Program Overview

“Economic Recovery and Development Activity (ERDA)” is an upcoming five-year project funded the USAID. The project’s budget will be about $20-25 million and is designed to expand economic opportunities in the Newly Merged Districts (NMDs) of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province by strengthening and modernizing the agriculture sector and promoting farm and off-farm micro- and small enterprises (MSEs). Interventions under this activity will promote sustainable economic growth by improving agriculture sector capacity and supporting allied MSEs in the non-agriculture sectors. Additionally, the activity will leverage planned public sector development initiatives and will support policy reforms to create an enabling environment for private sector investments in sectors that offer the highest potential for economic growth. The activity will provide targeted technical assistance to the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (GoKP) to maximize the impact of planned public sector economic growth initiatives in the NMDs and promote sustainable economic activity in the region.

Overview of the Position:

The Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI) Advisor will serve as a technical expert on context-specific implications and considerations for gender equality and social inclusion in support of ERDA achieving greater project impact within the agriculture/MSME sectors. S/he will perform analysis and ensure findings are adequately integrated into project implementation and adaptation. S/he will collaborate with technical specialists to develop GESI activities and targets and recommend improvements to address the needs of the project.

Roles and Responsibilities:

• Provide technical guidance and support on data collection, analysis and reporting to improve policy making, planning and resource allocation in the NMDs
• Develop and oversee implementation of the program’s GESI strategy, including specific activities, and capacity building
• Conduct social inclusion analysis activities with program staff, beneficiaries, and key stakeholders; lead efforts to integrate inclusive practices and recommendations related to girls, youth with disabilities, and minority populations among other areas into program design and activities
• Establish and maintain productive relationships with Government of Pakistan officials, Public Sector Institutions and civil society organizations representing the interests of marginalized populations
• Develop specific GESI indicators and targets; lead the implementation and monitoring of social inclusion strategies across programming, building a strong evidence base on GESI achievements
• Support MEL team in data collection and monitoring program activities’ impact on marginalized populations and social inclusion; prepare reports and recommendations for program implementation
• As a technical expert, s/he may represent the ERDA project to USAID and other donor agencies, Government of Pakistan ministries and officials, other development partners, and civil society groups and serve as a technical advisor to the Team Lead, other technical and support Leads across the project, and partners.

Requirements (Education, Experience, Skills, Languages.):

• Master’s degree or its equivalent in a relevant area with 5 years of relevant experience, or alternatively, a Bachelor’s degree with 8 years of relevant experience
• Experience in conducting surveys and performing assessments
• Demonstrable experience in the field of data management, data collection, data analysis, and reporting
• Solid understanding of M&E enablers for GESI
• In depth knowledge of gender and social inclusion issues in Pakistan, preferably in the Agriculture sector and/or within the NMDs
• Strong representation skills with government, donor organizations and non-government stakeholders
• Strong bilingual communication skills, including both written and oral, in English and Pashto
• Ability to communicate effectively in a cross-cultural environment
• Experience working on donor-funded projects preferred
• Excellent organizational and prioritization skills
• Demonstrated leadership, versatility, and integrity
• Ability to travel within Pakistan, particularly to NMDs