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Please follow the check lists and submission guidelines posted on the official website: https://th.usembassy.gov/embassy-consulate/jobs/usaid-job-vacancies/

POSITION:               Inclusive Development Advisor

SALARY:                   FSN-11 ฿1,288,038 per annum (Starting salary)

APPLICANTS MUST HAVE THE REQUIRED RESIDENCY PERMITS TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR CONSIDERATION.

The U.S. Embassy in Bangkok is seeking an individual for the position of Development Program Specialist (Gender and LGBTI) to the Program Development Office (PDO) in the U.S. Agency for International Development/Regional Development Mission for Asia (USAID/RDMA), located at the Athenee Tower, Wireless Road, Bangkok.

JOB SUMMARY:

This Development Program Specialist (Gender and LGBTI) is considered as Inclusive Development Advisor and resource person on matters related to integrating the principles of inclusive development into all of RDMA-managed development activities. Inclusive development includes, but is not limited to, the consideration and/or integration within development activities of:  gender, persons with disabilities (PWD), lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and intersex persons (LGBTI), youth, and ethnic and religious minorities. S/he also works strategically to develop the capacity and skills of RDMA, its client mission’s staff and key partners in inclusive development programming. S/he serves as the Mission's principal inclusive development liaison with donor partners and facilitates the Mission's engagement and ability to influence donors, as well as high level officials of our host governments on policy issues. The incumbent will also lead efforts of technical skill and capacity development, learning, and networking for the regional architecture of gender advisors, LGBTI and PWD points of contact, and other inclusive development specialists throughout the Asia region.  S/he will guide Mission staff in USAID’s mandate to ensure that all programs promote inclusive development and gender equity, and advise leadership of Asia Missions and Washington colleagues. As a key member of all activity design teams, s/he will be the senior technical voice for ensuring that gender and broader inclusive development constraints and opportunities are identified, considered and strategically addressed in the design and development of all USAID-funded activities.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Gender Advisor and Capacity Building (50%)

• Serve as the Mission’s inclusive development and gender expert and resource person on matters related to USAID’s policies, requirements and best practices related to inclusive development to ensure that all Mission activities comply with the relevant Automated Directives System (ADS) and related guidance and policies. S/he will provide a full range of consultative, information-gathering, analytical, evaluative and written technical services on inclusive development issues to RDMA and its client missions;
• Design and lead gender and other inclusive development analyses for strategies and programs that include literature reviews and producing summaries/briefers on the impact of the social, economic, political, and cultural inequalities associated with gender, LGBTI, PWD, and ethnic and religious minorities, and other inclusive development challenges on the technical areas within which Asia missions operate, such as climate change, agriculture, health, economic development, and governance;

• Provide technical support to interested client missions in Asia to help improve program design, implementation and evaluation (e.g., through support for the Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) process, review of project designs or scopes of work for evaluations, training and mentoring) with a deeper understanding of and focus on inclusive development, the rights of LGBTI, PWD and ethnic and religious minorities, gender equality, and female empowerment;

• Advise RDMA and its client missions management, Office Directors, Team Leaders and Activity Managers, including coordination with the HR Office, on matters where gender, PWD, and LGBTI mainstreaming and awareness is critical;

• Work strategically to enhance the awareness, knowledge, and overall capacity of Mission staff and key partners on gender inequality, human rights, counter trafficking in persons, and other issues central to inclusive development;

• Train and mentor RDMA and its client missions staff to ensure that staff have received sufficient training to successfully assume regular Agreement/Contracting Officer’s Representative (A/COR) responsibilities to monitor and manage any mission grants and contracts in support of inclusive development; and

• Contribute to RMDA’s support and thought leadership mandate by documenting best practices and lessons learned in the Asia region in gender, LGBTI, ethnic/religious minorities, and PWD integration; female empowerment programming; inclusive development mainstreaming; and monitoring and evaluation. Disseminate these best practices and lessons learned to USAID missions in Asia, Asia Bureau and AID/Washington staff, and USAID partner governments and other program partners, including regional and multilateral organizations.

2. Project Design and Management (40%)

• Review and clear all RDMA Project Appraisal Documents (PADs), concept notes, and activity descriptions;

• Review and provide guidance and clearance for all RDMA gender analyses and other inclusive development assessments as part of the new project design process;

• Act as AOR/COR for RDMA’s grants and contracts in support of inclusive development (including gender, PWD, LGBTI, and ethnic and religious minorities). In that capacity, manage, monitor, and provide oversight to the grantee and/or contractor to ensure program progress, results, and impacts.
• Coordinate with other RDMA technical offices and provide input to ensure that inclusive development is emphasized appropriately in the relevant technical portfolios, be a leader on the Mission’s Inclusive Development and Gender Working Groups, and participate and represent USAID in relevant donor working groups on inclusive development and gender.

• Work with points of contact on inclusive development-related issues within the Mission and in Asian bilateral Missions to provide recommendations to integrate inclusive development and gender equality principles in planning, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of all development activities in compliance with the new Gender Equality and Female Empowerment Policy, National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, Counter-Trafficking Policy, Automated Directives System (ADS) inclusive development and gender integration requirements, and other USAID inclusive development policy and strategy documents;

• Serve as a resource to help resolve critical problems related to inclusive development and gender integration for Technical Evaluation Committees;

• Provide guidance on indicators, performance monitoring plans and work plans related to inclusive development and gender, as required by agency and Mission policies and requirements.

3. Donor Coordination, Outreach and Communications and Reporting: (10%)

• Serve as an inclusive development and gender donor coordination representative to facilitate RDMA's engagement and ability to influence donor and host government policy issues and enhance aid effectiveness with regard to inclusive development, gender equality, and women’s empowerment;

• Stay abreast of inclusive development issues relevant to USAID's portfolio and participate in events in the Asia and Pacific region, Washington, D.C. and elsewhere which highlight inclusive development issues;

• Serve as USAID's senior representative for all delegations related to inclusive development and gender and serve as a liaison and main briefer for high profile delegation visits to RDMA programs, including arranging events, meetings and site visits;

• Serve as USAID's primary representative at donor and government coordination and advisory meetings and working/thematic groups that might be formed or exist to coordinate and discuss inclusive development issues;

• Prepare frequent updates, including those from various committees and working groups, and respond quickly and effectively to ad hoc requests for information from Mission leadership as well as frequent and regular reporting, including pieces for distribution to Congress and other stakeholders as well as posting on the Mission’s website. This requires working closely with all relevant sectors and technical teams to ensure timely progress reports, vignettes and photographs – including success stories to best capture USAID progress on these important issues;

• Provide regular reports, information and updates to the USG on inclusive development issues. S/he will act as the Mission’s liaison point person to the external entities in the donor and the government system.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED AND SELECTION CRITERIA:

All applications must address each selection criterion detailed below with specific and comprehensive information supporting each item in DS-174 block no.19-22. If the application submitted fails to demonstrate eligibility, the application will be marked unqualified.  It is the responsibility of the applicant to provide all pertinent information.

• Education: Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in gender or women’s studies, political science, economics, sociology/anthropology, social work or any other closely related social science field is required.

• Experience (30 points): A minimum of five years of professional experience in working with gender, women, LGBTI, and/or PWD-related issues in either the public, private or academic sectors. Must have extensive experience of inclusive development in the Asian context.   

• Language: Level IV, strong written and oral proficiency in English and Thai is required.

• Knowledge (40 points):
  • Knowledge of inclusive development; gender, LGBTI, PWD, and ethnic and religious minority mainstreaming; gender in development; and inclusive development in the Asian context, including the challenges facing ethnic minorities.
  • Overall knowledge of Asia region and cultures.
  • Knowledge of organizations, experts, research and information sources associated with inclusive development is required;
  • Demonstrated knowledge of and experience in the monitoring and evaluation, including indicator development, study design, and data analysis are required; especially in gender-related monitoring and evaluation.
  • Understanding of the impact of gender based violence (GBV) on development programs and assisting programs to address this issue are required.
  • Knowledge of quantitative and qualitative methodologies, including basic statistics, grounded theory, and research design;
  • Knowledge of major gender analyses tools (e.g. Harvard Analytical Framework, Gender Analysis Matrix; Network Analysis)
  • Knowledge of research program management, especially planning and oversight of research teams. 

• Skills and Abilities (30 points):
  • Must have high level of analytical skills. Demonstrated ability in data analysis, program design, strategic planning, program coordination and implementation, especially within a developing country context are required;
  • Demonstrated ability to integrate inclusive development in creative and innovative ways are required;
  • Demonstrated ability to design and then deliver active-learning training curriculum on inclusive development.
  • Proficient in the use of computers and Microsoft Office application is required.
  • Strong people skills and ability to interact, communicate, establish and maintain effective work relationship with stakeholder at all levels (internal and external) are required.
  • Physical fitness and ability to obtain a fit to travel clearance and able to travel frequently within the region to support USAID projects is required

SELECTION PROCESS

Applications will be initially screened and scored for eligibility in accordance with the required qualifications and points mentioned above. To be considered for candidacy, applicants must address each criterion in their applications as to how they meet the minimum qualifications for this position.  Top-ranked candidates who meet the minimum qualification will be given a recruitment test. Applicants with passing marks from the recruitment test and with a valid TOEIC score of 855 or above will be invited for an interview. The recruitment test and the interview will be structured around the selection criteria above and will be conducted in USAID/RDMA Bangkok, Thailand. Only shortlisted candidates for final interview will be notified of the selection result. Reference checks will be conducted once the applicant pool is narrowed down to the top candidate(s). Internal candidates must have successfully completed a one year probationary period of employment before being eligible to apply. USAID/RDMA will screen for nepotism/conflict of interest in determining successful candidacy.

TO APPLY:

Please follow the check lists and submission guidelines, posted on the official website: https://th.usembassy.gov/embassy-consulate/jobs/usaid-job-vacancies/ carefully and submit complete application package thru RDMArecruitment@usaid.gov before the deadline.

Failure to follow the instructions will invalidate your application.

CLOSING DATE FOR THE POSITION: October 1, 2018