J.2 PD Associate Director.pdf

MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Classification: Associate Director (Gender and Social Inclusion), MC-301-3b

Organizational Title:

Position Number:

Introduction:

MCC’s mission is to provide grant assistance to support economic growth and poverty reduction in select developing countries with a demonstrated commitment to just and democratic governance, economic freedom, and investments in their citizenry. MCC’s partner countries enter into a five-year agreement (Compact) with MCC that includes a plan for achieving shared development objectives and the responsibilities of each country in achieving those objectives. Our model is defined by core principles, of selectivity, country ownership, transparency, and a focus on results.

Our values identify who we are and what is important to us. Our Values are CLEAR: Embrace Collaboration, Always Learn, Practice Excellence, Be Accountable and Respect individuals and ideas. MCC’s values define how we behave on a daily basis, both as individuals and as an institution, in pursuit of our mission. They guide how we make decisions, set priorities, address challenges, manage tradeoffs, recruit and develop staff, and work together with our country partners and stakeholders.

The Department of Compact Operations (DCO) is responsible for developing and implementing MCC’s compact programs. The department ensures that MCC compacts are designed and implemented in compliance with agency standards for procurement, financial management, environmental and social performance, and gender integration and social inclusion.

Within DCO, the Sector Operations Division is responsible for the development and oversight of MCC’s agriculture, land, human and community development investments, program procurement and financial services, gender integration and social inclusion.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

Works as part of a practice team led by the Senior Director for Gender and Social Inclusion and with other staff in to strengthen MCC’s engagement across sectors in current thinking, approaches, strategies, tools and practices related to gender and social inclusion in large-scale international development programs.

Ensures that MCC’s Gender Policy and related policy and guidance documents are followed throughout the compact process.

Contributes to gender and social integration work as a member of the multi-disciplinary MCC team or through providing guidance to other GSI colleagues engaged with country counterparts to ensure that political economy analysis and analyses of social and gender differences and inequalities inform the development and implementation of programs to be funded through the Millennium Challenge Account.

Assesses opportunities and constraints for different stakeholder groups to participate and benefit from MCA-funded projects.

Assesses the soundness of a country's proposed programs in the context of a political economy analysis, and relevant social and gender analyses.

Ensures that results produced through political economy and social and gender assessments are integrated in the design, due diligence and final design of development projects across a variety of sectors, and appropriately monitored throughout implementation.

Provides technicaltechnical advice and counsel on social and gender issues related to policy analysis, consultations, program design, project assessments, implementation plans, monitoring and evaluation of Compact and Threshold funded projects and activities.

Developsterms of reference and evaluates the technical adequacy of project-specific studies and plans such as gender assessments, political economy analysis, stakeholder mapping, human trafficking risk management plans, and social and gender integration plans.

Provides inputinput to develop approaches and terms of reference to monitor, assess and evaluate social and gender performance, outcomes and impacts of MCC-funded projects, including feedback loops that enable learning and adaptation during implementation.

Collaborates with economic analysis and monitoring and evaluation staff to ensure that research design (quantitative and qualitative), data and collection and analyses incorporate gender and social inclusion dimensions.

Provides technical inputinput in developing a training and capacity building program on gender integration and social inclusion, as well as other social risk management issues such as human trafficking and societal cohesion (particularly in vulnerable states). Participants can be MCC staff and consultants, MCA partner country staff, consultants and implementers, and training may be held in MCA countries as well as Washington, DC.

Provides technical contributions to the development and refinement of guidance documents, operational procedures, performance standards and other social/gender practice-related priorities.

Develops budgets, timelines and cost estimates, and conducts evaluations for procurement actions.

Manages contractors, inter-agency agreements, and other entities to ensure that deliverables and work products are acceptable.

Develops, regularly updates and assists in implementing the Gender and Social Inclusion team knowledge sharing and management plan, including knowledge events on the subject.

Provides technical input in the assessment, documentation and presentation of best practices related to gender and social integration and the management of these dimensions.

Represents MCC to senior U.S. Government officials, representatives of foreign governments, and a variety of other stakeholders, both domestic and international. Strengthens external partnerships to enhance attention to gender and social dimensions of development.

Performs other related duties as assigned.

Factor 1 - Knowledge Required by the Position

Demonstrated knowledge of and experience with internationally accepted social and gender analytical concepts, political economy analyses, data and feedback approaches, frameworks and methodologies sufficient to design, assess, and monitor Compact-and Threshold-funded projects and activities.

Knowledge and experience with training and other capacity-building methods and tools for increasing the social and gender competency of development professionals in both the donor and recipient countries through a range of learning formats and techniques.

Ability to provide guidance on social and gender issues, undertaking technical analyses of political economy, social (including gender) issues and identifying available data and advising on how to strengthen data availability, use, and technical capacity.

Ability to integrate the results of social and gender analyses including social/gender risk management measures into project designs and procurement and contract documents.

Ability to assess and document best practices related to social and gender outcomes of development projects in a variety of sectors including agriculture, digital technology, infrastructure, energy, health, education and finance.

Ability to conduct and manage complex social (including gender) research activities including political economy analysis, social inclusion assessments and evaluation research.

Ability to consolidate lessons and articulate them into briefs, case studies, presentations and other knowledge products.

Ability to collaborate with colleagues and other stakeholders to lead and facilitate knowledge sharing events.

May be required communicate in a foreign language both orally and in wiring, preferably Spanish or French.

Factor 2 - Supervisory Controls

The supervisor sets the overall assignment objectives, program emphasis and resources available. The incumbent independently develops the deadlines, projects, and work to be accomplished. The employee meets regularly with the supervisor to keep him/her informed of progress, potentially controversial matters, and problems with far-reaching implications. Completed work is reviewed for its impact on broad MCC policy objectives and program goals.

Factor 3 – Guidelines

Guidelines consist of broad administrative and program policy statements, basic legislation, or local laws that require extensive interpretation. The employee uses judgment and discretion in determining intent, and in interpreting and revising existing policy and regulatory guidance for use by others within or outside the Department of Compact Implementation. The employee is recognized as an established practitioner in the development and/or interpretation of guidance on program planning and evaluation as it relates to social and gender assessment issues and programs.

Factor 4 – Complexity

Work consists of a variety of duties to plan and direct work efforts to address program issues where existing policies and precedents do not exist. In consultation with the supervisor, the incumbent determines what needs to be done by conducting extensive research and analysis to assess the nature and scope of problems/issues and to develop comprehensive solutions. Assignments are complicated by the need to deal with subjective concepts and findings and conclusions are highly subjective and not readily susceptible to verification through replication of study methods or reevaluation of results.

Options, recommendations, and conclusions take into account and give appropriate weight to uncertainties about the data and other variables which affect long-range program performance.

Factor 5 - Scope and Effect

The purpose of the work is to analyze and evaluate major aspects of substantive, MCC mission-oriented programs. In consultation with the supervisor, the employee develops long-range program plans, goals, objectives, and milestones to evaluate the effectiveness of social and gender impact programs. The employee resolves problems or copes with issues which directly affect the accomplishment of principal MCC program goals and objectives. The employee develops regulations or guidelines for the conduct of program operations, or new criteria for measuring program accomplishments. Study reports contain findings and recommendations of major significance to MCC top management and often serve as the basis for new administrative systems, legislative initiatives, regulations, or programs.

Factors 6/7 - Personal Contacts/Purpose of Contacts

Personal contacts are with numerous analysts, specialists, and professional staff from within and outside the agency in a moderately unstructured setting. The purpose of contacts is to influence, motivate, or persuade persons or groups who are typically skeptical, resistant, or uncooperative, and who must be approached skillfully to obtain the desired effect. Requires skill in persuasion, negotiation, motivation, or establishment of rapport.

Factor 8 - Physical Demands

The work is primarily sedentary, although frequent foreign travel to developing countries with limited infrastructure may be required; and there may be some walking, standing, bending or carrying of light items such as books, briefcases, etc.

Factor 9 - Work Environment

Work is performed in an office setting. Field missions in challenging conditions may be required from time to time.