Project Summary:
In April 2015, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) awarded a five-year contract to Management Systems International (MSI) to provide performance management support to USAID-sponsored development programs throughout Pakistan. The Performance Management Support Contract (PERFORM) is a centralized management support mechanism to assist USAID/Pakistan implement its Mission Strategic Framework (MSF), whose goal is to increase stability, democracy, and prosperity for the men and women of Pakistan. PERFORM provides data and information to help project managers improve project results through better implementation and design, as well as services that support the Mission’s learning and adaptive process, enabling it to better target its programming and achieve its goals and objectives. The performance components include: (1) Monitoring Services; (2) Evaluation Services; (3) Assessment Services; and (4) Learning Support Services.
Position Summary:
PERFORM supports USAID/Pakistan’s implementation of USAID gender equality and female empowerment policies and strategies including the Agency’s gender policy related to monitoring, evaluation, and learning. MSI is recruiting a full-time Gender Specialist with a background in research methods, monitoring and evaluation and demonstrated experience working with gender issues and the development context in Pakistan. The Gender Specialist will work with PERFORM technical advisors and teams to ensure that statements of work and PERFORM monitoring, evaluation and assessment assignments are designed and implemented to identify gender specific or gender differential effects where appropriate; that data collection methods whenever possible produce data that can be disaggregated by sex at the person-indicator level, include all genders and incorporate culturally appropriate approaches that promote gender equality; and that data is analyzed for gender differential effects. S/he will also review PERFORM deliverables to ensure that gender analyses’ findings, conclusions and recommendations are evidence-based and clearly presented and reflected in PERFORM learning documents. The Gender Specialist will also work with PERFORM technical teams to design and conduct gender assessments and analyses for specific sectors and USAID/Pakistan technical offices, participate in and support gender-related learning events and activities and regularly coordinate with USAID/Pakistan’s Gender Advisor.
Responsibilities:
- Assist PERFORM technical staff to identify possibilities for collecting, sex-disaggregated data that includes options for ‘female’, ‘male’, and ‘other’;
- Assist PERFORM technical staff to develop indicators, or provide guidance on developing gender-sensitive and gender-specific indicators, that are specifically designed to track changes in key gender gaps and progress toward achieving gender equality from baseline to end line, as well as the extent to which closing gender gaps has improved project outcomes and/or whether the project has transformed gender norms and reduced gender gaps; use F standard gender indicators as applicable;
- Assist USAID/Pakistan technical teams and PERFORM technical staff to include questions in evaluations and assessments about gender roles to uncover intended and unintended positive and negative changes;
- Assist PERFORM technical teams to ensure that effective and culturally appropriate data collection and analysis methods are used to capture accurate, timely and useful data from ongoing programs;
- Assist PERFORM technical teams on field visits to assess the extent to which females and males (and intersex as relevant) have access and opportunity to participate in project activities, especially in management and other decision-making, and how equality is promoted through empowerment of women and girls in order to bridge existing and potential gender gaps; ascertain whether any particular sub-group is being left out of project gains (i.e. different ages, LGBTI, people with disabilities)
- Participate in training staff and data collection enumerators in gender and culturally appropriate data collection/interview techniques; ensure that whenever applicable and appropriate, interview teams are comprised of both females and males (and intersex as relevant) and samples consist of females and males (and intersex as relevant), as appropriate to the evaluation questions
- Review PERFORM deliverables to ensure that gender analyses’ findings, conclusions and recommendations are evidence-based and clearly presented;
- Guide the development of PERFORM reports, PowerPoint presentations, briefing documents and other learning products to share lessons learned and best practices in female empowerment and gender equality for diverse audiences and stakeholders;
- Work with PERFORM, USAID/Pakistan and implementing partners to identify strategies and approaches USAID/Pakistan can use to better integrate gender considerations into its current and future programming; to the extent possible, ensure that learning agendas include gender dimensions to enable staff and implementing partners to share knowledge, successes, and challenges related to gender integration, apply best practices as appropriate, and create a community of practice
- Review key Government of Pakistan and donor gender-related policies and programs to identify opportunities for collaboration and mutual strengthening of gender integration.
Qualifications:
- Minimum of five (5) years work experience in programming for women’s development and/or gender equality with skills and abilities working with women, governmental and non-governmental organizations, and/or donors in Pakistan;
- Knowledge and understanding of women’s and gender equality issues, policies and programs in Pakistan at the national and local level;
- Demonstrated expertise in research methods, monitoring and evaluation and gender analysis;
- Familiarity with USAID policies related to gender equality and female empowerment;
- Understanding of gender equality with knowledge of relevant international and national gender and human rights studies, instruments, conventions and legislation; and
- Fluency in English and Urdu.
Only candidates who have been selected for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls, please.
MSI is an EEO/AA/ADA Veterans Employer.