Working in 50 developing countries across Africa, Asia and the Americas, Plan’s stated Global Strategic Goal (2011-15) is to reach as many children as possible, particularly those who are excluded or marginalised, with high-quality programmes that deliver long-lasting benefits. Plan aims to achieve this goal by working in partnership with others and through high performing teams whose behaviours reflect the corporate values. Plan has a global income of around $800m.
About the role The Regional Gender Equality Program Specialist provides regional leadership in developing gender equality skills, tools and capacities of Plan offices and staff across the Region of Americas. The position will lead Plan’s programme and policy work on gender equality, and will support the monitoring of Country Office (CO) progress towards gender equality across the region. This involves the development and execution of a regional gender equality strategy, coherent with Plan’s Global Strategy on Gender Equality, and which ensures that Plan’s analysis, policies and programmes become a centre of excellence on gender equality. The Regional Gender Equality Program Specialist will ensure that a clear vision, consistent message and coherent approach drives momentum on gender equality across the Region. They will be responsible for leading a series of initiatives that will inspire transformative change on gender equality—across offices, amongst staff, and within programmes. They will provide the oversight to the Because I Am a Girl (BIAGG) campaign in the region, so that it is translated into effective programming that has a direct positive impact on the communities with which Plan works. This will involve management of the regional BIAAG Campaign Coordination to spearhead regional programme and policy initiatives on BIAAG that have a strong research component, and are known for quality, innovation and results. They will lead internal processes to promote innovation, learn from experience, build capacity and identify high impact drivers of change across the region. The Regional Gender Equality Specialist will represent Plan in regional and global forums and influence policy makers, building Plan’s reputation as a highly respected contributor in the field of gender equality.
Dimensions of Role: • This role has a regional leadership presence within Plan, working with all of Plan’s Country Offices (COs) in the Region of the Americas (ROA). • Leads the development and implementation of strategy, policy, organisational change processes and regional programmes on gender equality. • Leads the roll-out of Plan’s Gender Equality Self-Assessment Process (Gender audit) across the Regional Office (RO) and CO’s.
• Supports the monitoring of Plan’s Strategy on Gender Equality, and develops an annual regional report on ROA’s performance on gender equality.
• Thematic oversight to BIAAG-spearheads regional flagship programmes on girls’ empowerment. Manages the BIAAG Regional Coordinator. • Provides technical support and guidance to gender specialists and focal points across the 12 countries in the ROA region.
• Leads the roll-out of Plan’s Gender Equality Capacity Building Programme in the Region of the Americas, including monitoring of regional progress and performance. Ensures that appropriate knowledge, skills, tools and capacities are in place to support Plan staff’s performance on gender equality.
• Coordinates the Regional Gender Equality Committee and the Regional Gender Equality Network to become an effective community of information sharing and exchange on gender equality across the global organisation.
• Represents Plan at regional and global levels to influence international policy makers on gender equality. Helps shape the regional research agenda. • Contributes to the shaping of global strategy, tools and related processes on gender equality across the organisation, representing the views and priorities of the Region of the Americas. • Manages a direct budget of approximately $65,000 and influences a gender equality programme budget across the region. Manages 1-2 member of staff (intern and BIAAG co-ordinator), plus consultants as required.
• Supports the monitoring of Plan’s Strategy on Gender Equality, and develops an annual regional report on ROA’s performance on gender equality.
• Thematic oversight to BIAAG-spearheads regional flagship programmes on girls’ empowerment. Manages the BIAAG Regional Coordinator. • Provides technical support and guidance to gender specialists and focal points across the 12 countries in the ROA region.
• Leads the roll-out of Plan’s Gender Equality Capacity Building Programme in the Region of the Americas, including monitoring of regional progress and performance. Ensures that appropriate knowledge, skills, tools and capacities are in place to support Plan staff’s performance on gender equality.
• Coordinates the Regional Gender Equality Committee and the Regional Gender Equality Network to become an effective community of information sharing and exchange on gender equality across the global organisation.
• Represents Plan at regional and global levels to influence international policy makers on gender equality. Helps shape the regional research agenda. • Contributes to the shaping of global strategy, tools and related processes on gender equality across the organisation, representing the views and priorities of the Region of the Americas. • Manages a direct budget of approximately $65,000 and influences a gender equality programme budget across the region. Manages 1-2 member of staff (intern and BIAAG co-ordinator), plus consultants as required.
Typical Responsibilities - Key End Results of Position: An inspiring and achievable strategy to guide Plan’s regional work on gender equality, built on the best available evidence from internal and external sources, which is widely owned by staff across the region. • Contribute thought-leadership to the roll-out of the global Strategy on Gender Equality, which creates a framework for holding Plan Offices and Staff accountable to the commitments made in Plan’s Policy on Gender Equality. Ensure Plan’s Policy and Strategy on Gender Equality are widely known and utilized across the region, including at the most senior levels (Regional Leadership Team).
• Roll-out the regional gender equality strategy, coherent with Plan’s Global Strategy on Gender Equality, which enables Plan’s analysis, policies and programmes to become a centre of excellence on gender equality for the region. Ensure that the process of developing the strategy is highly inclusive and catalytic, drawing staff together across the region and inspiring them to greater achievements. • Lead a strategic process of self-reflection and bench-marking on gender equality across all offices in the region, coherent with Plan’s Strategy on Gender Equality, through the implementation of Plan’s Gender Equality Self-Assessment (GESA) process.
• Provide technical guidance on how to operationalise Plan’s strategy on gender equality across the offices, programmes and staff of the region. Support and track Plan offices in developing well-resourced action plans on Gender Equality.
• Identify different levels of engagement and achievement which allow the gender strategy to be realised by different offices as an on-going, progressive effort.
• Devise and implement methods to monitor and evaluate the strategy, driving learning and improvement. Develop an annual report on the region’s progress in achieving Plan’s gender equality commitments. • Ensure regular review and improvement of the gender strategy in the light of emerging experience.
• Roll-out the regional gender equality strategy, coherent with Plan’s Global Strategy on Gender Equality, which enables Plan’s analysis, policies and programmes to become a centre of excellence on gender equality for the region. Ensure that the process of developing the strategy is highly inclusive and catalytic, drawing staff together across the region and inspiring them to greater achievements. • Lead a strategic process of self-reflection and bench-marking on gender equality across all offices in the region, coherent with Plan’s Strategy on Gender Equality, through the implementation of Plan’s Gender Equality Self-Assessment (GESA) process.
• Provide technical guidance on how to operationalise Plan’s strategy on gender equality across the offices, programmes and staff of the region. Support and track Plan offices in developing well-resourced action plans on Gender Equality.
• Identify different levels of engagement and achievement which allow the gender strategy to be realised by different offices as an on-going, progressive effort.
• Devise and implement methods to monitor and evaluate the strategy, driving learning and improvement. Develop an annual report on the region’s progress in achieving Plan’s gender equality commitments. • Ensure regular review and improvement of the gender strategy in the light of emerging experience.
Lead coherent regional programming that makes a distinctive and strategic contribution to the technical field both internally and externally. • Provide thematic oversight to the BIAAG campaign at regional level. Provide management of the Regional BIAAG Coordinator. Facilitate the development of regional programmes on girls’ empowerment and gender equality, which are implemented across the region, potentially at scale, and maximize Plan’s overall impact on gender. Ensure that CO’s across the region are highly committed to the success of these programmes.
• Develop practical approaches to implement, monitor and report on regional BIAAG programmes. Ensure quality reports on progress achieved in BIAAG programmes. • Integrate gender equality across Plan’s Program Accountable and Leaning System (PALs) processes in the region: Ensure that Plan’s Gender Equality and Child Rights analysis tool is known by programme staff and utilized as a key part of programme development processes. Support Country Offices with technical input so that all existing and planned Country Strategic Plans (CSPs) use Plan’s gender equality programme criteria tool. Ensure that Plan staff have clear expectations on measures for gender-aware and gender- transformative programmes.
• Provide regular technical support to CO’s to ensure the gender equality objectives in Country Strategic Plans are achieved. Ensure that CO’s are supported and prepared for BIAAG programme and campaign initiatives.
• Support the resource mobilization process by drafting project proposals for regional programs and providing advice and inputs to major proposals developed by Country and National Offices. • Capacity building: Lead the process of monitoring Plan’s capacity and future needs on gender equality in CO’s. Lead the roll-out of Plan’s Gender Equality Capacity Building Programme in the region, including monitoring of regional progress and performance. Ensures that appropriate knowledge, skills, tools and capacities are in place to support Plan staff’s performance on gender equality.
• Coordinate the Regional Gender Equality Committee and the Regional Gender Equality Network to become an effective community of information sharing and exchange on gender equality. Ensure that the Regional Gender Network (including CO gender advisors and focal points) provide high quality support that is valued by members, including opportunities for learning and exchange that improve performance. • Support the establishment of knowledge management mechanisms, including the BIAAG Programme Source, to enable Plan Country Offices to build on the wealth of regional programme experience, and improve overall quality of programmes. Communicate lessons learned and good practice models on gender equality programming across Plan Country Offices and amongst regional stakeholders. • Promote the inclusion of gender equality across Plan’s People and Culture work and other organizational systems and processes in the region.
• Develop practical approaches to implement, monitor and report on regional BIAAG programmes. Ensure quality reports on progress achieved in BIAAG programmes. • Integrate gender equality across Plan’s Program Accountable and Leaning System (PALs) processes in the region: Ensure that Plan’s Gender Equality and Child Rights analysis tool is known by programme staff and utilized as a key part of programme development processes. Support Country Offices with technical input so that all existing and planned Country Strategic Plans (CSPs) use Plan’s gender equality programme criteria tool. Ensure that Plan staff have clear expectations on measures for gender-aware and gender- transformative programmes.
• Provide regular technical support to CO’s to ensure the gender equality objectives in Country Strategic Plans are achieved. Ensure that CO’s are supported and prepared for BIAAG programme and campaign initiatives.
• Support the resource mobilization process by drafting project proposals for regional programs and providing advice and inputs to major proposals developed by Country and National Offices. • Capacity building: Lead the process of monitoring Plan’s capacity and future needs on gender equality in CO’s. Lead the roll-out of Plan’s Gender Equality Capacity Building Programme in the region, including monitoring of regional progress and performance. Ensures that appropriate knowledge, skills, tools and capacities are in place to support Plan staff’s performance on gender equality.
• Coordinate the Regional Gender Equality Committee and the Regional Gender Equality Network to become an effective community of information sharing and exchange on gender equality. Ensure that the Regional Gender Network (including CO gender advisors and focal points) provide high quality support that is valued by members, including opportunities for learning and exchange that improve performance. • Support the establishment of knowledge management mechanisms, including the BIAAG Programme Source, to enable Plan Country Offices to build on the wealth of regional programme experience, and improve overall quality of programmes. Communicate lessons learned and good practice models on gender equality programming across Plan Country Offices and amongst regional stakeholders. • Promote the inclusion of gender equality across Plan’s People and Culture work and other organizational systems and processes in the region.
Influence external policy makers and other stakeholders, based on Plan’s robust vision, analysis and experience in gender equality. • Identify key actors, including decision making bodies, proactively identifying opportunities for high impact advocacy and policy engagement on gender equality. • Contributes to the shaping of global strategy, tools and related processes on gender equality across the organisation, representing the views and priorities of the region. Actively participate and contribute to the Global Gender Equality Reference Group.
• Contribute to the development of Plan’s advocacy and public position statements on relevant gender and BIAAG issues, which reflect Plan’s programme experience in the region.
• Represent Plan’s positions on gender equality/BIAAG to key external audiences, at regional and sometimes global levels. Develop strategic partnerships on BIAAG with key stakeholders in the region. Build Plan’s profile as a respected thought-leader and high-level contributor on girls’ rights and gender equality.
• Develop highly effective personal networks and relationships with key decision makers and influencers on gender equality and BIAAG across the region.
• Engage with gender equality decision making bodies, networks, donors, academics and research bodies. • Support research processes for the development of the BIAAG annual report. Help to shape Plan’s regional research agenda on BIAAG. Identify new topics for regional research in gender equality which may be researched through Plan’s programmes.
• Contribute to the development of Plan’s advocacy and public position statements on relevant gender and BIAAG issues, which reflect Plan’s programme experience in the region.
• Represent Plan’s positions on gender equality/BIAAG to key external audiences, at regional and sometimes global levels. Develop strategic partnerships on BIAAG with key stakeholders in the region. Build Plan’s profile as a respected thought-leader and high-level contributor on girls’ rights and gender equality.
• Develop highly effective personal networks and relationships with key decision makers and influencers on gender equality and BIAAG across the region.
• Engage with gender equality decision making bodies, networks, donors, academics and research bodies. • Support research processes for the development of the BIAAG annual report. Help to shape Plan’s regional research agenda on BIAAG. Identify new topics for regional research in gender equality which may be researched through Plan’s programmes.
About you Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours required to Achieve Role’s Objectives: Knowledge: • In-depth knowledge of the links between gender equality, children’s rights and NGO development programming practice.
• Demonstrated understanding of girls’ rights issues, contextualized to an NGO and the linkages between CEDAW and the CRC. • Knowledge of gender analysis programme frameworks and their application to child-rights programming.
• Excellent understanding of the practicalities of designing, implementing, and evaluating high quality programmes that promote gender equality or girls’ empowerment. • Excellent understanding of relevant policy-making processes and institutions on gender equality.
• Knowledge of the regional context in the Americas.
• Demonstrated understanding of girls’ rights issues, contextualized to an NGO and the linkages between CEDAW and the CRC. • Knowledge of gender analysis programme frameworks and their application to child-rights programming.
• Excellent understanding of the practicalities of designing, implementing, and evaluating high quality programmes that promote gender equality or girls’ empowerment. • Excellent understanding of relevant policy-making processes and institutions on gender equality.
• Knowledge of the regional context in the Americas.
Skills: • Strong ability to communicate theoretical concepts on gender in simple terms and to apply these to practical solutions to promote gender equality.
• Ability to design, monitor and evaluate gender equality and girls’ empowerment programming, based on sound gender analysis, programme practice.
• Gender analysis skills at programme level. • Ability to inspire others and bring them around a common agenda. • Strong team-building and motivational skills. • Strong project management skills • Ability to build internal and external networks across countries. • Strong conceptual skills and strategic capacity • Confident public speaker with media skills. • Development of guidelines and standards • Adult education facilitation and training skills • Compelling influencer and communicator • Excellent communication skills operating at a distance and across a wide variation in cultures • Excellent command of Spanish and English, both spoken and written (French and Portuguese would also be an advantage)
• Ability to design, monitor and evaluate gender equality and girls’ empowerment programming, based on sound gender analysis, programme practice.
• Gender analysis skills at programme level. • Ability to inspire others and bring them around a common agenda. • Strong team-building and motivational skills. • Strong project management skills • Ability to build internal and external networks across countries. • Strong conceptual skills and strategic capacity • Confident public speaker with media skills. • Development of guidelines and standards • Adult education facilitation and training skills • Compelling influencer and communicator • Excellent communication skills operating at a distance and across a wide variation in cultures • Excellent command of Spanish and English, both spoken and written (French and Portuguese would also be an advantage)
Behaviours • Striving for high performance • Strategic thinking and innovation • Decision making and risk management • Influence and communication • Building effective teams and partnerships • Developing people • Self-awareness and resilience
Location: Regional Office in Panama. Other locations within the region may also be considered. Travel: Frequent travel within and outside the region, sometimes to remote areas. (50%) Type of Role: Two year fixed term contract Grade: F Salary: $50-64,575 per annum plus full expat benefits Closing Date: Friday 8th February 2013
This is an accompanied position and a full relocation package will be available
How to apply:
To apply for this role please visit our website and submit your application: http://plan-international.org/about-plan/jobs
References will be taken and background and anti-terrorism checks will be carried out in conformity with Plans Child Protection Policy. Plan operates an equal opportunities policy and actively encourages diversity, welcoming applications from all areas of the international community.
