Advisory Council Coordinator: Gender and Human Rights Advisory

STATEMENT OF WORK

Job Title: Advisory Council Coordinator: Gender and Human Rights Advisory Council

Position Type: Part-time Consultancy (up to 10 days per month)

Position Location: Somalia

Application Deadline: 15th May 2024

Start date: 24th July 2024

Assignment Duration: 6-months with a possibility of extension

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SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT

The Field Support Services Project (FSSP) is a two-year initiative (November 2023 to October 2025) funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and implemented by Cowater International. It offers administrative, financial, procurement, and logistical support, along with technical expertise, to GAC's development programs in Kenya, Somalia, and South Africa. The project assists GAC in procuring and managing local development initiatives in Kenya (and its accredited countries which include Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi), South Africa (and its accredited countries) and Somalia.

BACKGROUND

The Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and the international community acknowledge the critical importance of gender equality and human rights to the poverty eradication agenda in Somalia. As a result, an FGS-led Gender and Human Rights Advisory Council was created, to build coherence, synergies, and ultimately advance efforts to protect and advance gender equality and human rights in Somalia.

Within this overarching responsibility, the Advisory Council advises on and oversees the mainstreaming of gender and human rights considerations within other development sectors of priority; provides a forum for Somalia’s gender and human rights stakeholders (FGS, FMS, UN, Donors, NGOs, CSOs, academia) to share information and coordinate on shared priorities; and monitors and reports on progress towards gender and human rights related milestones and targets contained in the country’s National Development Plans.

The Advisory Council is led by the Federal Ministry of Women and Human Rights Development, with Canada and Sweden as donor co-chairs. Its current membership, which meets virtually and in-person on a quarterly basis, is comprised of roughly 100 representatives from FGS, FMS, UN, Donors, NGOs, CSOs, academia.

The Advisory Council is a part of Somalia’s new aid architecture where it coordinates, shares information, and participates in other fora, including other thematic working groups (i.e. security and justice, inclusive politics, economic development, social development, and climate change) and an overarching Development Coordination Forum.

To effectively execute the mandate of the Gender and Human Rights Advisory Council, the Federal Ministry of Women and Human Rights Development wishes to recruit a Working Group Coordinator.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The coordinator is responsible for the following duties:

Strategic planning:

1. Support the Chair and Co-chairs in seeking innovative opportunities to further deliver on the Gender and Human Rights Advisory Council’s mandate, both to advance issues of priority raised in the Advisory Council, and to mainstream gender and human rights considerations across the government-led aid architecture.
2. Develop in conjunction with the Chair and Co-Chairs, and contribute ideas to, an approved annual work plan for the Advisory Council that comprises a tentative schedule, roles and responsibilities, tasks, deadlines, and budget for Advisory Council meetings (including for sub-committees where relevant) and other planned initiatives (i.e. research, training, etc.).
3. Propose and develop a system to effectively monitor and report on progress towards gender and human rights related commitments in Somalia’s National Development Plans, including through the Aid Architecture’s Mutual Accountability Framework (MAF) -- currently under development by the FGS.

Administrative support:

1. All planning, coordination, content creation and documentation required (prior to, during and following) to host successful meetings of the Gender and Human Rights Advisory Council Chair, Co-Chairs, and broader membership (e.g. seeking input from the Chair, Co-Chairs, and broader membership, coordinating invitations, securing meeting space and hospitality, drafting of meeting minutes, coordinating follow-up, etc.)
2. Support the Ministry of Women and Human Rights Development to effectively coordinate with, contribute to and participate within other fora of the aid architecture (e.g. seeking the Ministry’s positions, contributing to discussions, facilitating information sharing, reporting back on discussions, etc.).
3. Regularly update the Advisory Council mailing list(s) based on requests from the Chair, Co-Chairs, and broader Advisory Council membership.
4. Develop and maintain an effective information management system (i.e. using a secure cloud-based platform) to support internal coordination among the Chair and Co-Chairs and enable more effective and sustainable communication with the Advisory Council membership.
5. Regularly coordinate with key line ministries and the office of the Prime Minister on gender and human rights issues raised in the advisory council meetings.
6. Performing all other relevant duties, as required.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in human Rights, Gender and/or Development studies, International Relations or any area deemed relative by hiring agency OR five years of professional experience in related or cross-cutting sectors; and,

Minimum Experience:

• Minimum of two years of experience in fragile or conflict affected countries.
• Experience in facilitating high-level meetings and/or conferences with governments, NGOs, CSOs, UN officials and academia.
• Experience in the development and promotion of gender equality and human rights within policies.
• Experience in analyzing, monitoring, and reporting on gender equality and human rights issues.

Competencies:

• Understanding of gender and human rights issues obtained through direct work experience, ideally in Somalia.
• Good understanding of the Somali social, political, and economic context.
• Familiarity with human rights and gender equality laws, policies, and regulations in Somalia, as well as international standards and practices on the principles of human rights and gender equality.
• Excellent analytical skills, ability to synthesize and clearly present processes and issues.
• Ability to translate strategic thinking and innovative ideas into practical operational recommendations to enhance impact and efficiency.
• Capacity to identify and create synergies and coordinate with various stakeholders and decision-making bodies, simultaneously.
• Ability to meet tight deadlines and work independently with minimal supervision.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including oral, written, and mediation skills.
• Strong ability to communicate and advocate effectively in multicultural environments, where cultural and language barriers may exist.
• Strong skills with MS Office suite, especially MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Strong skills with virtual multi-member platforms, specifically Teams, Webex, Zoom, Google Meet, Skype, and other virtual conference channels, as required.

Language Requirements: Fluency in English and Somali both written and oral is required.

Reporting:

The chosen candidate will work under the overall supervision of the Cowater FSSP Project Manager during the period of this assignment. Day to Day technical supervision and guidance will be provided by the Chair and Co-chairs of the Gender and Human Rights Advisory Council, which includes relevant representatives from Somalia’s Federal Ministry of Women and Human Rights Development, as well as the Canadian and Swedish Embassy to Somalia.

We thank all applicants, however only those shortlisted will be contacted.