The Position
The GYSI Lead will ensure that the social dimensions of Food, Nutrition and Economic Security (FNES) are effectively addressed across all activity components and at all levels throughout award implementation. This person will work to ensure vulnerable and marginalized populations are considered in targeting approaches.
The GYSI Lead must have an in-depth understanding of gender, age, and other locally significant socio-cultural and inclusion factors in the context of FNES programming, and a demonstrated capacity to lead the collection, analysis, and utilization of information from a broad range of sources. The GYSI Lead must have skills in FNES programming, participatory learning and action, and facilitating collaborative problem-solving.
The GYSI Lead must also have the ability to foster commitment and build capacity among activity staff and in-country actors to ensure gender and youth integration, empowerment, and social inclusion. During the first year of the program, in alignment with Mercy Corps’ best practices and USAID requirements, the GYSI Lead will conduct a gender analysis to inform and guide program implementation and to ensure that men, women, girls and boys have equitable opportunities to engage in and benefit from program activities.
S/he will promote innovative initiatives for inclusiveness in conformity with the donor and Mercy Corps’ gender policy. S/he will be expected to bring creativity and innovation to ensure that GYSI opportunities are maximized, integrated, and mainstreamed throughout the wider program strategy and implementation of other components and partners.
Essential Responsibilities
STRATEGY AND VISION
- Organize and conduct the donor-required gender analysis during the first year of the program and serve as the lead for any program-related youth or GYSI-related assessments.
- Work closely with sector leads/program managers in integrating the findings from the gender analysis into the Activity’s work plan and milestones.
- Ensure a gender-based violence risk analysis is done and incorporate findings into the program implementation plan.
- Develop a GYSI strategy for the program and oversee the implementation of the strategy in collaboration with the program team and adapt and improve them as needed.
- Coordinate closely, work with and support managers and partners to promote GESI integration across all technical areas of the program.
- Work closely with the relevant team members to develop strategies for encouraging youth participation and leadership in project activities and community decision making.
- Work closely with the M&E team on integrating GYSI within data collection and analysis tools. Also with the M&E team, provide technical backstopping in the collection and use of sex-disaggregated statistical data and other research findings for the purpose of analysis and integration of GYSI in program design.
- Contribute to any other research conducted in the program to ensure that relevant GYSI aspects are incorporated.
- Work closely with the Human Resources team to ensure GYSI accountability is incorporated into the position descriptions of team members.
PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
- The GYSI Lead is working closely with Regional Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Advisor, will provide technical support to the program team.
- Develop targeted GYSI capacity building interventions for program staff.
- Support program team in the delivery of training and capacity building on key gender and social inclusion topics to project participants.
- Conduct periodic monitoring of field activities; ensure quality delivery of GYSI interventions and coach/mentor staff technically on this.
- Document processes and achievements to ensure impact and best practices are captured and disseminated. This will include the continual re-evaluation of program activities and information, with resulting activity adjustments in keeping with new insights.
TEAM MANAGEMENT
- Hire, supervise and orient new GYSI team members and provide guidance for deepen understanding of their role.
- Provide continued capacity building to GYSI team, and broader program team members and create a pleasant work environment that promotes learning, accountability and ownership.
- Promote accountability, communicate expectations, and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular one on ones and performance reviews.
- Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
FINANCE AND COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT
- Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps’ regulations. Create and maintain systems to ensure effective and transparent use of financial resources for timely and informative reporting in line with program, donor and Mercy Corps’ needs.
INFLUENCE AND REPRESENTATION
- Develop relationships and linkages with organizations implementing other donor-funded programs focused on GYSI in DRC.
- Conduct regular community consultations to ensure programming remains GYSI sensitive and on-track.
- Collect and share learnings and best practices from this program both internally and externally.
- Identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with consortium partners, donor, local governments and other stakeholders.
- Communicate effectively to ensure overall program targets and donor obligations are met.
SECRUITY
- Work closely with the country team’s security focal point to develop and maintain systems that promote the safety and security of all team members.
- Ensure that programs are designed and implemented with a clear analysis and understanding of security.
Supervisory Responsibility
Gender, Youth and Social Dynamics Team Leaders and Officers.
Accountability
Reports Directly To: Deputy Chief of Party
Works Directly With: Program team members, PaQ Director, M&E and research teams, partner organizations, HQ Regional Program Team, HQ Technical Support Unit
Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
Minimum Qualifications & Transferable Skills
- MA/S or equivalent experience in a social science discipline such as development studies, international relations, gender studies, or related field.
- At least five years’ (7 years + if only undergraduate degree) experience in gender, youth and social inclusion programming, at least five of which must be based in country programs, implementing gender and social inclusion programming at the community level.
- Experience developing and conducting gender training, gender/youth/social dynamics mainstreaming and engaging in gender advocacy. Preference for experience with projects addressing resilience, agriculture, natural resources management, agribusiness, peacebuilding and conflict management.
- Demonstrated capacity to lead the collection, analysis and utilization of information from a broad range of sources to ensure effective integration of gender and youth concerns throughout the program’s duration.
- In-depth understanding of gender, age and other locally significant socio-cultural factors in the context of food and nutrition security and resilience programming.
- Skills in participatory learning and facilitating collaborative problem-solving.
- Understanding and knowledge of USAID regulations and program administration, management, and reporting procedures and systems is preferred.
- Prior humanitarian and/or development experience working in a context similar to DRC.
- Fluent oral and written French.
- Strong oral and written English and Tshiluba language skills are highly desired.
- Excellent computer skills (especially Microsoft office applications) and ability to use information technology as a tool and resource.
