Regional Gender in Emergencies Specialist

The Organization

Plan International is a rights-based development and humanitarian organisation working for better lives for all children. We are independent of government and have no political or religious affiliation. Our purpose is to strive for a just world that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We have been building powerful partnerships for children for more than 80 years and are now active in more than 70 countries.

Our global strategy focuses on girls, as they are often the most marginalised and most often left behind. We have committed ourselves to the ambitious target of reaching 100 million girls over five (5) years to ensure they can learn, lead, decide and thrive. This is our contribution to achieving the sustainable development goals and, in particular, the goals of gender equality. Our organization is transforming itself to meet this enormous challenge everywhere we work

In Mozambique, we are working to eradicate early marriage and early pregnancy through projects that focus on adolescent girls in Inhambane, Zambézia, Nampula and Cabo Delgado. These projects are programmed along four strategic pillars: Girl Education, SRHR, YEE and Protection. Our work is gender transformative and includes influencing work at national and sub-regional level.

Our goal is to make significant contributions so that Girls are protected from early and forced marriage and pregnancy. Plan International Mozambique is focused on four integrated and mutually supportive programme axes: Education, Adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights, Skills and Opportunities for Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship and Protection.

The Role Purpose

Through Disaster Risk Management programing, we build communities’ resilience and support children’s right to dignity and protection before, during and after disasters and conflicts. Responding to the needs of adolescent girls – who are among the most at risk when disasters strike – is a key focus of our work. Our vision in DRM, Plan International is a global leader and the NGO partner of choice for promoting gender equality and protecting girls’ rights in disaster and conflict settings, working at the nexus of development and humanitarian efforts. In emergency setting, Plan is promoting gender responsive child protection in emergencies (including gender-based violence), education in emergencies, and youth economic empowerment which is in line with All girls standing strong creating global change strategy of Plan International.

The work of the Regional Gender in Emergencies Specialist (RGIE Specialist) is to support and work closely with the Head of Disaster Risk Management MEESA, the DRM team and Regional Gender Specialist in providing technical and strategic regional support for Plan’s work on gender equality and inclusion in disaster preparedness and response. The RGIE Specialist ensures that Plan’s disaster risk management (DRM) programming and influencing around the region contributes to Plan’s Global Strategy of gender transformative programming, and becomes well-known for quality, innovation, scalability and results.

The role will seek to help countries in MEESA region to pursue improvements in gender aware and gender transformative programming in humanitarian settings. It seeks to build capacity and confidence in country teams on internalising and demystifying gender transformative approaches in humanitarian contexts using available programme tools within Plan. It will provide advisory and technical support to country office staff on gender in emergencies and other DRM action, ensuring that Plan is recognized for quality, innovation and results. The role will also support the integration of gender transformative approaches in humanitarian response, building Plan’s reputation as a thought and practice leader in gender transformative humanitarian programming.

The role of RGIE Specialist will be under supervision of the Head DRM of MEESA with dotted line to the   Regional Gender Specialist and close coordination with the Global Hub Gender in Emergencies Specialist. Lastly, this post holder is expected to deploy to Country Offices during the response, early recover or during recovery phase to support Country Office in MEESA in his/her capacity as technical advisor that includes leading the Gender Rapid Analysis process.

Management Scope, Reporting Lines, Key Relationships

Scope

• Leads capacity building efforts across the countries in the region on gender in emergencies.
• Provides direct technical support in the field on gender in emergencies.
• Work with Country Offices (CO), National Organisations (NO) and the Global Hub (GH) to build a clear and consistent vision, message and coherent approach to gender in emergencies and gender transformative programming in humanitarian settings in MEESA region.
• Provide analysis of MEESA DRM portfolio from a gender & inclusion perspective to inform strategic discussions and support provided to country offices.
• This post covers 14 countries in the region with supervision of Regional Head of DRM.
• Expected to be deployed in the Response planning, early recovery or during recovery phase to support COs in his/her capacity as technical advisor.

Direct reports: Regional Head of Disaster Risk Management; with matrix line management to the Regional Gender Specialist.

Key Relationships

Internal

• Regional DRM Team.
• Regional Gender Transformative Network.
• Country Office Heads of Programme, Gender Focal Points, DRM Manager and Emergency Response Managers
• Global Gender & Inclusion Team, and Global Gender in Emergencies Specialist.
• MEESA Hub staff.
• National Office programme staff.

Key External Contacts

• MEESA Gender and Inclusion Network.
• IASC Network in the MEESA region.
• Relevant Humanitarian actors to coordinate Plan’s work with other international/regional/national institutions, clusters and donors in line with the DRM strategy.
• Academics, research institute and thought leaders in humanitarian work in MEESA.

Level of Contact with Children

• Medium contact: Occasional frequency of interaction with children and young people.

Physical Environment

• Frequent travel within the region, to remote areas with high levels of insecurity (50%+)

Accountabilities and Main Work Activities

Programming (30%)

• Working closely with the DRM team and the Gender & Inclusion team, support the development of a portfolio of humanitarian programs that are consistently gender aware and show a strong contribution to gender transformative programming and girls’ rights, including the provision of technical support on project proposal development and results in frameworks.
• Support country office teams to build action on strong gender analysis and implement quality humanitarian programming that adheres to the IASC Gender Handbook for Humanitarian Action, GBV Guidelines, PSEA in humanitarian response, and the Sphere Standards related to gender and inclusion.
• Support country office teams on the use of the IASC Gender and Age Marker, and on Plan’s Gender Transformative Marker.
• Participate actively in Plan’s Global Gender in Emergencies working group, and contribute to the development of guidance notes and tools to strengthen Plan International’s ability to implement gender transformative programmes and ability to identify and address the needs and rights of girls in emergencies.
• Participate actively in Plan’s MEESA Regional Gender and Inclusion Network in order to foster relationships with the CO gender advisors as well as DRM counterparts.
• In collaboration with sector, leads develop programme models and case studies on gender transformative programmes in emergencies to support COs replicate good practices learned from other Plan International programmes.
• Work closely with Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) teams to ensure girls and women are fully participating in feedback and complaints mechanisms, in a way that is meaningful to them and respects their dignity (back and forth, and feedback used to improve program design on an equal basis as those of boys and men).
• Support advocacy teams in developing strategies to influence different actors for responses build around the gendered impacts of crises.
• Provide a quarterly analysis of the humanitarian portfolio in MEESA from a gender and inclusion perspective, to identify trends, strengths, and weaknesses, to inform strategic discussions and support needs.

Emergency preparedness and response (30%)

• Deploy to support humanitarian programme design and review in Plan International Country Offices as well as to breaking emergencies to provide technical input and guidance including leading the CO RGA process.
• Provide technical guidance on gender in the CO Emergency Preparedness Plans, ensuring that they are based on a strong gender & inclusion analysis.

Learning and Capacity Building (35%)

• Support the capacity building of staff to understand and use the concepts around gender in emergencies who can then create, deliver and monitor programmes that contribute to gender transformative work.
• Provide coaching and mentorship to program staff and partners to ensure gender is integrated into program strategies and plans.
• Supporting the development and implementation of skills development workshops ensuring gender in emergencies is core to the modules developed.
• Document lessons learned from programmes to support the organisation continuously learning from its programmes.

Representation and Partnership (5%)

• Represent Plan International at relevant clusters, working groups, and other events related to gender in emergencies.
• Identify opportunities and establish dialogue towards partnerships with other humanitarian agencies.
• Support the development of Plan International’s profile in gender equality programming in emergencies, particularly in regards to girls.
• Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Child Protection (CPP) and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI) are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.

Leadership Competencies

• Setting high standards for self and others’ behaviour, inside and outside work. Championing our values and commitment to rights, gender equality, and safeguarding. Supporting the health, well-being, and both physical and psychological safety of our staff, including their safety to speak out.
• Creating a positive team spirit, helping people work well together, reflecting, and continuously improving the efficiency and quality of what we do.
• Collaborating with team members, colleagues, and partners in finding creative solutions to problems by sharing information, experience, and ideas and actively seeking their input.
• Motivating and developing others by taking an interest, giving constructive feedback and praise, ensuring they are properly trained, and helping them develop their potential.
• Positive about change and supporting others in adjusting to it, helping them understand.

Business Management Competencies

• Manages partner relationships effectively by anticipating future needs; appointing based on programme and organisational needs; communicating Plan International’s core standards; undertaking assessments and reviews.
• Aware of the programme and project management procedures relevant to their role.
• Contributes to strategic planning activities.
• Considerate of the political, economic, social, and cultural climate of the local operating environment and the implications for our work with partners.
• Are aware of the processes, institutions, and organisations that shape the development and humanitarian context. Understands their local operating environment, demonstrating political, social, and cultural awareness.
• Are aware of the global methods of assessing risk, the local control environment, and the controls in place to mitigate risk in working with partners.
• Consider the political, economic, social, and cultural climate of the local operating environment and the implications for our work.
• Works in accordance with the policies and procedures relevant to their role and responsibilities.
• Manages risk by reviewing capability and capacity against future requirements.
• Complies with financial procedures and controls relevant to their role.
• Manages external programmes according to Plan International’s financial management procedures, including the grant agreement process, forecasting, cost allocation principles, apportioned costs, and scheduling and monitoring of expenditure.

Technical Expertise, Skills and Knowledge

Qualifications and Knowledge

• 5 or more years of experience in similar positions providing technical expertise on gender and inclusion in emergencies, managing gender-based violence projects, in several different countries and contexts (including sudden onset, slow onset, and protracted emergencies).
• Advanced degree in social work, social sciences, gender, protection, or similar.
• Proven knowledge of global principles and guidance on gender in humanitarian action, including SGBV and PSHEA.
• Strong knowledge of the situation of girls and women in MEESA region.
• Previous experience in the MEESA region.
• Sound grasp of intersectionality & feminism, and a passion for dismantling patriarchy.
• Specific knowledge of the different needs of girls and boys in emergencies and the particular risks facing girls.
• Familiar with humanitarian programming and inter-agency coordination systems.
• Strong knowledge of safeguarding and PSEA mechanisms.
• Ability to establish child and girl-friendly spaces and conduct RGA and RNA and focus groups with girls.
• Ability to use participatory methods to engage with community members on sensitive issues.
• Ability to mainstream gender in the design, management, monitoring, and evaluation of emergency programs in line with SPHERE and IASC standards.
• Ability to contribute to or lead the development of gender in emergency-related funding proposals
• Ability to train staff on how to practically integrate gender into response programming and preparedness planning, piloting and refining GiE training tools.
• Ability to conduct gender analysis in humanitarian contexts and ensure that humanitarian projects are at least gender-aware/sensitive.
• Ability to serve as a gender specialist on emergency assessment teams, assisting emergency teams to design and initiate emergency response programs that appropriately address gender considerations and promote the protection and empowerment of women and girls.
• In-depth understanding of how gender, age, and other socio-cultural factors (ethnicity, disability) intersect to affect access to rights.
• Fundamentals of gender-responsive and inclusive M&E (sex-disaggregated and gender-sensitive indicators and qualitative indicators on social norm change) to inform programming decisions.
• Excellent command of English, both speaking and writing.
• Ability to work remotely, under pressure, and with a minimum supervision.
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment.

Behaviours

• Acts decisively and adapts plans quickly to respond to emerging situations and changing environments
• Helps others to recognise and manage stress by showing empathy, prioritising workload, and role modelling self-care in stressful situations.
• Promotes and guarantees safety and security behaviours and procedures for self and the team.
• Takes the time and patience to understand the concerns of other people and takes care of them as individuals.
• Avoids any negative impact of implementation – Do No Harm.
• Promote individual and organisational learning through systematic reflection processes, documentation, dissemination and knowledge management.
• Adapting to local political frameworks and processes including in fragile contexts, conflict or political transitions and changes to national, regional human rights frameworks and mechanisms, and governance processes.