Gender Training Specialist

About ACT Alliance: ACT Alliance is a coalition of more than 155 churches and affiliated organizations working together to create positive and sustainable change in the lives of poor and marginalized people. ACT Alliance is globally supporting 30,000 staff from member organizations. It mobilizes about 6 million USD for its work each year in the MENA region in 3 areas: humanitarian assistance, development and advocacy. ACT Alliance is deeply committed to their members and their work in the region. For more details about the general work of ACT, please refer to http://www.actalliance.org/

1. Major functions summary

The MENA Gender Training Specialist should be an organized, self-motivated person who will be responsible for overseeing and implementing the MENA Gender Justice program in the MENA Region. The specialist will work closely with the Regional Representative, Gender Program Manager, Community of Practice (CoP) lead, Gender CoP intern and members by ensuring an inclusive process for activities under their preview.

2. Scope of work

The Specialist will work closely with the Gender CoP and Global Gender Justice Team to plan and deliver the gender trainings in the MENA Region. The Gender Training Specialist will assist the membership in creating or adapting gender policies as needed. The Gender Training Specialist will be supervised by the MENA Regional Representative.

Training planning: The Gender Training Specialist will be expected to review relevant documentation especially the ACT Alliance Gender Strategy, Project plans, national gender policies and Gender policies of the various countries under the ACT Alliance MENA portfolio. Documents and plans of the various members will be reviewed where relevant for practical purposes before, during and after trainings. An assessment of the gender competencies of all members in the MENA Region will be conducted. The Gender Training Specialist will review the questionnaire for the region and suggest a way forward for the members in the training.

Training delivery: The Gender Training Specialist will deliver assigned components of a participatory gender training program that will address the identified gender competency gaps of the members and demonstrate practical examples of how gender is mainstreamed in policies, programs’ annual work plans, other program/project documents, in implementation and M&E processes. Create training materials, organize speakers, ensure completed pre- and post-tests, and final reports for each training.

Development of Gender Action Plans for Policy Development: Working with the Community of Practice, the Gender Training Specialist will facilitate a session during the trainings in which participants agree on key actions and resources needed to contribute to developing gender action plans for the various member offices. Following the trainings, the Gender Training Specialist will rely on information collected to finalize the polices for each member and submit this for review by the Gender team and the Community of Practice.

Report: The Gender Training Specialist will prepare a workshop report for submission at the end of each event and complete a Regional Final Report and Regional Advocacy Report which includes statements agreed from members.

Members’ Gender Policies: The Gender Training Specialist will work with ACT Alliance members in the region to produce, update or contextualize their gender policies.

Monitoring and Progress controls: This entire Consultancy is expected to last for 26 working days within a validity period of 5 months (from issuance of the consultancy contract) broken down as follows: 13 workshop days (including travels to the regions); 8 planning, preparation and reporting days; 5 days for development of the sub-office action plans and other knowledge products. The Gender Training Specialist will work under close supervision of the Regional Representative based on the draft plan of work below. The consultancy will be monitored and progress to set tasks determined accordingly:

Activity 1:

Output: Conduct 6 Gender ToTs, 4 virtually and 2 in person

Schedule: March 9-11th, March 23-25th, April 12-14, May 18-20, June 1-3, June 15-17

Activity 2:

Output: Conduct 6 advocacy dialogues

Schedule: June 29-30, July 26-27, August 4-5, August 11-12, August 25-26, August 30-31

Activity 3:

Output: Conduct face to face annual planning meeting

Schedule: September 6-9, 2021

Activity 4:

Output: Finalize Members’ Gender Policies

Schedule: February 28^th – July 21^st, 2021

Activity 5:

Output: Create training reports for ToT and Advocacy workshop

Schedule: August 15^th and September 30^th

Activity 6:

Output: Create 1 MENA Advocacy message from combining national messages

Schedule: September 30^th

Final product/Deliverables: 6 gender ToT training reports, 6 advocacy dialogue reports, Annual Face to Face Meeting agenda, MENA Advocacy message signed off by members, 6-10 Membership policy revisions.

3. Required skills:

● Strong training and facilitation skills

● Good interpersonal skills, with ability to network and liaise in a multicultural environment

● Experience and/or strong understanding of programing with a gendered lens and a strong background in social justice movements

● Demonstrated commitment to the promotion of gender rights, gender justice

● Good organizational skills, time management, attention to detail, and self-motivation

● Fluent English and strength\interest in writing,

● fluency in Arabic

● Very good written and oral communication skills

● Strong analytical skills related to social and political norms and structures

● Ability to use computer programs for design or posters, publications, etc.

● Proficiency in Microsoft Office including PowerPoint

● Experience and/or strong understanding of Gender sensitivities in the MENA Region

● Willingness to push gender advocacy in the region

● Willingness to agree to and sign the ACT Alliance Code of Conduct