Livelihood Project Officer- SC 9 - UNDP JOCO

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

The project will contribute to improving women’s quality of life in North of Jordan through enhancing their livelihoods and wellbeing. The entry point of this project is  women economic empowerment and equality as means to addressing barriers that are hindering women from active participation in their communities as workers, entrepreneurs and change makers, with an understanding that real women’s economic empowerment exists when women and girls have similar opportunities as men and boys to knowledge, economic opportunities, gender-sensitive policies and decision-making power and access to and control over assets and resources. The project will target the current challenge of lack of control over resources, decision-making in the household, and women’s ability to have a voice in society and influence policy.

The Project focuses on empowering women through improving effectiveness of women organizations to actively represent and support women voices in decision-making processes,  increasing participation by women in the local economy, enhancing gender informed and responsive policy making at community and national levels, with particular focus on the solid waste management sector.

The project targets women in three municipalities which comprise Northern Shouneh District plus an additional municipality (within Kourah District) all in Irbid Governorate.  According to the census of population and housing results 2015, the demographic and socio-economic data of the Northern Shouneh district shows that women are 46.4% of the total population while men are 53.5% with a gender gap of 7.1% in favor of men. Moreover, number of households in the Northern Shouneh is 24,659 households, and average family size is 5.8 which is considered high in comparison to the national family size average of households which is 5.5( according to Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation poverty pocket Socioeconomic profile for Northern Shouneh). Social indicators show that male-headed households comprise 87.8% while female-headed households comprise 12.2%. 

This project is designed to use the UNDP niche and experience in the solid waste management to provide interventions aiming at empowering women economically, strengthening their voice and representation at the local level, and enhance the institutional capacities to accompany this process.  Furthermore, this project will benefit from UNDP global and regional experience in implementing such projects. It will also link and build on other relevant interventions implemented by other international organizations, government, and others.

The Project will secure as an end result job opportunity for 600 women through group projects in the Solid Waste Management (SWM) sector, in addition to further capacitating the 60 women from the existing project. It will also target women in the communities and within the CSOs for other support. Furthermore, men advocate for women empowerment and Human rights.

The Project will establish partnerships with academic institutions to encourage research related to women empowerment in relation to Local Economic Development, and with the private sector to consider some of the projects introduced through the proposed project for upscaling.  

Under the overall guidance of the Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Livelihoods and Resilience Team Leader, and the direct supervision of the Project Manager, the Livelihoods Project Officer will undertake the following tasks and supervising the field officers and coordinators, within the framework of the livelihood’s component.

Support project management:

• Provide thorough and timely follow up on the implementation and delivery of project activities and outcomes as well as close tracking of correspondent budgets;
• Solve pending issues relating to project schedules and delivery;
• Monitor progress of different project activities and submit on a regular basis progress reports, accomplishments, difficulties, lessons learnt etc.;
• Evaluate the issues relating to the field; communicate with the management and the staff;
• Provide technical support to the Field Coordinators and the Business Development Expert in designing and identifying innovative business partnerships and solutions related to SWM and recycling;
• Close internal coordination with UNDP concerned staff on project related activities, including, but not limited to, coordination with the Environment Pillar and the IPIS Pillar;
• Coordinate with Implementing Partners and monitor closely their implementation, and ensure the timely delivery of the activities;
• Collect and analyze on a regular basis relevant data and information, new development, existing regulations, guidelines, government strategies relevant to the activities of the project;
• Develop and review prepared communication/publicity materials e.g. posters, brochures, newsletter, etc.;
• Support in identifying actors at different levels (municipal, governorate, and national levels) as well as private sector actors, and support establishing networks;
• Review drafts of TORs for national and international consultants, Request For Proposals (RFP) and support the selection process;
• Prepare briefing materials for any missions visiting the project and arrange filed visits and related activities for them;
• Monitor and close follow-up of the activities of consultants assigned by the projects to ensure timely provision of inputs and achievement of outputs and deliverables.
• Support in identifying potential partners and donors;
• Review final proposals for their accuracy and correctness;  

Support community work:

• Work closely with the Field Coordinators and partners in the field;

• Support Ruwwad Al Aghawar Al Shmaliyeh Cooperative in developing annual workplan and annual budgets;

• Support the establishment of a new cooperative in Deir Abi Saed in Al Koura District;

• Identify potential partners in communities, including female and male youth activists, CBOs amongst others and understand the needs and capacities as a basis to understand and inform the selection of interventions;
• Conduct household visits and hearings from actors to understand specific needs;

• Conduct as part of the livelihoods team participatory community meetings and represent UNDP;
• Establish, as part and with support of the Inclusive Growth and Resilience Team, rapport with the municipalities; 
• Monitor closely the implementation of activities, with flagging up potential risks and issues to the Project Manager;
• Capture transformative changes of beneficiaries and communities through household visits and interviews, and support development of knowledge products;
• In all function and activities, gender and conflict sensitive approach is required;
• Support in developing concept notes related to women’s economic empowerment.
• Supporting the preparation of the AWP as well as the budgeting for the project components beside to the tracking expenses;
• Support the project team in identifying gender related interventions;

Leadership: Actively shares knowledge;

Communication and Relationship Management: Communicates ideas and positions with command and confidence;

Innovation: Critically assesses established methods;

People Management: Demonstrates behaviors of teamwork, collaboration, knowledge sharing, maintaining relationships;

Delivery: Embraces complex challenges and opportunities for getting work done;

Works to develop organizational awareness of UNDP’s approach to client service delivery and integrity and accountability

Other Competencies:

-          Proven ability to work with a variety of people including community members, in particular women and youth; government officials, local stakeholders.

-          Excellent communication, presentation and facilitation skills.

-          A proven ability to provide financial and progress reports in accordance with reporting schedules.

-          Experience and skills in communication (development of communication materials; Communication for Development projects) is an asset.

Important applicant information

All posts in the SC categories are subject to local recruitment.

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

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