Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) and Stakeholder Engagement Specialist

UNDP has been working with national and international partners in the Philippines on the issue of the circular economy. UNDP is working with the European Union in implementing the EU Philippines Green Economy Programme (The Programme). The Programme has the purpose of supporting the Philippines’ transition towards a green economy, including circular economy, reducing waste and plastic, as well as increasing energy efficiency and renewable energy deployment to support climate change mitigation. The Programme acknowledges that the transition to circular economy will have other added benefits such as reduction of the use of energy and greenhouse gas emissions, improve biodiversity and natural capital, decreased pollution levels, and climate change adaptation.   
  
The Programme addresses three main levels:    

• Establishing a Policy Dialogue Platform at the central government level to mobilize EU expertise to facilitate policy formulation, improve city-to-city collaboration through supporting the development of a National Circular Economy Strategy and Roadmap, extend the dialogue to promote renewable energy/energy efficiency, and to apply the dialogue’s outcomes;
• Working with local government units (LGUs) where EU expertise will support to define and implement circular economy, climate change, and energy policies with a human rights and gender-responsive perspective, outreach and support of local business and civil society, and support less advanced LGUs;
• Enhancing engagement of the private and financial sectors into the circular waste economy creating better conditions for private sector investment by supporting business-driven waste reduction strategies and circular solutions in the production process.    

The Programme has 4 specific objectives:    
SO1: Improved circular economy and climate change policies and reduced GHG emissions
SO2: Enhanced practices of the circular economy by the LGUs in collaboration with the private sector and civil society sector, with a focus on youth and gender equality
SO3: Enhanced engagement of the private and financial sectors in circular, waste-reduction economy
SO4: Increased energy efficiency and renewable energy deployment    
   
UNDP is responsible for the implementation and execution of SO2 with the purpose of enhancing the capacities and practices of local government units (LGUs) on circular waste economy in collaboration with private and civil society organizations (CSOs), with focus on youth and gender equality.   
 
Key results expected at the end of the Project include:

• Reduced volume of waste generated and sent to landfills in partner LGUs
• Greenhouse gas emissions reduced and avoided (tonnes of CO2eq) from reduced waste and implementation of circular economy initiatives
• At least 20 LGUs have established circular economy models, including introduction of source separation and collection systems for wastes recycling, diversion, repurposing and other CE initiatives
• Additional number of organizations applying CE and sustainable consumption and production practices in partner LGUs
• Additional jobs (including green jobs) created across the circular economy value chain, disaggregated by gender and groups
• At least 10 LGUs in which nationally defined green procurement criteria have been applied
• About 15 LGUs that feed their NDC reporting with improved gender and youth sensitive data on co-benefits of CE

The above results shall be achieved through the following Outputs:

Output 1: Improved capacities of LGUs and stakeholders to design, implement and monitor resilient and inclusive circular economy strategies 

Output 2: GEDSI-responsive local policies and regulations designed and applied to enable circular and green growth opportunities and practices 

Output 3: Public and private financing effectively mobilized to implement gender responsive and inclusive CE strategies and programmes 

Output 4: Enhanced community innovation and demonstration projects applied to address priority CE solutions in partner LGUs 

Output 5: Enhanced CE behavior and practices of LGUs, private sector, communities and local stakeholders 

Output 6: Informal sector, grassroots, civil society organizations, women, youth, and marginalized sector capacitated and integrated into the CE value chain 

Output 7: CE-related knowledge management, MERL, GEDSI and safeguards in place to strengthen and replicate CE uptake in the Philippines 

The Project shall be implemented in partnership with LGUs. A total of 20 Tier 1 LGUs will be supported directly, while 40 LGUs will be supported with targeted assistance on a demand-driven basis. Out of Tier 1 LGUs, 10 LGUs have been identified: 

• Baguio City 
• Pasig City 
• Caloocan City 
• Quezon City 
• Iloilo city/Metro Iloilo 
• Ormoc City 
• Del Carmen municipality/Siargao islands 
• Island Garden City of Samal 
• Davao City 
• Puerto Princesa City/Palawan

The remaining Tier 1 cities will be identified during the first year of implementation.       

UNDP Philippines takes overall responsibility and accountability for the delivery of the project outputs.  It will be accountable for managing the project, including the monitoring and evaluation of project interventions, achieving project results, and for the effective use of resources, in compliance with UNDP rules and regulations, policies and procedures. These include relevant requirements on fiduciary, procurement, environmental and social safeguards, and other performance standards.    

The day-to-day implementation of the project will be led by a Project Manager within a Project Management Unit (PMU) responsible for ensuring that the project achieves the expected targets to the required quality standards and within the specified time and budget allocations. The Project Manager will be supported by a Deputy Project Manager, Project Assistants, technical staff and a pool of contractors and consultants to carry out the deliverables of the project. 

The inclusion of gender equality, disability, and social inclusion (GEDSI) issues is critical to the mission of both the EU and UNDP to improve the lives and livelihoods of the most vulnerable and the poorest of the poor based on the recognition that negative impacts of global challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss often fall disproportionately on these groups.

An inclusive circular economy considers how a diverse population consumes resources. It also values and encourages active community participation in designing and implementing solutions to reduce waste. It also recognizes the various roles or personas that people can play in a circular economy: as consumers, workers, innovators, advocates, etc, and ensures equal opportunities in these roles, thereby increasing participation and leading to greater circularity. 

Under the overall guidance and supervision of the Project Manager, the GEDSI and Stakeholder Engagement Specialist will lead the strategic direction and advice on gender across the work of the project to ensure that gender equality, disability, and social inclusivity are effectively mainstreamed within all programming and operational areas in line with UNDP standards and the criteria outlined in the UNDP Gender Seal Certification criteria and that the gender focus of the GEPP project achieves maximum impact.

The GEDSI and Stakeholder Engagement Specialist will also work closely with all relevant stakeholders (i.e national and subnational government partners, other SO implementing partners, UNDP CO, etc.), in the identification, design and implementation of critical gender interventions for GEPP, while maintaining a strong contribution to resilience building and resource mobilization.  The position will also require extensive engagement, networking and partnership building with international and national partners, including other UN agencies, government counterparts, civil society and non-governmental organizations, women's organizations and networks, bilateral and multilateral donors, and private sector actors.

Key impact of results will include maintaining gender, disability, and social inclusivity mainstreaming, achievement and advancing the gender, disability, and social inclusivity portfolio further with effective and measurable  gender, disability, and social inclusivity mainstreaming across all aspects of GEPP project operations and programming, in accordance with UNDP’s corporate guidelines and standards (including bridging for the Gender Seal Certification requirements); unlocking opportunities for GEDSI and other stakeholders to take an active part in circular economy transition, positioning of GEPP/UNDP Philippines as a key player in helping Philippines to achieve SDG 5; ensuring tangible contributions to support gender, disability, and social inclusivity mainstreaming actions are planned and mobilized in a timely manner, and overall ensuring GEPP maximizes its contribution to improving the enjoyment of equal socio-economic, environmental and political rights by all men, women, girls and boys and others in the Philippines

The main task of the GEDSI and Stakeholder Engagement Specialist is to ensure GEDSI mainstreaming in the process of supporting LGUs in circular economy transformation, He/She will review and regularly update the GEDSI Action Plan, and to support the implementation of positive GEDSI inclusive measures and actions so that they are effectively supported, negative impacts on these sectors are minimized if not avoided.  The Specialist shall ensure that the Project creates positive impacts on the welfare of these groups and other vulnerable groups in the LGUs.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Mainstream GEDSI Measures into the Design, Planning, Implementation, and Reporting;
• Formulate and Implement Engagement Strategies and Action Plans for GEDSI Mainstreaming 
• Provide Policy Advocacy and Partnership building support 
• Facilitate Knowledge Building and Sharing for GEDSI Mainstreaming

Mainstream GEDSI Measures into the Design, Planning, Implementation, and Reporting:

• Lead the implementation of the GEPP GEDSI Action Plan taking into consideration UNDP corporate recommendations as well as comparative best practices. 
• Review the project’s planned activities and provide recommendations on amendments/adjustments for impactful GEDSI and gender mainstreaming and reporting, in line with the corporate and national policies and priorities for efficient implementation including monitoring and evaluation.
• Ensure that GEDSI focus within the project is clearly articulated, communicated, and supported by all spheres of operations and programming and by partners in building strong institutional commitment and leadership to implement GEDSI principles across project activities.
• Lead adaptation, and implementation of UNDP gender mainstreaming corporate tools and corporate reporting and accountability frameworks, including the gender markers and allocation of resources for gender.
• Ensure that a sound gender analysis informs programme/project design and management; identify strategic actions to be undertaken to improve the quality of implementation, support achievement of related results, and manage the effective application of the Gender Marker, based on the performance and lessons learned from GEPP implementation.
• Apply result-based management (RBM) tools in management; establishment of M&E and reporting framework, that are gender responsive and tracks results based on evidence and disaggregated data.
• Provide advice on appropriate gender-sensitive indicators for project outputs and outcomes, and support colleagues in the monitoring and reporting of results/outputs and objectives against agreed indicators, in close collaboration with MERL specialist.
• Lead the PMU on gender seal and serve as gender seal focal point for the project.
• Formulate and Implement Engagement Strategies and Action Plans for GEDSI Mainstreaming.
• Monitor political, economic, and social developments trends and issues affecting GEDSI groups’ rights in the Philippines, producing analytic reports, and informing a strategic response to opportunities and challenges within the UNDP’s projects and gender, disability, and social inclusivity entry points including close partnership with the relevant agencies.
• Identify and map GEDSI groups and all relevant stakeholders in target LGUs with special attention to the informal sector, Persons with Disability (PWD), women and girls, the youth, and persons with lower income levels. 
• Identify opportunities and strategic entry points (e.g. GEDSI sensitive enabling policies and regulations, CE business innovation and development, CSO-led activities, and communication and campaign), in line with the Project Document and UNDP’s Country Programme Strategy. 
• Formulate/update strategies and action plans for engaging each group (e.g., women and men, the youth, the informal sector, the poor, and persons with disability (PWDs)  by assessing their current practices, norms and values, capacity needs and best options to integrate into proposed sets of green, circular economy initiatives (e.g. official recognition of their roles, inclusive business models, women/youth/PWDs led CE initiatives). 
• Design and deliver capacity development programmes tailored to address the specific needs of each type of GEDSI groups. 
• Identify and disseminate best practices of GEDSI inclusions (e.g., business models led by the women, the youth, the informal sector, PWDs) for replication and upscaling among LGUs 
• Provide technical assistance and training to partners and LGU counterparts in implementing GEDSI-related strategies and action plans.
• Provide capacity-building training on GEDSI topics to the LGU authorities and staff, focusing on the gender working group.
• Coordinate with the CSOs to conduct capacity building related workshops and training to the community of the respective LGUs on the prevention of violence against women and girls.
• Provide support to GEDSI individuals or groups in terms of organizational development, acquisition of a legal identity, registration with relevant national and local governments, and other documentary requirements for GEDSI to be organized and/or legitimized as a formal association and equipped with financial and technical capacities at least for key officers.

Lead GEDSI related Policy Advocacy and Partnership Building Support:

• Provide analysis, substantive inputs, and strategic advice to the Project and its communication and advocacy activities to achieve broader recognition of the Project and UNDP’s contribution to gender equality and social inclusivity results in a circular economy in the Philippines by national stakeholders and development partners.
•  Initiate and coordinate strategic advocacy activities to maximize support of the UN system, government and civil society partners on gender equality and social inclusivity in line with international commitments to CEDAW, gender targets of SDGs especially  SDG 5. 
• Develop background documents, briefs and presentations related to GEDSI issues.  
• Identify best practices, lessons learned to guide project improvements and future strategic interventions. 
• Provide advisory services to development partners and facilitate knowledge networking and exchange on the Gender Based Violence related issues. 
• Organise and facilitate dialogues and experience sharing between colleagues in the PMU on gender equality and inclusion. 
• Contribute to UNDP’s role in fora and meetings related to gender equality and social inclusivity (e.g. Gender Theme Group (GTG), among others.
• Participate in activities to highlight key GEDSI issues, and advocate for integration of gender equality and social inclusivity issues into the development agenda.
• Strengthen and maintain partnerships and relationships with UNDP’s partners including other UN agencies, donors, government agencies, and NGOs, on matters related to the promotion of national commitments to gender equality with a view to ensure strategic partnerships and strengthening collaboration.  

Facilitate Knowledge Building and Sharing for GEDSI Mainstreaming:

• Support knowledge building and sharing with partners and stakeholders on GEDSI focusing on achievements, lessons learned, and methodologies utilized in gender equality implementation and mainstreaming, especially in the experiences of the GEPP.
•  Organize and conduct trainings on gender advancement, gender equality and social inclusivity, women’s empowerment, women’s issues, and social development thematic areas related to UNDP’s Gender Strategic Plan in the Country Office.
• Collate and document lessons learned and recommendations for policy dialogue, public advocacy and future programming, and organize dissemination of learning within the CO and with partners.
• Monitor and report on the implementation of the GEPP GEDSI Action Plan.
• Contribute to knowledge networks and communities of practice. 
• Provide support to the project in preparation of regular reports on activities, outputs and outcomes, for advocacy use and donor reporting.
• Monitor and document CO’s contribution to gender equality and GEDSI results for reporting and further communication purposes.
• Ensure that all project staff are equipped to sustainably mainstream gender equality adn GEDSI objectives/goals in their respective areas of work in operations/programming.

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