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LITERACY TECHNICAL ADVISER

Background

UN Women, established by GA Resolution 64/289, and became operational on 01 January 2011, has its vision of a world where women and men have equal opportunities and capacities, where women are empowered and where principles of gender equality are firmly embedded in all efforts to advance development, peace and security. The fundamental objective of UN Women is to enhance national capacity and ownership to enable national partners formulate gender responsive laws and policies and to scale up successful strategies to deliver on national commitments to gender equality. UN Women has a mandate of ‘leading, coordinating and promoting the accountability of the United Nations system in its work on gender equality and the empowerment of women’. 
Though the global strategy for UN Women focuses on five thematic priorities; in South Sudan, UN Women’s priorities which are aligned with the South Sudan Development Plan and the UNDAF (2011-2016) focuses on three key results areas, namely; 
  • Women’s leadership and participation in gender-responsive governance enhanced;
  • Increased women’s access to economic empowerment and opportunities;
  • Improved protection and security for women and girls.
In response to the high rate of illiteracy in South Sudan, functional adult literacy is integrated into all programme interventions.
UN Women South Sudan is currently coordinating functional adult literacy programmes across the states of South Sudan. In order to address the low level of literacy, UN Women in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) and UNESCO plans to support adult literacy and English interventions targeting the Police, members of the South Sudan Legislative Assembly and Staff of government ministries. UN Women is also supporting the government’s volunteer and national youth service programme which seeks to utilize the skills of young people awaiting entrance into Universities as volunteer literacy facilitators.
To support the implementation and coordination of the above activities, UN Women is seeking the services of a literacy expert.

Duties and Responsibilities

Objectives:
The objective of the consultancy is to support the UN Women South Sudan Country Office develop and accelerate the functional adult literacy component of the Strategic Note and Annual Work Plan 2013/2014. 
Tasks to be accomplished:
Under the overall supervision of the Country Representative UN Women, the consultant will be expected to accomplish the following tasks:
  • Develop and support the implementation of UN Women’s programme on adult literacy including scaling up the community functional literacy and numeracy programme while integrating a youth service component; support for literacy for police women; Basic English language courses for Members of South Sudan Legislative Assembly and Staff of Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare;
  • Provide technical gender expertise in the review of the National Curriculum in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology;
  • Support the implementation of the literacy programme for the staff members of the Ministry of Gender and Social Development;
  • Develop and manage the scale up of the functional literacy and numeracy interventions at Payam levels;
  • In collaboration with key partners, design and implement the proposed English classes for members of the legislative assembly in South Sudan;
  • Provide advice to UN Women on the way forward for expanding the literacy programme and identify niche areas to be involved in;
  • Represent UN Women at technical group meetings such as the monthly Education Cluster meetings; Gender in Education Working Group and other relevant working level meetings relating to literacy.
Expected Results/Deliverables:
  • UN Women’s comprehensive adult functional literacy and numeracy programme document developed;
  • Effective implementation of UN Women’s interventions, namely;  literacy for police women, Members of Legislative Assembly and Staff of Ministry of Gender and Social Development and the volunteer programme;
  • Gender responsive National Curriculum;
  • Gender responsive documents and materials produced through technical working groups.

Competencies

Planning and Organising:
  • Ability to plan work assignments, establish priorities and meet strict assignment deadlines with limited resources. 
Coordination and Monitoring
  • Ability to build strong relationships with clients and focus on impact and results;
  • Demonstrated aptitude to build effective partnerships with  a diverse group of stakeholders;
  • Capacity to coordinate monitoring activities, to mentor programme/project staff/national counterparts and provide guidance and support.
Communications and Language
  • Compelling (verbal and written) communication skills including ability to prepare reports, formulate and defend sound recommendations and articulate opinions concisely conveying maximum necessary information. 

Required Skills and Experience

Education:
  • An advanced University degree in education, or a related relevant technical field.
Experiences:
  • At least seven years relevant experience in research and programming on women’s empowerment and gender equality in the field of education, and/or women’s rights;
  • Experience developing manuals/guidelines/training materials relating to adult functional literacy;
  • Experience providing high level policy advice on literacy programmes, particularly for women and girls in post-conflict context;
  • Experience engaging in results oriented in-country capacity development;
  • Professional project management, monitoring and evaluation experience;
  • Knowledge of and country experience in conflict or post-conflict situations is necessary;
  • Experience working within the UN is an asset.
Language Requirement:
  • Fluency in English is required. 
http://jobs.undp.org/cj_view_job.cfm?cur_job_id=40981