Gender Advisor in Education 127 views0 applications

The Organisation

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls.

We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it’s girls who are most affected.

Working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children.

We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. And we enable children to prepare for – and respond to – crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.

We have been building powerful partnerships for children for over 80 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries.

ROLE PROFILE

ROLE PURPOSE

This position contributes to this goal by acting as gender focal point and leading on gender advisory for the PlayMatters project across consortium partners and project countries. This position has the overall responsibility of mainstreaming and maintaining gender-sensitivity, transformation and equity throughout the PlayMatters project advising and supporting consortium partners across project countries.

Plan International is currently implementing a 5-years multi-country project- Play Matters- Sparkling Life Long learning”, seeking to embed play-based learning into education for 800,000 refugee and host children ages 3-12+ in Ethiopia, Uganda and Tanzania. The project is implemented by an international consortium consisting of four partners led by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and funded by the LEGO Foundation

Dimensions of the Role

• Provide gender related support to program teams across consortium partners and project countries.
• Provide technical guidance and support to  program teams to mainstream and maintain gender-sensitivity, transformation and equity throughout their activities for the duration of the project;
• Review, Analyse and input into project content using a gender lens.
• Participate in relevant technical working groups to ensure that the gender dimension is included and considered in all relevant discussions, decisions, and actions.
• Build the capacity of program staff on gender-sensitivity, transformation and equity practices and procedures.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Map out existing gender-sensitivity, transformation and equity policies and practices across consortium partners, including guidance tools, training materials, program guides, and gender indicators
• Review and input into content developed for the PlayMatters activities (e.g. caregiver and teacher resources, play kits, guidance to, transformation and equity
• Strengthen the coordination and functionality of relevant PlayMatters project clusters to ensure gender in EiE is addressed
• Develop a gender-sensitivity, transformation and equity framework, including benchmarks for quality control, to ensure consistent and quality practices across consortium partners. The framework should help answer what gender sensitivity, transformation and equity means to the consortium, Liaise with and support MEL teams across the consortium to ensure there is gender sensitivity and disaggregation in data collection methods and products
• Liaise with Accountability Advisor on any gender-related feedback received and support the reporting process as needed
• Support Accountability Advisor with training and support on PSEA
• Support external non-consortium partners who take up PlayMatters approaches during the path to scale to ensure that gender-sensitivity and equity policies and practices are mainstreamed through related programming
• Generally, advise, support, and provide technical assistance to Plan International staff and consortium partners across project countries to maintain gender-sensitivity and equity practices, policies, and procedures for PlayMatters project

Key relationships

• PlayMatters Content Development Committees
• PlayMatters Project Managers (Plan International Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia)
• Gender Advisors/Focal Points (Plan International Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia and consortium partners)
• PlayMatters Accountability Advisor (Plan International Uganda)
• PlayMatters M&E Coordinators (Plan International Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia and consortium partner MEL staff)
• PlayMatters Programme Manager and Technical Specialists (Plan International Denmark)

Technical expertise, skills and knowledge

ESSENTIAL

• Masters or Post-graduate  certification in Social Sciences, International Development, Education, Humanitarian Response, Gender, or related field
• Minimum of 7 years’ experience working on gender program design and implementation
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience working in emergency  or development contexts
• Demonstrated experience providing technical support and guidance on gender in education projects, ideally in emergency and/or fragile contexts
• Theoretical and practical understanding of gender attitudes and power dynamics, including how these play into access to and quality of education
• Full proficiency in English
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Ability to communicate and work well with others across countries, cultures, and contexts
• Strong computer skills (i.e. good working knowledge of Microsoft office programs including Excel, Word, Power Point, and Outlook)
• Self-starter who takes initiative and can work independently and under pressure
• Strong drive for results and ensuring timely execution of tasks
• Strong commitment to inclusion and equity
• Strong sense of ethics and integrity

DESIRED

• Experience working in  the education sector
• Demonstrated experience and knowledge in humanitarian response and international gender-sensitivity, transformation and equity standards, especially the INEE Minimum Standards and its Guidance Note on Gender
• Demonstrated experience working on large-scale, multi-country, multi-partner projects
• Demonstrated experience in training and capacity-building
• Demonstrated experience working on emergency  programmes in East Africa

Plan International’s Values in Practice

We are open and accountable

• Promotes a culture of openness and transparency, including with sponsors and donors.
• Holds self and others accountable to achieve the highest standards of integrity.
• Consistent and fair in the treatment of people.
• Open about mistakes and keen to learn from them.
• Accountable for ensuring we are a safe organisation for all children, girls & young people

We strive for lasting impact

• Articulates a clear purpose for staff and sets high expectations.
• Creates a climate of continuous improvement, open to challenge and new ideas.
• Focuses resources to drive change and maximise long-term impact, responsive to changed priorities or crises.
• Evidence-based and evaluates effectiveness.

We work well together

• Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
• Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
• Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.
• Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.

We are inclusive and empowering

• Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
• Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
• Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.
• Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.

Physical Environment

• Office environment with maximum 20% of the time travelling throughout Uganda, Tanzania, and Ethiopia, subject to Plan International’s travel policies and safety procedures related to COVID-19.
• Some field work in urban and rural areas in Uganda, Tanzania, and Ethiopia

Level of contact with children

Occasional interaction with children especially when in the field

As a Child Centred Development organisation, Plan International Uganda strives to ensure that children are kept safe in all the areas we operate. The organisation further has a Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy that every staff is required to sign. As a result, this position comes with additional responsibilities for safeguarding children and young people:

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy (SCYP) Responsibilities (mandatory for all staff)

• Adhere to the Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy, Code of Conduct and reporting any Safeguarding issues. 
• Responsible for the implementation of the Safeguarding Children and Young People standards as they apply to area of responsibility plus the development of actions to address identified gaps and monitoring their effectiveness.
• Ensure that all Plan International partners, visitors and associates in his/her area of responsibility are provided with, are made aware off and have signed and returned a copy of the Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy. Inform the partners, visitors and associates that they must comply with the policy in all contacts and communications with children during their visit.