Democracy Fellow, Gender Equality and Female Empowerment
Washington, D.C.
Introduction
The Institute of International Education (IIE) seeks applications from qualified individuals for a full-time Democracy Fellow for gender equality and female empowerment in the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID’s) Center of Excellence on Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance (DRG Center). IIE manages the Democracy Fellows and Grants Program (DFG) for USAID. Initial appointment is for one year. Any additional year(s) are dependent on continued identified technical needs of the DRG Center and would be contingent on available funding and acceptable performance. Arrangements for qualified applicants to fill this role while on a sabbatical can be considered. If a Fellow holds permanent outside employment, s/he may be contracted as an IIE consultant. If not, s/he would be hired as a full-time, salaried IIE employee, with benefits.
Purpose
The Democracy Fellow for gender quality and female empowerment will serve as a resource for DRG Center staff and USAID DRG field officers on the integration of gender equality and female empowerment across all DRG sub-sectors. The Fellow will sit at the DRG Center, which consists of four core sub-sectoral teams (Civil Society and Media, Elections and Political Transitions, Governance and Rule of Law, and Human Rights) and four “open” teams (Cross-Sectoral Programs, Global and Regional Policy, Learning, and Strategic Planning).
Background
Over the past two years, USAID has taken dramatic steps to more effectively advance gender equality and women’s empowerment throughout its work. This effort is built upon a number of policies and strategies, including the USAID Gender Equality and Female Empowerment Policy (hereafter the Gender Policy); the U.S. National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security; the U.S. Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence Globally; and the USAID Counter-Trafficking in Persons Policy. Now that these foundational documents are completed, the next phase will be to implement them and ensure that advancing gender equality and female empowerment becomes an integral part of USAID’s work.
The DRG Center recognizes that supporting the development of more democratic, better governed societies is critical to achieving critical development goals. An important part of democratic development is ensuring that women and men have equal opportunities to benefit from and participate in both development programs and the political life of their societies. The DRG Center sees this work as critical to its recently elevated mission to advance and protect the equal rights of all people. This work also supports the key USAID policies and strategies described above.
Conducting thorough gender analyses prior to designing new USAID programs will allow for the identification of specific areas of opportunity to better advance gender equality and women’s empowerment in developing countries. Designing DRG sub-sectoral programs based on thorough gender analyses will increase the likelihood that these programs: (1) have an equally meaningful impact on men, women, boys, and girls; and (2) achieve better results in advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Scope of Work Summary
One objective of USAID’s Gender Policy is that gender considerations become the responsibility of all USAID staff and an integral part of how the agency operates as an organization. The Fellow will be an integral resource for DRG Center staff and USAID DRG field officers on the integration of gender equality and female empowerment across all DRG sub-sectors. The Fellow also will work closely with colleagues in the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance (DCHA Bureau), in other USAID bureaus/offices, at the U.S. State Department, and at the National Security Council (NSC) to advance gender equality and female empowerment objectives in the DRG sector. S/he will play an important role in identifying and advising on the intersections between gender and DRG subsectors in agency and inter-agency processes. Overall, s/he will serve as a point person for all gender-related issues in the DRG Center and a key member of agency and interagency gender working groups.
This position will be directly supervised on a day-to-day basis by the head of the DRG Center’s Strategic Planning Team or his designee.
Roles and Responsibilities Key responsibilities for the Democracy Fellow for gender equality and female empowerment include:
• Attending and representing the DRG Center at agency and interagency meetings and working groups; keeping DRG Center staff abreast of relevant initiatives, policies, strategies, and other guidance.
• Leading the DRG Center’s role in implementing the Gender Policy and related strategies with regard to Gender Based Violence (GBV) in conflict-affected settings and Women, Peace, and Security (WPS). In doing so, the Fellow will liaise with USAID’s Office of Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (E3/GenDev); regional and pillar bureau gender advisors; mission and regional gender advisors and points of contact (POCs); the Bureau of Policy, Planning, and Learning (PPL); and the Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, among others.
• Monitoring progress towards commitments under gender-related Agency or USG policies, including the Gender Policy; the U.S. National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security; the U.S. Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence Globally; and the USAID Counter-Trafficking in Persons Policy.
• Advising senior USAID and DRG management on ways to strengthen the integration of gender considerations into USAID policies, programs, and procedures, including innovative and new strategic programming.
• Actively participating in the activities of the DRG Gender Working Group (GWG), which has representatives of all eight DRG technical teams. The Fellow will participate in drafting and implementing the GWG’s annual work plan. The Fellow may also be required to support a DRG staff member in leading and coordinating activities of the GWG.
• Providing monitoring and technical support on gender integration to USAID/Washington DRG staff and DRG officers in USAID field Missions. The Gender Fellow will work closely with colleagues from each DRG sub-sectoral team in this role.
• Coordinating with the Global and Regional Policy Team’s Regional Coordinators on gender equality related to specific countries and providing technical support, as necessary. Providing guidance to DRG staff on integrating gender into the Center’s learning agenda (e.g., providing guidance for, reviewing, and conducting gender analyses).
• Operationalizing the integration of gender into the DRG Center’s policies and procedures by ensuring that gender is integrated into DRG training, assessment frameworks and tools, and project design and reporting processes. Assisting the DRG Center’s Strategic Planning team in responding to gender-related sections of the Operational Plan and Project Performance Reports.
• Serving as point person in the DRG Center for gender-related requests and reporting requirements (e.g., talking points, briefings, reviewing documents, etc.). Coordinating and keeping an up-to-date inventory on all DRG Center gender-related activities and programs.
• Designing and delivering gender training. Developing or acquiring resource materials, as necessary or required.
• Other tasks or responsibilities may be assigned based on need or the Fellow’s own related interests.
• Leading the DRG Center’s role in implementing the Gender Policy and related strategies with regard to Gender Based Violence (GBV) in conflict-affected settings and Women, Peace, and Security (WPS). In doing so, the Fellow will liaise with USAID’s Office of Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (E3/GenDev); regional and pillar bureau gender advisors; mission and regional gender advisors and points of contact (POCs); the Bureau of Policy, Planning, and Learning (PPL); and the Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, among others.
• Monitoring progress towards commitments under gender-related Agency or USG policies, including the Gender Policy; the U.S. National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security; the U.S. Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence Globally; and the USAID Counter-Trafficking in Persons Policy.
• Advising senior USAID and DRG management on ways to strengthen the integration of gender considerations into USAID policies, programs, and procedures, including innovative and new strategic programming.
• Actively participating in the activities of the DRG Gender Working Group (GWG), which has representatives of all eight DRG technical teams. The Fellow will participate in drafting and implementing the GWG’s annual work plan. The Fellow may also be required to support a DRG staff member in leading and coordinating activities of the GWG.
• Providing monitoring and technical support on gender integration to USAID/Washington DRG staff and DRG officers in USAID field Missions. The Gender Fellow will work closely with colleagues from each DRG sub-sectoral team in this role.
• Coordinating with the Global and Regional Policy Team’s Regional Coordinators on gender equality related to specific countries and providing technical support, as necessary. Providing guidance to DRG staff on integrating gender into the Center’s learning agenda (e.g., providing guidance for, reviewing, and conducting gender analyses).
• Operationalizing the integration of gender into the DRG Center’s policies and procedures by ensuring that gender is integrated into DRG training, assessment frameworks and tools, and project design and reporting processes. Assisting the DRG Center’s Strategic Planning team in responding to gender-related sections of the Operational Plan and Project Performance Reports.
• Serving as point person in the DRG Center for gender-related requests and reporting requirements (e.g., talking points, briefings, reviewing documents, etc.). Coordinating and keeping an up-to-date inventory on all DRG Center gender-related activities and programs.
• Designing and delivering gender training. Developing or acquiring resource materials, as necessary or required.
• Other tasks or responsibilities may be assigned based on need or the Fellow’s own related interests.
Required Skills, Knowledge and Experience • Advanced degree (MA/MS level) in social science, development studies, or political science, with experience in gender, democracy, human rights, and governance issues preferred.
• Knowledge of international affairs and U.S. foreign policy, specifically as related to foreign assistance to developing countries.
• At least 15 years of relevant work experience.
• At least five years of practical experience in integrating gender into international development programming (preferably DRG programming).
• Experience in developing and delivering training courses on gender integration and program monitoring.
• Ability to analyze and evaluate complex development issues. Knowledge of principles, concepts, and methodologies involved in the design, development, implementation, management, and evaluation of technical assistance programs/projects. Highly developed analytical skills required.
• Ability to work independently in handling routine, complex, and/or controversial issues that arise in completing assignments. Ability to manage multiple tasks at once.
• Demonstrated interpersonal skills, including the ability to exhibit tact, diplomacy, and resourcefulness while working in a variety of settings and with high-level officials in the U.S. government, foreign governments, and international organizations, as well as with other foreign and domestic development partners, colleagues, and office associates.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Knowledge of computer software, including Word, Excel, and Windows. General familiarity with networked computer systems.
• Previous experience with USAID programming preferred.
• Working proficiency in a foreign language preferred.
• Willingness to travel is required.
• US citizenship or permanent residency status is required.
• Successful background investigation for a secret level security clearance is required. The Fellow will need to secure the clearance before beginning employment.
• Knowledge of international affairs and U.S. foreign policy, specifically as related to foreign assistance to developing countries.
• At least 15 years of relevant work experience.
• At least five years of practical experience in integrating gender into international development programming (preferably DRG programming).
• Experience in developing and delivering training courses on gender integration and program monitoring.
• Ability to analyze and evaluate complex development issues. Knowledge of principles, concepts, and methodologies involved in the design, development, implementation, management, and evaluation of technical assistance programs/projects. Highly developed analytical skills required.
• Ability to work independently in handling routine, complex, and/or controversial issues that arise in completing assignments. Ability to manage multiple tasks at once.
• Demonstrated interpersonal skills, including the ability to exhibit tact, diplomacy, and resourcefulness while working in a variety of settings and with high-level officials in the U.S. government, foreign governments, and international organizations, as well as with other foreign and domestic development partners, colleagues, and office associates.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Knowledge of computer software, including Word, Excel, and Windows. General familiarity with networked computer systems.
• Previous experience with USAID programming preferred.
• Working proficiency in a foreign language preferred.
• Willingness to travel is required.
• US citizenship or permanent residency status is required.
• Successful background investigation for a secret level security clearance is required. The Fellow will need to secure the clearance before beginning employment.
Supervision and Guidance
The Fellow will serve as a member of the DRG Center and will be managed on a day-to-day basis by the DRG Center’s Strategic Planning Team lead. The Fellow will report for administrative purposes to the Democracy Fellows and Grants (DFG) Program Director at IIE. Arrangements for qualified applicants to fill this role while on a sabbatical can be considered. If a Fellow holds permanent outside employment, s/he may be contracted as an IIE consultant. Otherwise, s/he will be employed as a full-time, IIE employee, with benefits.
The Fellow will participate in relevant working groups in other parts of USAID, as required. Fellow is expected to exercise the highest degree of individual initiative, resourcefulness, responsibility, and authority, consistent with USAID’s overall policies.
Location
Upon successful completion of a background investigation for a secret level security clearance, the Fellow will be based at USAID headquarters in Washington, DC. International travel may be required.
Duration of the position
Initial appointment is for one year. Any additional year(s) are contingent on continued technical needs of the DRG Center, continued funding, and acceptable performance.
Compensation
The salary for this fellowship will be competitive and commensurate with the candidate’s salary history and experience. The salary will not exceed $130,000/year.
The deadline for applications is 11:59 pm on January 10, 2014. Only complete applications will be considered.
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