Vacancy HIV/AIDS Advisor - Human Rights, Gender and Sexual Diversity

Background

Important message to all applicants!

Please be aware that the Bureau For Development Policy will review your application only if you have uploaded a signed Personal History Form (P.11) to your application. Please download the form from the following link:

http://sas.undp.org/Documents/P11_Personal_history_form.doc

You will get the opportunity to upload the P-11 at when you apply for the position.

The AIDS epidemic is a critical obstacle to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and advancing human development. UNDP's HIV/AIDS Practice, led by the HIV/AIDS Group in the Bureau for Development Policy, works to promote an enabling environment to contribute to the achievement of the MDGs, and to the goals of the 2001 General Assembly Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS and the 2006 Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS.

UNDP is a founding Cosponsor of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). The UNAIDS division of labour provides the framework for UNDP's response to the AIDS epidemic. UNDP is responsible for leading the UNAIDS response in addressing dimensions of AIDS relating to:

Development Planning and Mainstreaming

AIDS responses are integrated into poverty reduction strategies, MDG-based national development plans and macro-economic processes.

Governance of the HIV responses

Strengthened national capacity for inclusive governance and coordination of HIV responses, and increased participation of civil society organizations and people living with HIV in the design, implementation and evaluation of HIV programmes.

Human Rights, Gender and Sexual Diversity

Policies and programmes implemented through multi-stakeholder approaches to protect the human rights of people affected by AIDS, mitigate gender related vulnerability and address the impact of AIDS on women, girls and men who have sex with men and transgender persons.

Country Implementation Capacity

Accelerated implementation of AIDS funds and programmes financed through multilateral funding initiatives, including the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Driven by demand, The HIV/AIDS Practice provides the tools, analysis and capacities that country offices need to make a real difference in responding to the epidemic at national level.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Advisor serves as a technical resource on human rights, gender and sexual diversity for HIV/AIDS activities in all East and Southern Africa UNDP Country Offices as well as participating in UNDP's global HIV/AIDS practice.

Summary of Functions:

    * Policy Development and Advisory Services
    * Research and Content Development
    * Practice Advocacy
    * Management and Coordination

Detailed functions and results in line with UNDP Strategic Plan Results Framework:

Policy Development and Advisory Services (45%)

    * Provide direct policy advisory and technical support to Country Offices and UNCTs in the areas of HIV and human rights, gender and sexual diversity.
    * Provide advice and technical support in developing and promoting human rights-based and gender sensitive AIDS policies and programmes.
    * Provide advice and technical support in the adoption and enactment of legislation designed to protect the rights of people living with HIV, women and most at risk populations.
    * Provide advice and technical support in development of programmes to address stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV.
    * Provide guidelines and technical support to scale-up integration of gender equality in national AIDS plans.
    * Provide technical support to Country Offices, UN Country Teams and other beneficiaries to address HIV among men who have sex with men.
    * Provide technical support the involvement of people living with and affected by HIV in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of HIV programmes.

Contribute to collaborative capacity building efforts targeting:

    * government and civil society to overcome legal and policy barriers impeding equitable access to HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support services
    * Leaders and decision-makers (e.g. community leaders, government officials, parliamentarians, judges, etc.) in strengthening the human rights dimension of HIV/AIDS legislation
    * CSOs to promote community involvement
    * National and regional authorities in utilizing flexibilities in global trade rules in promoting access to affordable HIV-related treatments and prevention commodities

Research and Content Development (20%)

    * Lead advocacy and policy development of normative standards and approaches on HIV, human rights, gender and sexual diversity.
    * Contribute to joint activities for the promotion of normative guidance on HIV and human rights, gender and sexual diversity.
    * Support Inter-Agency planning and coordination to support country efforts related to HIV and human rights, gender and sexual diversity.
    * Support advocacy and training initiatives on HIV, human rights, gender and sexual diversity to address issues of stigma and ensure effective prevention support is made available.
    * Promote legislative measures to address stigma and discrimination related to HIV.
    * Support advocacy efforts to foster improved governmental adherence to human rights treaties and obligations under international agreements.

Practice Advocacy (25%)

    * Provide substantive and technical leadership in promoting human rights and addressing gender and sexual diversity issues.
    * Contribute experience and expertise to the formulation of new policies, documenting practice and cross-practice experience and lesson learned in the region.
    * Actively participate in the global HIV/AIDS community of practice and in sub-practice activities in the area of human rights, gender and sexual diversity.
    * Contribute to strengthening partnership with UNAIDS by leading UNDP's work in human rights, gender equality and sexual diversity in line with the division of labour.
    * Support the involvement of people living with HIV, sexual minorities, and vulnerable groups in human rights related HIV policies and programmes.
    * Promote global, regional and local partnering and exchange, through HIV information and learning networks.
    * Support networking among partners, including the identification of external support providers.

Management and Coordination (*5%)

    * Contribute to Regional HIV practice team strategy development, work planning and M&E plan from a human rights, gender and sexual diversity perspective.
    * Monitor trends, good practices and case evidence in human rights, gender, sexual diversity and HIV including promoting human rights based approaches in AIDS responses. Empowering women and girls to reduce vulnerability to HIV and involving men as full partners in addressing the epidemic; encouraging the full involvement of marginalized sexual minorities; and enabling equitable trade and intellectual property legislation for equitable access to AIDS medicines.
    * Manage regional projects that strengthen the capacity of regional institutions and create opportunities for cross-country learning.
    * Promote knowledge management to enrich the content base for AIDS response strategies by documenting practice experience, lessons learned, and replicable tools from applied initiatives.
    * Support the communication of UN/UNDP policy positions and practice approaches to external support providers to ensure continuity and coherence in all collaborative efforts.

Impact of Results

The Advisor's role will impact the strengthening of the practice architecture of UNDP, the quality and delivery of programme and project services in the practice area and the delivery of UNDP's programmes in the region in the practice area. He/she will also contribute to fulfilling UNDP's responsibilities within the UNAIDS division of labour in the region and delivering on the CD-PGA Strategy in Africa and the corporate Strategic Plan 2008-2013 in the area of HIV-AIDS.

Competencies

Corporate

    * Demonstrates integrity and fairness, by modeling the UN/UNDP's values and ethical standards;
    * Promotes the vision, mission and strategic goals of UNDP;
    * Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Functional

Leadership

    * Strong managerial/leadership experience and decision-making skills;
    * Ability to conceptualize and convey strategic vision from the spectrum of development experience;
    * Knowledge and expertise in UNDP's programming processes;
    * Proven ability to lead a practice area and drive for results with a strong knowledge of results-based management and budgeting.

Managing Relationships

    * Demonstrated well developed people management and organizational skills;
    * Strong ability to manage teams; creating an enabling environment, mentoring and developing staff;
    * Excellent negotiating and networking skills;
    * Strong resource mobilization and partnering skills.

Managing Complexity

    * Ability to address global development issues;
    * Substantive knowledge and understanding of development cooperation with the ability to support the practice architecture of UNDP and inter-disciplinary issues;
    * Demonstrated substantive leadership and ability to integrate knowledge with broader strategic, policy and operational objectives;
    * A sound global network of institutional and individual contacts.

Knowledge Management and Learning

    * Ability to strongly promote and build knowledge products;
    * Promotes knowledge management in UNDP and a learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example;
    * Seeks and applies knowledge, information and best practices from within and outside of UNDP;
    * Provides constructive coaching and feedback.

Judgment/Decision-Making

    * Mature judgment and initiative;
    * Proven ability to provide strategic direction in practice area;
    * Independent judgment and discretion in advising on handling major policy issues and challenges.

Required Skills and Experience

Education

    * An advanced university degree in a development related area - Social Science, Political Science, Public Administration, Public Health or Epidemiology.

Experience

    * Minimum of 10 years of overall relevant professional experience as well as a proven professional record in the practice area;
    * Proven professional credibility, as well as senior-level working experience in a governmental, multilateral or civil society organization, in both developed and developing countries is highly desirable;
    * A track record of extensive national/international working experience with increasing managerial responsibilities in the development arena and UNDP's practice areas;
    * Extensive network of international and individual contacts;
    * Experience in leading/managing knowledge product development and dissemination.

Language Requirements

    * Fluency and proficiency in English;
    * Working knowledge of another UN Regional language would be an advantage