View Vacancy - Social Development Adviser - DFID

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The British Embassy Beirut has a vacancy for the position of Social Development Adviser. The position will be based in Lebanon in the Education Team within the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID).

Objective:

DFID Lebanon is looking for a Social Development Advisor  who can provide effective implementation of non-formal education and child protection work and ensure inclusion (gender and disability) are embedded within new programme design and engagement. This role also includes (i) engagement with social safety nets (ii) setting out recommendations for work on inclusion and social development for DFID Lebanon for the medium term in line with the impact of Covid-19 to the education and protection sector in Lebanon.

The post holder will work within DFID Lebanon’s current education portfolio, focusing on non-formal education and child protection service as well as supporting inclusion of disability, gender equality (girls/women) and the most vulnerable. They will also provide technical expertise and support into DFID’s future programming and will apply their knowledge of the Lebanese context to ensure that current and future programme delivers the best possible results for children and youth aligned with DFID and UK priorities. The post holder will also build strong and effective working relationships with DFID teams managing institutional relationships with partners to ensure programme delivery as well as technical inputs into future programming. The role is based in the British Embassy in Beirut and will work with humanitarian and economic teams as well as the Head and Deputy Heads and across the Embassy. The post is for 12 months with option to extend for another 12 months.

About DFID:

The Department for International Development (DFID) leads the UK’s work to end extreme poverty, deliver the Global Goals, and tackle global challenges in line with the government’s UK Aid Strategy. Our aid budget is spent on tackling the great global challenges – from the root causes of mass migration and disease, to the threat of terrorism and global climate change – all of which also directly threaten British interests. We are ending the need for aid by building peaceful and stable societies, creating jobs and strong economies, fighting corruption, unlocking the potential of girls and women, tackling climate change and helping to save lives when humanitarian emergencies hit. We are doing this because it is both the right thing to do and firmly in Britain’s national interest.

DFID works in partnership across Whitehall and with governments, civil society, the private sector and multilateral institutions, including the World Bank, United Nations agencies, and the European Commission.

About DFID’s work in Lebanon:

DFID is the part of the UK government that manages Britain's overseas aid. DFID’s objective in Lebanon is to preserve or strengthen stability and social stability, with refugees and host communities increasingly able to co-exist peacefully, with their resilience against extremism and radicalisation strengthened. DFID programming Lebanon is split across Education, Economic, and Humanitarian sectors.

DFID is based in the British Embassy in Beirut where we work closely with other parts of the British Government.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

Roles and responsibilities / what will the jobholder be expected to achieve:

1. Applying evidence and technical analysis to strengthen DFID’s existing non-formal education and child protection programme in Lebanon

• Deliver technical analysis into DFID Lebanon’s current non-formal education programme, responsible for making sure the programme delivers the best possible outcomes for girls and boys aged 3-18.
• Work with programme managers to strengthen risk management of the non-formal education programme.
• Monitor effectiveness of interventions, driving good value for money throughout programmes.
• Ensure programmes have clear log-frames with measurable results and proportionate research and evaluation plans.
• Ensure all reporting and compliance tasks are completed as required for the education pillar, including Annual Reviews and Project Completion Reports, and other transparency requirements.
• Ensure implementation of the non-formal education programme leads to a positive sector transformation and improved local/ministerial capacity.

2. Provide high quality technical advice on child and youth protection to support DFID’s future programming with a particular focus on gender and disability.

• Provide excellent technical advice to Government of Lebanon, and DFID management and Ministers on key child protection issues within non-formal education in Lebanon.
• Lead on technical inputs for non-formal education programming to ensure important social development themes such as gender, disability, inclusion, are being considered effectively, particularly as new programmes are developed.
• Supporting development of NFE with other international partners, local partners as well as Government of Lebanon.
• Produce high-quality analysis for a range of information requirements and audiences linked to child and youth protection. This includes managing risk and maximising opportunities for impact, through social impact appraisal and safeguarding.
• In-depth understanding of political dynamics in Lebanon and how they impact child protection, gender and disability. In particular, having an understanding of issues related to gender and early childhood marriage amongst Syrian refugee girls.
• Monitor and assess non-formal education and social affairs sector in Lebanon including triggers for conflict/tension/marginalisation and reflect this analysis in strategy and future programme priorities.
• Provide recommendations into possible future programming on Protection that looks across both social protection as well as child protection within education.

3. Managing relationships with delivery partners and key stakeholders

• Build strong and effective working relationships with partner agencies in field offices and at HQ/regional level.
• Manage constructive relationships with current and future partners to ensure programmes deliver objectives.
• Address programme blockages/deficiencies, delivering tough messages to partners as necessary.
• Build strong and effective working relationships with DFID teams managing institutional relationships with partners and other donors.
• Build strong relationships with MOSA and other local and international organisations that lead within the child protection sector in Lebanon.

4. Contribute and input into wider work of DFID Lebanon

• Contribute to effective team working and wider team delivery, by collaborating with other programmes to share best practice and lesson identified through the team and across DFID.
• Focal point for gender and disability across HMG1 and contribute to local and regional inputs in gender and disability as required.
• Provide high quality and timely input into parliamentary and ministerial deliverables and support high-level visits as required.
• Generate and apply evidence, bringing skills in rigorous mixed (qualitative and quantitative) research, monitoring and impact assessment, to advance understanding of what works, where and why, and to demonstrate returns on DFID’s investment. This includes ensuring lasting change for the poorest and most vulnerable is measured and evaluated, including benefits that are critical but harder to capture.
• Inform and influence important national and global processes and frameworks, including: overall DFID strategy and business plans; delivering commitments to the Global Goals; key national economic and social strategies, social policy and social protection frameworks and systems; and multi-sector gender equality plans. 

Key behaviours required for the job:

Candidates are expected to be able to demonstrate the behaviours indicated below in their job application and interview. The candidate can select which two behaviours they would like to demonstrate. Further detail on competency requirements can be found in the Civil Service Behaviour Framework.  All Civil Servants are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with the Civil Service Code.

• Making Effective Decisions: Understand own level of responsibility and empower others to make decisions where appropriate. Analyse and use a range of relevant, credible information from internal and external sources to support decisions. Invite challenge and where appropriate involve others in decision making. Display confidence when making difficult decisions, even if they prove to be unpopular. Consult with others to ensure the potential impacts on end users have been considered. Present strong recommendations in a timely manner outlining the consideration of other options, costs, benefits and risks.

• Seeing the big picture: Understand the strategic drivers for your area of work. Align activities to contribute to wider organisational priorities. Remain alert to emerging issues and trends which might impact your work area. Seek out and share experiences to develop knowledge of the team’s business area. Understand how the strategies and activities of the team create value and meet the diverse needs of all stakeholders.

Technical competencies required for the job:

You are also expected to demonstrate the following technical competencies:

Social Development Technical Competencies

SD1:  Social Policy (social analysis and inclusion): Undertake robust Social Analysis examining the social, cultural, political and economic structures, dynamics, norms and power relations that include or exclude people, and drive or constrain poverty reduction. Apply social policy to influence policies and strategies, lead or quality assure programme design and implementation and build capability of others to do-no-harm, benefit poor and excluded people and deliver transformational change.

SD2: Poverty and vulnerability analysis and monitoring: Analyse the different concepts and measures on wellbeing, poverty and vulnerability, and the strengths and limitations of each; the range of poverty analysis approaches and tools; and, the evidence base on what causes poverty or drives poverty reduction. Influence, lead, quality assure or build the capability of others in analysis, application and monitoring of poverty and wellbeing.

SD3: Gender equality and the rights and empowerment of women and girls: Analyse key concepts, frameworks, and the evidence base on policies and programmes that work to achieve gender equality and the rights and empowerment of women and girls. Influence, lead, quality assure and build capability of others to design, manage, monitor and evaluate a range of evidence-based action for gender equality and the rights and empowerment of women and girls, including multi-sectoral strategies and structural and transformative change.

SD4: Empowerment and Accountability: Applying your understanding of and ability to analyse key concepts and frameworks and the evidence base on policies and programmes that work to achieve empowerment and accountability. This will enable advisers to influence, lead, quality assure and build capability of others to design, manage, monitor and evaluate a range of evidence-based action to enhance citizen empowerment and accountability of public, private and traditional institutions.

SD5: Social Protection: Analyse key concepts, frameworks, and the evidence base on social protection policies and programmes. Influence, lead, quality assure and build capability of others to design, implement, monitor and evaluate policy, programme and system approaches for social protection.

Essential on arrival:

• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and Arabic
• Strong grasp of the evidence base on social development (emerging research, evaluation of what works) acquired through degree in a relevant subject and/or self-directed study.
• Bachelors or Masters degree in a relevant subject (including, but not limited to sociology, political science, social/development policy and planning)
• Experience of child protection sector in Lebanon
• Minimum 5 years of experience working on social development policy and programming in Lebanon or the MENA region related to social or child protection.
• Resilience and ability to work under pressure in a busy and sometimes challenging environment.
• Excellent IT skills (standard Microsoft applications).