Project Support Officer

UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is the world’s largest UN agency dedicated to population development and sexual and reproductive health, operating in more than 140 countries. Its mission is to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. Globally and in the Maldives, UNFPA empowers individuals—particularly young women, girls, adolescents, and vulnerable populations—to exercise bodily autonomy, access essential health services, and participate fully in society without being left behind. UNFPA supports individuals and communities in planning their families, preventing unintended pregnancies, accessing safe maternal health services, avoiding sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS, and combating discrimination, gender-based violence, and harmful social norms. The agency also assists governments in developing population policies that contribute to sustainable development. UNFPA’s engagement in the Maldives began in the early 1980s with national family planning and population programmes. During this time, key priorities included building national expertise, strengthening institutional systems, and implementing projects that expanded national capacity. These programmes were initially managed through the UNFPA Field Office in Sri Lanka and supervised by UNDP in Malé. In 1994, UNFPA established a dedicated country office in the Maldives and introduced its first full Country Programme. Since then, six successful Country Programmes have been implemented.

This UNV assignment is part of UNFPA Maldives Country Office’s project to address Female Genital Mutilation or Cutting (FGM/C) in the Maldives, funded by DFAT, recognizing it as a severe violation of human rights and a form of gender-based violence with devastating health consequences. While often associated with other regions, FGM/C is reported in the Maldives, with the Maldives Demographic Health Survey 2016-17 revealing that 13% of women aged 15-49 have undergone the practice, although prevalence has declined over time, increasing significantly with age. Recognizing that FGM/C is a complex phenomenon at the intersection of culture, gender equality, and health, requiring political leadership and commitment at all levels, this project aims to tackle the issue through a holistic, gender-transformative, and multi-sectoral approach. The main objective is to build a national multi-stakeholder partnership to address FGM/C in the Maldives, leveraging learning from global and regional initiatives to create a safe and supportive platform for advocacy and collaboration.

Under the direct supervision of the Programme Analyst (GEWE), and overall supervision of the Head of Office, the Project Support Officer will support the effective and efficient implementation and coordination of the project to address Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) in the Maldives and will be responsible for providing day-to-day operational and administrative support. Specifically, the incumbent will perform the following key duties and responsibilities: ⦁ Coordinate project activities among implementing partners, ensuring timely communication and follow-up on planned deliverables. ⦁ Supporting the preparation of meeting minutes, summaries, and project reports to ensure effective implementation and monitoring of planned activities. ⦁ Support the preparation of project budgets and financial reports. ⦁ Provide administrative support and logistical arrangements for the organization of workshops, consultations, trainings, and high-level advocacy meetings. ⦁ Ensure effective documentation and reporting of the project, including compiling progress reports, collecting data and information (photos, attendance records, testimonials, etc.) related to project events and field activities for visibility and reporting purposes. ⦁ Support actions to monitor and report to donor as required ⦁ Other tasks assigned by the office or supervisor. Results/expected outputs: As an active team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to UNFPA Maldives and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including: ⦁ Effective coordination, including administrative and logistical support of project activities with timely follow-up and communication ensuring the smooth delivery of planned outputs. ⦁ Efficient documentation, monitoring and reporting of project activities including meeting reports, visibility materials, and donor reporting is supported by systematic data collection and information management.