Technical Specialist Gender Equality

Caribbean region countries share similar economic and sustainable development challenges, including a small population, remoteness, susceptibility to natural hazards, and vulnerability to climate change. The region is the second-most hazard prone in the world, and faces multiple hydrometeorological and geological hazards including tsunamis, hurricanes, earthquakes and volcanoes. Many factors are compounding these risks. Increasing urbanisation, especially on low-lying coastlines, is exposing growing populations, many in informal settlements, and critical infrastructure to greater potential for flooding, storm surge and tsunami. Given the current condition of the marine environment, most coastal areas have few defences against the raging surfs of hurricanes and tropical storms, and the likely consequences would be significant including beach erosion and infrastructure damage. Socioeconomic inequalities often mean that persons with limited resources more frequently occupy high risk areas. The devastating events of September 2017 demonstrated how a single event could reverse decades of development and decimate the entire economy of a country. Islands such as Barbuda, BVI and Dominica are continuing to recover from hurricanes Irma and Maria, a process that will take several years. Climate change is magnifying risks and increasing the cost of disasters, where the average annual losses associated with tropical cyclone winds are projected to increase by as much as US$1.4 billion by 2050, not accounting for additional losses from storm surge due to sea level rise .

The IPCC suggests that even with a 1.5°C rise in average global temperatures, it would heighten risks to eradicating poverty, reducing inequalities and ensuring human and ecosystem health. The impacts would disproportionately affect disadvantaged and vulnerable populations through, inter alia, food insecurity, water scarcity, lost livelihood opportunities, adverse health impacts, and population displacement.  Some of the greatest impacts are expected to be felt among agricultural and coastal livelihoods, indigenous people, children and the elderly, poor labourers, and people and ecosystems in the SIDS, which is further contrasted against their comparatively small amounts of greenhouse gas emissions. Key economic sectors such as tourism and agriculture are already being negatively impacted in the Caribbean.

The IPCC asserts that, “Limiting the risks from global warming of 1.5°C in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication implies system transitions that can be enabled by an increase of adaptation and mitigation investments, policy instruments, the acceleration of technological innovation and behaviour changes… Partnerships involving non-state public and private actors, institutional investors, the banking system, civil society and scientific institutions would facilitate actions and responses consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5°C.”

UNDP’s programming agrees with this premise. Its work in Climate Change and Disaster Risk Resilience responds to the Sustainable and Resilient Caribbean outcome (priority 4) in the UN Multi-Country Sustainable Development Framework (MSDF) . This includes work on ecosystem restoration and protection, energy system reform including policy, legislation and licensing, early warning systems, post-disaster recovery, and climate change policy. The latter has included the development of National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) for 8 countries through the Japan-Caribbean Climate Change Partnership (JCCCP) . This portfolio has recently expanded with support from Global Affairs Canada and the UK Department for International Development (DFID) for the Enabling Gender-Responsive Disaster Recovery, Climate and Environmental Resilience in the Caribbean (EnGenDER) project . This project builds on UNDP’s previous and ongoing work, with a specific recognition of the asymmetric needs and capacities of women and men to respond to disasters and climate change; and that the groups with the least knowledge and capacity to take short-term measures to limit the impacts of such are often the most affected. EnGenDER therefore seeks to further integrate gender equality and human-rights based approaches into disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and environmental management frameworks and interventions and identify and address some of the barriers to ensure equal access to DRR and climate change and environment solutions for men, women, boys and girls in 9 Caribbean countries.

UNDP wishes to engage an experienced development practitioner, who has a strong background in sustainable development. The ideal candidate will have a nuanced understanding of interconnected issues of vulnerability and gender inequality who can quickly and effectively provide technical expertise to advance climate and risk resilience in the Caribbean.

Under the direct supervision of the Project Manager based in Barbados and within the Climate Change and Disaster Risk Resilience portfolio, the Technical Specialist for gender equality (TS-GE) will contribute their professional expertise in project design, implementation, monitoring and learning. The TS-GE, working closely with the Gender Focal Point, will collaborate with the Technical Specialists for climate change (TS-CC) and disaster recovery (TS-DR) to ensure the seamless integration of a human rights-based, gender-responsive and interdisciplinary approach to their work that maximises sustainable development gains and minimises negative environmental and social impacts.

The TS-GE will work within the context of the wider UNDP programmes on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Resilience, Energy and Environment, and Sustainable Human Development and Inclusive Governance and will ensure their work actively considers, integrates and builds synergies with the portfolio, working collaboratively with the programme team.

The TS-GE will be primarily responsible for providing high quality technical advice, research, as well as knowledge and capacity development services for the portfolio and to partner countries in coordination with UNDP Country Offices. S/he will work with governments, inter-governmental organisations, UN agencies, NGOs, donors, and the private sector in order to achieve the intended programmatic objectives and outcomes.

The TS-GE will be expected to deliver results in the areas of:

Design, implementation and monitoring:

• Ensure with the PMU a gender-responsive and human rights-based approach to the design and implementation of all project interventions, including working with project partners
• Support the development of research and monitoring tools which capture disaggregated information on various population and vulnerable groups, including by age, gender, ethnic group, income, disability, etc. as relevant
• Coordinate and lead the technical implementation in particular of EnGenDER Immediate Outcome 1210, ensuring a results-based approach including efficient and effective resources utilisation
• Collaborate on research surrounding risk and resilience for the most vulnerable segments of the population in the beneficiary countries
• Provide technical guidance to beneficiary countries in the articulation and prioritisation of gender-responsive resilience and recovery actions
• Support the design, implementation and monitoring of in-country interventions using an integrated systems-based approach, with emphasis on supporting the most vulnerable, addressing structural barriers to equality, testing hypotheses, rapid learning and iteration, and scalable solutions
• Identify and engage champions and key stakeholders, including civil society, private sector, sub-national and regional partners engaged in relevant research and activities
• Contribute to procurement processes, including developing technical specifications and scopes of work, conducting evaluations, and supporting contract monitoring
• Identify and explore possible areas of strategic collaboration and shared knowledge management within the UNDP programme and with other development actors
• Maintain a strategic understanding of, and engagement with, the substantive technical issues, institutions, and processes around social inequalities and environment within the countries served, including developing strategic partnerships with other agencies, NGOs, the private sector, and scientific institutions etc. as they relate to advancing key elements of the planning and implementation process

Development impact:

• Lead the integration of the Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+)  methodology in planning, monitoring and implementation, and ensure strong capacities to apply it within the team
• Leverage existing results and solutions at national and regional level to deliver tangible and measurable results in target sectors
• Ensure a cross-sector and interdisciplinary approach to developing and testing solutions, including analysis of opportunities and risks relating to natural resources, climate, natural hazards and socioeconomic development concerns
• Support refinement and monitoring of results frameworks at country and project level, with alignment of baselines, targets, indicators and work plans

• Use participatory approaches to design and implement monitoring plans , including data collection methods and methodologies to measure causality and intervention impact, participatory and evidence-based monitoring and evaluation (M&E) methods to promote ownership and measure change among target groups

Contribute to procurement processes, including developing technical specifications, scope of work, evaluations, and supporting contract monitoring

Learning and knowledge management:

• Design and deliver capacity building to develop/enhance skills in-country for long-term application of tools and approaches provided through programming
• Evaluate, capture, codify and synthesise lessons and stimulate the uptake of best practices and knowledge, including the development of knowledge materials as relevant
• With the team, identify and support the transfer of successful models, approaches and solutions to the wider portfolio and to the global UNDP knowledge network
• Respond to queries on activities’ progress, impacts and lessons

Other activities

• Undertake such travel as may be required from time to time in connection with project execution
• Undertake any other activities required for the fulfilment of the mandate of the post

Core:

Leadership

Ability to persuade others to follow 
Level 4: Generates commitment, excitement and excellence in others

Communication

Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform 
Level 4: Synthesizes information to communicate independent analysis

Innovation

Ability to make new and useful ideas work 
Level 5: Creates new and relevant ideas and leads others to implement them

 People Management

Ability to improve performance and satisfaction 
Level 4: Models independent thinking and action

Delivery

Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement 
Level 4: Meets goals and quality criteria for delivery of products or services

Technical/Functional

 
Gender Issues and Analysis

Knowledge of gender issues and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations, including analysis of projects from a gender perspective 
Level 4: Apply & Adapt: Contributes skills and knowledge with demonstrated ability to advance innovation and continuous improvement, in professional area of expertise

Climate change
Knowledge of climate change concepts, frameworks, risk management and principles and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations
Level 2: Execute & Learn: Performs defined tasks efficiently and deepens knowledge of area of work

Disaster Risk Reduction
Knowledge of DRR concepts, frameworks, risk management and principles and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations
Level 2: Execute & Learn: Performs defined tasks efficiently and deepens knowledge of area of work

Change Management
Ability to apply a systematic approach to adapt, control and effect change 
Level 3: Implement & Manage: Exercises skills and knowledge independently, demonstrating ability to manage self and team responsibilities, in area of work

Stakeholders Management
Ability to manage multiple stakeholders and balance often contradictory expectations, building and maintaining relationships 
Level 4: Apply & Adapt: Contributes skills and knowledge with demonstrated ability to advance innovation and continuous improvement, in professional area of expertise

Mentoring and capacity building
Ability to coach/mentor technical staff to enhance sustain capacity development 
Level 4: Apply & Adapt: Contributes skills and knowledge with demonstrated ability to advance innovation and continuous improvement, in professional area of

Team Building
Ability to work effectively with diverse groups of professionals towards common goals 
Level 4: Apply & Adapt: Contributes skills and knowledge with demonstrated ability to advance innovation and continuous improvement, in professional area of expertise

Communication
Ability to effectively communicate intensions and requirements to internal and external stakeholders Level 4: Apply & Adapt: Contributes skills and knowledge with demonstrated ability to advance innovation and continuous improvement, in professional area of expertise

Education: 
 

• Postgraduate degree (MSc, MA, or higher) in gender equality/studies, poverty reduction, international policy, sustainable development, social sciences, or a related field

Experience: 

At least 6 years of experience addressing issues specific to Caribbean SIDS surrounding gender equality and climate change vulnerability, risk and inequality, or other related development issues

At least 4 years of strong experience in gender equality analysis in relevant areas such as gender responsive policy analysis and inter-sectoral approaches; strategic planning and gender equality advocacy to national and other partners, strengthening institutional capacities

Experience in developing and implementing participatory research approaches, and in quantitative and qualitative research methods; evidence of published work is an asset

High level of competency and experience in results-based management including for project design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation

Experience developing and delivering training on gender equality and analysis

Sound understanding of national and local development planning processes in the Caribbean

Previous work experience in a UN organisation is

Previous work in any of the beneficiary countries is highly desirable

Demonstrable computer proficiency including Microsoft Office 

Language

Fluency in written and spoken English

Working knowledge of other regional languages and dialects (e.g. Kweyol, Sranan Tongo) or UN languages is an asset

Other: 

Legal status to work in Barbados e.g. CARICOM Graduate/Skilled National Certificate