Victim Support Specialist

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’s mission as part of the UN system is to achieve sustainable development and fight poverty wherever it is greatest. This requires the very best of us, world-class collaboration, innovative thinking, resilient-based strategies and continuous learning. UNDP is strongly committed to upholding UN values and strictly prohibits all forms of sexual harassment in the workplace, as well as sexual exploitation and abuse in relation to the populations we serve (collectively referred to as sexual misconduct). The UNDP corporate Strategy and Action Plan on the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (PSEAH) prioritizes four key areas: accountability, prevention, reporting and response, and support for victims and survivors.

The UNDP corporate PSEAH Task Force, led by the Special Advisor on Corporate Initiatives in the Executive Office of the Administrator, oversees the implementation of the Strategy and Action Plan. A cornerstone of these efforts is the establishment of robust internal systems to ensure a diligent, appropriate, and sensitive response to incidents of sexual misconduct, with the rights and protection of victims, survivors, and affected individuals placed firmly at the center of UNDP’s response (victim centered approach).

Position Purpose

A critical element of UNDP’s PSEAH victim-centered approach (VCA) is the role of the Victim Support Specialist (VSS) to provide individualized support to those who report sexual misconduct or who experience gender-based violence. The Victim Support Specialist serves as a key point of contact for victims of both sexual harassment (SH) and sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), offering confidential, empathetic, and professional assistance in a sensitive and non-judgmental manner. The VSS ensures that victims’ voices are heard, respected, and prioritized throughout the reporting and complaints process. The Victim Support Specialist contributes to UNDP ‘s overall commitment to maintain a safe, ethical and supportive environment where sexual misconduct is not tolerated, and where all personnel feel respected, protected, and empowered to report concerns and seek support.

The post holder will be a member of UNDP’s core team on the prevention of sexual misconduct, based in the Executive Office of the Administrator, and will report to the Global Focal Point for the Prevention of Sexual Misconduct. The post holder will collaborate closely with UNDP’s Office of Audit and Investigations, Ethics Office, Office of Legal Services, and Office of Human Resources, all of which play critical roles in addressing and managing incidents of sexual misconduct. The post holder will undertake duty travel as required.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Duties And Responsibilities

Lead the design and development of policies and strategies related to UNDP’s victim centered approach (VCA)

In Collaboration With The PSEAH Taskforce And PSEAH TaskTeam

• Develop a comprehensive victim-centered, trauma-informed response strategy and action plan for victims of sexual harassment (SH) and sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA). This strategy should enhance victims’ choices, recognize their strengths, and ensure efficient triage with various support services available both within and outside UNDP.
• Provide advice and guidance on the development of relevant policies, guidelines, SOPs, investigation templates, communication materials, training modules, and other tools to ensure alignment with a victim-centered approach across the organization.
• In coordination with relevant stakeholders, develop a process to strengthen UNDP’s capacity to analyze risks and identify trends related to sexual misconduct. This includes contributing to the creation of a system that alerts offices to potential patterns of misconduct, to prompt timely action.
• Lead on the design and implementation of initiatives that promote awareness of UNDP’s strategies, policies and relevant guidelines on the victim centered approach
• Ensure relevant principals and standards (eg the UN Protocol on the Provision of Assistance to Victims of SEA) are mainstreamed in relevant policies and procedures as appropriate.
  
  

Build capacity and awareness of personnel and partners on UNDP’s victim centered approach

In collaboration with the PSEAH Task Force and Victim Support Task Team

• Design and deliver training sessions and implement learning interventions to raise awareness on the victim centred approach for existing and new personnel, and partners as required.
• Design and develop guidance materials and other resources on the victim centred approach including specifically with the PSEAH Focal Points in Country Offices
• Provide guidance and advice to all Managers, Project Officers, Human Resources staff, and other UNDP personnel on safely and ethically responding to incidents of sexual misconduct in a manner that protects victims and ensures confidentiality and informed consent.
• Contribute to efforts to enhance a speak-up culture across UNDP that nurtures up-stander actions and discourages bystander attitudes.
  
  

Serve as the Victim Support Specialist during formal investigation and accountability processes

Upon Request, Serve As a Support Person During The Formal Investigation And Accountability Processes To Ensure That UNDP’s Complaint Handling Processes Apply a Victim Centered Approach. This Includes

• assessing victim-related needs and risks.
• offering confidential guidance on procedures and available services;
• supporting victims in decision-making processes; liaising with other services involved in the response to incidents of sexual misconduct.
• strengthening linkages between UNDP and external services to meet victims’ needs and wishes.
  
  

Advise and support the implementation of on-going initiatives on UNDP’s Victim Centered Approach

Working closely with the PSEAH Focal Points, support Country Offices in establishing and strengthening a victim centered approach including:

• identifying and mapping locally available services for victims, ensuring that referral pathways are widely circulated and accessible across all UNDP country offices and to all personnel globally.
• Establishing, monitoring and strengthening safe, gender sensitive and victim centered complaints and feedback mechanisms.
• Refer sexual misconduct victims to relevant local services upon request and in accordance with established protocol.
• Establish and maintain a confidential and/or anonymous reference group of victims who consent to provide input into various initiatives that UNDP is developing, oversee research projects and other feedback initiatives to gather the perspectives and recommendations of victims.
  
  

Represent and contribute to UN interagency working groups and other relevant fora

• Represent UNDP in relevant interagency working groups and other formal and informal meetings – internally and externally - on issues related to a victim centered approach, providing technical inputs as required
• Build internal and external networks on issues related to the victim centered approach to strengthen implementation of UNDP’s approach
  
  

Monitor progress and VCA activities and draft regular reports, briefing notes and other relevant documents on the victim centered approach as required.

• Draft briefings and contribute to speeches and materials to aid in advocating the importance of the victim centered approach.
• Cntribute to Executive Board (EB) reports and related briefings and talking points to support EB discussions on the victim centered approach.
• Support development of relevant M&E frameworks; data collection tools and support report writing
• Gather data and report on progress of the implementation of the victim centered approach to inform corporate reporting requirements.
• Track trends in victim reporting and utilize this data to inform policy or process improvements.
• Monitor progress of VCA activities within the organization and provide support where gaps have been identified in form of reports and updates to leadership teams.
  
  

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

Competencies

Core CoreBehaviouralCompetencies.pdf (undp.org)

Achieve Results

• LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact
  
  

Think Innovatively

• LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems
  
  

Learn Continuously

• LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
  
  

Adapt With Agility

• LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands
  
  

Act With Determination

• LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
  
  

Engage And Partner

• LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
  
  

Enable Diversity And Inclusion

• LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity
  
  

Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies

HR -Duty of Care: Psychosocial Support to Personnel

• Ability and certified qualification to provide psychological counselling services to teams and individual personnel
  
  

HR -Duty of Care: Occupational safety, health and wellbeing

• Knowledge of OSHW concepts and methods and ability to apply them in the development of the OSHW strategies, policies, management systems and quality standards that are consistent with the business strategy.
• Ability to identity OSHW risks and to develop mitigation strategies and monitoring systems; to create OSHW incident reporting and response systems; understanding of the key workplace stressors and ability to design effective response measures
  
  

Business Management: Customer Satisfaction/Client Management

• Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers' needs. Look for ways to add value beyond clients' immediate requests.
• Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns.
  
  

Business Management: 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 an independent judgement based on set criteria and benchmarks. Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns.
  
  

Business Management: Portfolio Management

• Ability to select, prioritise and control the organization's programmes and projects in line with its strategic objectives and capacity.
• Ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives with regular activities for optimal return on investment. Knowledge and understanding of key principles of project, programme, and portfolio management.
  
  

Business Development: Integration with the UN

• Ability to identity, and integrate capacity and assets of the UN system, and engage in joint work; knowledge of the UN System and ability to apply this knowledge to strategic and/or practical situations
  
  

Business Direction and Strategy: System Thinking

Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system

Education

Required Skills and Experience:

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Social Work, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, Counselling, Psychology, Psychotherapy or other relevant field is required, OR
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the above mentioned fields of study, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
  
  

Experience

• Minimum of 7 years (with master’s degree) or 9 years (with bachelor’s degree) of demonstrated experience in case management, preferably involving victims of sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse is required.
• Proven experience in prevention and response to sexual harassment in the workplace or sexual exploitation and abuse is required.
• Demonstrated ability to understand and respect cultural differences when working with victims from diverse backgrounds is required.
• At least 3 years of experience working in developing country contexts is required.
• Experience in designing and delivering learning strategies, capacity-building programs, and training sessions related to victim-centered approaches or similar programs is an asset.
• Experience in providing direct support to victims of sexual harassment and sexual exploitation and abuse and identifying solutions is desired.
• Proven track record of strong global mindset with the ability to work effectively in a multi-cultural environment is an asset.
• A proven track record of delivering impactful results in programs aimed at safeguarding the rights and dignity of victims of sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse within a global organization, including the development and implementation of strategies and action plans is an advantage.
  
  

Language

• Fluency in English is required.
• Working knowledge of another UN language is considered an asset.
  
  

Disclaimer

Important information for US Permanent Residents ('Green Card' holders)

Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment.

UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.

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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