Programme Planning and Coordination Consultant

Job Posting Organization:
UN Women is an organization dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. It was established to eliminate discrimination against women and girls, promote their empowerment, and achieve equality between women and men. The organization operates globally, with a significant presence in various countries, including Myanmar, where it has been active since 201

• UN Women focuses on addressing the challenges faced by women and girls, particularly in contexts of political transition, humanitarian crises, and natural disasters. The Myanmar Country Office has been instrumental in delivering its mandate through partnerships with women-led organizations and has aligned its programs with the UN Transitional Country Framework (UNTCF) for 2024-2
• UN Women also plays a leadership role in the UN Country Team (UNCT) to advance gender equality and women's empowerment (GEWE).

Job Overview:
The Programme Planning and Coordination Consultant will play a crucial role in supporting the UN Women Myanmar Country Office in enhancing its normative coordination mandate at the country level. This position involves providing technical support to strengthen gender commitments within the UN Planning Frameworks and UN Women’s strategic planning processes. The consultant will work closely with the Country Representative and relevant units to ensure coherence on gender equality and women's empowerment through UNCT coordination mechanisms. Key responsibilities include supporting the implementation of annual work plans for inter-agency GEWE mechanisms, facilitating capacity development, and ensuring the integration of Results-Based Management (RBM) principles into project documents. The consultant will also collaborate with various stakeholders, including UN agency gender focal points and civil society organizations, to promote gender mainstreaming and effective coordination of gender-related initiatives.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The consultant will be responsible for a range of duties, including:

• Supporting the Country Representative in the strategic planning process for the Myanmar Country Office.
• Providing technical support in developing country-level planning instruments such as strategic notes, work plans, and project documents.
• Collaborating with regional Evaluation Specialists and country M&E focal points to incorporate evaluation findings into strategic planning.
• Supporting joint inter-agency UN planning processes, particularly in gender mainstreaming within the UN Transitional Cooperation Framework (UNTCF) and related frameworks.
• Coordinating the UNCT Gender Theme Group and other inter-agency mechanisms, providing guidance on the Gender Equality Marker.
• Facilitating the engagement of Women’s Civil Society Organizations (W-CSOs) in UN coordination mechanisms.
• Managing the development and reporting of annual work plans for gender coordination bodies co-chaired by UN Women.
• Providing analysis and advice to the Country Representative on engaging UNCT and Resident Coordinators on GEWE priorities.
• Supporting capacity development on gender-responsive M&E and contributing to the dissemination of good practices. 1
• Assisting in identifying and implementing strategic partnerships for resource mobilization to strengthen UN Women’s positioning in the country.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a Master's degree in Political or Social Science, Economics, International Development Studies, or Gender/Women's Studies. Additionally, a minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in project and programme development, strategic planning, coordination support, or change management is required. Candidates should demonstrate experience in monitoring, reporting, knowledge management, and applying gender equality principles in programme management and M&E. Familiarity with the Myanmar context or work experience in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly in conflict-affected settings, is highly desirable. Experience working with UN Agencies, especially UN Women, is an asset, along with a strong background in advocacy, communication, and knowledge management.

Educational Background:
The educational requirement for this position is a Master's degree in a relevant field such as Political or Social Science, Economics, International Development Studies, or Gender/Women's Studies. This advanced degree is essential to ensure that the candidate has the necessary theoretical and practical knowledge to effectively contribute to the strategic planning and coordination efforts of UN Women in Myanmar.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in areas such as project and programme development, strategic planning, coordination support, or change management. Candidates should have demonstrated experience in monitoring, reporting, and applying gender equality principles in programme management and M&E. Knowledge of the Myanmar context or experience in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly in conflict-affected settings, is preferred. Experience working with UN Agencies, especially UN Women, will be considered an asset, as will a strong focus on advocacy, communication, and knowledge management.

Languages:
Fluency in English, both oral and written, is essential for this position. This proficiency is necessary to effectively communicate and collaborate with various stakeholders, including UN agencies, civil society organizations, and government entities. While English is the mandatory language, knowledge of additional languages may be considered an advantage, particularly in the context of engaging with local communities and stakeholders in Myanmar.

Additional Notes:
This consultancy is home-based, with potential travel to Myanmar as necessary. The consultant is expected to organize their working hours to align with the Myanmar time zone. The selected candidate will need to have their own laptop and will be provided with necessary information and access to documentation and materials. Performance will be evaluated based on criteria such as timeliness, responsibility, initiative, communication, accuracy, and quality of deliverables. Key performance indicators include effective coordination support, timely technical assistance, quality inputs for planning processes, and successful facilitation of capacity development and knowledge sharing.