Gender and Social Inclusion Analyst

Nepal’s Constitution has established food security, the right to food, and food sovereignty as fundamental rights, with the government entrusted to uphold them. However, Nepal ranks 73 out of 117 food-importing nations in the 2022 Global Hunger Report, with approximately 45 out of 77 districts facing food insufficiency. To address this challenge and align with Sustainable Development Goals, a project named ” Renewable Energy for Resilient Agro-Food Systems (RERAS)” is being funded by the Norwegian Embassy and implemented by UNDP in 11 local governments across Sudurpashchim, Karnali, and Bagmati provinces. This project focuses on enhancing agricultural productivity and food security by leveraging affordable energy solutions, empowering local farmers through modern technology, and partnering with government bodies and national organizations with the support from the Royal Norwegian Embassy. 

The project aims to contribute to the “improved food and nutrition security of the communities in targeted municipalities of Sudurpaschim and Karnali provinces by promoting indigenous crop varieties through mechanization of agriculture using renewable energy-based technology.” The project will support establishing dedicated funds at local level to support the farmers for use of modern technology in production, processing, and marketing. The project will work with the local and provincial governments, academia, cooperatives, traders, and service providers to enhance their knowledge on use of modern technology for food production and sustainable food system management through capacity building and provisions for climate information, policies, access to finance, and research based improvised farming. Extensive use of energy-based and climate smart technology will help reduce the cost of production and increase local food supply. This will also support economic empowerment of women, returnee migrants, youths and marginalized groups through job creation and contribute to poverty reduction, environmental safeguarding, sustainable production and consumption, and gender equality and social inclusion. 

Since ‘Renewable Energy for Resilient Agro-Food Systems (RERAS) is a GEN 3 project, UNDP is looking to recruit a full-time, dedicated, experienced and competent Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Analyst (GESI Analyst) to ensure GESI mainstreaming, women empowerment and women-led interventions within the project. The incumbent will be responsible for the overall supervision and guidance to local partners and responsible for all aspects of GESI mainstreaming in Sudurpachhim, Karnali and Bagmati provinces.

The GESI Analyst will report to and work under the direct supervision of the Project Manager. S/He will work closely with the Policy Analyst (GESI) and Portfolio Manager of UNDP Nepal’s Environment and Resilience Portfolio and the entire project team

• Analyse the requirements of the project and facilitate structural transformation in relation to GESI (system thinking).
• Engage with local governments, provincial governments, project partners, stakeholders, project team and community groups to map gaps and propose actions plan on GESI integration and mainstreaming.
• Ensure that GESI is mainstreamed in all activities and interventions, including planning, budgeting, database management, M&E, assessments, research, and policy documentations. 
• Ensure capacity building of project team, local partners, stakeholders, and community groups.
• Support team work on mainstreaming GESI and lead on developing targeted policy documents and strategies on GESI. 
• Provide recommendations for GESI and human rights-based approach related to the project.
• Ensure that the relevant baseline studies, assessments, publications, evaluations, case stories, and data collection are GESI sensitive. 
• Support development of the knowledge products on GESI in line with SDG principle of Leaving No One Behind (LNOB)
• Support the project in documentation of learnings and best practices on GESI related issues, with the aim of supporting project implementation and scale-up. 

Specific responsibilities under key results areas identified by the Project are as follows:

• Provide technical input to mainstream GESI in access to food and energy as per the requirement of the project:
• Provide technical inputs to mainstream GESI during the entire production and consumption processes. 
• Provide technical support in strategic and annual planning and budgeting processes to ensure GESI is significantly considered throughout the process. 
• Provide advisory support in inclusive designs, including GESI sensitive implementation processes and resilient infrastructure development for long-term livelihood benefits.
• Closely engage with local communities and a wide range of beneficiaries to inform design and implementation of activities, thus further contributing to a GESI-responsive and locally adapted and relevant approach.
• Ensure meaningful participation of women, PwDs, youths and people from marginalized groups in policy dialogues, research discourse, implementation and documentation of lessons learned.
• Enhance capacities of local governments, farmers groups and local value chain actors on GESI inclusive technologies for pre- and post-production and food-energy-water nexus.
• Conduct assessments that cater the GESI issues and supports on mainstreaming GESI.
• Provide guidance to scale up GESI responsive agro-mechanization, agro-processing, and storage system.
• Provide guidance on strengthening GESI responsive agriculture value chain and energy systems with modern solutions.
• Lead on developing capacity of users’ groups on women empowerment.
• Provide guidance on gender responsive budgeting and inclusive financing mechanisms for better access to finance and subsidies by women and marginalized groups.
• Provide guidance on leveraging financing for women and marginalized groups to enhance commercialization of indigenous crops.
• Conduct detailed GESI analysis, develop comprehensive GESI strategy and action plan, and conduct GESI audit to mainstream gender equality and social inclusion in the project.

Strengthen and enhance the knowledge and capacity of relevant partners and stakeholders:

• Undertake capacity need assessment to identify gaps in GESI.
• Develop training modules and capacitate relevant partners, project team and stakeholders on GESI mainstreaming, particularly related to uplifting food-energy-water nexus at the community level and deliver GESI targeted trainings.
• Conduct GESI responsive research to enhance food productivity, storage, and hands-on learning of local farmers.
• Ensure GESI issues and gaps are discussed during open forums and discussions.
• Lead assessment and promotion of women-friendly and women-responsive farming technologies adaptation.
• Engage women and people from marginalized and disadvantaged groups in decision-making platforms to enhance awareness, participation, voice, and agency, including as representative user groups, cooperatives, enterprises, and businesses.
• Facilitate services for women’s and people from marginalized and disadvantage groups’ access to tools, equipment and machines through cooperatives and custom hiring centres.
• Facilitate services on access to credit/ finance to women, marginalized, vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. 

Undertake inclusive Data Management, Monitoring and Reporting

• Support the project team and partners to map and analyse all on-going interventions and programmes, and database requirements from GESI perspective.
• Guide the project team with planning, development, strengthening of MIS system taking GESI into prime consideration.
• Support the project team on developing capacity development packages related to data/evidence systems and procedures to ensure data on GESI is systematically collected, analysed, and used in policy formulation.
• Provide technical expertise in GESI responsive reporting and publications. 
• Support mainstreaming of GESI in data management, monitoring, and reporting, including systematic collection of gender disaggregated data, monitoring of attainment of results on GESI and data analysis to report on progress / results that benefit women, PWDs and people from marginalized groups.
• From GESI perspective, provide recommendations for enriching the M&E, learning, and reporting system, including on baseline and progress data and on strengthening capacity for providing required data and information to the project team and donors. 
• Collaborate with local partners and other stakeholders develop knowledge products and policy papers, support advocacy and information sharing, on inclusive environmental governance and food-energy-water nexus. 
• Create a safe working environment by developing respectful and safe organizational culture and supporting practices.
• Collaborates with team members, programme partners, and sub-grantees to ensure safe implementation of programmes at the community level applying Do No Harm approach.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline.
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements. 
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback.
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible. 
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident.
• Engage and Partner:  LEVEL1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships.
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination. 

Cross Functional & Technical competencies:

Business direction and strategy         

• System Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system

Business development

• Knowledge Generation: Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need

Business management           

• Working with Evidence and Data: Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions, and supporting decision-making
• Partnerships Management: Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts, and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies.

2030 Agenda  

• Nature, Climate and Energy: Energy: Market-based energy financing and practical application
• Gender: Gender Issues & Analysis

2030 Agenda: People                

• Gender: Gender Mainstreaming