role PURPOSE

Plan International is an independent child rights and humanitarian organisation committed to children living a life free of poverty, violence and injustice.  We actively unite children, communities and other people who share our mission to make positive lasting changes in children’s and young people’s lives.  We support children to gain the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to claim their rights to a fulfilling life, today and in the future. We place a specific focus on girls and women, who are most often left behind.  We have been building powerful partnerships for children for more than 75 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries.

The Project Technical Specialist role exists to provide technical support to the Obligation to Protect and Empower Girls (OPEG) project team and partners on social norms change strategies and implementation. The incumbent will also support design, implementation and reporting of Plan International’s gender transformative approach in the OPEG project with a specific focus on amplifying the leadership and voice of girls.  S/he will promote positive social & gender norm changes from policy, law, and national budgets, to practice and behaviour among marginalised populations in general and girls and women in particular.

Dimensions of the Role

The Project Technical Specialist reports to the Project Manager - OPEG and has no financial or supervisory responsibilities.  The incumbent works closely with all OPEG project staff, Technical Leads in programmes, M&E and Influencing to collaborate on the project and on promoting the gender equality and inclusion policy.  The position interacts regularly and monthly with operational support teams to ensure policy implementation, and project teams at the Programme Area level on achieving gender transformative programming and influencing objectives of the project.

Accountabilities

1. Technical & Strategic Support

• Develop technical guidance, checklists and tools to support project re-design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation and reporting and achieve gender transformation
• Support staff to develop gender transformative detailed activities on the project in line with Plan International Sudan Country strategy and organisational approach
• Provide technical back-stopping to project field staff and conduct field visits on an ongoing basis on implementation of gender equality and social norm behaviour change activities
• Participate in the Gender Equality and Inclusion Self-Assessment (GEISA) and implementation
• Develop behaviour change guidelines, briefs, messages, and other materials for staff and local partners to assist with addressing behaviour and social norm change
• Track emerging national and international trends in gender equality and conduct robust analysis for project intervention improvements
• Contribute to compilation of sex, age and disability disaggregated data in the project’s M&E framework to ensure lessons learned contribute to gender transformation
• Ensure social norms and gender equality studies are done properly and timely to reflect and inform the stakeholders of lessons learnt and application improve project planning and implementation, including disseminations of results with various actors at state and national level.
• Contribute in the development of specific positive social norms, and gender equality and inclusion messages for communications for attitudinal and behaviour change on gender equality.
• Pilot gender transformative initiatives for scaling up and influencing at national and state levels
• Responsible for development and implementation of capacity building, training, coaching, learning plan on social norms change, gender equality, inclusion and gender transformation for Plan International Sudan, project beneficiaries (boys, girls) and CSO/CBO partners.
• Ensure project approaches and strategies (REFLECT, VSLA, Saleema, Champions of Change) are strengthened to promote positive social norms, gender equality and girls’ rights
• Work with girls, boys and youth to implement social accountability mechanism to review and provide feedback on gender equality, social norms and FGM/CEFM practices
• Lead and train legislators, parliamentarians and policy makers at state and national level on policy analysis against regional and international human rights framework on FGM/CEFM and gender equality.

2. Knowledge Management and Learning

• Lead the development and dissemination of communication pieces and materials on social media and other platforms to promote the projects gender and inclusion experience, successes, and influencing objectives
• Lead the development and implementation of capacity building, coaching, and learning plan on gender equality, inclusion and the gender transformation approach for project staff and partners
• Contribute to advising management on gender sensitive HR systems and work-place culture, including key gender equality risks
• Ensure project staff and local partners can facilitate community member identification of gender-based constraints, and can strategise solutions that promote girls & young women’s empowerment
• Support documentation through case studies, stories, and reports, and dissemination of achievements and best practices on behaviour and social norm change approaches to feed into collaborating, learning and adapting (CLA) processes
• Contribute to promoting a culture of learning across Plan Sudan in line with our values, feminist principles and gender equality and inclusion policy.

3. Representation

• Proactively identify relevant networks, forums, and platforms on gender equality and represent Plan International Sudan
• Participate in networks, workshops, conferences and meetings at both local and international forums
• Establish in-house networks to ensure that gender considerations are integrated into all areas of the project and that approaches are gender-transformative
• Contribute to strengthening of partnerships with NGOs and government entities to leverage resources to increase project outcome successes and long-term sustainability
• Position Plan International as a convener, collaborator and relationship builder regarding feminist organisations
• Contribute to collaboration and linkage planning to ensure that behaviour and social norm change approaches incorporate a broad range of external actors and their activities/ impacts

4. Safeguarding and Gender Equality and Inclusion

1. Ensure that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding of children and young people and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI) are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct, their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures
2. Demonstrate gender transformative programming and activities in the project
3. Support mainstreaming of crosscutters when relevant

Key relationships

Internally

1. DCD-Programmes – High level of communication to report, seek approvals, sharing reports and views to strengthen the program areas and to ensure continues support for the program quality and compliance with Plan policies
2. Technical Leads – High level of communication to get support and to understand the policies, programme approaches and contribution to country strategy targets
3. Other departmental heads and M&E – Daily communication for better integration gender and child protection, and demonstration of lasting impact across project activities
4. Program Manager and technical advisors at SNO
5. Globally: Gender and Inclusion group (GIG) - for technical support on Global Policy, best practices and standards

Externally

6. Implementing Partners – high level of communication with implementing partners to understand their process and progress on implementation of the SCYPP and provide the required support
7. Donors/ coalition of the willing
8. Government Officials Technical ministries, local authorities, and other related entities
9. Relevant civil society actors/ CSOs
10. Local communities and direct and indirect project beneficiaries
11. Gender equality and Inclusion experts and leading personalities for mutual learning exchange, represent and profiling Plan’s work in the area.

Government institutions

Technical expertise, skills and knowledge

Technical Expertise

• Master’s Degree in Gender Studies, Sociology, Women’s studies, Peace Building or related subject
• At least 7 years relevant experience and success in providing hands-on technical support on gender equality and transformation, Social & gender Norms programming, with at least 3 years of girls or women’s protection and empowerment, voices and leadership programming
• Experience in Gender Equality and inclusion diversity programming with orientation to various sectoral programs (Education, Livelihoods, protection etc.)
• Experience in project management
• Technical experience in gender equality approaches & tools, state accountability/ advocacy, participation and conflict sensitivity
• Previous experience with an international development and /or humanitarian NGO is an advantage
• Demonstratable understanding of gender, women’s rights, and issues surrounding violence against women and girls in Sudan
• Track record in capacity building, women’s empowerment, civil society coalition building, rights advocacy and civil society strengthening
• Experience in feminist movement building or feminist organisational development is an asset
• Demonstrable experience in managing effective partnerships with government, CSOs and communities
• Experience working in various community groups and in advocacy

Skills

• Ability to manage relations by being sensitive to cultural differences and responding appropriately to different situations
• Significant skills coaching teams to facilitate, collaborate, network and train trainers
• Proven ability to work creatively, innovatively and effectively with limited direct supervision
• Fluency in spoken and written English - Arabic is added advantage
• Knowledgeable of the Sudan context and ability to work in a challenging, post-conflict complex environment
• Strong organisational skills, time management and attention to details
• Stakeholder management, dialogue, liaison and negotiation skills
• Good analytical and research skills
• Proven experience as a team player and demonstrably co-operative with members of other teams

Passionate about girls/ women’s rights advocate with experience in advancing gender equality

Plan International’s Values in Practice

We are open and accountable

1. Promotes a culture of openness and transparency, including with sponsors and donors.
2. Holds self and others accountable to achieve the highest standards of integrity.
3. Consistent and fair in the treatment of people.
4. Open about mistakes and keen to learn from them.
5. Accountable for ensuring we are a safe organisation for all children, girls & young people

We strive for lasting impact

1. Articulates a clear purpose for staff and sets high expectations.
2. Creates a climate of continuous improvement, open to challenge and new ideas.
3. Focuses resources to drive change and maximise long-term impact, responsive to changed priorities or crises.
4. Evidence-based and evaluates effectiveness.

We work well together

1. Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
2. Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
3. Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.
4. Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.

We are inclusive and empowering

5. Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
6. Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
7. Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.
8. Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.

Physical Environment

Typically office environment with 75% field visit demands.

Level of contact with children

High: Frequent interaction with children