Project Officer – Gender and Inclusion (Re-advertisement)

ABOUT THE ORGANISATION
Founded in 1937, Plan International, Inc. (“PII”) is a globally recognized non-profit dedicated to advancing children’s rights and gender equality in both humanitarian and development contexts. With over 80 years of experience, Plan International addresses the root causes of challenges faced by girls and vulnerable children, working in 70+ countries. The organization collaborates with children, young people, supporters, and partners to create a just world, acknowledging that the potential of every child is often hindered by poverty, violence, exclusion, disasters, and discrimination.

PLAN INTERNATIONAL KENYA
Plan International Kenya (PIK), operational since 1982, focuses on long-term development. Collaborating closely with local communities and governments, PIK implements programs to enhance the well-being of children in areas such as Nairobi, Machakos, Kajiado, Tharaka-Nithi, Siaya, Kwale, Kilifi, Homa Bay, Kisumu, Tana River, Turkana, and Marsabit.

Under the current Country Strategy (July 2021 – June 2026), PIK aims to end teenage pregnancies and gender-based violence against girls. This goal aligns with four strategic objectives:

1.    Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR): Improve access to SRHR services and information to reduce teenage pregnancies and harmful practices in Kenya.
2.    Prevention and Response to Gender-Based Violence: Ensure functional child and girls’ rights protection mechanisms to prevent and respond to all forms of violence and abuse.
3.    Protecting Girls and Young Women in Crisis and Climate Change Adaptation: Minimize the impact of disasters on girls, young women, families, and communities.
4.    Youth-led and Innovative Partnerships for Job Creation: Build a stronger ecosystem for youth employment and entrepreneurship, particularly for vulnerable young women, fostering job seekers and creators.
 

ABOUT COSME PROJECT
Plan International’s Conservation and Sustainable Management of Coastal and Marine Ecosystems (COSME) project aims to significantly scale up Plan International Kenya’s current women-led, climate-resilient livelihoods and coastal management project in Kwale and Kilifi counties. It takes an ecosystems-based approach in partnership with Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) Canada, COSME will also capitalize on opportunities for South-South learning by working between Kenya/Tanzania cross-border communities within the same marine coastal and coastal forest eco-regions. The project will be instrumental in driving Nature Based Solutions (NbS) for climate adaptation and biodiversity conservation in the selected eco-regions: 
i)    Mangrove restoration and conservation. 
ii)    Sustainable seaweed farming.
iii)    Locally-led forest management and conservation. 
Small-scale conservation agriculture practices will also be deployed to build the resilience of women in selected communities.  The ultimate project outcome is improved climate-resilient, equitable economies within communities relying on coastal and marine ecosystems.
 

ABOUT THE ROLE
The Project Officer will work under the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Coastal and Marine Ecosystems (COSME) project. Their primary responsibility will be to implement gender transformative climate adaptation and resilience initiatives within the broader scope of the COSME project at the field level.  The PO will ensure effective partnership management and promote meaningful participation of stakeholders to successfully deliver on the project’s objectives. His/her role will include, mobilisation of project stakeholders, monitor and report on progress of project activities specifically on issues related to gender equality and Inclusion, in close collaboration with WROs, lead implement of the Deep and light model of COSME gender equality and Inclusion strategy, implement SBCC in line with the detailed project implementation plan and to provide administrative and logistical support with all stakeholders for seamless project success. 
 

ACCOUNTABILITIES AND MAIN WORK ACTIVITIES

Planning, Strategy and Policy (10%) 

•    Ensure the project contributes to the outcomes for girls and young women are realised and that girls and women occupy spaces to continually address issues affecting them and realisation of gender equality.
•    Employ a gender-transformative approach, to address power and gender inequalities that undermine responsive, locally-led climate change adaptation and biodiversity conservation 
•    Design and implement the project while advancing gender transformation and aligned to the Country and Global strategies.
•    Promote safeguarding and safe programming through the project cycles and ensure Plan’s policy on safeguarding the rights of children and young people is adhered to by all associates.
•    Build relationship with relevant staff to ensure all logistics and procurement processes are in conformity with Plan policies, procedures and standards
•    Facilitate meaningful engagement, consultation, participation and feedback to the community in relation to Plan programs and policies.

Programme and Project Design, implementation, Reporting and Influencing (30%) 

•    Facilitate and support implementation of Gender equality and Inclusion strategy into all the components of project cycle. They will work towards promoting gender equality, women’s empowerment, and social inclusion in the project’s activities, strategies, and outcomes. This may involve conducting gender-based analysis, and providing guidance on gender equality and Inclusion mainstreaming within COSME project.
•    Work closely with COSME Project Officer to ensure rigorous implementation of an SBCC strategy to promote gender equality and inclusion, and that addresses the integral connection between gender and climate/environmental justice, as informed by the GBA+.
•    Mobilization and participation of women in climate governance and weak collective action among women’s rights organizations (WROs) and youth-led organizations (YLOs) in local climate action 
•    Work directly with Change Agents, with an emphasis on regional experience-sharing, learning exchange and intergenerational dialogue between Change Agents and Youth Led Organizations.
•    Support delivery of trainings on gender equality and inclusion, SBCC to stakeholders as well as Plan staff and partners. 
•    Promote participation of children, girls and communities in project cycle to explore and challenge gender norms.
•    Contribute to gender sensitive responses/intervention through continuous data collection during project implementation. write project periodic reports in line with the laid down donor requirements and Plan standards.

Working in Partnership (10%) 

•    Partnership management while ensuring adherence to Building Better partnership principles 
•    Facilitate authentic community led beneficiary targeting processes and reporting on interventions being undertaken.
•    Engage and maintain cordial stakeholder relationships throughout the project cycle for effective project delivery and achievement of project results.
•    Maintain a high level of external communication and contact at the community and county levels. 
•    Build and strengthen working relations with local structures (local administration, schools among others) and ensure their participation 
•    Engage and influence different technical working groups at sub-county level

Monitoring, Evaluation and Quality Assurance (15%) 

•    Timely development and utilizations of all project tools to support technically sound project implementation.
•    Deliver timely and quality project activity and scheduled reports
•    Operationalise procedures of data quality assurance during collection and submission of all related project data.
•    Work with the Project and the M&E team in documenting project achievements, best practices and lessons learnt.
•    Facilitate and coordinate project reflection meetings with communities and other stakeholders to inform programming/improve on quality of interventions. 

Financial Responsibility (10%)

•    Develop monthly activities and budget plans as per approved work plan and ensure all activities are on track with appropriate scheduling, quality and timelines.
•    Monitor expenditures by interventions and ensure compliance within the approved budget. 
•    Review expenditure reports on a monthly basis. 

Risk Management (5%) 

•    Provide skills, knowledge, and inputs necessary to enable local communities, especially women to gain climate and risk-informed economic opportunities.  
•    Develop project and activity risk assessments and put in place mechanisms to mitigate future recurrent environmental and climate risk and increase biodiversity for sustained ecosystem service. 
•    Continually manage all program safeguarding risks.

Capability Building and People Management (10%) 

•    Support the delivery of trainings on gender equality and inclusion for stakeholders and partners. 
•    Assess local partners’ capacity gaps in delivery of program work with attention to GE&I and develop capacity building plans for mutual development.
•    Internally resources and establish external linkages/referral for capacity development of the local partners

Safeguarding Children and Young People (Safeguarding) and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI) (5%)
•    Understands and puts into practice the responsibilities under Safeguarding and GEI policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), ensuring that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.
•    Leads the orientation of programme staff to ensure that they are properly inducted on and understands their role in upholding Plan International’s safeguarding and GEI policies;
•    Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in project design, during implementation and as principles applied in day-to-day work of Programme team; 
•    Ensures that Plan Kenya contributes to Plan International’s global efforts to ensure safeguarding and GEI, including making sure that relevant reporting and data are submitted.  

Other Duties (5%)
•    As assigned by the supervisor.

LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES
•    Courageous in taking a lead, focussed on Plan International’s purpose and making the most effective contribution within their own work context.
•    Behaves in line with Plan International values and safeguarding practices, inside and outside work. 
•    Challenges own attitudes, unconscious bias and behaviour and speaks up when they see wrong doing, especially by those who use their power over others to create fear or abuse.
•    Understand and adhere to the policies, processes, practices and standards relevant to own work and keeps their knowledge and skills up to date.
•    Honest and efficient in use of resources, including own time.
•    Takes responsibility for own performance and development: reflecting; seeking and listening to feedback; learning from mistakes; finding people or resources to help them learn.
•    Constructive and optimistic in facing setbacks, challenges and change, using own initiative to analyse issues and improve things.
•    Good team player, communicating effectively and being open and supportive towards those around them.

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT COMPETENCIES

•    Understands Plan International in context, including its purpose, values and country strategy, and can communicate these to varied audiences, including how Plan International will deliver on its objectives.
•    Managing activities and resources including skills in project design, planning, monitoring and reporting
•    Managing people and information including skills in capacity assessment and coaching, communication skills, both speaking and writing, and digital working, including personal digital skills

TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

Qualifications/ experience essential: 
•    Bachelor’s Degree in Gender and development Studies, anthropology, International development, Sociology and other related studies.
•    Technical knowledge of Gender Equality and Inclusion in general, and as it relates to relevant sectors, especially Women’s Economic Empowerment 
•    At least 3 years progressive experience in Gender Transformative and Rights based Approaches into project design, implementation and M&E 
•    Direct project management experience, donor reporting and capacity building, preferably in the Natural Resource management and climate change adaptation.
•    Hold personal values, ethics and attitudes which are in alignment with the principles of the Plan’s values
•    Motorcycle riding skills and experience

Qualifications/ experience desirable: 

•    Strong report writing skills 
•    Documentation of project impact stories of change
•    Community facilitation, networking, partnership development and management skills 
•    Good communication, negotiation and advocacy skills 
•    Good interpersonal, relationship and team working 
•    Conflict Management skills 
•    Ability to understand the cultural context of the coastal communities.
•    Experience in program phase out management

Languages required:

•    Excellent written and verbal communication skills in Kiswahili and English.

Please click on the below link to access the full job description:

JD Project Officer- Gender and Inclusion.pdf

Location: Kwale/Kilifi, Kenya 

Reports to: Project Co-ordinator – Gender and Inclusion
Closing Date: 2nd May 2024

Contract end date: 31st December 2025
 
Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the very heart of everything that Plan International stands for.
 
We want Plan International to reflect the diversity of the communities we work with, offering equal opportunities to everyone regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.
 
Plan International is based on a culture of inclusivity and we strive to create a workplace environment that ensures every team, in every office, in every country, is rich in diverse people, thoughts, and ideas.
 
We foster an organisational culture that embraces our commitment to racial justice, gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion.
 
Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. This means that we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with and we must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.
 
A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International’s Safeguarding Children and Young People policy.  Plan International also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme.    In line with this scheme we will request information from applicants previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.
 
Disclaimer: Plan International is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate applicants on any basis. We also do not charge Job seekers any fees at any point of the recruitment process.