Job Title: Technical Coordinator on Gender and Human Rights
Contract type: Individual consultancy
Closing date: 29 March 2023
Duty Station: New York based
Purpose of consultancy:
The Catalytic Leadership Investment (CLI) grant by the Gates Foundation is a path to bolstering UNFPA’s technical leadership in Family Planning (FP) and Maternal and Newborn Health (MNH) at the global, regional, and country levels. The Catalytic Leadership Investment is envisioned to:
● Improve UNFPA's FP and MNH technical and programmatic execution aligned with UNFPA Strategic Plan’s transformative results
● Enhance technical leadership in sustainably scaling up FP High-Impact Practices (HIPs) e.g. postpartum family planning, post abortion family planning and other proven FP practices
● Advance the role for midwifery with focus on women-centric, integrated FP and MNH services
● Drive higher quality MNH service provision through GIS mapping of Emergency Obstetric and Newborn care (EmONC) to plan and redesign service delivery
● Strengthen coordination on EPMM and ENAP, including measurement and accountability
● Advance FP-MNH integration throughout UNFPA platform and global voice
● Optimize UNFPA Technical Division to drive on the integration of FP-MNH best practices and proven interventions
● Strengthen UNFPA’s ability to coordinate with GFF and World Bank, WHO and UNICEF on advancing family planning, SRMNH, Midwifery, and Women and Adolescents’ Health with clear accountability for UNFPA’s technical role
The main purpose (Primary Outcome) of the CLI grant is to increase UNFPA’s capacity and influence as a gender transformative human rights-based Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights including family planning (FP) and maternal newborn health (MNH) thought leader and technical resource. By providing high-quality technical assistance, convening power and cutting-edge tools and platforms, UNFPA will further position itself as a credible, innovative and trusted SRHR thought leader, leveraging its gender transformative and human rights-based approach, strong relationships and large programmatic footprint to drive measurable and sustainable impact. UNFPA’s global technical leadership will be driven by evidence of what works, and will focus on reducing unmet need and expanding access to family planning through high impact and proven practices. It will also aim to contribute to reducing preventable maternal deaths and improving MNH outcomes through professionalizing midwifery, improving coordination and expanding access to high-quality EmONC in all settings including emergency contexts where 60% of all maternal deaths occur.
This primary outcome of the CLI grant will be achieved through three intermediate outcomes:
1. (Intermediate Outcome 1) Strengthened gender transformative human rights-based SRHR thought leadership, technical coordination, and capacity across UNFPA (Headquarters TD-Regional Offices-Country Offices (HQ/TD-ROs-COs));
2. (Intermediate Outcome 2) Strengthened gender transformative human rights-based FP policy and programmatic thought leadership and technical capacity across UNFPA (HQ/TD-ROs-COs), and
3. (Intermediate Outcome 3) Strengthened gender transformative human rights-based MNH, and particularly midwifery and EmONC, through leadership and technical capacity across UNFPA (HQ/TD-ROs-COs).
In order to ensure seamless implementation of this grant, a consultant is needed to enhance TD’s internal technical coordination, coherence, integration, and cross-thematic collaboration, ensuring the gender component is mainstreamed across outputs. In addition to having solid knowledge and experience on management and technical coordination competencies, this individual will also have background and expertise in human rights and gender programming, and will provide key support for delivering on the key interventions defined for the project outputs.
During the term of this consultancy, incumbent will be expected to perform the following activities:
The Consultant will coordinate and support the TD CLI Grant project to ensure gender equality and human rights issues are integrated across the project’s main objectives and interventions areas. Through support to the TD Directorate and the GHRB, the consultant will work closely with the GHRB Chief, Gender Advisor, and Human Rights Advisor, to provide integrated, gender transformative and human rights-based inputs to SRHR, including FP and MNH. The following are the expected specific areas of responsibilities and tasks:
Provide coordination support related to gender equality and human rights issues within the scope of the project at inter-branch level.
Provide substantive guidance and technical support on issues of gender equality and human rights in the context of sexual and reproductive health with a focus on MNH and FP;
Provide support to all knowledge management and reporting needs on relevant gender and human rights related work for the CLI project
Within the broad scope of work as outlined above, the consultant is expected to deliver relevant activities on a timely basis, reliably and accurately throughout the consultancy period. Specific deadlines, reports/deliverables will be on need basis and communicated accordingly.
Deliverables:
Provide coordination support related to gender equality and human rights issues within the scope of the project at inter-branch level.
● Liaise between relevant colleagues in GHRB and other TD Branches (SRHB and CSB) to ensure gender and human rights perspectives are fully embedded within all relevant CLI objectives, initiatives and action plans, and reflected adequately in the budget
● Participate in relevant meetings, coordination bodies, and contribute to the CLI project with gender and human rights based input
● Brief TD Directorate and GHRB staff on relevant discussions and meetings that require substantive action and follow up on matters related to implementing technical deliverables and opportunities
Provide substantive guidance and technical support on issues of gender equality and human rights in the context of sexual and reproductive health with a focus on MNH and FP;
● Support the provision of regular technical advice within the project and contribute to an intersectional approach to equity and inclusion within the project team.
● Facilitate the exchange, update and expanded use of SRHR technical (including FP and MNH) information and tools, including human-rights based and gender transformative approaches
● Identify promising practices in gender and human rights within SRHR, and a gender transformative approach to MNH and FP.
● Work closely with the senior gender expert consultant to conduct a gender analysis and develop relevant monitoring and evaluation indicators for the CLI project,
● Work closely with the Chief and Gender Advisor for any other gender and human rights related support for the Branch.
Provide support to all knowledge management and reporting needs on relevant gender and human rights related work for the CLI project
● Support design and development of research, analytical reports, assessments, briefing notes, background papers, summaries, talking points, correspondence, and knowledge products as needed
● Support the creation of a user-friendly internal knowledge management system, powered by state-of-art cataloging, which enables knowledge and technical exchange between GHRB staff, and with relevant TD Branches
● Provide support to reporting requirements as needed for the CLI Project
● Manage communication activities related to the gender and human rights related aspects of the CLI grant, while also identifying innovative ways to communicate and disseminate new tools and resources
The consultant will report to the Gender Advisor of the GHRB, TD, under the overall supervision of the Chief of the GHRB.
Expected Travel: Travelling may be required depending on relevant tasks of the portfolio and will be decided with the consultant on a regular basis.
Required Expertise and Qualifications:
Education:
● Advanced University Degree or equivalent in human rights and development, or other fields directly related to the substantive area identified in the title of the post.
Knowledge and Experience:
● 5 years of increasingly responsible professional experience in programming or policy work in gender equality, and its linkages to sexual and reproductive health and rights, within a human rights based approach
● An acknowledged expert and recognized authority in management and coordination;
● Experience in partnership building is essential
● Strong track record of technical leadership, publications, and proven ability to produce demonstrable results
● Extensive network within the development community
● Field experience is an asset
● Strong attention to detail
● Ability to think critically and logically
● Strong emotional intelligence is critical
● Ability to multi-task, prioritize and work under pressure
● Strong coordination, writing and communication skills
Languages:
● English and knowledge of another UN language is an asset
How to Apply:
Please send your application and a short letter of motivation with “Technical Coordinator on Gender and Human Rights” on the subject line and email the documents to GHRB@UNFPA.org, by 29 March 2023.
We are no longer accepting applications for this position.
