Economic Development & Gender Specialist

Job Description

Title: Economic Development & Gender Specialist

Company Name: World Vision Bangladesh - Cox's Bazar Special Zone

Vacancy: 01

Job Location: Cox's Bazar (Ukhia)

Employment Status: Contractual

Educational Requirements:
∎ Advance Degree in Agricultural Economics /Business management/ Resilience and Livelihoods/ Gender related field /and or other related Social Science field, and good understanding for Gender Inclusion in Livelihoods programs. Essential.

Experience Requirements:
∎ At least 5 year(s)

Job Context:
∎ World Vision is committed to first do no harm to children or adult beneficiaries, to respect the rights of all beneficiaries, and to uphold the best interests of children as a primary consideration in all actions and decisions; accordingly all the recruits will go through specific checks and compliance procedures in accordance to its Child and Adult Safeguarding Policy.
∎ World Vision Bangladesh has zero tolerance towards incidents of violence or abuse against children or adults, including sexual exploitation or abuse, committed either by employees or others affiliated with our work. World Vision Bangladesh as Child Safe Organization discourages anyone to apply with prior record of conviction related with child neglect, abuse and exploitation.
∎ The main purpose of this position is to lead the development of the gender inclusion approach for the project Gender Inclusive Pathways from Poverty for Vulnerable Household in Cox`s Bazar and ensure gender inclusion within the model. This project will target the host community ultra-poor in Teknaf and Ukhia sub-districts in Cox Bazar, Bangladesh. This proposed 5-year project aims to improve resilience and well-being of 2,880 ultra-poor households in the host communities of Cox Bazar. The project will pilot a gender inclusive Ultra-Poor Graduation Model, targeted and adapted to the critical emergency situation. The staff member will support the gender mainstreaming strategy across the project pillars: livelihoods, food security and social protection, financial inclusion and social empowerment and gender inclusion. The staff member will lead the targeted approach to social empowerment and gender inclusion, which has specific components on softs skills and coaching, life skills (family planning, gender based violence, child protection), gender behaviour change activities at the community and household level.
∎ The project have four outcomes briefly these are
∎ Improved household income amongst Ultra Poor (UP) households: Project seeks to expand opportunity for primary and secondary income in UP households. Targeted training relevant to women will increase technical skills. Households` access to productive assets will be increased through transferring "livelihood asset packages". Households` disaster preparedness and resilience will also be increased.
∎ Improved food security and nutrition of UP households: Project will commence by providing basic needs (including food), then homestead gardening for longer-term nutrition, training on nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene choices, and access to relevant social services. Indicators of success include establishment of kitchen gardens (fruit or cash crops) and proportion of food-secure households.
∎ Improved financial inclusion for UP households: Using World Vision`s Savings for Transformation model, the project will form and train savings groups, and link households or groups to financial services to open a savings account. The project will monitor success through number of households accessing sufficient credit and number of active savings groups (meeting once a month.
∎ Improved social and gender inclusion for UP households :The project is promoting social change benefiting girls and women: firstly, improving UP household`s soft skills through mentoring and coaching; secondly, improving household gender-equitable relations by adapting Promundo`s Mencare model; thirdly, promoting gender norm change in communities through awareness raising; fourthly, increasing knowledge on child rights through household and community awareness sessions.
∎ The successful candidate will ensure the quality of the implementation of the gender Inclusive economic development interventions and support project partner`s staff & facilitators in programme implementation.
∎ Based on the project assessments, the position will lead the develop strategy for gender inclusion and women`s economic empowerment and implement an linked capacity building plan for project staff, partners and stakeholders. He/she will be responsible for identifying key strategic partners for implementation of the project and sharing learning and best practices with relevant stakeholders.
∎ This position will maintain strong and regular external engagement with Economic Development and Gender stakeholders in the project areas - the two upazilas of Ukhiya and Teknaf under Cox`s Bazar district. It will also coordinate internally within World Vision Bangladesh and the World Vision partnership, as necessary.

Job Responsibilities:
∎ This person will Lead the gender and women's economic empowerment (WEE) strategy for this ultra-poor graduation project based on the completed gender related analysis, including the gender sensitive market assessment and gender and social inclusion assessment
∎ Ensure staff and facilitators of upazila level implementing partner organizations are following the agreed gender inclusion strategic approach, relevant standards and implementing gender focused economic program and gender related other activities as per plan/design.
∎ Provide subject matter expertise including technical knowledge, professional suggestions and guidance based on a strong understanding of global and Bangladesh good practices;
∎ Assess capacity and implement capacity building plans for staff, facilitators, and key programme / project partners based on the project needs.
∎ Monitor and ensure quality of overall program at Upazila by frequent field visit and conduct quality assessments of activities for program improvement. I
∎ Coordinate and provides quality support to the field level organizations/committees/organization those are involved in economic development related program in the area
∎ Manage works efficiently through prioritizing and allocating resources and tracking progress of key economic development and gender related monitoring indicators (activity / output / outcome);
∎ Build relationship with local level networks/coalition for local level advocacy and ensure support for implementation of the Gender focused Economic Development program and Gender related activities.

Additional Requirements:
∎ At least 5 years work experience in the fields of agriculture, food security, economic development, Gender project/relevant project /interventions. Essential
∎ Proven experience in implementing, facilitating and contributing to economic and gender inclusion activities in the field. Desirable
∎ Proven experience as a team player. Desirable
∎ Work environment - 80% field based and 20% office based
∎ Strong understanding of current development trends, research and trends in the fields of agriculture, food security, economic development, and resilient livelihoods. Essential
∎ Special knowledge on Gender and Women's economic empowerment programming, Ultra poor graduation model, Gender Norm Change, including engaging communities etc.
∎ Experience on family planning, child rights and gender based violence programming would also be valued. Essential
∎ Understanding about Ultra-poor graduation model and have ability to support throughout all the outcomes described above. Essential
∎ Good facilitation skills of Training, Orientation, Workshop and Advocacy programmes. Essential
∎ Management and leadership ability. Desirable
∎ Good communication and networking skills. Essential
∎ Good proficiency in English & Bengali, both written and verbal. Preferred
∎ Competent in using MS Word, MS Excel, SPSS and PowerPoint. Essential
∎ Understanding of multiculturalism and experience working in a multi-cultural/ethnic/ religious environment. Preferred
∎ Commitment to work for child well-being and good understanding on child protection and participation. Essential
∎ Proven knowledge and experience on economic and gender inclusion, understanding of ultra-poor graduation, gender sensitive livelihoods programs and behaviour change communications. Essential
∎ Strong knowledge on gender including gender relations within the household, community, and agricultural and labour markets. Essential
∎ Good report writing and documentation skills. Essential

Salary: Negotiable

Compensation & Other Benefits:
∎ Mobile bill, Medical allowance, Weekly 2 holidays
∎ Festival Bonus: 1

Application Deadline: February 13, 2020

Company Information:
∎ World Vision Bangladesh - Cox's Bazar Special Zone
∎ Address : Abedin Tower (2nd floor), 35 Kemal Ataturk Avenue, Banani, Dhaka - 1213, P.O. Box: 9071 Hotel Bay Marina, (1st Floor) Plot# 61, Block # B, PWD Residential Area, 4700 Cox's Bazar
∎ Web : http://www.wvi.org/bangladesh

Category: NGO/Development