Technical Lead (Women Economic Empowerment)

About Us

Established in 1977, GOAL is an international humanitarian agency dedicated to alleviating the needs of the most vulnerable communities. Currently operating in 13 of the world’s most vulnerable countries, GOAL delivers a wide range of humanitarian and development programmes, ranging from humanitarian relief in disaster situations, to focusing on nutrition, food security, and building greater resilience and sustainable livelihoods. GOAL has been working in South Sudan since 1985 with a focus on health, nutrition, WASH, food security and livelihoods. GOAL is continually adapting and responding to the context to support the communities where we work. Currently GOAL works in Twic County in Warrap state, Abyei/Agok in Abyei administrative Area, Renk & Ulang Counties in Upper Nile state, & Kajo Keji County in Central Equatoria state.

GOAL recently was awarded Transforming Household Resilience through Inclusive Economic Development in South Sudan (THRIVE) project by FCDO. The THRIVE programme aims to bolster resilience in conflict and climate affected communities in Greater Upper Nile (GUN). Targeting eight priority counties in Upper Nile, Unity and Jonglei States over four years, THRIVE will reach approximately 120,000 households with gender-responsive and inclusive livelihoods development, market system strengthening, financial inclusion, women’s economic empowerment, climate adaptation, and social cohesion activities. The Programme will be Led by GOAL in partnership with Mercy Corps, CAFOD, and VSF Suisse, and local implementing partners. Combining market systems development with locally led participatory approaches, THRIVE offers a unique solution to address root causes of systemic challenges within target pastoral and agro-pastoral value chains which will create long-term and sustainable improvements in household resilience. THRIVE’s strategy is anchored around four integrated approaches: Market Systems Development (MSD); Localised & Community-Led Approaches; Gender Equality & Social Inclusion; and Social & Behaviour Change. Each of the consortium partners leads one approach but implementation is done by all the partners in their geographic areas as indicated by the table inset.

Job Purpose

The Women Economic Empowerment Technical Lead will lead Women Empowerment, GESI, Social, and behaviour change component at the consortium level and will be responsible for all the strategic areas within GOAL. The output uses SBCC methodologies and gender-responsive approaches aimed at achieving attitudinal change and norm transformation towards women and youth’s productive roles, including women’s financial decision-making and supporting their access to inclusive livelihood opportunities and economic empowerment.

The Technical Lead will provide technical support on financial inclusion and income generation using progression model; Neighbourhoods Empowerment Approach; People Centred Advocacy; and Media Campaigns. The role includes supporting Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLA); linking them to financial service providers when they have achieved optimum operational level; and using them as one of the conduits of women empowerment advocacy.

Main Areas of Responsibility

Project set up, coordination and MEL activities

• Oversee and manage overall implementation of the Women Economic Empowerment, GESI and SBCC component of the intervention.
• Finalize the annual workplan and budget and manage their implementation.
• Provide programme advisory support within the Women’s Economic Empowerment portfolio as assigned.
• Contribute to Learning Plan and Dissemination Strategy Development
• Support Localization Strategy development through detailed mapping of existing community institutions and groups
• Lead in development of SOPs, Guidance documents and minimum standard approaches for output 4
• Training of consortium members on women and youth economic empowerment approaches
• Contributing to production of annual learning review with external organizations, publication of learning briefs and research papers; and cluster participation at the national and field level especially FSL and CWG.

Financial inclusion and income generationWomen Economic Empowerment Technical Lead will use progression model to promote financial inclusion and income generation activities. Specially the technical lead will;• ; ;Facilitate Capacity building of field teams on Gender analysis, GESI framework and action plans as guiding tools for rolling out THRIVE activities• ; ;Guide the field team to provide literacy training to women and youth champions using such GOAL’s methodologies such as REFLECT.• ; ;Support the training of women and youth champions on financial skills and VSLA• ; ;Support women and youth champions to establish VSLAs and cascade literacy and financial skills to groups formed across the county.• ; ;Support linkages of trained groups with market and income generation opportunities, cooperatives, formal financial services, and business investment;

Neighbourhood Empowerment ApproachThrough consultation with GOAL’s Program Technical Team (PTT), lead the design of Neighbourhood Empowerment Modules based on the results of risk and resilience assessments. The assessments may include nutrition, food processing, creation and use of fuel-efficient stoves and agroforestry among others.• ; ;Support women and youth to gain knowledge and skills and empower them to make powerful choices on their households’ food security and nutrition practices• ; ;Guide in the formation of neighbourhood units and lead women in each of those neighbourhood units• ; ;Support the training of lead women to attend monthly knowledge and skills sessions for 6 months and ensure that the women cascade the knowledge and skills learnt to neighbourhood units

People-Centred AdvocacyThrough consultation with the THRIVE Project Director and PTT, lead the design of People-Centred Advocacy (PCA) modules of natural leaders identified from Neighbourhood Empowerment Approach• ; ;Support the training on communication and advocacy skills through People-Centred Advocacy• ; ;Follow up on the implementation of advocacy skills through engagement with duty bearers on structural and institutional barriers to women’s economic empowerment that are emerging from the programme.• ; ;Identifying and engaging with the media especially young aspiring journalists to support the PCA.

Media Campaigns

• ; ;Support in the design of context specific, multi-lingual women and youth empowerment messages to create attitudinal change within the communities• ; ;Lead partnership with digital communications company such as VIAMO to provide tailored messages across the project output areas hence promoting peace, social cohesion, climate, environmental stewardship etc.

Partnership managementTo identify and manage partnerships with markets actors in livestock, fisheries, and agro-forestry value chains to establish and enhance market linkages with pastoral and agro-pastoral communities.• ; ;Develop professional relationships with market actors.• ; ;Map financial service players against the incentive and capacities matrix to identify providers with increased will and skill to extend financial services to pastoral and ago pastoral communities.• ; ;Leveraging the data from the market assessment of financial services, co-design co-investment proposals with financial service providers to extend their reach towards pastoral and agropastoral communities.• ; ;Manage joint initiatives adaptively to identify what work (and what does not) and take successful initiatives to scale.• ; ;Ensure due diligence processes are undertaken and manage milestone-based agreements• ; ;Verify milestones reached prior to new instalments.• ; ;Ensure all partnerships follow GOAL’s SME partnership guidelines, is documentation, appropriately approved, closed out and filed.

Team management Manage a small team of staff at the County level who carry out all the four outputs of the project.• ; ;Recruit and induct a small County level team• ; ;Provide strong and professional leadership to the team and manage using an agile management approach• ; ;Develop strong and professional relationships across the consortium;• ; ;Provide professional performance management to the financial inclusion team, supporting creativity and rewarding solution orientated team members.

Collaboration, learning and adaptation (CLA)To manage joint initiatives adaptively to identify what work (and what does not), take successful initiatives to scale and contribute to learning in financial inclusion for pastoral and agro-pastoral communities within the consortium and more broadly within the sector.• ; ;Work collaboratively with the GOAL MEAL team to ensure the monitoring and evaluation plan (as regards financial inclusion), is fit for purpose, and reflects all internal and donor reporting requirements.• ; ;Work collaboratively with the RIPA MEAL team to develop the financial inclusion learning questions and ensure that appropriate data is being collected and analyzed.• ; ;Produce at least one financial inclusion learning brief each year, prior to the annual learning event;• ; ;Set Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) within financial service provider partners proposals which align with financial service providers own information systems and contribute to project indicators.• ; ;Manage joint initiatives with financial service provider partners adaptively, monitoring KPI very regularly to know what is working and what is not, adapt initiatives and either stop those that are not working or take to scale those that are.• ; ;Convene at least quarterly informal learning events with key stakeholders (e.g. government, communities / civil society and financial service providers and private sector partners), to learn about what is working and what is not.• ; ;Plan and manage the financial inclusion content and participants for the RIPA annual learning event.• ; ;Review and report financial inclusion data on a monthly basis to the Production & Marketing Team Leader.;

Requirements

• Extensive experience in design, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of humanitarian and development projects especially women economic empowerment.
• Technical expertise and previous work experience in applying economic empowerment principles, GESI, SBCC piloting or applying of innovative approaches to market system, income generation for women, and economic empowerment of women.
• Experience coordinating and liaising with government agencies and/or donors is an asset.
• Able to work independently and act on own initiative
• Good communication, facilitation, and negotiation skills
• Good computer skills with ability to use Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point and Outlook.
• Good English language skills

OAL is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to building an inclusive environment for all employees. We foster an inclusive culture where all voices are heard and valued, we are particularly eager to receive applications from women (and other underrepresented groups). We know that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. If you would like more information or have any special requirements or needs that would support you during he recruitment process then please contact the Recruitment team;recruitment.hq@goal.ie ;

All employees share in the responsibility for fulfilling GOAL’s commitment to equal employment opportunity and equal treatment. GOAL does not discriminate against any employee or volunteer; or any applicant for employment or volunteering on the basis of age, gender identity, ancestry, political opinion, civil status, medical condition, ethnic background, disability, race, religion, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws.

Accountability within GOAL

A commitment to GOAL values and GOAL’s integrity framework is critical to working with GOAL. Any candidate offered a job with GOAL will be expected to adhere to the following key areas of accountability: 1) Comply with GOAL’s policies and procedures with respect to safeguarding, code of conduct, health and safety, confidentiality, do no harm principles and unacceptable behaviour protocols; 2) Report any concerns about the welfare of a child or vulnerable adult or any wrongdoings within our programming area; 3) Report any concerns about inappropriate behaviour of a GOAL staff or partner.

Safeguarding

Children and vulnerable adults who come into contact with GOAL as a result of our activities must be safeguarded to the maximum possible extent from deliberate or inadvertent actions and failings that place them at risk of abuse, sexual exploitation, injury and any other harm. One of the ways that GOAL shows this on-going commitment to safeguarding is to include rigorous background and reference checks in the selection process for all candidates.

General Terms and Conditions

This Job Description only serves as a guide for the position available. GOAL reserves the right to change this document.

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