Area of Specialization/Thematic Areas:
Trainer
Background:
The topic of Gender Equality and Womenโs Empowerment (GEWE) is a cross-cutting priority across the programming of the Division for Peace, following a growing commitment to leaving no one behind in its efforts to build sustainable and inclusive peace in conflict and post-conflict environments. As made clear in the ground-breaking UN Security Council Resolution 1325, as well as by subsequent resolutions constituting the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda, positive peace cannot be achieved without the substantial and meaningful involvement and participation of all members of society, including its most vulnerable members and those most affected by the consequences of armed conflict.
Hence, in line with the principles underpinning the WPS Agenda UNITAR has developed The Womenโs Leadership for Peace programme which UNITAR which draws upon observations and requests from partners and participants over the years that there remains a considerable underrepresentation of women in positions of leadership at all levels linked to the sustaining peace agenda. With a dual focus on SDG5 and SDG16, it is a priority for UNITAR to address the trend that women tend to be poorly represented in formal and informal mechanisms and institutions for negotiating and sustaining peace. Through effective partnerships, UNITAR will ensure that the Womenโs Leadership for Peace programme provides a cross-cutting and world-class approach to womenโs leadership training, with sharp focus on regional context.
Description of the programme:
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has become one of the flagship institutions in advancing a gender equality agenda in the public sector. The promotion of equality in the Ministry is supported at the highest level, with the Commission developing a Strategy for ensuring equal rights and opportunities for women and men in the system of bodies of the diplomatic service of Ukraine for the period up to 2025, as well as relevant action plans for its implementation. In support of this Strategy, UNITAR has been requested to tailor its Womenโs Leadership for Peace Programme to provide a selected group of 12 female mid-level diplomats with an unrivalled set of growth opportunities through shared experiences, and the further development of knowledge and skills to advance to leadership positions in their respective contexts.
Through experiential learning, participants will engage in exercises that support their professional and personal growth and have opportunities to apply learnings to self-identified leadership challenges. UNITAR employs various pedagogies to enhance learning and behavioural change and will aim to challenge participants in a safe environment where they can share lessons learned and strengthen their network to gain an unrivalled set of experiences, knowledge, and skills to step into their leadership potential. Through interactions with their peers and guest speakers from the diplomatic and multilateral space, the Womenโs Leadership for Peace Programme in Support of the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine will be an opportunity for these women to take stock of the strengths and weaknesses of their leadership profile and take concrete steps towards achieving their leadership goals. A more detailed description of the programme can be found in Annex I.
General objective of the contract:
The incumbent will co-deliver the Womenโs Leadership for Peace in Support of the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine along session plans provided by UNITAR. The incumbent will not be responsible for any design or development of the programme and will be assisted by a co-facilitator throughout the programme.
Responsibilities/description of professional services:
- Prepare for delivery of the Womenโs Leadership for Peace Programme in Support of the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine;
- Facilitate the 5-day Womenโs Leadership for Peace in Support of the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine in Berlin, Germany from 9 to 13 October 2023;
- Provide brief recommendations after conclusion of the programme. Measurable Outputs/Deliverables/Schedule of Deliverables:
- Evaluations for the Womenโs Leadership for Peace in Support of the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine reflect professional facilitation of the programme;
- Recommendation document contains brief notes on areas of improvement for the programme. Performance Indicators for Evaluation of Results:
Timely and quality submission of deliverables; activities implemented with a high degree of effectiveness and efficiency; excellent coordination with PTPU team members is ensured throughout the duration of this contract.
ANNEX 1: Womenโs Leadership for Peace Project DocumentBackground and Rationale
Following Russiaโs invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Ukrainian people have been experiencing active warfare affecting all sectors of its society. For the public sector, this situation has placed an unprecedented burden on all civil servants, needing to navigate and adapt to the ever-evolving daily reality of an ongoing war on Ukraine. In this context, the need for support to a well-trained and effective corps of civil servants and diplomats has never been more evident. Established in 1995, the Hennadii Udovenko Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine (DAU) is a school of professional diplomacy and a training centre for the professional development of diplomats and civil servants in charge of international relations and foreign affairs in central executive bodies. Today, the Academy hosts trainings and various events to provide learning solutions for the diverse needs of professionals working in the field of international relations.
The Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine has always based its actions on the exchange of experience, fruitful cooperation and joint projects of the authorities, public society and international organizations. Therefore, DAU approached UNITAR, a leading institute in the provision of customized and creative learning solutions to institutions from the public sector, requesting support in the realisation of their objectives in educating diplomats in order to give them strength and opportunities for self-realization within the walls of the Ministry and in Ukrainian diplomatic missions around the world.
Accordingly, the following proposed training outline has been developed to reflect the needs of the DAU while leveraging on UNITARโs experience and expertise. The Womenโs Leadership for Peace Programme in Support of the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine has been designed in a way which will guarantee that participants will have a chance to apply their learnings to the context of diplomacy, international relations, and active conflict. As a reflection of the DAUโs purpose to support Ukrainian diplomats in their professional development, UNITAR will draw on a range of methodologies, in addition to the wealth of knowledge and creativity that can be found within the Learning Solutions team, to realise a training that will effectively contribute to the DAU mandate through building capacities, changing behaviours and transforming mindsets.
Modalities Around the Implementation of the Course
UNITAR proposes to hold the Womenโs Leadership for Peace Programme in Support of the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine in person, in Berlin. The training will have a duration of 5 days, 9-13 October 2023 and will provide participants with an opportunity to explore their personal leadership style and engage with leaders and experts from the field. The course will provide participants with an unrivalled set of growth opportunities through shared experiences, and the further development of knowledge and skills to advance to leadership positions in their respective contexts.
Through experiential learning, participants will engage in exercises that support their professional and personal growth and have opportunities to apply learnings to self-identified leadership ambitions. UNITAR employs various pedagogies to enhance learning and behavioural change and will aim to challenge participants in a safe environment where they can share lessons learned and strengthen their networks and understanding of the world. To reflect the ever-changing nature of the challenges that leaders face, UNITAR will draw on contemporary leadership and security challenges to ensure that the skills which participants develop reflect the adaptability and versatility which is needed to address the ever-evolving global dynamics and politics.
Target Audience
The target audience for programme is mid-level female diplomats as well as emerging female leaders in the sphere of international relations from Ukraine.
About UNITAR
Established in 1963, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) is a dedicated training arm of the United Nations, with a mission to help Member States develop the capacities of individuals, organisations and institutions to enhance global decision-making and to support country-level action for shaping a better future.
Within the framework of UNITAR, the Division for Peace supports the establishment of peaceful, just and inclusive societies through enabling individuals, institutions and organisations to contribute meaningfully to sustainable peace. An innovative and comprehensive set of learning and knowledge exchange methodologies, tailored specifically to the needs of beneficiaries, effectively develops and strengthens knowledge and skills as well as transforms mindsets and behaviours.
UNITAR has extensive knowledge and expertise in creating impactful learning journeys, in digital, face-to-face and blended formats, which are developed by our experienced and certified instructional designers and trainers. We excel in finding creative solutions to transfer knowledge, develop skills and transform attitudes that are needed to solve pressing challenges of our complex world. Our work is needs-based, human-centred, based on participatory and experiential approaches and addresses human beings as a whole, working with participants as collaborators.
Recognising that girls and women of all ages face specific barrier towards participation in all sectors of society, UNITAR has furthermore invested in the design of learning offers that take into account and address these barriers. In addition to an identification of organisational needs approach, we work with an agency-based empowerment approach towards participation that starts with supporting the individual in recognising their own worth and potential, before turning to the skills, knowledge and attitudes needed for the participants to strive.
About the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine
The Hennadii Udovenko Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (DAU) was established on 30 May 1995 according to the Decree of the President of Ukraine On Training Specialists in International Relations dated May 30. The first Charter of DAU was approved by the Regulation of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on 20 July 1996, โ 779. For twenty years, DAU operated as a higher educational institution of postgraduate learning providing a Masterโs Degree in Foreign Policy Program. On 7 December 2016 it was reformed and reorganized into professional development and research institution of postgraduate training and renamed into Hennadii Udovenko Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
On 1 July 2017, the Charter and the Structure of the Academy were adopted. The new Academy has become a school of professional diplomacy, a training centre for professional development of diplomats and civil servants in charge of international relations and foreign affairs in central executive bodies, the Presidential Administration, the Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers, and the Secretariat of the Ukrainian Parliament. In quite a short time, the Academy has turned into the platform for exchanging ideas, offering analysis and discussions on a wide spectrum of foreign policy issues. Innovative professional development programs for diplomats have been elaborated and implemented, modern technologies of foreign languages testing and assessment have been launched.
Professional training of diplomats, as well as public relations and research activities of the Academy are run by three centres:
- Language Training Centre;
- Professional Development Centre;