Programe Assistant, Women, Peace and Security, Sarajevo, BiH, N-PPSA5

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.

The UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325) was adopted in 2000 and calls for full and equal participation of women in the process of conflict prevention and building international peace and security. The adoption of the resolution is particularly significant since the last decades the nature of war has changed. Women and girls are involved in conflicts where in a country such as Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), history do state the need of a strong protection of women and girls in conflicts as well as in post conflict situations.

UN Women supports women’s full and equal representation and participation in all levels of peace processes and security efforts. UN Women’s work on women, peace, and security is guided by 10 UN Security Council resolutions and is bolstered by several related normative frameworks, which make up the broader women, peace, and security (WPS) agenda. UN Women is committed to ensuring equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of humanitarian action.

BiH’s progress in recent years respecting and promoting Gender Equality is highlighted in a series of international commitments and in national legal and policy frameworks. The main achievements in the field of gender equality and women’s empowerment reside in BiH’s institutional capacity development for the work on gender equality. The legal provisions guaranteeing women’s rights and gender equality are largely in place – the Gender Equality Law, the Gender Action Plan, the Election Law amendment instituting quotas, the Action Plan for the implementation of UNSCR 1325, and the ratification of the Istanbul Convention are normative achievements that influence the institutional practice in promoting gender equality in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Since the adoption of UN Security Council resolution UNSCR 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, the governments in BiH and civil society organizations have been working to raise awareness about women’s role and participation in creation of lasting peace and bolstering social cohesion with strong dedication to implement the resolution and increase participation in the key policy, service delivery and community development processes. Since 2010, BiH institutions and civil society have worked to frame and implement the WPS Agenda in the country. Three Action Pans for the implementation of UNSCR 1325 have been implemented (2010 – 2013, 2014 – 2018 and 2018 – 2022), as the key tools to transform the normative provisions contained in the resolutions into practical action.

Women, Peace and Security Agenda is guided, but not limited to the institutional action plans and their implementation. It also encompasses a wide range of CSO initiatives aimed at addressing the human security concerns of women and girls, supporting peacebuilding and social cohesion. UN Women, together with IOM and UNFPA aim to contribute to advancing and accelerating WPS Agenda in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the period 2023 – 2026.

Reporting to WPS Programme Specialist, the Programme Assistant works with and provides support to the members of the Programme Team in the development and implementation of effective programmes consistent with UN Women rules and regulations.  The Programme Assistant provides programme, administrative, and logistical assistance to the team for the smooth programme implementation.
 

Scope of Work

1.    Provide administrative and logistical support to the formulation and management of programmes 
•     Provide administrative support in the preparation of programme work plans, budgets, and proposals on programme implementation arrangements, including tracking the delivery of funds; 
•     Provide administrative support to the executing partners/responsible parties on routine delivery and reporting of programme supported activities and finances; 
•     Support the organization of procurement processes including preparation of Requests for Quotation, Invitations to Bid or Requests for Proposal documents, in line with the UN Women standards, rules and regulations;
•     Support the recruitment of consultants, including longlisting, preparing desk review and interview files, drafting of interview minutes, requests for recruitments and requests for contracts and amendments;
•     Provide administrative support for the audit of programmes/projects and support implementation of audit recommendations;
•     Identify sources and gather and compile data and information for the preparation of documents, guidelines, speeches and position papers, in collaboration with the Programme team.  

2.    Provide administrative support to the financial management of the Programme Unit:
•     Create projects in Quantum system, prepare budget revisions, revise project awards and status; and determine unutilized funds and the operational and financial close of a project;  
•     Provide administrative support in monitoring and preparation of budget and the finances of programmes/projects, and in the preparation of FACE forms; 
•     Prepare non-PO vouchers for development projects; 
•     Process payment for consultants, as delegated;
•     Create requisitions in Quantum system for development projects; register good receipts in Quantum system. 

3.    Provide administrative support to the Programme Unit:
•     Undertake all logistical, administrative and financial arrangements for organization for meetings, workshops, events, and missions; 
•     Make travel arrangements for the Programme Team, consultants and beneficiaries, including travel requisitions and claims, vehicle and security clearance requests, travel authorizations, support processes related to visa requests, identity cards and other documents;
•     Provide written translation and consecutive interpretation as required by the team for project implementation; outsource and organize translation and interpretation services for larger scale tasks;
•     Draft minutes in meetings, as delegated;  
•     Assemble briefing materials and prepare powerpoint and other presentations, in collaboration with the Programme team; 
•     Organize and coordinate filing of documents; maintain mailing lists. 

4.    Provide administrative support to resource mobilization:
•     Organize, compile, and process documentation and information from donors, and programme team as inputs to various databases and documents. 

5.    Facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing:
•     Provide administrative support to the organization of trainings for the office personnel and partners on programme and operations related issues.
•     Participate in the trainings for the operations/programme staff on HR, procurement, travel, etc. and organizes briefings for the programme staff where necessary on new internal procedures.
•     When necessary, provide guidance to programme staff in business processes, administrative and other requirements and procedures.
•     Contribute to knowledge networks and communities of practice.

6.    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:

Core Competencies:

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework: 

Functional Competencies:

•     Knowledge of programme and project management processes
•     Ability to create, edit, format, and present documents, reports, and correspondence in clear and presentable formats
•     Ability to manage data, documents, correspondence, and workflow
•     Good financial and budgeting skills
•     Proficiency in IT and digital tools, data management systems, online meeting platforms, and ERP systems (e.g. Quantum)
•     Strong organizational and time management skills
•     Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously, prioritize effectively, and meet deadlines under pressure
•     Excellent interpersonal and communication skills in multicultural environments
•     Client-oriented approach, with a focus on providing timely, responsive, and high-quality support to teams and stakeholders
•     Attention to detail and commitment to quality, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and compliance in all tasks
•     Ability to work collaboratively in teams, demonstrating initiative, flexibility, and a proactive attitude in support of programme 
 

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Certification:

•     Completion of secondary education is required.  
•     Bachelor’s degree in business or public administration is desirable. 

Experience:

•     At least 5 years (with secondary school) or 2 years (with Bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible experience in administrative or programme management/support is required.  
•     Experience in working in a computer environment using multiple office software packages is required.
•     Experience working in the area of gender equality and women’s empowerment, Women, Peace and Security (WPS), hate speech and freedom of expression, local development, is desirable.
•     Experience in the use of ERP systems, preferably Oracle Cloud, is desirable. 
•     Experience in supporting a team is desirable.
•     Previous experience working with UN or other international organizations is desirable.

Languages:
•     Fluency in English is required.
•     Fluency in Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian is required.
•     Knowledge of another official UN language is desirable (French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish).
 

Statements :

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:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, 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 you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your 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.)

Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.