Country: Myanmar
Closing date: 28 May 2017
BACKGROUND:
The IRC has been working in Myanmar since May 2008, initially supporting emergency response and early recovery interventions for communities affected by Cyclone Nargis. Since then, IRC has responded to natural emergencies as well as conflict, such as ethnic violence, hand is engaged with communities through their recovery and rehabilitation. Over the years, IRC has broadened its portfolio to include health, water and sanitation, livelihoods, and social development programs and aims to employ a holistic approach. The IRC is committed to a long-term presence in-country with the aim of improving the well being of vulnerable populations living the hard-to-reach areas. Currently IRC works with the Ministries of Health, and of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement. IRC works in several states, primarily focused in the most marginalized areas of the country, including Rakhine, Chin, Kayin, Mon, Kachin, and Kayah States.
Inter-communal violence between Buddhist and Muslim populations in June and October 2012 resulted in at least 140,000 people displaced across Rakhine State - 95,372 of which are in Sittwe Township across 23 registered IDP camps. Displaced from their homes and at risk of violence, women and girls continue to live in fear as has been documented by a number of assessments and stakeholders in Rakhine. Protection and safety measures inside the camps remain critical particularly in terms of addressing the needs of the most vulnerable, such as households headed by single females, as well as widows, elderly and the disabled. Various forms of violence, including domestic violence, forced or early marriage, sexual abuse, including rape and sexual exploitation, and physical violence have been identified as the most common that women and girls experience.
The IRC's Women's Protection and Empowerment (WPE) program in Myanmar began working in country in 2014 to promote and protect the rights of women and girls. Over the past 3 years, IRC has implemented emergency response GBV programs in two states in Myanmar. The IRC has implemented these two programs with the overall aim of increasing the safety of women and girls in conflict affected areas.
SCOPE OF WORK:
The Women's Protection and Empowerment (WPE) Coordinator is responsible for providing overall leadership, guidance, management, coordination and technical support to IRC's gender-based violence (GBV) programming throughout Myanmar. The WPE Program Coordinator will contribute to external coordination efforts and initiatives to develop IRC's leadership in-country. S/He will also collaborate with key staff in other sectors, and work with the Deputy Director for Programs (DDP), to achieve the managed growth of IRC's WPE programming including in the development of strategies and proposals for the country program.
The position is based in Sittwe with regular travel to field sites to monitor program activities, mentor program staff, and undertake assessments to develop WPE programming in other parts of the country.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
The WPE Coordinator will provide regular technical support and field-based monitoring visits to WPE teams working in Sittwe, Rathedaung, and Northern Shan to ensure that all interventions are technically sound, take into account international best practices, and are appropriately meeting the needs of survivors. The WPE Coordinator will support program implementation and efforts to enhance the quality of support being provided to survivors as well as to identify additional opportunities to support and promote programming for women and girls. The WPE Coordinator will also work closely with the WPE teams in the South East of Myanmar and Thailand to ensure coordination, collaboration, and cohesive interventions for the region, while eliminating duplication risks in geographic areas of overlap.
TECHNICAL OVERSIGHT AND SUPPORT:
Provide technical oversight and support on all programming to a range of partners, stakeholders and the WPE team working in the communities, on the following broad areas:
Safe spaces - spaces for women and girls to find support, learn, self-organise and develop their activism.
Case Management - ethical provision of direct services to survivors, including safety planning, action planning, emotional support, and referral to available services
Development of mobile case management interventions
Prevention programming - behavior change programming, GBV education interventions, outreach to adolescents
Training and capacity building - training both for WPE staff and other IRC staff on GBV. Increased capacity building to partners and local organizations on GBV Guiding principles, case managemen and psychosocial support, GBV in Emergencies, etc.
Adolescent Girls' programming - increase meaningful interventions for adolescent girls across all sites
Livelihoods/Economic Empowerment programming - oversee eithical and safe economic empowerment interventions that engage women and their partners to ensure mitigation of GBV risks
GBV IMS and Reporting - ethical data collection and information sharing within Myanmar
In collaboration with WPE staff, the DDP, and the WPE Technical Advisor oversee the quality of design and program implementation.
In collaboration with WPE staff, oversee monitoring and evaluation systems for the WPE program in Myanmar.
Ensure that ethical and sound data collection and information management systems are in place for analysis, planning, evaluation, and advocacy.
Provide guidance and technical support to IRC teams as well as key national organization partners through regular field monitoring visits.
Provide technical support and guidance on VAWG/GBV and WPE to other IRC led initiatives such as Health and Economic Recovery and Development.
Ensure regular communication with the WPE Technical Advisor and integrate technical unit priorities, where possible, into program design.
Raise awareness and knowledge within IRC country program (non-WPE teams) about WPE objectives, approaches (such as 1 hour discussions sessions on a regular basis), and actively seek ways to integrate where possible with other sectors (such as WASH or Health).
MANAGEMENT:
- Supervise and provide ongoing support, capacity development and mentoring to the Senior WPE Managers, supporting them to do the same with the national WPE Managers they supervise When required, lead on the recruitment of new WPE program staff, consultants or other external support, in coordination with HR.
- Ensure training and ongoing capacity building of staff on WPE-related and project management skills with a specific focus on building the capacity of local staff.
- Develop and oversee program budgets to ensure an appropriate and efficient use of resources, and that WPE projects comply with internal and external requirements.
- Oversee strategic projects (determined by the country program) to ensure proper implementation and outputs are met, according to donor needs.
PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT:
- Develop a country sector strategic plan for Myanmar, ensuring that program growth and start-up are in line with country strategic plans. This includes collaboration with the Thailand country program.
- Actively contribute to broader strategic planning processes in Myanmar, ensuring that WPE interventions and related initaitives are taken into account.
- Participate in emergency response and assessments, providing guidance and recommendations for new programs and initiatives that maximize safety for women and girls.
- In coordination with the DDP, Grants Unit and the WPE Technical Advisor guide proposal development through planning and program design with relevant field-based staff.
- Oversee the finance, budget and grants management is carried out by Senior WPE Managers.
- Coordinate with IRC staff members implementing other sectors to provide relevant input and support as required.
- Coordinate and collaborate, including creation and updating of WPE strategy, with WPE programs working in the South East of Myanmar and Thailand, particularly focused on cross border work and preparation for refugee returns.
REPRESENTATION AND ADVOCACY:
In coordination with the DDP actively develop and maintain effective working relationships with key stakeholders in Myanmar including donors, government actors, UN agencies, international and local NGOs, and other relevant actors maintaining IRC as a key contributor to addressing VAWG and WPE issues in Myanmar.
Maintain a significant presence in Yangon, to lead IRC WPE networking, raising profile, and leveraging our expertise.
Develop strategic partnerships with local organizations, wherever possible.
Activity participate in national level coordination meetings and working groups and feed in IRC priorities at Yangon-level meetings.
Represent the WPE program through meetings with external stakeholders and facilitating field visits for stakeholders interested in WPE programming in Myanmar.
Coordinate with the DDP to ensure field concerns and challenges are brought to relevant stakeholders to push for standards that systematize how WPE programming is implemented and coordinated at the field level.
KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS:
The WPE Coordinator is supervised by the Deputy Director of Programs and receives technical support from the WPE Technical Unit based at IRC Headquarters in New York. S/he works closely with the Thailand WPE team to ensure coherent programming strategies and approaches along the Thai-Myanmar border.
REQUIREMENTS:
- MA/S or equivalent in health (MPH), social science, humanities or other related degree.
- At least five years of overseas experience, including substantial management experience in gender-based violence programming and at least 2 years experience in direct service provision for survivors of sexual violence and domestic violence.
- Demonstrated coordination, networking and relationship building skills with key partners including government, donors, INGOs, national and local organisations, UN agencies.
- Demonstrated experience in successfully leading, building and strengthening a program team of 20 + staff in a dynamic, challenging and changing context.
- Demonstrated experience in capacity building and mentoring of national and international staff.
- Demonstrated experience in facilitating practical workshops and educating others on issues including - violence against women and girls, GBV, psychosocial support, adolescent girls protection and empowerment, GBV response and service provision, leadership and advocacy.
- Knowledge, skills and experience in participatory methods, community development and partnership.
- Excellent interpersonal skills, positive and professional attitude, ability to lead and work well in a team setting and with multiple partners.
- Strengths in listening, empathy, flexibility, and creativity.
- Demonstrated leadership, communication, and facilitation skills.
- Excellent interpersonal and problem-solving skills.
Excellent coordination and networking skills.
Willingness to travel extensively throughout Myanmar, in areas of minimal to moderate insecurity.
Excellent written and oral English skills.
Experience in grant management and proposal writing.
Excellent computer skills in programs such as: MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint.
How to apply:
Please follow this link to apply: http://www.aplitrak.com/?adid=a2F0cmluYW1pbGxlci40OTQ1NC4zODMwQGlyYy5hcGxpdHJhay5jb20