Program Manager for Gender Equality & Entrepreneurship Development

Transcription

1 Program Manager for Gender Equality & Entrepreneurship Development Location: Reports to: Contract type: Eligibility: Language requirements: Calabar, Nigeria YouLead Team Leader Fixed Term Contract for approximately 4 years Must be legally entitled to work in Nigeria English SUMMARY Cuso International is a North American leading international development agency that works through volunteers to overcome poverty since more than 50 years. Cuso International is currently implementing a new five year,youth Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Access and Development Project (YouLead) funded by Government of Canada through the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development that will support the creation of youth-led enterprises and employment for young women and men in the natural resource sector in Cross River State, Nigeria.Cuso International and implementing partners will develop a youth-driven approach to support sustainable economic activities in key sectors (forestry, agriculture, aquaculture and eco-tourism) identified by the CRS government and other key stakeholders. The project will also strengthen capacity of government at State and LGA levels, youth serving civil society organizations, training organizations, and financial institutions to develop and implement a gender-responsive NRM green jobs/green economy policy framework as the basis of increasing employment, self-employment and secured livelihoods for young women and men in the natural resource sectors. Gender equality is mainstreamed in the YouLead project. The YouLead Program Manager (PM) for Gender Equality & Entrepreneurship Development will lead on promoting gender equality as a cross-cutting issue within the YouLead project, and will lead on providing entrepreneurship technical support. The position requires strong theoretical and technical knowledge of mainstreaming gender equality; technical knowledge of entrepreneurship, including micro, small and medium enterprise development; and experience of working with youth (young women and men). Reporting to the Project Team Leader, the PM Gender Equality, and Entrepreneurship will work with the YouLead Program Team (PM Value Chain, PM Policy; PM Financial Inclusion; and the Knowledge and Communication Manager) and YouLead partners and stakeholders to achieve the expected gender equality results across all aspects of the project. The PM - Gender Equality & Entrepreneurship Development will supervise the work of the Project Officer responsible for entrepreneurship. In collaboration with the private sector, the PM - Gender Equality & Entrepreneurship will work with YouLead partners including the South-South Entrepreneurship Centre, selected business membership organizations and technical training partners in the provision of entrepreneurship training for job creation and youth business development. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Gender Equality: Actively contribute to Cuso International s gender equality commitments as outlined in the Gender Equality Policy, Strategy and Approach Provide leadership on monitoring the integration of gender equality into all stages of YouLead project activities to ensure that youth entrepreneurship and employment promotes gender equality and facilitates equitable opportunities for young women and men

2 Provide leadership on mainstreaming gender across YouLead, including training materials, monitoring, programming, policies and procedures Advise on the collection and analysis of sex-disaggregated data Facilitate gender trainings with project staff with support from the Cuso International Gender Advisor and YouLead Gender Champion CSO Contribute to the design of project gender analysis, the development of the YouLead gender strategy, and monitor the integration of analysis results in the gender integration plan Contribute to the implementation of the YouLead Gender Equality Strategy and Action Plan Review and provide input to work planning and advise the Project Team and senior management on gender issues Plan and monitor the work of the YouLead Gender Champion CSO, and identify, recruit and manage Gender Equality consultants Plan and monitor the work of the YouLead Standing Offer Gender Equality consultant Maintain active relationships with Cuso International Gender Advisor, and with gender specialist in related projects/programs in Nigeria Advise program Managers on strategies to promote positive gender outcomes in the sectors youth entrepreneurship and employment, including access to finance, value chain development, policy and environmental sustainability and to integrate these strategies into the project work plan. Ensure that gender outcomes are adequately tracked within the project M&E framework, working with the knowledge and communication Manager and other sector Project Mangers to identify gender indicators and develop monitoring plans and tools to measure outcome/impact. Train Program Mangers and partners on key gender mainstreaming concepts and support staff and partners to integrate gender considerations int0 their work. Develop tools to ensure regular refresher training can be conducted regularly. Maintain an up-to-date and thorough understanding of gender issues related to project components Provide reports as required Provision of technical support on entrepreneurship and vocational training: Support the capacity assessment of CSOs and training institutions to deliver entrepreneurship training, and enterprise support services with a focus on green jobs/green economy in forestry, eco-agriculture, aquaculture and eco-tourism Identify and mobilize local expertise (consultants and external service providers) to provide technical support to build capacity in entrepreneurship in forestry, eco-agriculture, aquaculture and eco-tourism. Plan, manage and monitor the work of consultants and external service providers to ensure compliance with Cuso International requirements Provide technical support to CSOs and training institutions on entrepreneurship training and methodologies, and on counseling, life skills and leadership Improve the understanding and use of implementation tools for youth entrepreneurship and employment Identify and build relationships with key individuals and enterprises to promote and support the peer and business champions mentoring program. Provide technical support to CSOs and training institutions in the development of bankable business plans to facilitate business creation and expansion, and access to credit Liaise with Business Membership Organizations and individual private sector role models to develop an effective mentoring program for emerging entrepreneurs Leadership, research and knowledge-sharing: Lead on research and analysis on creating an enterprise culture among young women and men, including the role businesses play in achieving sustainable economic, social and environmental development within a green jobs/green economy framework Lead on evidence-based research and analysis on the enabling environment for youth-led enterprises,and the regulation and policy frameworks that facilitate youth-led micro and small enterprises into markets in CRS Ensure the production of quality reporting on research and analysis

3 Lead on entrepreneurship skills development packages and innovative training approaches and methodologies for youth to start and build successful enterprises Contribute to the identification of LGA sites for the pilot project and draw lessons learned from the pilots in order to replicate in other LGA s Support the development of briefs, updates and other materials promoting a youth entrepreneurship and employment in the identified sectors. Coordination of partners and stakeholders: Identify, develop and maintain partnerships with selected CSOs and training organizations, and work with them to promote and coordinate entrepreneurship and green jobs/green economy vocational skills development Identify, develop and maintain relationships with key stakeholders including CSOs, training institutions, local entrepreneurs (micro, small and medium enterprises), business membership organizations, and with the private sector Promote and facilitate collaboration amongst relevant MDAs at state and LGA levels, partners, identified training organizations, stakeholders, business membership organizations, and private sector enterprises involved in youth entrepreneurship and employment Mobilization of International Volunteers: Identify appropriate placements for International Volunteers focusing on organizational development of partners Develop quality placement documentation for the recruitment of International Volunteers to support local partners in compliance with Cuso International Work in close collaboration with the Cuso international team in North America for the recruitment and selection of skilled International Volunteers Support International Volunteers for technical support in entrepreneurship, vocational training, mentoring and organizational development Provide briefings and ongoing guidance and support to International Volunteers for effective provision of technical assistance in entrepreneurship and mentoring Project component management: Manage allocated budget in compliance with the procedures and policies of Cuso International Manage one staff: Project Officer - Entrepreneurship and Gender Equality Project Team Work collaboratively with all members of the Project Team in order to coordinate and maximize efficiency of the project activities Actively contribute to the successful monitoring and evaluation of the project Participate actively in implementation of the project gender strategy Share relevant information with Project Team members on an ongoing basis Participate actively to the Project Team meetings and activities Other responsibilities: Inform and advise the Project Team Leader on project strategic directions. Carry out any other duties as required by the YouLead Project Director, from time to time. KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE Minimum of 5 years experience of mainstreaming gender equality Bachelor s degree in relevant subject, Masters Degree preferred.

4 Gender Equality Mainstreaming: Ddemonstrated knowledge of effectively integrating gender considerations into programming that is not explicitly focused on gender Experience in designing and conducting gender analysis Experience in designing and facilitating training on gender issues and gender mainstreaming processes and techniques Demonstrated capacity to be creative in strategies to integrate gender considerations into non-gender related programming Strong background in gender mainstreaming approaches. Development Knowledge: Significant practical, analytical and theoretical knowledge and experience of international development work in Nigeriaincluding: Strong awareness of gender and equity issues and knowledge of issues affecting young people and women (key target groups for Cuso International) Experience conducting research or analysis on gender issues, including leading focus groups or research in the MSME sectors. Experience designing and adapting programmatic tools to address gender issues or to promote positive gender outcomes. Youth & MSME Development: - A broad understanding of the state of entrepreneurial activity of youth, the social and cultural influences affecting youth entrepreneurship, and the barriers and incentives to enterprise start-up by youth - Knowledge of the MSME sectors in Nigeria Project Management: - Proven experience of developing, phasing, managing and revising budgets in line with all internal and external contractual obligations - An understanding of monitoring and evaluation, including experience with effective gender indicators and data collection considerations - Experience in managing and supporting staff and international volunteers in a cross-cultural context - Experience working on project monitoring and evaluation. - Experience with the training and capacity building of team members and partners. Private Sector: - Experience in collaboration with the private sector preferably in natural resource sectors - Appreciation of the contribution that the private sector and business development approaches can bring to development Team Work: - Proven ability to work effectively in a number of teams, in a multi-cultural context and where teams may be geographically dispersed. IT: - Demonstrated knowledge of the role of ICT-based entrepreneurship training - Proven ability to be self-serving in IT (Outlook, , databases, basic excel, Powerpoint) and willingness to develop IT skills in order to improve effectiveness at work. Communication Skills: Demonstrated capacity in public speaking the ability to articulate project views efficiently and positively in various formats, including speech, panel, debate and group discussion Demonstrated capacity to write for public distribution Good training and facilitation skills

5 Personal Skills: - Considerable problem solving and decision-making skills - Good time management, flexibility and ability to work under pressure Submission of Application: application consists of a letter explaining your interest and suitability for this position (one page maximum) and a resume and should be submitted to: YouLead@cusointernational.org, Please quote the job title in the subject of your . Application Deadline: August 15 th, 2015, 12 midnight (Nigeria time). All post will be based in Calabar, Cross River State