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Project Associate - SGBV

Colombo

  • Organization: UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
  • Location: Colombo
  • Grade: Administrative support - NPSA-7, National Personnel Services Agreement
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Administrative support
    • Gender-based violence
    • Project and Programme Management
  • Closing Date: 2025-02-14

Background

 
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP:  we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.

 
UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

 

UNDP in Sri Lanka’s Flagship Portfolio on SDG16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions provides an integrated framework of support on Inclusive Governance. It innerves across four over-arching strategic pillars; 

Pillar 01: Voice and Representation

Pillar 02: Rights and Justice 

Pillar 03: Strong and Efficient Institutions 

Pillar 04: Social Cohesion 

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in coordination with United Nations Fund for Population Activity (UNFPA) in Sri Lanka, seeks to bring about a justice sector approach to addressing Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) against women and girls, and gender minorities, by designing and implementing a dedicated project titled Ensuring Justice for Victim-Survivors of Sexual and Gender Based Violence in Sri Lanka". The project envisions empowering women, girls and gender minorities, including victim survivors of SGBV to access justice, and demand for better service delivery, and to have a society free of SGBV. 

Overall, the proposed intervention aims at creating transformative change through increased empowerment and voice of women, girls and gender minorities, including victim survivors of SGBV, to independently and collectively hold the justice process, service providers and larger society accountable for their absolute right to be free of SGBV. 

Against this backdrop, UNDP seeks to recruit a Project Associate who will be responsible for reviewing project components, develop project components, assess delivery issues and work with national counterparts to build common understanding and coordination on project activities in the area of Sexual and Gender Based Violence. The role will support the effective implementation of the project through programmatic and operational assistance. The Associate will work as part of a dynamic team and is expected to liaise with all project partners, including UNFPA.

This position reports to the Technical Coordinator: SGBV.


 
Duties and Responsibilities

Ensure effective implementation of projects and achievement of quality results:
  • Support day-to-day management of the project, including engaging external consultants and partners; 
  • Collaborate with the development of annual workplans and/or revise work plans, procurement plans and project budgets in collaboration with colleagues and partners;
  • Organizing public events such as training programmes, workshops, field visits, outreach and awareness-raising campaigns, seminars, and event-related communications. 

Strengthening strategic partnerships:

  • Strengthening and maintaining relationships between UNDP and other development agencies and other state and non-state partners;
  • Strengthening partnerships with government entities and civil society organizations, including through improved planning and policy-making;
  • Work with other relevant UNDP Technical and Communications colleagues to develop the required advocacy messages, strategies, and materials.

Effective results-based management and timely reporting:

  • Monitoring project implementation and achievements against outputs;
  • Preparation of annual and final reports in coordination with other partners;
  • Preparation of project progress reports and end of project reports including associated monitoring and evaluation activities.

Support knowledge building, knowledge sharing and capacity building relevant to the assigned project:

  • Participate in training and organize briefings on internal procedures for the project staff. Provide support to other capacity building activities, including the design and delivery of tools, materials for workshops, or platforms that tap into the collective intelligence of communities and mobilize action;
  • Provide support in the dissemination and sharing of relevant data and lessons learned within the CO and regionally. Keep pulse on emerging best practices nationally, regionally, and internationally that relate to the work of the assigned project;
  • Make sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice. Support compiling and systematizing project knowledge, products and tools as well as their wide distribution to partners.

 

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

 

Institutional Arrangement 

The Project Associate will be directly supervised and report to the Technical Coordinator SGBV, and under the overall guidance of the IGT Programme Analyst, the Gender Specialist and the Policy Specialist & Team Leader – Inclusive Governance. The Project Associate will also liaise with other teams in UNDP.

 
Competencies


Core  

  • Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline.
  • Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements.
  • Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback.
  • Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible.
  • Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident.
  • Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships.
  • Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination.

Functional and Technical Competencies 

Event planning and execution: 

  • Ability to plan, manage, and execute of public and private events to ensure that they support and amplify individual communications and advocacy initiatives, as well as UNDP’s overall brand and mandate.

Communication:

  • Communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience.
  • Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels.

Working with evidence and data:

  • Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions and supporting decision-making.

Operational Management:

  • Ability to effectively plan, organise and oversee different parts of corporate operations, simultaneously and in an integrated way, in order to convert the organisation’s assets into the best results in the most efficient way. 
  • Knowledge of relevant concepts and mechanisms. 

Monitoring and Evaluation:

  • Ability to systematically monitor results of strategies, programmes, and activities with a view to make sure that they are being implemented effectively.
  • Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback and reporting on the consistency or discrepancy between planned activities and programme management and results. 
  • Ability to make independent judgment of the management and results of strategies, programmes and activities based on set criteria and benchmark, keeping in mind the needs and concerns of client, current and upcoming. Knowledge and understanding of monitoring and evaluation frameworks, concepts, methodologies, systems, processes, and tools. 
  • Ability to make independent judgement based on set criteria and benchmarks. Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns.

Contract Management:

  • Knowledge of contract management concepts, principles and methods, and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical situations.

Gender:

  • Gender-based violence (SGBV)
 
Required Skills and Experience

 
Education:
  • Secondary Education (GCE A/L) is required. 
  • A university degree (bachelor’s degree or equivalent) in Development Studies, Social Sciences, Political Science, Law, Gender Equality, or any other relevant area will be given due consideration but it’s not a requirement. 
Experience:
  • Minimum of 7 years (with secondary education) or 4 years (with bachelor’s degree) experience in related areas such as development, public administration, law, gender equality, or another relevant field is required.

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section: 

  • Experience in analysis, research or communications work; 
  • Experience supporting project implementation and monitoring;
  • Experience working on rule of law, access to justice, gender equality, addressing SGBV or human rights-based approaches to programming; 
  • Experience with UNDP/UN system or other development actor.

Required Language(s): 

  • Fluency in Sinhala and/or Tamil and English is required. 
 
Disclaimer

 
Applicant information about UNDP rosters

 
Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

 
Non-discrimination

 
UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.  

 
UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status. 

 
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