Girls Global Innovation Programme Manager , Woking, Surrey

Working in 50 developing countries across Africa, Asia and the Americas, Plan aims to reach as many children as possible, particularly those who are excluded or marginalized with high quality programs that deliver long lasting benefits by increasing its income, working in partnership with others and operating effectively.

In October 2012, Plan is launching a major global campaign on girls and gender equality, named Because I am a Girl (BIAAG). The campaign includes a $72m portfolio of six flagship programmes on key aspects of girls’ empowerment and rights, collectively known as the Global Girls Innovation Programme. This post will guide and support Plan’s Country Offices as they implement the global programme.

The flagship programmes will be designed to drive learning and results at scale, across countries, based on high quality technical approaches. Together, the ambition is that they will form a coherent effort that strengthens our outcomes and efficiencies and positions Plan as a recognised leader in global debates and practice. They will also inform the BIAAG campaign’s communication and fundraising activities, as well as global advocacy engagement.

Dimensions of Role: •This post will be responsible for guiding and supporting a $72m portfolio of six flagship programmes, to be implemented by Plan’s Country Offices. This will involve close collaboration with field staff at all levels, identifying and building on opportunities, and ensuring coherence in programme efforts. This will also involve coordinating fundraising efforts by Plan’s National Organisations.
•The post will play a high profile role in Plan’s major global campaign, Because I Am A Girl. •The post will involve working closely with Plan’s established gender teams and programmes, across all our international offices, and in particular with the global BIAAG team and Global Gender Equality Advisor.

Typical Responsibilities - Key End Results of Position: Plan International implements a coherent set of flagship programmes, across different Country Offices, which are technically strong, well-documented and provide a robust basis for advocacy in the field of girls empowerment programming. Provide thought-leadership and technical guidance for the Global Girls Innovation Programme, as a key pillar of Plan’s global BIAAG campaign. Identify, expand and bring to scale a body of good practice programmes and projects on girls’ rights and gender equality which embody excellent technical quality, innovation and sustainable results. Collaborate closely with regional gender staff and implementing staff in field programmes to identify and scale opportunities. Support fundraising efforts to raise funds for the Global Girls Innovation Programme. This involves liaising with the BIAAG fundraising manager, NO fundraising directors and RO resource mobilisation teams in order to ensure appropriate communication and mechanisms are in place to drive funds towards the Global Girls Innovation Programme.
Ensure that the BIAAG Programme Guidelines reflect Plan’s programme priorities, and include appropriate technical guidance for countries on BIAAG programme quality standards, results indicators and methodologies/standards of implementation. Provide support to regional offices and occasionally field teams to implement Programme Guidelines and respond to issues on the ground.
Support the inclusion of an effective Monitoring and Evaluation framework for all initiatives in the Global Girls Innovation Programme. This role will support field staff in the development of M & E frameworks, and will ensure that appropriate technical resources are in place for Monitoring and Evaluation to be undertaken in line with Plan’s Performance Agenda.
Ensure that initiatives in the Global Girls Innovation Programme adhere to high practice standards, and support all donor compliance measures and related monitoring and evaluation reporting.
Plan is recognised as a quality programmatic leader in the field of girls’ empowerment programming, on the basis of powerful evidence generated from the Global Girls Innovation Fund Programmes. Ensure that Global Girls Innovation Programmes are well documented and generate credible evidence for use in international advocacy on girls empowerment programming. Remain current in external research and programme practice on girls’ human rights. Maintain a detailed understanding of key girls rights programme players, including INGOs, UN bodies, think tanks, academic and research institutions, and others.
Provide briefing papers and speaking notes on Plan’s programme experience in girls’ rights to ensure effective representation in advocacy, communications and other influencing opportunities.
Regional and Country-level staff working on Plan’s BIAAG programmes are well connected to each other and have easy access to technical support and lessons on best practice. Manage the global BIAAG programme reference group to become an effective community of information sharing and exchange. Ensure that members are actively engaged. Ensure coordination and coherence with the other pillars of the BIAAG campaign.
Ensure organisational learning and sharing systems on the Global Girls Innovation Programme are in place. Develop and disseminate key case studies on programmatic best practice and lessons learned.

Dealing with Problems: Leading design of high quality programmes,that combine cutting edge international insights with a sensitive understanding of local context. Helping busy staff manage multiple competing priorities at all levels, including Regional Offices, Country Offices, Programme Units, National Offices and International Headquarters. Ensuring coherence and shared learning across different countries. Supporting programme implementation in varied international settings. Building support for the Global Girls Innovation Programme internally within Plan, and locating it appropriately in relation to other initiatives. Managing relationships with external stakeholders, including donors, partners and technical experts.

Communications and Working Relationships: The BIAAG Programme Specialist will report directly to the Global Gender Advisor who oversees the Programme Pillar of the BIAAG Campaign. Other key working relationships include the BIAAG Director and Core Campaign Team (especially Advocacy Coordinator and Communications Coordinator); Programme Effectiveness Team (IH); regional Gender Specialists (all four Regional Offices); alongside other experts on gender equality in COs and NOs. External stakeholders include major institutional donors, established academic and NGO leaders in the field of girls’ empowerment programming.

Knowledge, Skills, Behaviours, and Experience Required to Achieve Role’s Objectives: Knowledge:
Demonstrated knowledge of gender equality, children’s rights and international development programme practice.
Demonstrated understanding girls’ rights issues, relevant programming (and advocacy), and knowledge of key global players.
Knowledge of gender analysis programme frameworks and their application to child-rights programming.
Knowledge of programme design, monitoring and evaluation. Knowledge of the realities of implementing and managing NGO programmes on the ground.

Skills: Ability to develop and communicate programme concepts and to apply these to practical solutions in gender equality and children’s rights.
Ability to design, monitor and evaluate girls’ rights programming based on sound analysis, policy and programme practice, with a strong gender equality lens. Ability to build internal and external networks.
Strong gender analysis skills Organizational skills and administration of complex budgets Strong conceptual skills and strategic capacity Confident public speaker with ability to influence audience around girls’ human rights.
Information gathering, assessment and presentation skills Fluent in English (both written and verbal). Capacity in French and/or Spanish will be considered an asset.

Behaviors: Self-driven, organized and results-oriented.
Good listening skills and capacity to work effectively with others. Ability to work in a matrix environment, and facilitate the linkages of relevant expertise—including capacity to work collaboratively and be supportive of multiple team members. Strong team-work, influencing and motivational skills.

Experience: Extensive experience in leading programme initiatives on gender equality in a large, global organization.
Experience in working strategically with institutional partners, donors and INGOs.
Technical and research experience in gender equality, preferably with a focus on girls’ human rights.
Programme management experience, including demonstrated experience in fulfillment of donor compliance measures (narrative and financial reporting) Significant experience working the area of gender equality (preferably with a focus on girls). Masters Degree along with work relevant experience

Location and Travel This role can be based at International Headquarters in Woking/ UK, Toronto/Canada, Washington DC or NYC/USA. . International travel will be required during key project phases and will account for approximately 30% of the time.

How to apply:

To apply for this role please visit our website and submit your application: http://plan-international.org/about-plan/jobs