International Specialist on Gender-Responsive Budgeting

Job Posting Organization:
UN Women was established in July 2010 as the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. It was created as part of the UN reform agenda to consolidate resources and mandates for greater impact on gender equality and women's empowerment. UN Women merges the work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system that focused on gender equality and women's empowerment, namely DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW, and UNIFEM. The organization operates globally, with a mission to eliminate discrimination against women and girls, empower women, and achieve equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action, and peace and security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security. UN Women is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment, promoting mutual respect, and ensuring that all employment decisions are based on qualifications, competence, integrity, and organizational need. The organization has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct incompatible with its aims and objectives, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, and discrimination.

Job Overview:
The International Specialist on Gender-Responsive Budgeting will play a crucial role in strengthening the national government's Gender Responsive Planning and Budgeting (GRPB) mechanism in Papua New Guinea. This position involves providing expert technical and capacity development support to the government, ensuring that gender equality priorities are integrated into planning, budgeting, monitoring, and accountability processes. The consultant will work closely with various government entities, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders to advance gender-responsive budgeting initiatives. The role requires a deep understanding of public finance management processes, gender equality issues, and the specific context of Papua New Guinea. The consultant will be responsible for developing high-quality analytical reports, policy briefs, and practical recommendations to enhance GRPB implementation, as well as conducting diagnostic assessments and capacity development activities. The overarching objective is to institutionalize gender-responsive budgeting across government entities, thereby improving the allocation of public resources to meet the diverse needs of women, men, girls, and boys.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The consultant will undertake a variety of tasks, including providing technical advisory support to UN Women and the government on GRPB policy frameworks and implementation approaches. They will conduct diagnostic assessments to identify gaps and opportunities for advancing gender-responsive planning and budgeting, develop customized tools and guidelines, and support the integration of gender equality priorities into national and sector budgeting processes. The consultant will also assess the capacity of government officials and institutions to implement GRPB, develop training modules, and roll out capacity-building programs for government officials and civil society organizations. Additionally, the consultant will support the establishment of a GRPB coordination unit within the government, develop institutionalized GRPB tools, and facilitate stakeholder coordination and partnerships to advance gender-responsive efforts. Monitoring and reporting on the progress of GRPB initiatives will also be a key responsibility, ensuring that lessons learned and good practices are documented and shared.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a Master's degree or equivalent in public administration, social sciences, human rights, gender/women's studies, international development, or a related field. A first-level university degree combined with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree. A project/programme management certification (such as PMP®, PRINCE2®, or MSP®) is considered an added advantage. The position requires a minimum of 2 years of relevant experience in central government finance policies and processes, including budgeting methodologies and approaches, as well as 5 years of professional experience in gender-responsive budgeting application at the national or regional level. Previous experience in designing and delivering training and mentoring programs on gender equality and gender mainstreaming in policy-making and budgeting is essential. Familiarity with the country and regional context on gender equality, as well as experience working in the Pacific region or with UN agencies, is highly desirable.

Educational Background:
The educational background required for this position includes a Master's degree or equivalent in relevant fields such as public administration, social sciences, human rights, gender/women's studies, international development, or a related area. A first-level university degree may be accepted in combination with additional qualifying experience. Candidates with project/programme management certifications will have an advantage in the selection process.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in public finance management, budgeting, or fiscal policy. Candidates should have demonstrated international experience in gender-responsive budgeting reforms and proven experience advising governments and ministries of finance. Experience working in the Pacific region or small island developing states is highly desirable, as is experience working with UN agencies or development partners.

Languages:
Excellent verbal and written English is mandatory for this position. Proficiency in Pidgin (PNG) is considered an asset, as it may facilitate communication with local stakeholders and enhance the effectiveness of the consultant's work in the field.

Additional Notes:
The primary duty station for this consultancy is Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, with potential travel to provinces within the country as required. The assignment necessitates full-time presence in Papua New Guinea at the selected Government Coordination Entity and UN Women Office, making it an office-based consultancy. The consultant will be expected to travel to the field to facilitate meetings and workshops with key stakeholders, including civil society, churches, youth, women's networks, and government officials. The duration of these field visits will be a maximum of 30 days. The role requires strong competencies in integrity, professionalism, respect for diversity, awareness of gender issues, accountability, creative problem-solving, effective communication, inclusive collaboration, and stakeholder engagement.