Gender and Policy Advisor ( Re advertised)

I. JOB SUMMARY

The Gender and Policy Advisor supports SHE THIRVES PROJECT by guiding the mainstreaming of gender at all levels of project implementation. The gender and SAA advisor reports directly to the She Thrives Project Director. S/he will serve as technical lead of the SHE THIRVES PROJECT’s efforts towards quality design and implementation of initiatives that ensure women empowerment, good governance, accountability, and gender equality. The position holder will coordinate gender analysis and lead studies to explore livelihoods and employment opportunities, policy gaps and socio-cultural barriers particularly for girls, women, and female headed households. The advisor will also lead SHE THIRVES PROJECT’s efforts to introduce Social Analysis and Action (SAA), Gender Equity and Diversity (GED), EKATA and Community Score Card (CSC), social norms transformation and accountability tools, in all communities the programs operate in. The Advisor leads/conducts standard quality training and produces related guidelines to ensure women empowerment and integration of gender priorities into all technical sectors of the projects under She Thrives Project. In consultation with the SHE THIRVES PROJECT Director, and SHE THIRVES PROJECT’s technical team, S/he will undertake formative research in implementation areas to identify key issues, social norms and to inform interventions, strategies, policies. The advisor will oversee and ensure the mainstreaming of gender in all SHE THIRVES PROJECT or She Thrives partners, participate in all monitoring, evaluation and learning events, respond to identified issues and make timely adjustments to implementation strategies as needed. The person will also be responsible for transferring good practices and creating shared learning among She Thrives Project. Key responsibilities include Identifying and sharing gender mainstreaming tools and strategies for SHE THIRVES PROJECT and focal persons and giving guidance and in identifying innovative mechanisms /strategies to engage staff and partners in gender transformative program implementations.

The person is also responsible for ensuring that the She Thrives Project has the capacity to support all projects under the unit and partners staff on gender equity and diversity issues to a level where they are able to ensure project activities are gender transformative.

II.      RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS

Job Responsibility #1: Analysis, Strategy, Reporting and Design (time: 35%)

• Develops and designs concepts, and inputs into problem identification, causal and problem analysis to support operationalization of governance, economic strengthening, gender strategies and policy advocacy activities of the SHE THIRVES PROJECT
• Participates in the projects detailed implementation plans (DIP), at the start-up and annual reviews, to ensure governance and gender transformative project planning
• Leads the development of appropriate policy, gender and accountability methodologies for women economic empowerment and the child labor reduction projects
• ·      Facilitates the adoption and implementation of governance and Gender related national guidelines, international standards, and donor protocols to gender equality and child labor reduction polices and strategies
• Develop concepts and inputs into problem analysis, and design process to support the integration of gender and child labor reduction.
• Participates in project planning, design and evaluations to ensure program qualities are properly considered and integrated.
• Conduct assessments and analysis of project implementations and change processes to ensure quality and community level implementation.
• Engage in the workplan development of SHE THIRVES PROJECT projects including partners’
• Provide input into SAA/GED implementation plans, TORs for consultants, tools for gender audits, etc.
• Review the M&E systems/ key indicators identified within each project and provide support on tracking them for the relevant area.
• Plan and deliver trainings to staff, partners, and government stakeholders

Job Responsibility #2 Capacity Building and Technical Assistance (time: 35%)

• Assess capacity and quality gaps in the project planning and implementation processes and design quality improvement and assurance strategies/mechanisms
• Take the lead responsibility in conducting participatory situation analysis, develop a plan, budget and time line for implementing planned activities by the projects.
• Organize and co-facilitates ToTs to SHE THIRVES PROJECT and counterpart sector offices and government staffs in relation to gender and governance; closely monitor outcomes of capacity building efforts, reporting and sharing progress notes to team members. as well as plan and implement on ongoing support to maintain quality
• Assists the SHE THIRVES PROJECT Director, and their team in implementing project activities in accordance with project design, implementation plan and assessments; with expected qualities and community reachability,
• Participates in base line surveys, mid-term and final assessment, training and other related activities;
• Ensures effective implementation of project strategies at the project level, review reports from the field and provide feedbacks related to the quality of implementation
• Contextualize and mainstream SAA (social analysis action), Gender Equity and Diversity (GED), EKATA, CSC (community score card), VSLA (voluntary saving and loan associations) across SHE THIRVES PROJECT projects as feasible with close follow up and support to the team at field office.
• Capacitate the project field teams to mainstream and adopt organizational core value, policies and procedures and program approaches (e.g Economic Strengthening, GED standards and principles) and ensure these are clearly understood and adhered to in the daily functioning of the field offices.
• Organize, lead or promote the implementation of identified capacity building activities
• Where needed, identify resource persons from within CARE of partners to address needs
• Facilitate or strengthen different forums in the program areas

Job Responsibility #3: Learning, Policy Implementation, and Networking (time: 25%)

• Initiates researches/studies and share results for wider audiences in and outside CARE to enhance program quality;
• Work with emergency units, PQL (program quality and learning) staff and others to scale up the good practices and draw lessons from others;
• Collaborates and networks with in-country like minded agencies, Zonal and Woreda personnel, CARE’s Project staffs at different levels and with external consultants to achieve the project goal.
• Liaises with relevant government institutions and authorities to keep updated information on new or improved policies, strategies, guidelines, related with the program to inform project strategies and activities accordingly.
• Ensures the communication of new developments in the area, strategies, concepts and approaches within the organization, with partners and other stakeholders.
• Keeps up to date with developments in the sector, including best practice examples within the country and internationally, and ensures ongoing personal development and learning;
• Ensure the communication of Gender Transformative concepts and procedures within the organization, with partners and other stakeholders.
• Identify/ extract good practices and learning areas related to Governance, Women Economic Strengthening and Gender in child labor for further program impact
• As appropriate record and document lessons from program processes and achievements
• Prepares reports as deemed necessary.
• Provide supportive supervision to projects, assess progress, document and share learning.
• In collaboration with other project staff, monitors the effective and timely implementation of planned actions and activities to strengthen quality of services ranging from content of trainings, facilitation skills, curriculums used and measurements of outputs and outcomes of project activities.

Job Responsibility #4: Representation and Others (time: 5%)

• Participates in different gender related task forces and working groups within CARE, MoA, MoWSA, MoWE, MOLS and others as needed.
• Represent CARE and/or She Thrives Project professionally when delegated/authorized.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

 Problem Solving (Thinking Environment)

While the incumbent will face all three levels of problem-solving, the biggest challenges belong to category number three. The incumbent must use interpersonal skills to pick and choose the right strategy to address a given problem and also has to deal with variable solutions, which need analysis, problem definition and development of alternative solutions. This position is to increase the SHE THIRVES PROJECT and Field Offices' capacity to think, analyze, plan and operate more strategically in terms of addressing the underlying causes of vulnerability, gender inequality, child labour and the implementation of initiatives that will enhance women’s capacities in savings and loans, income generating activities, asset building and management. This will require an understanding and use of different tools and programming approaches for identifying, analyzing, prioritizing, implementing and evaluating those interventions with the highest potential for increasing households’ economic resilience and increasing their livelihood security in a sustainable manner.

GENDER EQUALITY

• Understanding and demonstrated commitment to the importance of gender, youth and social inclusion issues.
• Demonstrated commitment to principles of Gender Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and PSEAH (safeguarding), as evidenced in previous positions / programming

No of Positions - 1 Opening

Salary - 2612USD

IV. QUALIFICATIONS (KNOW HOW)

A) EDUCATION/TRAINING

Required:

• Master’s Degree BSc and equivalent experience in international development and/or law, gender studies field of study directly related to child labor, agricultural development, livelihood, micro finance or a related field.

Desired:

• Academic experience and familiarity with issues related to Livelihood, economic empowerment, governance and Gender in child labor reduction related with Ethiopia.

B) EXPERIENCE

Required:

• 5 years of experience in development of gender transformative rural livelihood, economic empowerment programs, child labor reduction interventions, and program management.

Desired:

• Significant exposure to projects involving networking and multiple partnerships, particularly related to child labor reduction issues, good governance/democracy and advocacy.
• Experience in the design and delivery of micro finance programs in rural areas and the Village Savings and Loan Association methodology;
• Experience in using value chain approaches to agricultural development encompassing targeted production and marketing techniques in field program operations.
• Working knowledge of programming in chronically vulnerable environments.

C) TECHNICAL SKILLS

Required:

• Proficiency in verbal and written English, proposal development, strategic and operational planning, budget planning and management, monitoring and evaluation, report writing;
• Proficiency in standard office software package;
• Demonstrated leadership ability to inspire and empower others;
• Good interpersonal communication skill and ability to effectively liaise with government, community leaders and other stakeholders;
• Firm belief in teamwork, gender equality, and conceptual understanding of participatory approach and sustainable development. Skills in organizing and facilitating training events;

Desired:

• Knowledge of local languages;
• Expertise in one or more of the following program areas: nutrition/health, water/sanitation, income generation, education or HIV/AIDS, especially with a rights-based approach (RBA) focus. 

If you are interested to be part of our dynamic team, exciting work environment and contribute to CARE Ethiopia’s mission and vision, please send your CV (not more than 3 pages) and cover letter (not more than one page) through https://phg.tbe.taleo.net/phg02/ats/careers/v2/viewRequisition?org=CAREUSA&cws=52&rid=7198

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Passionate and dedicated candidates who meet the requirement are strongly encouraged to apply, especially women!

CARE seeks to improve the lives of the most marginalized, particularly women and girls. Our diversity is our strength. We encourage people from all backgrounds and experiences to apply.

CARE Ethiopia is committed to preventing all unwanted behavior at work. This includes sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, and child abuse. We expect everyone who works for us to share this commitment by understanding and working within the CARE Safeguarding Policy and related framework. CARE Ethiopia has a zero-tolerance approach to any harm to, or exploitation of, a vulnerable adult or child by any of our staff, representatives, or partners.

CARE Ethiopia reserves the right to seek information from job applicants’ current and/or previous employers about incidents of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment the applicant may have been found guilty to have committed or about which an investigation was in the process of being carried out at the time of the termination of the applicant’s employment with that employer.

By submitting the application, the job applicant confirms that s/he has no objection to CARE Ethiopia requesting the information specified above. All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks.