Expert in Gender Participatory Planning Methodologies

Work Opportunity - Expert in Gender Participatory Planning Methodologies
 
1-Background
In the framework of the Programme WELOD – Women’s Empowerment and Local Development, with the purpose of fighting poverty and fostering the sustainable development of the Palestinian Territories through the empowerment of women, the Italian Cooperation intends to appoint one Expert in Gender Participatory Planning Methodologies to contribute to the definition of a Model of functions and organization of Women’s Empowerment Centers in the Palestinian Territories, promoted by the Italian Cooperation to support Palestinian Institutions and local NGOs in the realization of additional Women’s Empowerment Centers/Tawasol located in the Governorates and ruled by Coalitions of local NGOs and Institutions, such as the Ministry of Women’s Affair and Governorates.
The Expert will carry out a study in rural and urban areas in the Palestinian Territories particularly focusing on the capacity of national and local authorities, and civil society organizations to undertake participatory strategic planning addressing women’s essential and strategic needs.
This would be in view of:
-Providing a comprehensive framework of the status quo of initiatives fostering gender participatory strategic planning involving women at local and national level. This will include actions proposed and carried out by Palestinian government, local authorities and civil society, as well as by II.OOs and donors’ approaches.
-Quality resource to the government to impact its policy orientation and processes, influence policy and budgetary options and decisions, as well as future government initiatives.
-Developing training proposals to be addressed to leaders and key personnel of local women NGOs and Institutions, according to the results of the Gender Need Assessment study carried out by the Italian Cooperation and as part of the wider methodology for the definition of a Model of functions and organization of Women’s Empowerment Centers.
 
2-Description of the assignment
The Expert will work closely with the Senior Management of Italian Cooperation (the Director and the Gender Advisor), with MoWA team involved in the program and with the different Coordinators for WEC/Tawasol at the Governorates to set program performance measures and mechanisms.
 
2.1-Objective of position
2.1.1-The Expert (s) will carry out a study whose contents, analytical tools, indicators and data should be in accordance with the following:
-Quality: The study needs analytical rigor combined with simple and clear language and presentation to be accessible to people with different interests and backgrounds to strike a balance between intellectual rigor, and effectively, consistently and comprehensively articulated analysis, data and messages.
-Conceptual framework: The study should be based on the general framework of women’s human development, and should include the different fields of local development (i.e. access to/level of education, employment and economic life, access and quality of public services, health, environment, culture, sport and leisure, access to public life, access to political life). In addition to this, the study should focus on the relation centre-periphery linking women’s organizations at local and national level in the attempt to better address, and foster, local development participatory strategic planning in a gender approach, as well as on networking status quo and improving modalities.
-Approach: In order to effectively analyze the status of participatory strategic planning particularly focused on women’s empowerment and local development at the national level, the study needs to provide a frank analytical assessment of achievements and setbacks in this field and an action-oriented analysis of policy options available to the government and its development partners. To do so, information and recommendations must be presented through the articulation of empirical evidence, analysis of qualitative and quantitative information (statistics and other innovative indicators), expression of policy alternatives and public opinion. To the extent possible data must be disaggregated (by age, gender, social/ethnic group, etc.). A gender and human development approach is expected to be mainstreamed throughout the report.
-Analytical tools and indices: In addition to innovative tools and indices used on a national scale, the Expert should also use the analytical tools and indices presented in the global HDR including the Human Development Index (HDI), the Gender-related Development Index (GDI), Gender Empowerment measure (GEM), Public Expenditure Ratios and Aid Expenditure Ratios. These should be provided at the national level and disaggregated (by region, social/ethnic group, age, etc.) to provide clear and concise information on human development at the sub-national (Governorate) level. It is expected that the Expert will work in close cooperation with the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics and II.OO’s statistic offices.
-Target audience: The study should address, through its development, as well as end product to: policy makers and mid-level agents at the central and local levels, public opinion makers, national and international civil society (NGOs, academics, trade unions, media, community groups, etc.), and the general public. It is expected that discussions are fostered with these various stakeholders, and that they are consulted through the preparatory process and development of the study. There should be a promotion of dialogue, deliberation and exchange of ideas.
-Objectivity: The study is not a politically negotiated document. To the extent possible, the study should be an independently researched document providing an honest description of the situation and a full range of policy options to accelerate achievements in participatory strategic development planning.
-Country-specific analysis: The study needs to reflect the specific circumstances of the Palestinian Territories. It is essential that the report reflects nationally defined and articulated perceptions of actions and results achieved as concerns gender participatory strategic development planning. Proposed policies and recommendations should in turn be relevant to the current development environment in the Palestinian Territories, particularly focusing on women’s local development and empowerment. National ownership should be reinforced at all stages of the process. This includes legitimizing the process by involving and engaging participation and support from key national socio-economic and political actors, and linking the study to the national development plans and policies.
The Expert will produce a comprehensive document in hard and soft copies that will be systematized in form of publication.
2.1.2. The Expert will develop a training proposal to be carried out in 11 WEC/Tawasol located in 11 Governorates in the Palestinian Territories; will prepare target groups proposals aimed to fill the gaps in local development found out during the study process and following the results of the Gender Need Assessment carried out by the Italian Cooperation; will realize 11 training sessions in 11 WEC/Tawasol.
Training activities will be defined during ad hoc focus groups with the recipients and in coordination with other professionals who will realize other training and activities included in the methodology for the definition of a Model of functions and organization of Women’s Empowerment Centers.
The Expert will also have a key role in institution-building by preparing institutional personnel to propose innovative policies to facilitate women’s access to funds and legal framework for local development processes.
 
Specific training issues to be addressed:
-Human development focus: The human development framework, adapted to fit the Palestinian Territories specificcircumstances, should be defined as a process of enlarging women’s choices and expanding their opportunities in anequitable and sustainable manner. The analysis provided in the training framework should ensure that thedesired final result is “improved (women’s) human development”.
-Link to good governance and poverty reduction: It is important that the analysis provided in thetraining proposal be linked to good governance and poverty reduction, as well as global initiatives such as theMillennium Development Goals (MDG), in particular with MDG 3. For example, recommendations regarding women’s economic empowerment should provide analysis within a framework of how women’s economic empowerment is a vehicle forpoverty reduction. In this case attention should be provided to quality of economic growthaccountability, transparency, complementary links of the private and public sectors, andinclusiveness of governance as links to poverty reduction.
-Quality of analysis/assessment: The quality of needs analysis and assessment is of critical importance. The overall quality of analysisis linked to several issues including: targeting audiences, adopting gender centered analyticalapproaches, linking a key national theme with regional and global trends, using the HDI ininnovative ways, and conveying sound policy messages. The Gender Participatory Planning Training should particularly stress on:
-Modalities of strategic planning in response to women’s needs and proposals for political response to women’s needs
-Modalities for the involvement of women’s NGOs/Associations present in the different territories in the strategic planning
-Modalities for the implementation of policies and initiatives for women’s empowerment at national and local level.
-Consultative process: In order for the training contents to serve as an important reference tool for policymakers, and national and international civil society stakeholders, effortsshould be made to ensure a consultative process with key stakeholders and for the effectivedissemination of results. 
 
2.2-Specific Tasks
Under Italian Cooperation Senior Management direct supervision and in close coordination with the responsible persons at MoWA and Governorates the Expert shall:
(a)Work in the respect of the administrative and operational procedures in force at the Italian Cooperation Office.
(b)Plan and organize training activities in strict cooperation with the Coordinator for WEC/Tawasol at MoWA and Governorates, with the Italian Cooperation Senior Programme Management, and with other Expert professionals involved at different levels in the designing of a Model of the functions and organisation of Women’s Empowerment Centres in the Palestinian Territories
(c)Follow up the technical assistance aspects related to the application of the training contents.
(d)Contribution to International Seminars.
(e)Produce systematised study and training documents to deliver to the Italian Cooperation which will integrate them in the guidelines for the application of WEC Model.
 
2.3-Expected Outputs
(a)Realisation of a study about gender participatory strategic local development planning in the Palestinian Territories.
(b)Technical assistance for the definition of the WEC model by MoWA.
(c)Definition of a participatory planning methodology for women’s local development filling the gaps highlighted in the study.
(d)Honest and frank analytical assessment of achievements and setbacks in women’s human development.
(e)Action-oriented analysis of policy options available to government and various other human development stakeholders.
(f)Country-relevant policy options and recommendations.
(g)Realisation of 11 training workshops on women local development for 11 WEC/Tawasol and 1 National Seminar as a synthesis of the different trainings.
(h)Production of study and training final documents.
(i)Contribution to the International Seminar on good practices for the empowerment of women in the local development processes.
 
3-Qualification and Experience required
 
(a)The successful candidate(s) should have/be:Educational qualifications: The Candidate(s) must possess the essential educational attainments that qualify them to undertake the required assignments.
-Advanced/Postgraduate degree in Gender Studies, Development Planning /Development Economics/Public Policy/Social Sciences or related field or discipline.
CVs of the Candidate must be attached.
 
(b)Work Experience:
-3-5 years professional experience of which 3 years in strategic development planning with emphasis on disadvantaged/discriminated women, gender equity issues, training program on socioeconomic development and informal sector issues.
-Experience in participatory planning approaches and methodologies.
-Knowledge of international best practices in planning.
-Proven experience in field level work, data collection and processing, and training beneficiaries to develop the livelihood in the informal sector and gender.
-Solid analytical and conceptual skills and the ability to think creatively.
-Socio-economic, Gender development, the modeling of economic and institutional approaches in concentration with informal sector in terms of quantity or quality.
-Demonstrated ability to deliver training sessions and interact with local government and diverse range of counterparts and other stakeholders.
-Experience in facilitating inter-institutional cooperation, stakeholder participation and working with teams.
 
(c)    :the Candidate(s) should have/be:General experience
-Acquainted with the local situation, especially, with the status of Palestinian women and the gender aspects of planning processes, gender analysis and gender mainstreaming.
-Adaptable to multicultural and multidisciplinary teams of experts and willing to undertake intensive field works in the various areas of Palestinian Territories.
-Good analytical skills; resourceful with initiative, maturity of judgment and computer literate.
-Readiness to work in areas of political conflict and unstable working environment.
 
(d): Fluency in English. Knowledge of Arabic language constitutes preference. Language
 
(e): Competencies
-Gender sensitive;
-Commitment, drive for results, embracing diversity, integrity, self-awareness and self-regulation;
-Communication, tact, technical knowledge, managing resources, analytical and conceptual thinking and judgment;
-Team work and managerial skills;
-Good writing and communication skills;
-Supervisory and monitoring ability;
-ICT literate
The supplied information should be substantiated with relevant documents upon request.
 
4-Location
Palestinian Territories.
Work Station: Jerusalem, Italian Cooperation Office.
 
5-Duration of the assignment
3 months with possible extension.
Position: Full-time.
Start: 24th September 2010
 
6-Reporting lines
Responsible to: Italian Cooperation Senior Programme Management.
The Expert will prepare all needed reports as defined by responsible persons and submit them to the Italian Cooperation Senior Programme Manager.
The Expert shall present to the Italian Cooperation the following reports:
-Work plan within 2 weeks of selection.
-First draft of the study after 5 months of research and work.
-Report of feedback immediately following 2-4 weeks of consultations on first draft.
-Second draft no later than 7 months since the beginning of work.
-Short report of feedback following 2 weeks of consultations on second draft.
-Final study report no later than 8 months since the beginning of the work.
-First draft of training sessions after 8 months since the beginning of the work.
-Final training session proposal after 2 weeks since the discussion of the first draft.
-Training on going report after 1 month since the starting of the training sessions.
-Final training report after 2 weeks after the end of training sessions.
 
 
7-How to apply
Interested candidates should submit an Offer including breakdown of foreseen costs for this assignment and, their Curriculum Vitae et Studiorum (draft on EU format) and a motivation letter via e-mail to:
 
ITALIAN COOPERATION OFFICE IN JERUSALEM:
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected] 
 
Please state in the object: Application Expert WELOD
 
8-Deadline for submission of application
Closing date of receipt of Application is 09/09/2010.