best practices and lessons learned to guide programme improvement and strategy planning;
  • Draft knowledge management strategies, products and methodologies in line with civil society engagement  on inclusive governance and WPS.
  • Contribute to visibility of the partners’ results by identifying promising and notable achievements for amplification by UNW communications.

7.  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:

  • 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/en/about-us/employment/application-process#_Values

Functional Competencies

  • Strong programme formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation skills
  • Ability to develop detailed operational plans, budgets, and deliver on them
  • Ability to synthesize program performance data and produce analytical reports to inform management and strategic decision-making
  • Strong analytical skills
  • Strong knowledge of Results Based Management
  • Good knowledge of UN programme management systems

Required Skills and Experience

Education and certification:

  • Master’s degree or equivalent in social sciences, human rights, gender/women's studies, international development, or a related 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 work experience at the national or international level in design, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development projects;
  • Technical expertise and demonstrated experience in Women’s Political Participation and Leadership and Women Peace and Security; 
  • Experience in the socio-economic   and political  context  of the  Pacific;
  • Demonstrated  experience in providing   high level technical  assistance and coordination    support  to government, CSOs and development partners  is required;
  • Experience coordinating and liaising with international-bilateral and multilateral partners, and/or donors is desirable;
  • Experience working within the UN System and UN Women is desirable;
  • Experience in leading/managing a team is desirable. 

Language Requirements:

  • Fluency in English is required;
  • Working knowledge of another official UN language (French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish) is an asset.

Application:

Note:

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 Statement:

UN Women is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits employ, 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 a candidate needs any reasonable accommodation to support their participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in the 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.