Inclusion Specialist

Inclusion Specialist 

SIDA Supporting MSMEs Competitiveness and Growth Programme in Palestine (MCGP)

Location: Ramallah/West Bank

Duration: August 31, 2023 with possible renewal upon fund availability.

Overview:

Global Communities works at the intersection of humanitarian assistance, sustainable development, and financial inclusion to save lives, advance equity and secure strong futures. We support communities at the forefront of their own development in more than 35 countries, partnering with local leaders, governments, civil society and the private sector to achieve a shared vision of a more just, prosperous and equitable global community. We work with government, non-government, private sector, and community stakeholders to promote transparency, foster accountability, and access the channels they need to make their voices heard, promote change, and realize their full potential.  

ROLE PURPOSE:

Global Communities is seeking Inclusion specialist for the SIDA Supporting MSMEs Competitiveness and Growth Programme in Palestine based in the Gaza Strip. This 44-months, 55 million SEK project will use a market systems development lens to better understand the critical constraints that exist to sustainable income change for large numbers of micro, small and medium enterprise owners and ensure a sustainable approach for addressing these constraints. The programme will contribute to job creation especially for women and youth and increase Palestine’s economic independence.

Global Communities recognizes that promoting gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) and positive youth development (PYD) are foundational to ensuring inclusive economic growth in Palestine. Global Communities also recognizes that building a strong and resilient MSME ecosystem necessitates transforming unequal norms and power structures that perpetuate marginalisation and benefit only the privileged. Equally important is providing direct support to underserved populations. In line with the concept of ‘leaving no one behind’, the project will employ both cross-cutting and targeted (women- and youth-centred) strategies to ensure gender-responsive and youth inclusive programming across all objectives, so that all segments of society, especially those furthest behind, can more safely and equitably participate in the market economy and benefit from the program. We will also apply an intersectional lens to our work, considering how various aspects of people’s identity and social status (e.g., gender, age, disability, ethnicity, religion, and geography) affect their ability to engage and thrive in the economy. Youth and women will be the centre of engagement in our innovative ventures and interventions during the four years, including generating new ideas, social entrepreneurial ventures, and advocacy engagement.

The Inclusion specialist will use an in-depth contextual understanding, technical and practical expertise, and relationship building skills to define and deliver inclusive interventions for youth and women in particular. It provides leadership to ensure our work is grounded on intersectional gender/youth and power analysis and supports the design and implementation of inclusive and transformative monitoring and evaluation systems to demonstrate impact, while sharing learning across the organization, teams and partners.  The role will work closely with partners, especially women’s/youth’s led MSMEs and gender and equality-focused organizations.  It will provide leadership to design/adapt and deliver gender transformative content for capacity building and system strengthening of staff and partners.. We are looking for passionate, dedicated professionals to help us build the world we envision: one of expanded opportunity, where crises give way to resilience and all people thrive.

KEY AREAS:

1. Build capacity of staff and partners in key technical approaches related to advancing gender equality, youth engagement and social justice, via developing and facilitating high quality training, coaching, and technical backstopping.
2. Provide oversight and guidance to the programme implementation teams, including partners, to ensure that programme components are technically sound and grounded on gender and power analysis, implementation methods are consistent with national strategies, acknowledged good practice.
3. Along with the Knowledge management team, carry out project-based gender/youth and power analysis (baseline, midline, and end lines), and monitor the interventions at project sites in a way that measures the overall impact of gender sensitive and transformative pathways.
4. Contribute to organisational learning on gender equality, ensuring that learning from our programmes is shared across the organization and with our partners.
5. Ensure the quality, clarity and consistency of technical components of internal and external reports (e.g., programme reports, internal updates), prioritizing and embedding gender/youth equality across framing and content.
6. Implement gender-responsive and inclusive partner selection and stakeholder engagement strategies.

• Identify and engage women- and youth-focused and led stakeholders, including civil society organisations and business support associations, which will support the achievement of the program’s Gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) and Positive youth development (PYD) objectives.
• Incorporate familiarity with and commitment to GESI/PYD as criteria for selecting program partners and key stakeholders.
• Assess program partners’ and key stakeholders’ institutional capacity to integrate GESI/PYD and train them on these concepts as needed.
• Identify key powerholders, including male traditional, faith-based, political, and business leaders, and engage them in constructive dialogue about GESI/PYD

7. Select specific target groups and analyse the needs, opportunities, risks and barriers to their economic participation.

• Integrate GESI/PYD into the market systems analysis and other assessments conducted under the program.
• Conduct a participatory, intersectional, conflict-sensitive and pandemic-informed Gender and Inclusion Analysis at the program level.
• Validate findings of the Gender and Inclusion Analysis with program partners, stakeholders and community members; engage them in developing actionable recommendations.

8. Ensure integration of GESI and PYD and clear focus on target groups in the design of interventions

• Use findings of the Gender and Inclusion Analysis to design evidence-based interventions (both cross-cutting and women-/youth-centred) that facilitate safe, meaningful and equitable participation of target groups in the economy.
• Develop Gender and Inclusion Strategy and action Plan.

9. Ensure integration of GESI and PYD and clear focus on target groups in the MRM framework

• Disaggregate person-level indicators by sex, age and—when appropriate—by other relevant characteristics, such as disability status or residence
• Include gender- and youth-specific outcome indicators (qualitative and quantitative) to monitor and capture the program’s progress against its GESI/PYD objectives.

Additional job responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.

جميع الحقوق محفوظة لموقع جوبس.

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Women and Gender Studies or related degree with focus on gender/youth equality and inclusion in international development, social work or related area, or equivalent experience with at least 4 years’ experience in the Gender/youth field, providing technical leadership for the design and implementation of programmes focused on advancing gender/youth equality.
• Bachelor degree in Women and Gender Studies or related degree with focus on gender/youth equality and inclusion in international development, social work or related area, or equivalent experience with at least 6 years’ experience in the Gender/youth field, providing technical leadership for the design and implementation of programmes focused on advancing gender/youth equality.
• Strong understanding of gender/youth equality and inclusion principles and practices, the gender equality sector, policy priorities and key gender inequalities impacting youth in Palestine.
• Previous experience in gender equality training, capacity building, and mentoring, and a demonstrated ability to make complex concepts compelling and accessible.
• Demonstrated knowledge and skills related to intersectional gender and power analysis, and to the design, piloting, implementation and evaluation of innovative technical tools and resource to advance gender equality and inclusion.
• Demonstrated strong knowledge and skills related to gender/youth sensitive and transformative program design, monitoring and evaluation, including designing pathways to sustainable impact at scale.
• Able to generate and use data and evidence to innovate, deliver, learn, and share what works and what doesn’t work for transforming the root causes of harmful gender norms and promoting gender equality for and with youth.
• Experience in gender/youth in Private Sector and MSMEs development sphere will be strong advantage.
• Fluent in English and high level of English writing skills.
• Excellent Computer skills (Microsoft Office and other online applications).

To apply please send your CV and a cover letter by email to [email protected] no later than Wednesday April 12, 2023, indicating the position title in the subject of the email.

Global Communities positively welcomes and seeks applications from all sections of society.  We are committed to a work environment that respects the dignity and worth of everyone and offers equal opportunity.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment.