Gender Equality Expert

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VACANCY Announcement

GENDER EQUALITY EXPERT: Ref: FARA/GEE/adv/2011-001
The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa1 (FARA) is a continent-wide forum of stakeholders engaged in African agricultural research and development. FARA has been mandated by both the African Union Commission and AU-NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA) to serve as the Lead Institution for CAADP Pillar IV on agricultural research, technology dissemination and adoption. FARA provides a strategic platform for catalyzing and facilitating continental and global networking to reinforce the capacities of Africa's national agricultural research systems and sub-regional research organizations. FARA makes this contribution through its Secretariat and the Networking Support Functions (NSFs). FARA is being funded through a Multi-donor Trust Fund (MDTF) which is administered by the World Bank.

FARA recognizes the need for appropriate regional policies and enabling environment for sustainable agricultural development and is committed to ensuring that African agricultural development is achieved through appropriate policies that facilitate growth in agricultural productivity and promote access to markets.

FARA's vision is the reduction of poverty in Africa resulting from sustainable broad-based agricultural growth and improved livelihoods, particularly of smallholder and pastoral enterprises. Its mission is to facilitate the creation of broad-based improvements in agricultural productivity, competitiveness and markets by supporting Africa's sub-regional organizations (SROs) in strengthening capacity for agricultural innovation.

FARA is seeking to recruit a gender equality expert to provide technical support, lead and facilitate the process of gender equality mainstreaming at the FARA Secretariat and among its constituents as well as within FARA programmes. The aim is to have a clear gender equality mainstreaming strategy that shall be developed through participatory processes and which will be harmonized with existing gender equality strategies of the SROs (ASARECA and CORAF/WECARD).

The successful candidate shall be responsible to the FARA Executive Director. Working with the Legal Affairs and Corporate Governance Officer, (s) he shall perform the following key tasks:

 Produce an action plan outlining the process of work for the role. This shall include clear roles and responsibilities for gender equality mainstreaming at management and lower levels.
 Ensuring the development, validation and implementation of a strategy for mainstreaming gender equality in the FARA Secretariat, among its constituents as well as within its programmes, including CAADP Pillar IV activities.
 Developing a medium term and operational plan in line with FARA’s overarching results framework and a financing plan (budget) for implementing the strategy.
 Preparing a monitoring and reporting framework aligned with FARA’s overall program for reporting.
 Working with NSF Directors and FARA management to integrate gender equality performance indicators into FARA’s Performance Management Framework.
 Coordinating and providing support to training and coaching clinics for all FARA staff and stakeholders.
 Enhancing the strengthening of gender equality mainstreaming in all FARA programmes and projects. This includes use of approved gender equality criteria in project proposals, reporting and evaluation, and revision of the gender equality criteria where appropriate.
 Supporting FARA and its partners to formulate gender equality responsive policies to enhance gender equality mainstreaming in agricultural research.
 Coordinating and maintaining a close working relationship and strong communication channels with all FARA stakeholders
 Representing FARA’s interests at relevant gender equality events.
 Serving as FARA’s contact point and partner with social and gender policy experts in Africa and internationally, thereby building a network for addressing issues of continental priority in relation to gender.
 Identifying and building capacity of gender quality assurance teams for FARA in the longterm;
 Identifying individuals who can be champions of change in partner organizations in order to enhance institutional commitment at FARA.

Required
 A minimum of Master’s degree in social sciences, gender studies, development studies or a related field, with strong knowledge of interdisciplinary studies and methods notably gender analysis.
 A minimum of five (5) years’ experience in participatory strategic and programme planning and specifically experience in gender equality mainstreaming will be an added advantage.
 A track record in advancing gender equality mainstreaming within institutional settings and throughout project /programme management cycle.
 Familiarity with Africa’s agricultural research and development context and the gender issues related to it.
 Working knowledge of Results-Based Management orientation and practices.
 Ability to speak and write clearly in English; working knowledge of French language will be an added advantage.
 

Compensation
The contract will be initially for a period of twenty four (24) months with the possibility of renewal. The successful candidate will be based at the FARA Secretariat in Accra, Ghana.

Applications
Please send (via e-mail) comprehensive curriculum vitae, together with the names, addresses, e-mail/Skype addresses, telephone and fax numbers of three referees to: Dr. Monty P. Jones, Executive Director, FARA, PMB CT 173, Cantonments, Accra, Ghana; Email: ed@fara-africa.org ; Fax: +233 0302 773676. Applications will be accepted up to 19th August 2011.

For more information about FARA please visit: www.fara-africa.org . FARA is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from women.

NB
Please quote the vacancy reference code in your application to this job. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted