Gender & Social Inclusion Advisor at Palladium Group

Purpose of Position

• The Gender & Social Inclusion Advisor is responsible for providing technical support to ECP?s state, regional and federal teams on working in GESI and conflict sensitive ways.
• She or he will work closely with strategic short-term advisors and manage their inputs to state, regional and federal teams, who require mentoring and continued support.
• The Gender & Social Inclusion Advisor is part of the Technical Support Team and is expected to work closely with all other members of the team to ensure a coordinated approach, as well as actively collaborate with the other Pillars of PERL and relevant contact points in other development programmes.

Primary Responsibilities
Visioning, strategizing, development of approach:

• Contribute to thinking on PERL's and ECP's overall strategic direction and approach, both broadly and with a specific focus on gender and social inclusion.
• Support the delivery of periodic analysis of the position of marginalized and socially excluded groups and conflict dynamics. Support delivery teams to use research findings to mainstream social inclusion and conflict sensitivity into their work, including in the design of interventions and development of work-plans and concept notes
• Facilitate periodic reflection and review of ECP's social inclusion approach in line with new information and learning from within and outside the programme. Ensure that the approach is integrated with that for engaging the media, legislature, private sector and government.

Leadership, teamwork, relationship management:

• Actively contribute to team-building within the ECP team use of shared mission, vision, values, identity/public profile, use of staff meetings, staff welfare, social events, formal and informal opportunities, etc, to reinforce teamwork. Look out for, highlight and support resolution of internal challenges impacting on team performance
• Work as a team player. Maintain strong working relationships with other members of the Technical Support Team and deliver a shared approach and work-plan. Provide support to other members of the team as needs arise and consult each other closely.
• Maintain close working relationships and ensure co-ordination with members of the MEL and Operational Support Teams.
• Provide mentoring and support to delivery teams in a manner that respects their autonomy and the specificity of their context. Be a resource that adds value in their eyes while facilitating learning and better ways of working. Maintain close working relationships and ensure co-ordination with counterparts in ARC and LEAP.

Operationalisation of approach, delivery of support, results:

• Advise delivery teams on best tactics and approaches to deliver their work-plans and planned interventions, paying particular attention to social inclusion and do no harm principles.
• Identify and oversee external support to ECP delivery teams on GESI and conflict sensitivity from local consultants and from ECP?s consortium and niche partner organisations.
• Support the periodic review of progress made by delivery teams and adaptation of their plans and approach based on learning and evidence, as well as their capturing and reporting of results.
• Contribute to the monitoring and promotion of value for money analysis and diminishing financial dependency of local partners on ECP in line with ECP's broad engagement and empowerment approach encourage and support all other national Core TA to do likewise.

Line Management Responsibilities:

• Line managed by the Head of Technical Support
• The Gender & Social Inclusion Advisor is responsible for working under the leadership provided by the Head of Technical Support, regularly reporting to him/her, and ensuring his/her performance of tasks falls within agreed frameworks and operating principles, as well as building an effective team working relationship more broadly.

Compliance:

• Ensure familiarity with all DFID and Palladium policies and procedures and check the ECP SharePoint regularly to ensure that any updates are also being implemented in a timely manner.
• Adhere to all stipulated PERL-ECP communications protocols regarding use of official email, Box, SharePoint/MIS, Twitter, Facebook, etc. accounts.
• Ensure all labor and finances relating to this role is accurately reported (using correct codes, inserting adequate comments) in timesheets, expense claims and cashbooks.
• Ensure cost of all activities completed falls within that forecasted to ensure monthly variances of reimbursable income to DFID are kept below 5% in Q1-Q3; 2% in Q4.
• Work to place the programme's core values/principles, approach, ethos and priorities above private interests while delivering to this role.

Requirements

• Minimum education and experience required
• Educated to university degree level or above, preferably holding a Master?s degree
• At least 10 years' experience in engaging civil society and governance reform in Nigeria
• Experience working in a donor (preferably DFID) funded programme

Key competencies and professional expertise required:

• Expertise working on social inclusion issues in Nigeria covering both gender and broader exclusion issues as well as conflict sensitization
• Very strong understanding of governance reform and civil society dynamics in Nigeria
• Expertise in providing technical support and capacity building to complex teams, in particular mentoring and facilitation based approaches
• Strong knowledge of systems for programme delivery, including strategic planning, M&E, adaptive learning and knowledge management