Gender Reforms Activity Manager – 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 (HSS), strengthening of the business environment, and Market Driven Irrigated Horticulture (MDIH), 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.
Market-Driven Irrigated Horticulture (MDIH) Project
The MDIH Project’s objective is to increase rural incomes related to commercial agriculture, including for women, youth, and the rural poor, and establish a sustainable and inclusive model of irrigation, water resource, and land management. The project provides extensive technical assistance and investments in institutional reforms and capacity building of both the GoL and beneficiaries of the project’s investment in irrigation infrastructure to develop a successful and sustainable horticulture industry. The budget for this project is $118 million.
Position Objective
The Gender Reforms Activity Manager is accountable for the successful implementation of Gender Equality related Institutional Reform activities under the MDIH project. The Gender Reforms 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 MDIH project objectives and the judicious management of its resources. The Manager has overall responsibility for monitoring, tracking and reporting on the progress of all Institutional Reforms, gender legal services and victim support activities undertaken under the MDIH project. The Gender Reforms Activity Manager reports directly to the Director Gender and Social Inclusion.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide technical advice and guidance, as well as monitor and manage the Institutional Reform Inclusive Services (IRIS) Technical Assistance, Gender Legal Services Contract, Land, Gender and Victim support contracts’ progress and activities to ensure achievement of sustainable results in collaboration with all assigned contractors or grantees.
- Based upon assessments of project progress, monitor performance risk and recommend remedial approaches to better advance and sustain project quality and impact.
- 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 workplans payment schedules, reporting tools and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) frameworks. Recommend for approval all workplans payment schedules, reporting tools and M&E frameworks for assigned contracts or grants.
- Based upon financial analyses, track (in collaboration with MCA-L procurement and finance officer/s) financial reporting for assigned contracts or grants and recommend for approval all invoices.
- Provide required reporting to the MCA MDIH Director and MCA GSI Director 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 MDIH Compact procurements to ensure integration of concerns in various technical areas 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.
- Contribute in the development and implementation of risk management strategies for the various contract activities.
- Coordinate effectively with other MCA-L staff in the implementation of supervised activities, ensure timely exchange of relevant information; properly identify and manage risks; and incorporate good practices and lessons learned.
- Ensure compliance with MCC’s Gender Policy, MCA-L’s Social and Gender Integration Plan, Counter-Trafficking Policy, MCC’s Sexual Abuse and Harassment in the Workplace Policy, MCA-L’s Environment and Social Protection Plan and all relevant MCA Policies or Plans in Compact project implementation and monitoring.
Qualifications and Experience
- A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in Law or Development Studies.
- A minimum of 7 years of experience leading, administering or managing gender equality related legal and/or institutional reforms at a national ministry/organizational level.
- A minimum of 5 years’ experience working in gender equality and development projects.
- A minimum of 5 years’ experience identifying problems or risks in any aspect of a gender equality project/program and self-identifying and initiating effective solutions to mitigate risk or resolve 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.
- Experience working on Gender Equality Institutional Reforms in Lesotho, Southern Africa or low-middle income countries is preferred.
Skills and Competencies
- Demonstrated ability to identify and institute best practices in institutional reform activities related to gender equality.
- Demonstrated ability to prioritize issues, direct conversations toward solutions and address concerns in a limited time frame, considering Compact implementation timelines.
- Ability to write quickly, clearly and succinctly in English (reports, emails, presentations) and present information in public forums.
How to apply
Complete applications must be submitted online, on or before Friday June 14th, 2024.
Applications should be accompanied by the following documents:
- Curriculum vitae containing detailed work experience;
- Cover letter confirming interest and availability;
- Soft copies of higher education and professional certificates (if available);
- 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 for their interest; however, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Submit your application online via: https://lesotho-jobs.tenderwell.app – Hard copy applications will not be considered.