Programme Management (Technical Lead) Advisor (Part-Time) At UNOPS

UNOPS -Somalia Country Office (SOCO) is recruiting this position to be Part-Time, Home-Based and qualified female candidates are encouraged to apply.

This is an exciting and rewarding opportunity to help shape UNOPS’ efforts to support the expansion of affordable, accountable and effective policing in Somalia.

1. Somalia has seen important progress in recent years, but these gains and the political settlement that underpin them remain extremely fragile. Following the collapse of the rule of law during the country’s decades-long conflict, Somalia’s National Security Architecture remains extremely weak and a source of deep contestation and rivalry. Non-state armed groups, including Al Shabaab, but also clan-affiliated militias, continue to exercise significant authority over the political and security landscape. Allegations of serious human rights abuses by state and non-state armed groups are a major escalatory factor in the country’s unrest and fundamentally undermine stabilization and peacebuilding efforts. Customary and Shari’ah-based judicial systems have similarly gained strength and legitimacy. Their role within Somalia’s formal judicial system remains ill-defined and the capacity of statutory courts is extremely low. Across this justice ecosystem, marginalized groups, including women and minority clans, are often denied access to fair settlement of disputes, posing a significant threat to the sustainability and inclusivity of ongoing peace efforts.
2. Somalia additionally faces new pressures that are likely to exacerbate existing tensions and grievances. Climate change and associated floods and droughts perpetuate high levels of displacement and the country’s chronic humanitarian crisis. In many communities, traditional livelihoods no longer present a practical or sustainable source of income. Rapid urbanization means that different communities are increasingly converging on and competing for the limited resources of cities and towns.

Background on SSJP-II/Nabadgelinta Soomaaliya

UNOPS seeks a Programme Management Advisor (Technical Lead) to provide technical leadership and direction of an estimated USD $100 million, eight-year security and justice reform programme in Somalia, referred to as Nabadgelinta Soomaaliya.

1. The objective of SSJP-II/Nabadgelinta Soomaaliya is to enable Somalis to benefit from improved security and access to justice through inclusive approaches that enjoy broad-based understanding, support and both elite and public confidence. The programme will seek to enhance resolution of specific security and justice problems identified as priorities by Somalis in target locations, while also leveraging learning, social and political influence effectively to catalyze wider programmatic, policy and systemic change.
2. SSJP-II/Nabadgelinta Soomaaliya recognizes the critical role that improved security and justice outcomes, delivered through approaches that enable informed and inclusive dialogue and negotiation, have in establishing the foundations to lasting peace and political settlements in Somalia. The total anticipated budget available for the programme is USD $100 million covering a duration of eight (8) years. The programme will work initially in 2-3 urban and peri-urban communities in South West State and Jubaland, with the option to expand to other Federal Member States (FMSs) and/or to Somaliland in outer years, as additional funding becomes available.

Purpose and Scope of Assignment

The Programme Management Advisor (Technical Lead) will provide strategic technical leadership and oversight to SSJP-II/Nabadgelinta Soomaaliya, ensuring that the programme is delivered to a high technical standard and ultimately achieves or exceeds its expected results. S/he will be an integral member of the SSJP-II/Nabadgelinta Soomaaliya Senior Management Team (SMT), reporting directly to UNOPS’ Senior Programme Manager. They will manage a team of Technical Advisors and oversee Nabadgelinta Soomaaliya’s Technical Assistance and Partnership (TAP) Facility. S/he will be responsible for assuring the technical quality of programme outputs, oversee and direct the provision of technical support and advice, and support the delivery of integrated solutions that reflect and adapt in response to emerging evidence and learning. S/he will advance the international agenda related to social norms and security and justice reform programming by overseeing the production of high-quality deliverables and technical and/or learning and evidence products for both Somali and international audiences.

The Programme Management Advisor (Technical Lead) must be able to represent SSJP-II/Nabadgelinta Soomaaliya, as necessary, and will be responsible for developing and maintaining strategic engagement with technical and programme stakeholders. S/he will help to establish and foster an organizational and programme culture that enables and facilitates evidenced-based learning and adaptation.

Functional Responsibilities:

Under the direct supervision of the UNOPS Senior Programme Manager, the Programme Management (Technical Lead) Advisor for SSJP II will responsible the following functional responsibilities:

A: Provide Strategic Direction

1. **: Ensure Nabadgelinta Soomaaliya’s programme strategy and approach is informed by and adapts in response to emerging evidence and learning to achieve the intended outcomes and impact.
2. Provide strategic technical direction and quality assurance for all key deliverables/donor reporting to ensure the delivery of products and deliverables to a high standard of professionalism;
3. Strategic inputs into/challenge function around the detailed programme design during Inception and Implementation;
4. Work with Fund Manager to ensure a clear focus on value for money (VfM) in delivery and institute comprehensive VfM framework within the programme; and
5. Support the Senior Programme Manager and Team Leader to build shared values within the team, and internalise values within structures and performance management.

B: Ensure Technical Quality of the Programme

1. **Provide technical oversight over planning and delivery and review and quality assure the technical quality of all programme outputs.
2. Ensure Nabadgelinta Soomaaliya programming integrates international evidence, learning and best practice alongside specific, contextually appropriate knowledge and information on Somalia to inform evidenced-based decisions and informed programme strategy;
3. Mentor relevant programme staff in the crafting and implementation of programme activities to support strong social norms and gender transformative approaches to achieve programme results;
4. Brainstorm critical technical challenges and support the Senior Programme Manager and Team Leader in technical problem-solving and decision making;
5. Support the Team Leader (and broader team) to conceptualize activities and identify appropriate technical interventions;
6. Maintain oversight on whether Nabadgelinta Soomaaliya is tracking against overall work plan and support the Senior Programme Manager and Team Leader accordingly;
7. Maintain oversight of, and input into, realistic and adaptive work plans for all outputs;
8. Ensure quarterly review processes are effectively undertaken, reviewing progress against work plans and deliverables and identifying areas for adaptation;
9. Contribute to and provide quality assurance to key technical deliverables as required; and
10. Review outputs and outcomes-based monitoring and evaluation.

C: Identify and Oversee Advisory Support

1. **: Funnel appropriate long- and short-term advisory support to ensure programme delivery and technical quality.
2. Work with the Team Leader and programme teams to identify and prioritize both short- and long-term technical assistance requirements;
3. Advise on and sign-off on the development of ToRs for advisory support; and
4. Line manage the inputs of Nabadgelinta Soomaaliya technical Advisors and the Nabadgelinta Soomaaliya Technical Assistance and Partnership (TAP) facility and liaise with the Senior Programme Manager and Team Leader on any performance issues.

D: Learning and Communication

1. **: Lead the development and oversee delivery of Nabadgelinta Soomaaliya’s learning agenda, articulating key learning questions and a strategy to address them.
2. Ensure Nabadgelinta Soomaaliya’s overall Monitoring & Evaluation (Research and Learning)-MERL) approach, including monitoring, evaluation and research undertaken by multiple partners, contributes coherently to Nabadgelinta Soomaaliya’s learning agenda;
3. Commission and quality assure formative and operational research to inform the design of Nabadgelinta Soomaaliya interventions and to contribute to expanding the global (including Somali) evidence base for security and justice and social norms programming; and
4. Identify key strategic local and international platforms for sharing Nabadgelinta Soomaaliya evidence and learning including platforms that generate dialogue on security and justice, social norms and communications for behavior change programming;
5. Support the programme to develop and oversee an impactful strategic communications for external (global and Somali) audiences; and
6. Participate in and present at technical meetings and conferences on behalf of Nabadgelinta Soomaaliya, as required.

E: Technical Donor and Stakeholder Engagement

1. **: Assist and advise Nabadgelinta Soomaaliya to identify, develop and maintain appropriate technical relationships with relevant external stakeholders which benefit the programme throughout its duration.
2. Develop a reliable technical understanding of donors’ perspectives and ensure clear and sustained technical coherence with those for Nabadgelinta Soomaaliya;
3. Work with Senior Programme Manager and Nabadgelinta Soomaaliya Team Leader to craft impactful and appropriate external communications, and advise on wider stakeholder engagement strategies; and
4. Ensure Nabadgelinta Soomaaliya remains abreast of and engaged with relevant sectoral developments, in particular in the areas of security and justice reform, social norms change, and communications for behavior change.

Qualifications and Experience**:

A: Education

• Master’s Degree (or higher) in Project Management, Business Administration, International Relations, Political Science/Security Management/Development Studies, Education, Information Technology (ICT), Law or other relevant discipline is required.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Project Management, Business Administration, International Relations, Political Science/Security Management/Development Studies, Education, Information Technology (ICT), Law with a combination of two (2) additional years of relevant professional experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

B: Work Experience

• A minimum of seven (7) years experience in senior technical and programme leadership roles for gender and social inclusion, gender-based violence, and/or social norms development programmes is required.
• Substantial technical expertise designing and implementing gender transformative approaches, including to policing and/or access to justice programmes is an asset;
• Substantial technical and programme experience designing, delivering and/or evaluating social norms programming, including experience using communications/social marketing approaches to promote changes in attitudes and behavior is desirable;
• Experience in understanding and managing international donor standards for evidence and experience producing and/or reviewing technical learning and knowledge products is an added advantage.
• Experience in providing technical advice to inform programme design and planning processes, including development of theories of change, is an asset;
• Experience and resilient working in fragile contexts is an added advantage.
• Experience working with multilateral and other development partners as well as civil society organizations is an asset.
• Experience/knowledge of Google Suite products, especially google forms, sheets, docs and slides is an asset.

C: Language requirement

• Fluency in English Language (i.e. writing, reading and speaking) is required.

D: Additional Considerations:

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for the Desk Review will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Work-life Harmonization – UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types.
• Part-Time (Home-Based) Assignment
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post.
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.
  It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns.
  Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.