Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) Lesotho II
About MCA
The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is a U.S. government corporation focused on assisting countries dedicated to good governance, economic freedom, and investing in people. In May 2022, MCC signed a five-year agreement (“compact”) with the government of Lesotho (GoL) aimed at poverty reduction through inclusive and sustainable economic growth in the country.
The Millennium Challenge Account (MCA- Lesotho II), is an entity established by the Government to act as the accountable entity to implement the Compact, with the authority to bind the Government with regard to all Program activities.
Lesotho Compact
The Lesotho Health and Horticulture Compact aims to benefit 2.5 million people by growing, strengthening, and organizing the private sector in Lesotho and improving the government’s coordination to deliver critical services necessary to support private sector development.
It will achieve this goal through investments in Health System Strengthening, strengthening of the business environment and Market Driven Irrigated Horticulture, providing sustainable income for smallholders and increasing climate resilience by replacing rain-fed subsistence farming with irrigated commercial horticulture in select locations.
The GoL is committed to passing several key reforms that will help make this compact successful, including reforms that address gender equality, working conditions and worker safety, as well as land and water rights. All of the compact’s projects focus on overcoming barriers to the economic inclusion of women, youth, and the rural poor.
Gender Based Violence /Gender and Social Inclusion (GBV/GSI) Activity Manager
Objective of this position
The GBV/GSI Activity Manager is accountable for the successful implementation of HSS activities related to countering gender-based violence (GBV) and ensuring that sound gender equality and social inclusion (GSI) analysis is fully integrated into HSS project activities. The GBV/GSI Activity Manager is responsible to build collaborative relationships with project stakeholders, partners, and will oversee project budgets, contracts, and grants. The Manager ensures the alignment of activity execution with the overall HSS project objectives and the judicious management of its resources. The Manager has overall responsibility for monitoring, tracking and reporting on the progress of all GBV, GSI, Counter-Trafficking-In-Person (C-TIP) and Health Communication activities undertaken and the related contractors or grantees. The GSI/GBV Activity Manager reports directly to the Director of Gender and Social Inclusion. The GSI/GBV Activity Manager also works within a matrixed structure, located within the HSS team led by the Director, Health Systems Strengthening.
Primary responsibilities
- Provide technical advice and guidance, as well as monitor and manage GBV and Health Communication training, delivery and system strengthening progress and activities to ensure achievement of sustainable results in collaboration with all assigned contractors or grantees.
- Based upon assessments of project progress, recommend remedial approaches to better advance and sustain project quality and impact with respect to GBV and social inclusion objectives.
- Assess the quality of deliverables for all assigned contracts or grants and recommend them for approval or remediation.
- Provide guidance and feedback to contractor(s) for development of all work plans and M&E frameworks. Recommend for approval all work plans and M&E frameworks for assigned contracts or grants.
- Based upon financial analyses, track (in collaboration with MCA procurement and finance officer(s) financial reporting for assigned contracts or grants and recommend for approval all invoices.
- Provide required reporting to the MCA HSS Director, MCA GSI Director and MCC counterparts for all assigned activities, contracts or grants.
- Provide leadership to relevant project technical working groups as established for assigned procurements/contracts.
- Liaise with other MCA managed HSS compact projects/procurements to ensure their technical integration as appropriate to achieve results.
- Ensure communication and liaison with relevant GoL agencies/entities, development partners and stakeholders.
- Participate in/report to the project steering committee meetings and activities.
- Assist in development and implementation of risk management strategies, referral development and systems for assigned contracts and grants.
- Provide guidance to the HSS Director and other Managers or Specialists on gender and social inclusion and GBV issues across all the HSS project activity areas and contracts and liaise where appropriate with other GSI activity managers across other Compact Activities
- Develop and deliver required training to HSS staff and contractors on specific gender and social inclusion tools and indicators for monitoring and integration.
- Coordinate with the HSS Project Activity Managers and Specialists to ensure that gender, GBV and social inclusion data collection is integrated and monitored throughout program implementation.
- Provide advice and inputs for gender, social inclusion and GBV aspects including monitoring and learning, reviewing results data collection and analysis.
- Represent and reflect the work of the HSS Project with a wide range of stakeholders on GBV and social inclusion in the GBV Forum.
- Coordinate effectively with other MCA staff; exchange relevant information; properly identify and manage risks; comply with MCC’s requirements, standards, policies, and guidelines; and incorporate good practices and lessons learned into work.
- Assess the capacity development needs of counterpart ministries or agencies, and support/implement an agreed upon capacity development and knowledge transfer strategy
- Support and ensure compliance with the MCC’s Gender Policy (2012) and the Counter-Trafficking Policy (2021) and ensure compliance with the MCC’s Sexual Abuse and Harassment in the workplace requirements in Compact project implementation and monitoring.
Required Competencies
Education
- A minimum of a bachelor’s degree
Experience
- A minimum of 7 years of experience working to translate GBV best practice, policy or legislation into implementation, with at least 3 years of this experience being at the managerial level.
- A minimum of 5 years of experience integrating a GBV response in the health or social care sector, including experience designing, implementing or evaluating the skills development of health workers to deliver high quality decentralized GBV services.
- A minimum of 5 years’ experience identifying problems or risks in any aspect of a health system and self-identifying and initiating effective solutions to mitigate risk or solve a problem.
- A minimum of 3 years of successful technical contract or grant management experience, as evidenced by at least two examples of how the candidate managed a contract or grant (with a minimum value of at least $25K per annum) to successfully produce deliverables or outcomes within a specified period of time.
Skills
- Demonstrated ability to work across projects and teams to ensure adherence to integrated gender and social inclusiveness in program implementation.
- Ability to conduct gender and social analysis and use data to identify risks, inform program implementation and advise on appropriate modification if required.
- Demonstrated ability to prioritize issues, direct conversation toward solutions and address concerns in a limited time frame, considering compact development timelines.
- Ability to write quickly, clearly and succinctly in English (reports, emails, presentations) and present information in public forums.
Preferred Qualifications/Experience:
It is desirable but not required for the GBV/GSI Activity Manager to offer the following demonstrated experience, knowledge and competencies:
- A relevant Master’s degree.
- Experience working in Lesotho, Southern Africa or low-middle income countries.
- Familiarity with Lesotho’s GBV legislation, development partners’ GBV and gender policies and the United State Government’s Counter-Trafficking in Persons (C-TIP) Policy and appropriate management measures.
How to apply
Applications must be submitted online, on or before the 22nd December 2023.
Complete applications must comprise of the following documents:
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);
4. A completed online application form (can be accessed from https://lesotho-jobs.tenderwell.app – CV Template MCA Lesotho II)
Only applications that are submitted on or before the deadline will be considered.
We thank all applicants. However, note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Submit your application online via: https://lesotho-jobs.tenderwell.app . Hard copy applications will not be considered.