Department/unit: Risk Governance. The Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC), established in 1986, is a regional non-
Updated: July 2017 Position Title: Senior Gender Specialist
Grade / Levels: C2
Department/unit: Risk Governance The Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC), established in 1986, is a regional non-profit foundation with headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand. It supports the advancement of safer communities and sustainable development through implementing programs that reduce the impact of disasters upon countries and communities in Asia and the Pacific. The primary geographical focus of ADPC’s activities is Asia with South, South East and East Asia being the primary sub-regions. ADPC has more than 30 years of experience working for a safer Asia in partnership with the national and local governments of its charter member countries as well as the member states of the Regional Consultative Committee (RCC) on Disaster Management. ADPC addresses the region’s preparedness needs in development of capacities and promotion of learning; dissemination of information and knowledge management; provision of technical and advisory services; implementation of pioneering regional programs; preparation and follow-up of global and regional mechanisms; establishment of new regional mechanisms; support for inter-agency coherence and coordination; and catalytic facilitation and partnership to sub-regional mechanisms. ADPC works to build preparedness at all levels, from regional to national to sub-national and even to individual communities. Further details on ADPC and its programs can be found at www.adpc.net. ADPC aims at supporting governments strengthen institutions and build capacity for mainstreaming DRR into socio development processes at all levels. The primary focus of ADPC is to assist national and sub-national Governments in Asia to build capacity to respond to, prepare for and mitigate the natural disaster risk and adaptation to climate change. It includes building Institutional and Legal systems in reducing risk due to natural disasters and adapting to climate change, assessment of Risk; undertaking risk reduction programs and programs for adaptation to climate change, Hazard specific mainstreaming of DRR & CCA into development etc. ADPC is comprised of several thematically organized operational departments. With over 100 staff from 19 countries and with professionals with expertise in development planning, engineering, architecture, agriculture, social sciences, health science climate sciences and disaster risk reduction, ADPC has been involved for many years in strengthening partnerships between nodal agencies on disaster risk management (DRM) and national agencies of water resource, agriculture, meteorology & hydrology, geology, physical planning, development planning & financing, department of social and women’s affairs. etc. ADPC has also been involved with other sectors for effective integration and institutionalization of DRR in development planning processes. In accordance with ADPC Strategy 2020, gender and diversity serves as a core cross-cutting issues, whereby all interventions conducted by ADPC needs to include a gender-equality analysis and be based on promotion of gender equality and diversity principles. This will be achieved through mainstreaming gender-responsive approaches throughout systems and programs as well as implementing targeted interventions such as promotion of women’s leadership in disaster risk reduction mechanisms. ADPC will work across all of its core program areas and make all efforts to ensure the needs and priorities of marginalized groups such as vulnerable women, children, elderly, people with disability, are addressed and met, as well as their capacities in regard to risk reduction is recognized. ADPC also recognizes the critical role that women serve in risk reduction and management and as effective agents of change, Statement of Intent: The Senior Gender Specialist will work to ensure the needs and priorities of marginalized groups such as women, children, elderly, people with disability, are addressed and met, as well as their capacities in regard to risk reduction is recognized.. S/he will lead and identify key entry points and strategic approaches to address gender issues with a view to ensure gender inclusive analysis in ADPC’s program/project intervention. Note: It is not the intent of this Position Description to cover every aspect of the position requirements, rather to
highlight the most important areas of personal and joint responsibility. Required Qualifications / Selection Criteria:
Minimum of a Master’s degree in social science especially gender studies or relevant discipline;
At least 7 years of increasing responsible professional experience in the substantive, of which 3 years at the international level;
Professional experience in disaster risk management and/or climate change adaptation required;
Proven experience in conducting gender impact analysis, capacity and vulnerability analysis, gender analysis, development of strategies for both gender mainstreaming as well as targeted gender initiatives, development and execution of needs assessments.
Substantial experience in design, monitoring and evaluation of gender projects and ensuring gender issues are mainstreamed in programs, especially in disaster risk reduction and/or humanitarian settings;
Knowledge and understanding of current discourse related to gender in disaster risk reduction and humanitarian action, specifically gender-related mechanisms operating in Asia-Pacific,
Ability to work in a team, including effectively contributing to joint planning and implementation of trainings, workshops, and other program activities;
Strong writing and organizational skills;
Attention to detail and ability to effectively and efficiently perform multiple tasks and balance competing priorities often within a limited timeframe;
Cross cultural awareness and ability to work amongst a diverse group of staff, partners and donors;
Full professional proficiency in spoken and written English;
Required computer proficiencies: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Internet;
Demonstrated ability to train and build capacity of others;
Strong interpersonal skills and managerial capacity;
Experience in a non-governmental organization or in the United Nations (desirable);
Must be allowed to work legally in Thailand.
General Requirements: Operate within all ADPC Guidelines & Procedures/ Policies; Provide ongoing capacity building training & development to ADPC staff as required. Duties and Responsibilities:
The Senior Gender Specialist would help ensure ADPC effectively incorporates gender components in its design and implementation. Overall responsibilities include: •
Advice and support to ADPC management on gender issues;
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Support the development of systematic measures for assessing the impact of ADPC’s gender equality/integration mainstreaming work;
•
Work with Communication Unit on defining key advocacy and influence targets, including
gender issues as per Sendai Framework or World Humanitarian Summit guidance; •
Serve as the gender focal point for ADPC in national, regional, or local community planning or strategy processes in which ADPC takes part, and promote appropriate representation and consultation target groups in planning and strategy processes;
•
Conduct comparative analyses and engage in national and regional learning networks to identify key entry points and good practices for addressing gender in sustainable landscapes programming including gender integration and gender mainstreaming in different types of work carried out by ADPC / by each department;
•
Work with the ADPC Academy to ensure ADPC delivered quality, relevant capacity-building and training on integrating gender in disaster risk reduction, including development of learning modules and linking the Academy to technical resources and specialists.
•
Work with each department in developing, pre-testing, and implementing gender-responsive criteria for inviting, screening, and selecting participants to program-implemented/organized training/workshop activities at the regional and country levels and to integrate gender into all workshops and activities;
•
Develop, maintain and disseminate a comprehensive knowledge base on the gender perspectives in the area of work of the department to promote the professional development of staff in this area and provide information as required for different purposes;
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Provide specific recommendations on how country counterparts/institutions may adopt or use gender criteria to enhance their existing policies and guidelines, building on the recommendations identified in the gender;
•
Contribute to ADPC internal work planning processes and in the development and implementation of program monitoring and evaluation systems and procedures to ensure integration of gender-responsive strategies and indicators;
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Provide a synthesis and comparative analysis of lessons learned and opportunities for strengthening gender-responsive implementation arrangements and improving monitoring systems for gender-specific performance indicators for sharing with country counterparts and at regional workshops/training activities and with ADPC’s staff;
•
Facilitate knowledge building and mainstreaming of gender related perspectives within ADPC program/project intervention;
•
Management of events and publications on gender issues, maintain a library of materials on gender and the area of substantive work for the department, and produce user-friendly and operationally-oriented summaries of key documents for broad dissemination among ADPC stakeholders
•
Mobilizing resources to support ADPC gender initiatives and programs.
Reporting Relationship:
Reports directly to the Director of Risk Governance;
Work closely with Executive Committee members and other staff of ADPC.
Contract: One (1) year contract with possibility of extension.
