Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action โ helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.
Mercy Corps is a recognized global leader in Market Systems Development (MSD) where we apply a systemic, inclusive approach to catalyse sustainable improvements in markets that benefit vulnerable groupsโparticularly women and youth. Resilience building is an agency priority and involves using a systems-based approach that builds on proven solutions, accesses new ideas and information, and integrates multiple sectors and partnerships to strengthen food and water security, economic opportunities, and climate change adaptation. Southern Africa continues to experience recurrent environmental, economic and social shocks affecting the wellbeing of its communities and undermining development investments. Mercy Corps will continue to contribute to the well-being of rural and urban communities by building household capacities and strengthening systems and institutions.
The Program / Department / Team
The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA)-funded Building Enterprise Development and Employment Creation program (BEDEC) aims to increase the productivity and competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the agricultural sector, thereby driving income growth and productive employment in the Zambian economy. BEDEC will target over 100,000 SMEs, women and youth in key selected agricultural value chains. Specifically, BEDEC supports SMEs in becoming more productive and competitive by improving their access to key services for smallholder farmers, youth, and women. The program promotes SME growth to enhance productive employment opportunities and strengthens enabling environments and institutional capacity for SMEs within Zambiaโs economy. BEDEC employs a strong and rigorous market systems development approach, playing a key facilitation role to drive scale, sustainability, and impact.
General Position Summary
The Gender and Youth Advisor will play a catalytic role in ensuring effective inclusion of youth and women across all activity components and levels throughout the implementation of the BEDEC Program. S/he will ensure that women and youth are meaningfully considered in the development of all approaches and interventions within the program. The Advisor will have an in-depth understanding of gender, youth, social inclusion, and other locally significant socio-cultural factors in the Zambian context, particularly in market systems programming. S/he will have experience leading and supporting integrated Gender and Youth assessments through market system approaches and be familiar with how Gender and Youth considerations are integrated within such programming. Proven skills in participatory learning, action, and facilitating collaborative problem-solving are essential. Additionally, the Advisor must have the ability to foster commitment and build capacity among project staff, partners, program stakeholders, and other actors to ensure gender, youth integration, empowerment, and social inclusion issues are addressed at all levels of BEDEC.
During the first year of BEDEC, the Gender and Youth Advisor will lead the production of a detailed, integrated Gender and Youth analysis, and collaborate with other team members to develop robust intervention strategies for each program component, including detailed results chains that reflect gender and youth aspirations. S/he will promote innovative inclusiveness initiatives aligned with donor and Mercy Corpsโ GEDSI policy. The Advisor will play a critical role in developing and integrating Gender and Youth considerations across all interventions, ensuring that these target groups benefit from various markets and gain meaningful and productive employment. This position does not have supervisory responsibilities.
Essential Responsibilities
Strategy & Vision
- Organize and conduct the donor-required gender and youth analysis during the first year of the BEDEC and serve as the thought leader in Gender and Youth elements within the program.
- Work closely with System sector leads in integrating the findings from the analysis into the BEDEC overall implementation strategies and plan.
- Work to ensure that all BEDEC staff and partners share an inclusive and gender-transformative vision for implementation
- Play a critical role in the design, implementation, and management of the programโs technical strategy and activities.
- Delivers training and works to strengthen capacity for analysis and activities among BEDEC staff, local partners, and government stakeholders
- Ensure a gender-based violence risk analysis is done and incorporate findings into the program implementation plan.
- Develop a Gender and Youth strategy and guiding tools for the program and oversee the implementation of the strategy in collaboration with the program team and adapt and improve them as needed.
- Coordinate closely, work with and support technical leads, managers and partners to promote Gender and Youth integration across all technical areas of the program.
- Work closely with the relevant team members to develop strategies for encouraging and promoting the youth and for their meaningful participation and leadership in project activities and community decision making.
- Work closely with the M&E team on integrating women and youth within data collection and analysis tools. Also, with the M&E team, provide technical backstopping in the collection and use of sex and age-disaggregated statistical data and other research findings for the purpose of analysis and integration of GYSI in program design.
- Contribute to any other research conducted in the program to ensure that relevant GYSI aspects are incorporated.
- Work closely with the Human Resources team to ensure GYSI accountability is incorporated into the position descriptions of team members.
Implementation and Integration
- Develop targeted gender capacity building interventions for program staff.
- Support program team in the delivery of training and capacity building on key gender, youth and social inclusion topics to program participants.
- Assess periodically and provide feedback and trouble shoot integration of gender and youth programming among the different interventions of the program.
- Engage on periodic and joint monitoring of field activities; ensure quality delivery of GYSI interventions and coach/mentor staff technically on this.
- Document processes and achievements to ensure impact and best practices are captured and disseminated. This will include the continual re-evaluation of program activities and information, with resulting activity adjustments in keeping with new insights.
Influence & Representation
- Develop relationships and linkages with organizations implementing other donor-funded programs focused on Gender and Youth in similar provinces.
- Conduct regular target group consultations to ensure programming remains Gender and Youth sensitive and on-track especially with their engagements and relations to various market functions
- Collect and share learnings and best practices from this program both internally and externally.
- Identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with key local governments and other stakeholders including private and civil society organizations.
- Communicate effectively to ensure overall program targets and donor obligations are met.
Security and risk
- Work closely with the country teamโs security focal point to develop and maintain systems that promote the safety and security of all team members.
- Ensure that programs are designed and implemented with a clear analysis and understanding of security.
Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our projects.
Supervisory Responsibility
None
Accountability
Reports Directly To: BEDEC Team Leader
Works Directly With: The BEDEC Technical team and specialist, HQ Technical Support Unit, implementing partners
Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills
- MA/Msc or equivalent educational background in a social science discipline such as Development Studies, International Relations, Gender and Youth studies, social work or related field.
- At least five yearsโ (7 years + if only undergraduate degree) work experience in gender, youth and social inclusion programming, at least experience in gender and Youth experience in market systems development programming.
- Experience developing and conducting gender analysis, Youth analysis, gender and youth related training, gender/youth/social dynamics mainstreaming and engaging in gender advocacy and influencing works.
- Preference for working experience with projects on Small and Medium sized enterprises, resilience, agriculture, financial inclusion and agribusiness.
- Demonstrated capacity to lead the collection, analysis and utilization of information from a broad range of sources to ensure effective integration of gender and youth concerns throughout the programโs duration.
- In-depth understanding of gender, age and other locally significant socio-cultural factors in the context of small and medium size enterprises, agricultural value chains and resilience programming.
- Skills in participatory learning and facilitating collaborative problem-solving.
- Understanding and knowledge of SIDA regulations and program administration, management, and reporting procedures and systems is preferred.
- Prior Gender and Youth experience working in the Zambian context.
- Fluent oral and written English and local languages in Zambia is desirable
- Excellent computer skills (especially Microsoft office applications) and ability to use information technology as a tool and resource.
Success Factors
A successful candidate should have experience and expertise leading Gender and Youth efforts and translating it to actual programming through market systems approaches while and learning into adaptive programming. S/he should also have a demonstrated ability to lead and communicate effectively with team members of varied work styles and cultures with ability to influence and contribute significantly work various work streams, follow procedures, and meet deadlines with flexibility and creativity in planning and problem solving. S/he should have a proven ability to learn quickly, multi-task, prioritize, take initiative, and be accountable for results, understand the larger picture while remaining focused on the details, problem solving, work within a complex and sensitive setting and to follow laws and security protocols. The most successful Mercy Corps team members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
The position is based in Lusaka, Zambia and requires up to 40% travel by road and air to field offices in often insecure environments.
Ongoing Learning
In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient, and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the worldโs most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives. We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening, and evolving to become more diverse, equitable, and inclusive than we are today.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact. We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status, or any other protected group in the locations where we work.
Safeguarding & Ethics
Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct eLearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.