Gender Specialist

at Save the Children
Location Kampala, Uganda
Date Posted June 12, 2023
Category Social Services & Nonprofit
Job Type FULL_TIME
Currency UGX

Description

We, therefore, seek to be gender transformative in the way we design and implement programmes as well as ensure that our colleagues and key partners also benefit from gender transformative training and support. Gender equality has been identified as a priority cross-cutting theme within our strategy and the post holder will drive this work forward. The Gender Technical Specialist will provide dedicated technical support to systematically mainstream gender equality and equity activities in our work taking a Child Rights perspective and framework. The Gender Technical Specialist is responsible for supporting technical and implementation colleagues. S/he will coordinate national level gender-related advocacy activities and initiatives with the government, CSOs and national level partners. In collaboration with the MEAL Manager, s/he contributes to monitoring programme quality, initiating and participating in gender assessments, audits and studies; documentation and dissemination of innovations and good practices, lessons learnt. S/he will contribute to gender policy research and advocacy through networking and collaboration with relevant civil society organisations and other institutions.

Sounds interesting? Read more below

THE ROLE

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Strategic Programming:

Provide technical support in the design and implementation of gender-sensitive and gender transformative programming, ensuring gender and GBV considerations are mainstreamed in Save the Children’s programme, and monitor gender equality and equity in programme design and evaluation.
Contribute to the development of Save the Children’s Country Strategic Plan, guided by SC Gender Equality Policy.
Work together with PDQ and Operations teams to initiate and design high quality, cost-effective, innovative and sustainable project proposals and concept notes in line with both Country Annual Plans and Country Strategic Plans.
Coordinate and ensure that gender assessments, analyses and audits for all programme and projects integrate findings into programme design and Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL). Where possible, engage in inter-agency research to avoid research fatigue/duplication;
Support regional/country offices to develop gender action plans (with accompanying accountability mechanisms) to address gender equality and GBV considerations emerging from the gender analysis.
Resource Mobilisation:

Work with the Proposal/ Business Development team to identify new funding opportunities and develop a good relationship with potential donors – including private donors.
Support the fundraising process, ensuring that Gender Equality is mainstreamed in all proposal and concept notes using the Gender Equality Marker (GEM) scores accordingly.
Design stand-alone targeted gender equality actions with a specific emphasis on promoting equitable participation and women and girls’ empowerment in a gender-sensitive, leading to gender transformative, way;
Support the PDQ team, and maintain excellent professional contacts with strategic and potential donors and key technical agencies to continuously leverage support and resources for girls, boys, women and men in Uganda programme.
Support the PDQ and MEAL team in documentation and profiling of thematic briefs, research papers, and programme models for replication and in with the SDG 5, and the Regional and Global Theory of Change agenda.
Technical Assistance and Capacity Building

Provide technical guidance during implementation of programmes using gender appropriate strategies with a gender lens ensuring equity in participation of all gender groups.
Ensure that all areas of the programming are sensitive to gender equity and equality where all gender groups are able to participate freely and build program synergies.
Ensure marginalised gender groups are integrated in all programmes for economic empowerment and women and girls are able to exercise their freedom and make informed choices for themselves and their families including SRH choices for women.
Contribute to the strategic technical monitoring of projects/programmes and provide direction and training to field teams involved in delivering projects focusing on gender appropriate approaches and methodologies.
Identify gaps in staff and partner capacity on gender equality and GBV and coordinate with the Regional Gender Advisor to address the identified capacity gaps.
Train and mentor partner and Save the Children staff and partners on the SC Gender Equality Policy, the Gender Equality Marker (GEM), the IASC GBV Guidelines and IASC Gender Handbook;
Representation and Advocacy

Participate in internal and external for a including donor meetings (as appropriate) and represent Save the Children in all relevant coordination platforms at national, sub-national and regional levels including with the Cluster / Working Groups to integrate gender equality issues and share information about the SC’s Gender equality intervention with stakeholder’s; government and at National/sub national and international level.
Plan and lead gender related campaigns to lobby on gender-sensitive practices and behavioural change.
Support communications and advocacy teams to promote relevant advocacy messages on gender equality and GBV and ensure our communications are gender-sensitive and promote gender equality.
Participate in the identification of key opportunities and events for Save the Children on Gender Equality and SDG 5 nationally and internationally.
Work and coordinate with members, wherever applicable, to further Save the Children’s Gender equality mission, designing initiatives which will raise awareness of global gender and GBV standards across the CO programme informed by the approaches and strategies in the IASC GBV Guidelines and IASC Gender Handbook;
Ensure that the voices of children guide research, advocacy and policy change objectives.
Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, Learning

Work with MEAL and sector Technical Advisors to integrate gender equality into all MEAL processes including gender equality specific indicators, quality benchmarks and response monitoring and evaluation tools, including Real Time Reviews, and lead the process of analysing data and adapting programming to respond to identified gaps and risks.
Ensure a robust Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning plan for gender equality indicators in both emergency and development contexts working together with the MEAL team.
Support field teams in measuring achievement and progress towards program goals and results through the MEAL Action Planning and Tracking system.
Support the field teams, guiding them in introducing innovations in gender equality approaches in programme documentation, sharing best practices and innovations for replication and advocacy purpose.
Work with MEAL and sector Technical Advisors to design and rigorously document learning regarding gender sensitive and gender transformative programming. Ensure learning is disseminated widely internally and externally and that learning is used to improve quality programming and to influence how other stakeholders address gender equality.
Facilitate the dissemination of research findings and good practices, documentation in the projects internally and externally to donors, governments, partners and other actors for immediate and sustainable development of children in Uganda.
Partnership:

Establish, maintain and / or strengthen linkages with relevant government departments and civil society partners at national and regional levels in the management and implementation of the Programme.
In collaboration with Partnership Coordinator and PDQ team, carry out partner mapping, identify capacity gaps and support capacity building plans for [potential] partners in gender Equality.
Support the identification and development of strategic partnerships with women’s rights, gender equality and GBV local organisations;
In collaboration with the Partnership Coordinator, Business Development team, establish, maintain and expand donor relations in Gender equality as a standalone and crosscutting thematic area.
Document best practices and unique experiences for sharing and learning.
SKILLS AND BEHAVIORS (our Values in Practice)

Accountability:

Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values.
Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities – giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.
Ambition:

Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves (and their team), takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages others to do the same.
Widely shares their personal as well as vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others.
Future orientated, thinks strategically.
Collaboration:

Builds and maintains effective relationships with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters.
Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength.
Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.
Creativity:

Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions.
Willingness to take disciplined risks.
Integrity:

Honest, encourages openness and transparency.
Occasional duties

Perform any other duties as may be assigned from time to time.

Judgement and Decision-Making

The jobholder has a middle level of decision-making authority and is authorised to make decisions/take actions on the majority of programme and operational management matters relating to their specific programme and portfolio.
Strategic decisions (operational issues, policy/procedural changes, budget approvals, disciplinary issues, financial decisions outside the budget etc) require consultation with the line manager and other relevant staff as may be appropriate.
Competencies:

Delivering results: Takes personal responsibility and holds others accountable for delivering our ambitious goals for children, continually improving their own performance or that of the team/ organisation.
Problem solving and decision-making: Takes effective, considered and timely decisions by gathering and evaluating relevant information from within or outside the organisation.
Working effectively with others: Works collaboratively to achieve shared goals and thrives on diversity of people and perspectives; knows when to lead and when to follow and how to ensure effective cross-boundary working.
Applying technical and professional expertise: Applies the required technical and professional expertise to the highest standards; promotes and shares best practice within and outside the organisation.
Communicating with impact: Develops written and oral presentations, guidance materials, learning documents and reports to communicate lessons learned, results and outcomes for children.
Academic Background, Experience and Person Specifications:

Minimum of a Bachelor Degree in an appropriate social and development field such as Social Science, Sociology, Gender/ Women Studies, Development Studies, Community Development or Rural Development, Public Health, International Development. A Post Graduate training in Project Management, or a Master’s degree in any relevant field is an added advantage.
A minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in Gender Equality and GBV program management, coordination, policy advocacy, technical assistance in women rights and programming around gender equality and transformative approaches and with an international development organization;
Relevant experience in supervising community based social development and gender equality mainstreaming with in INGO particularly those addressing women’s rights and Men Engage.
Demonstrable financial, planning and budget management skills.
Willingness to travel and work in hard-to-reach areas, occasionally under strenuous conditions including extra hours during times of humanitarian responses.
Experience in coordination and advocacy;
Experience with proposal writing, reporting and MEAL.
Strong public speaking and negotiating skills, and representational experience.
Ability to exercise sound judgment, to remain flexible to a changing environment, and to make decisions independently.
Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well in a dynamic environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
Proven record of enabling/facilitating change through influencing, inspiring and mobilising others;
Proven record of programme design in a development or humanitarian context;
Experience conducting assessments - including gender analysis - and revising monitoring and evaluation tools to capture gender and protection considerations for different sectors;