Location: Afghanistan
Job Code: 832
# of Openings: 1
Description
Futures Group seeks an experienced local Afghan Gender
Specialist for an upcoming USAID funded project in Afghanistan. The project
objective is to increase utilization of high quality Family Planning, Maternal,
Newborn and Child Health (FP/MNCH) services through culturally-appropriate and
cost-effective interventions to strengthen and enhance existing primary care
services provided through the Ministry of Public Health’s (MoPH) Basic Package
of Health Services (BPHS) and the private sector. The FP/MNCH project will also
strengthen referral systems to Essential Package of Hospital Services (EPHS) at
the provincial level towards improving the continuum of care, especially for
vulnerable populations. The USAID FP/MNCH Project will provide technical
leadership on FP/MNCH issues in Afghanistan by serving as a platform for
increasing learning and knowledge sharing between a wide range of partners. The
program will also increase the availability and quality of BPHS and private
sector services and institutionalize evidence-based interventions into the
health system
Job Summary
The Gender Specialist will contribute technically in
implementing FP/MNCH gender activities and in integrating gender into all
project activities, and will support the MoPH and its BPHS and EPHS system to
achieve the project objectives. The Gender Specialist will also work closely
with the project Team Leader as well as the technical leads in charge of other
technical areas to insure gender integration. This position will report to the
project Team Leader.
Specific Duties & Responsibilities
• Conduct initial gender analysis to inform and adapt
project activities.
• Consult with the Team leader and technical advisors in design, implementation, and documentation of gender-focused project activities and gender-related components of projects.
• Work closely with the Dubai-based gender advisor and Kabul-based technical team to develop and oversee implementation of a project-specific plan of action for integrating gender throughout HPP Kenya project activities, including policy development, data collection and analysis, stakeholder outreach, and training and capacity development activities.
• Tailor and apply gender assessment tools, training materials, and capacity strengthening plans, as required by project activities.
• Supervise short-term local consultants assigned to gender activities.
• Provide day-to-day technical guidance across project activities to improve quality of equitable, gender-sensitive health care services; promote gender equality and female empowerment; promote positive change in attitudes, behaviors and roles, and responsibilities towards gender equality; and improve access to gender-sensitive health services, including gender-based violence services.
• Test, evaluate, and adopt innovative approaches to reduce gender, cultural, age-related and other barriers to access FP/MNCH services.
• Under the guidance of the Team Leader, assist in managing the program’s performance in the area of gender and ensure that gender results are reported in the Performance Management Plan (PMP). This will also include regular monitoring of the MoPH’s BPHS capacity building plan and an endline assessment of the Gender Department to measure strengthened capacity. Provide support and technical assistance to the MoPH and MoPH’s Gender Directorate.
• Support integration of gender in public and private health service delivery, ensuring that existing gender sensitivity and assessment tools (such as QA standards for health facilities) are appropriately leveraged or adapted in project.
• Monitor and evaluate project implementation of gender-focused activities, as well as efforts to integrate gender throughout project activities.
• Update field project team in Afghanistan and in the US on activities’ progress.
• Draft or contribute to other project reports and presentations on activities as requested.
• Provide technical assistance to MoPH unit in drafting and implementing Gender Based Violence and other gender-related trainings for health managers, healthcaer providers, CHWs and various community leaders, when needed.
• Monitor and evaluate implementation of gender-related standards at the national and provincial public health department and health facilities.
• Work with health facilities that need assistance with implementing gender-sensitive quality assurance standards and to develop a plan and provide appropriate assistance and trainings.
• Serve as a liaison between MoPH Gender Directorate and the project team.
• Review MoPH gender policy, strategy and annual work plan, when needed.
• Assume other responsibilities and activities, as requested by the Team Leader.
• Keep project team and partners abreast of gender-related innovative technical approaches as well as guidance from the US government on gender integration and analysis.
• Actively participate in the development of annual work planning, design, implementation, and reporting related to project technical activities.
• Consult with the Team leader and technical advisors in design, implementation, and documentation of gender-focused project activities and gender-related components of projects.
• Work closely with the Dubai-based gender advisor and Kabul-based technical team to develop and oversee implementation of a project-specific plan of action for integrating gender throughout HPP Kenya project activities, including policy development, data collection and analysis, stakeholder outreach, and training and capacity development activities.
• Tailor and apply gender assessment tools, training materials, and capacity strengthening plans, as required by project activities.
• Supervise short-term local consultants assigned to gender activities.
• Provide day-to-day technical guidance across project activities to improve quality of equitable, gender-sensitive health care services; promote gender equality and female empowerment; promote positive change in attitudes, behaviors and roles, and responsibilities towards gender equality; and improve access to gender-sensitive health services, including gender-based violence services.
• Test, evaluate, and adopt innovative approaches to reduce gender, cultural, age-related and other barriers to access FP/MNCH services.
• Under the guidance of the Team Leader, assist in managing the program’s performance in the area of gender and ensure that gender results are reported in the Performance Management Plan (PMP). This will also include regular monitoring of the MoPH’s BPHS capacity building plan and an endline assessment of the Gender Department to measure strengthened capacity. Provide support and technical assistance to the MoPH and MoPH’s Gender Directorate.
• Support integration of gender in public and private health service delivery, ensuring that existing gender sensitivity and assessment tools (such as QA standards for health facilities) are appropriately leveraged or adapted in project.
• Monitor and evaluate project implementation of gender-focused activities, as well as efforts to integrate gender throughout project activities.
• Update field project team in Afghanistan and in the US on activities’ progress.
• Draft or contribute to other project reports and presentations on activities as requested.
• Provide technical assistance to MoPH unit in drafting and implementing Gender Based Violence and other gender-related trainings for health managers, healthcaer providers, CHWs and various community leaders, when needed.
• Monitor and evaluate implementation of gender-related standards at the national and provincial public health department and health facilities.
• Work with health facilities that need assistance with implementing gender-sensitive quality assurance standards and to develop a plan and provide appropriate assistance and trainings.
• Serve as a liaison between MoPH Gender Directorate and the project team.
• Review MoPH gender policy, strategy and annual work plan, when needed.
• Assume other responsibilities and activities, as requested by the Team Leader.
• Keep project team and partners abreast of gender-related innovative technical approaches as well as guidance from the US government on gender integration and analysis.
• Actively participate in the development of annual work planning, design, implementation, and reporting related to project technical activities.
Qualifications and Skills
• Master’s degree in social science or public policy
• 5-7 years of relevant experience working in gender with national/international NGOs and public sector institutions in Afghanistan’s health sector, including MoPH
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with colleagues in a complex and rapidly changing environment, excellent interpersonal skills
• Previous experience on Gender Based Violence (GBV) activities
• Fluency in Dari and Pashto preferred.
• Excellent command of written and spoken English, particularly with regard to presentations and preparation of publications and reports
• Strong training and facilitation experience
• Excellent computer skills, including competence in word processing and internet/e-mail
• Ability and willingness to travel to Afghanistan provisional capitals and rural areas
• Proven experience with relationship building/stakeholder relationship management/team building skills
• Experience with USAID and other donors desirable
• Familiarity with USAID gender analysis and reporting requirements preferred
• 5-7 years of relevant experience working in gender with national/international NGOs and public sector institutions in Afghanistan’s health sector, including MoPH
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with colleagues in a complex and rapidly changing environment, excellent interpersonal skills
• Previous experience on Gender Based Violence (GBV) activities
• Fluency in Dari and Pashto preferred.
• Excellent command of written and spoken English, particularly with regard to presentations and preparation of publications and reports
• Strong training and facilitation experience
• Excellent computer skills, including competence in word processing and internet/e-mail
• Ability and willingness to travel to Afghanistan provisional capitals and rural areas
• Proven experience with relationship building/stakeholder relationship management/team building skills
• Experience with USAID and other donors desirable
• Familiarity with USAID gender analysis and reporting requirements preferred
All applications for this position should be submitted
online at www.futuresgroup.com via the Careers page. Futures Group
provides equal employment to all participants and employees without regard to
race, color, religion, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, veteran or
marital status.
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