Development Program Specialist (Gender)

Job Description

General Statement of Purpose of Contract

The position of Development Program Specialist (Gender) is based in USAID/India’s office of Program Support (PS). Working closely with USAID’s Project Development Officer and technical teams throughout the Mission, the Specialist reports directly to the Director, Office of Program Support (PS).

The Specialist provides intellectual leadership and serves as the expert professional, technical advisor responsible for leading the development and support of gender concerns in all USAID/India Programs. The Specialist has lead analytical and programmatic responsibility for ensuring a thorough consideration of gender issues and impacts surrounding USAID investments. The Specialist also plays the lead role in incorporating gender issues and considerations into key USAID strategic planning, including the Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS), and promoting awareness and consideration of these concepts within the Mission and India’s larger development community. The incumbent will work very closely with the Mission’s CORs/AORs/Activity Managers as well as Monitoring and Evaluation staff to facilitate implementation of the Mission gender activities and to ensure their results are being achieved and properly reported. S/he will serve as COR/AOR of the Mission’s gender-focused awards. S/he will provide support for all other Mission awards that require gender integration as a cross-cutting theme. S/he will act as the Activity Manager for all USAID/Washington gender focused awards. As USAID programming policy priority, the primary function of this position is to support all technical teams in their efforts to integrate gender into new project designs and ongoing programming. The Specialist also develops and maintains a Mission-wide overview of how USAID/India is addressing gender issues and would be capable of carrying out USAID’s broader representational interests. The incumbent serves as an active participant and establishes active, practical relations with the Government of India (GOI), the international community, and USAID Implementing Partners. The Specialist conducts gender analyses of proposed strategies and programs and provides substantial input into policy analysis, research, project design implementation monitoring and evaluation, and learning to ensure engendered approaches. S/he also monitors compliance with USAID gender requirements and designs and delivers gender training to the Mission and its Implementing Partners, including the development of resource materials, as necessary. The incumbent works with technical teams to ensure gender-related indicators are collected and provides expertise to technical teams regarding monitoring, assessing, and evaluating social and gender performance, outcomes, and impacts of USAID funded projects.

Statement of Duties to be Performed

INTEGRATE GENDER INTO PROGRAM DESIGN, IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION (40%):

• Designs, updates and conducts or commissions gender analyses of proposed strategies and programs providing substantial input into social/gender assessment in policy analysis, research, program design implementation, and monitoring and evaluation.
• Identifies appropriate approaches and best practices to addressing gender inequities in the implementation of USAID/India’s strategy, providing recommendations as to how projects may be better designed to ensure that both women and men benefit equitably from USAID investments.
• Identifies appropriate approaches and best practices to enhance the gendered impact performance of USAID investments, including increasing the involvement and participation of women in decision-making and increasing access to assets for Indian women participating in USAID programs.
• Supports monitoring and evaluation efforts on progress toward gender equity through identifying appropriate indicators, identifying robust impact assessment methodologies, participating on evaluation teams, and drafting relevant gender-sensitive questions and approaches within scopes of work, amongst other duties.

PROVIDE MISSION LEADERSHIP ON GENDER ISSUES (30%):

• Provides Mission-wide technical, representational and intellectual leadership on policy and program guidance as USAID/India’s senior subject-matter expert on gender.
• Identifies, promotes, designs and conducts gender training programs to increase the technical competence of USAID personnel.
• Serves as the primary Mission liaison for the Gender Development Partners Group and coordinates with the GOI and bilateral and multilateral donors to India on gender issues and programming.
• Monitors the implementation of, and updates as necessary, the USAID/ India Mission Order on Gender.
• Forges strong institutional linkages between USAID/India programs and other U. S. Government agencies, and other bilateral and multilateral donor agencies carrying out gender-sensitive assistance activities.

COMPILE AND MAINTAIN GENDER INFORMATION/DATA AND RESPOND TO DATA CALLS/INQUIRIES (30%):

• Closely monitors and assists in data calls from a variety of sources (USAID, other USG agencies and stakeholders, other donors, and the GOI) for information on various USAID initiatives, activities and reports with significant gender content, including but not limited to: the annual Performance Plan and Report, the Operational Plan, and USAID and USG Gender policies and strategies.
• Collaborates closely with technical teams to develop and maintain comprehensive information at the Mission level on USAID programs that integrate gender, maintains updated gender-disaggregated data, and develops and maintains gender-related factsheets for distribution inside and outside the Mission.
• Provides support to Mission’s Gender Team and to programming efforts. The contractor is eligible for temporary duty (TDY) travel to the U.S., or to other Missions abroad, to participate in the “Foreign Service National” Fellowship Program, in accordance with USAID policy.

Period of Performance

Initially, five years Cooperating Country National Personal Services Contract will be issued, with the possibility of extension depending on the need, satisfactory performance, and funds availability. Employment under any contract issued under this solicitation is of a continuing nature. Its duration is expected to be part of series of sequential contract; all contract clauses, provisions, and regulatory requirements concerning availability of funds and the specific duration of the contract shall apply.

Application Deadline: October 16, 2020