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Gender and Advocacy Advisor

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Helen Keller International
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Last Date: August 10, 2011
Email: Adv-Gender@hki.org (Reference: DevNetJobs.org)



Gender and Advocacy Advisor

Background
Established in 1915 with Helen Keller as a founding trustee, Helen Keller International (HKI) works to save the sight and lives of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged. Headquartered in New York City, HKI currently conducts programs in 21 countries in Africa and Asia as well as in the United States. HKI is known for sustainability, reliability, efficiency and the highest level of technical expertise in preventing and treating blindness and malnutrition.

To accomplish its work, HKI builds the capacity of local governmental, civil society and private sector systems and infrastructure, and promotes the development of sustained, large-scale programs that deliver effective services for nutrition, eye health and neglected tropical diseases. As part of its nutrition actions, HKI has been working on agricultural approaches to combat undernutrition and improve incomes of vulnerable households. In sub-Saharan Africa, one of the key strategies that HKI promotes is the introduction of orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) cultivars, which are rich in pro-vitamin A and can be easily introduced as women have traditionally grown white-fleshed sweetpotatoes.

HKI’s work in OFSP has been in close partnership with the International Potato Center (CIP). Currently, HKI is a core partner in two CIP-led multi-year programs. Both programs seek to improve the food security and livelihoods of poor families in sub-Saharan Africa by exploiting the untapped potential of sweetpotato, including OFSP. The program works to develop the essential capacities, products and methods to reposition sweetpotato in food economies of sub-Saharan African countries to alleviate poverty and undernutrition.

Scope of the Position:
As a key partner, HKI is responsible for the Gender and Advocacy components- ensuring that all aspects of OFSP promotion are based on sound gender analysis and to lead the development of advocacy for programs and policy support, including resource mobilization in the countries of interest. HKI responsibilities include fielding a full time Gender and Advocacy Advisor, located in the CIP-Nairobi office and responsible to manage specific components on the 2 grants.

The Gender and Advocacy Advisor also serves on the Senior Management Team (SMT) of the projects and is responsible for mainstreaming gender into delivery projects and advocacy efforts and assisting in monitoring compliance concerning any gender-related targets.


Specific responsibilities of the position include:

Gender Analysis and Mainstreaming:
(1) Provide expertise in gender analysis across the SASHA and RAC teams ensuring that the programs takes into account the roles of women and men in sweetpotato production and consumption systems and optimizes impact on women’s livelihoods and nutrition.
(2) Lead a study on the role of gender in relation to OFSP production and utilization.
(3) Develop and implement training module on gender and sweetpotato for project staff and partners, including those participating in national and regional networks.
(4) Provide recommendations on design of gender sensitive OFSP projects
(5) Provide technical support to monitor gender incorporation into the different components of the SASHA project

Advocacy for Policy changes and Representation
(1) Provide leadership and overall management of the OFSP advocacy component- identify channels and mechanisms for policy change and reaching decision makers
(2) Lead and coach staff on project on advocacy tools, competencies
(3) Lead and support country specific stakeholder analysis and elaboration of operational procedures manual, work plans, budget management, reporting
(4) Provide technical support for resource mobilization and advocacy efforts in country
(5) Develop framework for monitoring and evaluation of policy/advocacy gains
(6) Oversee staff and resources including technical support and supervision of country based OFSP advocates and other project staff.

Resource Mobilization and Knowledge Management:
(1) Identify leads and actively support proposal development for RAC partners
(2) Coordinate sharing of lessons-learnt and joint programming at sub-regional and regional level,
(3) Coordinate with the communications specialist to ensure that RAC OFSP interventions are documented and published widely in journals, blogs and other mass media. Ensure at least 1 publication per year in a peer reviewed journal.
(4) Take lead internally in HKI to provide routine updates to country and regional offices about advances in OFSP programming

Program Management:
(1) Represent HKI internally on the SMT and externally to stakeholders and potential donors
(2) Supervise Senior Policy Advisor (based in Accra, Ghana), Advocacy Coordinator (based in Nairobi) and technical oversight for country office based staff under the project
(3) Lead in preparation of HKI technical reports for submission to CIP
(4) In coordination with regional operations team, provide routine review of grant spending
(5) Support country offices and regional office in recruitment of staff for related programs as required

Required experience and qualifications:
(1) Proven experience in project management, including project design, implementation and evaluation, staff supervision, budget management and proposal writing
(2) At least 7 years work experience, preferably in Africa with background in agriculture, food security and/or public health nutrition.
(3) Demonstrated ability to mobilize resources
(4) Knowledge of Agriculture systems, policies and institutions in Africa
(5) Proven expertise in gender analysis and a track record of conducting policy analysis and advocacy efforts
(6) At least of Master’s degree with strong preference for Phd in a relevant discipline (sociology, gender studies, anthropology, agriculture systems, behavior change communication, marketing)
(7) Ability to present and explain complex issues in straight forward terms to different audiences
(8) Leadership and ability to multitask
(9) Excellent communication skills in written and spoken English including a strong record of publications and presentations for diverse audiences
(10) Ability to work with a range of stakeholders, team player with willingness to take on new challenges.
(11) Fluency in French and/or Portuguese highly desirable.

To Apply: An initial contract for 2 years with possibility of renewal dependent on funding. Interested candidates should submit: (1) cover letter; (2) current curriculum vitae in English; (3) three referees and their contact information and (4) a short writing sample (2-3 pages) in English, to Adv-Gender@hki.org with a copy to Human Resources at hkihr@hki.org . Please note Gender and Advocacy Advisor in the header. Applications should be submitted by August 10, 2011. Kindly note that only short-listed candidates will be notified.

 


 


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