Gender and Social Inclusion Director

About MCA

The Government of Belize (GoB), together with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (“MCC”), is in the process of establishing an independent executing agency called the Millennium Challenge Account – Belize (MCA-B). MCC is a U.S. government agency focused on assisting countries and is dedicated to good governance, economic freedom, and investing in people. The MCA-B will be created by an act of Parliament to undertake the rights, obligations, and responsibilities of the Government of Belize under the Compact, which is expected to be signed in September 2024. The MCA-B is located in Belize City.

Belize compact

In December 2021, MCC’s Board of Directors selected Belize as eligible to develop a five-year grant agreement known as a “compact” that will include two separate projects:

1. The $73.8 million Education Project aims to equitably increase the number of post-primary graduates with the competencies relevant to labor market demands
2. The $21.1 million Energy Project will address the root causes of the high costs of wholesale electricity.

Position Objective

The Director of Gender and Social Inclusion will provide strategic and technical leadership to the MCA Project Directors and the Education GSI Specialist, implementing partners, contractors, and project stakeholders to conform to the MCC Gender and Inclusion Policy and the established procedures essential to ensuring the integration of gender and social inclusion across all program functions.

The Director of Gender and Social Inclusion will be expected to carry out the following among his/her primary responsibilities:

Responsibilities

• Determine a strategy and work plan to ensure that gender and social inclusion considerations are effectively integrated in accordance with MCC policies and procedures across all stages of program development, implementation, and closeout.
• Lead–working closely with and consolidating inputs from project-level staff, including Education GSI specialist–the drafting, review, and approval of the Social and Gender Integration Plan (SGIP). Disseminate SGIP to appropriate stakeholders, ensure they are aware of requirements, and oversee the implementation of specific activities and adherence to actions identified in the SGIP. Lead and oversee the annual SGIP review and update process.
• Serve as the main counterpart and strategy and technical lead for MCC, all MCA staff, implementing entities, and project stakeholders on all gender and social inclusion issues for the Compact.
• Oversee Education GSI specialist and provide technical leadership to the Belize Education and Energy projects to maximize opportunities for structurally excluded groups, particularly indigenous students, immigrant students, special education needs students, and students living with trauma.
• Serve as point of reference, advice, and leadership to project-level Education GSI Specialists on education project-specific GSI issues, approaches, and overall GSI strategy, ensuring coherence, coordination, and alignment of GSI approaches across projects towards a common standard.
• Reconcile different approaches to Social and Gender Inclusion across all activities of both projects to present a coherent approach for MCA Belize.
• Oversee the compilation of program data on Gender and Social Inclusion considerations related to compact implementation, ensuring up-to-date information on program metrics.
• Ensure that all terms of reference, procurement documents, and contracts provide appropriate gender and social measures and participate in technical evaluation panels.
• Monitor the quality of gender, social inclusion, and poverty reduction integration in all project activities and identify areas where integration can be strengthened or modified.
• Coordinate closely with ESP colleagues to ensure coordination and alignment between GSI and ESP approaches, including stakeholder engagement, counter-trafficking in persons, resettlement, etc.
• Establish and implement a quality control framework to monitor and strategically manage the Gender and Social Inclusion considerations of each Project, including addressing any milestones, gaps, or challenges.
• Engage MCA-Belize Staff, MCC Staff, and other government counterparts to effectively integrate social and gender considerations into project planning, development, and implementation, including Terms of Reference, work plans, designs, supervision contracts, budgets, timelines, and monitoring mechanisms.
• Recommend remedial measures to address issues related to integration of Gender and Social Inclusion considerations across all projects.
• Serve as a point of reference for MCC and all MCA-Belize staff regarding the inclusive and gender-informed implementation of the Stakeholder Engagement Plan.
• Coordinate closely and support, as requested, with MCA Project Directors and staff responsible for Stakeholder Engagement to ensure procedures and protocols of the Plan are being followed and grievances are being tracked and resolved in a timely manner.
• Monitor and oversee those issues raised by stakeholders representing women and the structurally excluded groups to ensure they are being addressed and accounted for in project implementation.
• Contribute to an environment that allows for interaction amongst other Project teams and staff to successfully implement activities with cross-cutting components.

Required Competencies

• A Masters degree in social science, gender, anthropology, sociology, development studies, or related field.
• Between 5-7 years of experience leading the integration of social inclusion, gender, and poverty reduction efforts in similar programs in an international development context.
• At least 3 to 5 years of previous experience as a program manager with experience in social inclusion and gender in Belize.
• Experience managing and overseeing contractors and supporting staff in completing gender and social inclusion activities.
• Prior experience in inclusive stakeholder engagement processes.
• Fluency and excellent written and verbal communication skills in English are required.

Preferred Competencies

• Prior experience with compact sectors of focus.
• Fluency in Kriol (Belize Creole) and Spanish is desired.

How to apply

To access position’s profile requirements and submit applications, please visit https://belize-jobs.tenderwell.app/. The following documents should accompany applications:

1. Curriculum vitae containing detailed work experience;
2. Cover letter confirming interest and availability;
3. Soft copies of higher education and professional certificates (if available).

If you encounter challenges when applying online, please contact [email protected] for assistance.

The closing date for receiving applications is September 19th, 2024. Only applications received through the online portal (Tenderwell) will be considered. Any applications received through other channels will not be considered. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for interviews.