Job Description
This is a unique opportunity to contribute to a high-impact project aimed at improving the livelihoods and resilience of vulnerable communities in South Sudan. The role offers a platform to apply your expertise in gender, nutrition, and social inclusion within a complex development context, working with a dedicated team and key stakeholders to achieve sustainable and inclusive outcomes.
South Sudan remains one of the most fragile countries globally, with rural communities facing profound challenges related to food and nutrition insecurity, low incomes, and poor access to social and economic infrastructure and basic services. These challenges are compounded by repeated climate change shocks that have eroded the adaptive capacity of vulnerable communities. Despite its agricultural potential, systemic underinvestment, protracted conflict, and fragile governance have suppressed development. Against this backdrop, the South Sudan Livelihoods and Resilience Project (SSLRP), of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS), financed by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) presents a critical opportunity to improve livelihoods and resilience of rural smallholder households across three states, eight counties. The South Sudan Livelihood Resilience Project (SSLRP) is a major initiative financed by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Dutch Government, and the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP). The project is implemented by the Government of South Sudan through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS), with the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) appointed as the Lead Implementing Agency. The overall goal of the SSLRP is to contribute to improved and resilient livelihoods among targeted rural communities in eight counties across five states (Torit, Magwi, Kajo-Keji, Wau, Jur River, Bor, Awerial, and Terekeka). The Project Development Objective is to empower communities to participate in decision-making processes that recover agricultural livelihoods, build household resilience, and promote stability. Under the project structure, UNOPS is the Lead Implementing Agency with exclusive responsibility for the full implementation of two core technical components: Component 1: Community Driven Development Planning: Focusing on building inclusive Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) and developing Community Development Plans (CDPs). Component 2: Community Agriculture Investment Fund (CAIF): Providing grants for micro-projects and constructing productive community infrastructure, including the significant rehabilitation of the Magwi Palotaka Feeder Road. In delivering these components, UNOPS is also responsible for all associated project management, monitoring, evaluation, reporting, and knowledge management functions to ensure effective execution, accountability, and learning. Component 3 (Policy, Coordination, and M&E) is implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS), with whom UNOPS closely coordinates.
The Gender, Nutrition, and Social Inclusion Officer is responsible for the strategic integration, mainstreaming, and monitoring of gender equality, social inclusion (GESI), and nutrition-sensitive approaches across all components of the South Sudan Livelihoods and Resilience Project (SSLRP). The incumbent will ensure that project interventions are designed, implemented, and evaluated in a manner that actively promotes women’s empowerment, inclusive participation of youth, persons with disabilities, IDPs, and returnees, and improves household nutrition security. The officer will provide technical leadership, capacity building, and oversight to guarantee compliance with UNOPS and donor (IFAD) safeguarding policies, the Gender Action Learning System (GALS), and nutrition mainstreaming frameworks, thereby contributing directly to the project’s goals of enhanced resilience, food security, and inclusive community-driven development.
1. Strategic Mainstreaming and Technical Leadership
- Analyze project documents and activities to identify entry points for GESI and nutrition mainstreaming, ensuring alignment with IFAD’s social and environmental safeguards.
- Apply conceptual models and policy frameworks to support the integration of GESI and nutrition considerations into project design, implementation, and monitoring.
- Interpret basic rules and procedures to identify potential GESI and nutrition-related risks and opportunities within the project context.
- Contribute to the development of GESI and nutrition strategies, action plans, and indicators for the SSLRP, ensuring they are integrated into the project’s overall M&E framework.
- Prepare inputs for reports, briefs, and other documents for review by the Project Manager, highlighting progress, challenges, and recommendations related to GESI and nutrition.
- Respond to queries from project staff and partners by explaining applicable regulations, standards, and best practices related to GESI and nutrition.
2. Capacity Building and Community Engagement
- Gather data and contribute to the design and delivery of training programs for project staff, community facilitators, and local partners on GESI, nutrition-sensitive agriculture, and community mobilization techniques.
- Apply basic concepts to support the development of culturally appropriate and gender-responsive communication materials for community awareness campaigns.
- Facilitate community consultations and focus group discussions to gather insights on local needs, priorities, and barriers to GESI and nutrition.
- Support the implementation of the Gender Action Learning System (GALS) methodology to empower women and promote gender equality at the household and community levels.
- Contribute to the identification and engagement of key stakeholders, including women’s groups, youth organizations, and disability advocacy groups, to ensure their meaningful participation in project activities.
- Participate in community events and meetings to promote GESI and nutrition messages and build relationships with local leaders and community members.
3. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting
- Gather, clean, and aggregate data on GESI and nutrition indicators from project monitoring systems, ensuring data quality and accuracy.
- Perform rudimentary analysis of project data to assess the impact of project interventions on GESI and nutrition outcomes.
- Contribute to the preparation of regular progress reports, highlighting achievements, challenges, and lessons learned related to GESI and nutrition.
- Support the development and implementation of project evaluations, ensuring that GESI and nutrition considerations are integrated into the evaluation design and data collection methods.
- Identify and document best practices and success stories related to GESI and nutrition mainstreaming within the SSLRP.
- Contribute to the dissemination of project findings and lessons learned through presentations, publications, and other communication channels.
4. Safeguards Compliance and Quality Assurance
- Support the implementation of UNOPS and IFAD’s social and environmental safeguards policies, ensuring that project activities do not have adverse impacts on vulnerable groups.
- Conduct regular site visits to monitor compliance with GESI and nutrition standards and identify areas for improvement.
- Contribute to the development and implementation of mitigation measures to address any negative impacts identified during project implementation.
- Participate in project quality assurance reviews, providing feedback on the integration of GESI and nutrition considerations into project design and implementation.
- Support the development and implementation of grievance mechanisms to address any complaints or concerns related to GESI and nutrition.
- Ensure that all project activities are conducted in accordance with ethical principles and professional standards.
