1. POSITION(S) VACANT Consultant – Child Marriage and Adolescent Girls Programme, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Bhubaneswar, Odisha

2. ORGANIZATION BACKGROUND:

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), formerly the United Nations Fund for Population Activities, is a UN organization working for reproductive rights for all and supports access to a wide range of sexual and reproductive health services including voluntary family planning, maternal health care and comprehensive sexuality education.

Project Background:

Harmful practices such as child marriage, domestic violence, gender biased sex selection and such others are part of a continuum of violence against women and girls that they face during their lifespan and remains widespread. Several initiatives have been taken in the state of Odisha to address the above issues. However, there is need for continuous engagement with various stakeholders to end this discrimination and violence.

The Department of Women and Child Development and Mission Shakti, Government of Odisha is undertaking several initiatives to address vulnerabilities of girls, ensure equity and works towards empowerment of girls and women in the state.

UNFPA in the state of Odisha has supported the Government in developing several policies and programmes such as the “Odisha State Policy for Girls and Women”, “Biju Kanya Ratna”, “State Action Plan to End Child Marriage” and “Advika – Programme for empowerment of adolescent girls through life skills education”. UNFPA is working closely with the Department on several fronts and seeks to place a Consultant with the Department of Women and Child Development and Mission Shakti.

The Consultant is expected to provide high quality technical support at policy and program level on issues of gender equality, gender based violence and women's empowerment that ultimately aims to address harmful practices against girls and women. The position will encompass technical assistance for planning programming, coordination and liaising with key stakeholders.

3. JOB DESCRIPTION/ RESPONSIBILITIES:

Reporting to the Director, Women and Child Development Department and Mission Shakti, Government of Odisha, the Consultant- Child Marriage and Adolescent Girls Programme (CCMAGP), shall be responsible for the following:

Key Deliverables:
(1) Support the implementation and review of State Action Plan to end Child Marriage across the state;
(2) Support in roll of out of “Advika” – Programme for empowering adolescent girls through the life skills education in the state;
(3) Facilitate in implementation of the action plan of the department of Women and Child Development in addressing violence against women. This includes activities for strengthening, monitoring, reviewing and capacity building of “One Stop Center” in the state;
(4) Coordinate and support the Department in activities under the programme such as Biju Kanya Ratna (BKR) and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP);
(5) Provide technical assistance to the DWCD in identifying new and emerging issues for the girls and women in the state;
(6) Support in establishing monitoring system for the various initiatives undertaken by the Department of Women and Child Development;
(7) Support the Department in reviewing the progress of different departments / sectors against the directives under the Odisha Policy for Girls and Women;
(8) Support and contribute towards development of framework, guidance notes and resources and communication materials on gender as and when required;
(9) On behalf of the department participants in and contribute to various state level forums for women’s empowerment and gender;
(10) Liaison with other agencies and NGOs who are working on the issues of girls and women and keep the department informed about the activities. Coordinate and build relationships with key stakeholders and partner agencies for promoting community level interventions to address harmful practices against girls and women;
(11) Carry out any other related task assigned by the DWCD and UNFPA.

4. QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE AND COMPETENCIES:

Qualification:
(1) Applicant must have Masters in Social Science/ Social Work/ Gender Studies / Sociology/Anthropology from a reputed institute.

Experience:
(1) Minimum five years of experience in gender related work at national or state level.

Skills and Competencies:
(1) Proficiency in computer application like MS Office, Internet;
(2) Knowledge on the thematic area of gender equity and equality, sex selection;
(3) Good communication and writing skills;
(4) Good supervisory and inter-personal skills.

5. NATURE OF ENGAGEMENT:

The CCMAGP shall be hired on a consultancy contract through Strategic Alliance Management Services P Ltd. (SAMS), a respected HR Agency.

6. REMEUNERATION & PER DIEMS:

The consolidated remuneration for the position ranges between Rs.70,000 per month to Rs. 85,000 per month and will commensurate with qualification and experience of the candidate. Besides, consultant will also be provided with communication and laptop allowance.

7. LOCATION: Bhubaneswar, Odisha

8. DURATION: The successful candidate shall be issued successive consultancy contracts for a period of one year by UNFPA’s third-party payrolling partner(s). The contract is extendable based on performance and program needs.

The initial contract from the date of joining till June 30, 2023, shall be issued by SAMS. The subsequent contract for the balance period shall be issued by SAMS and/or UNFPA’s successor third-party payrolling partner.

9. REFERENCE: CCMAGP-UNFPA

10. CONTACT INFORMATION:

Team SAMS
Strategic Alliance Management Services P Ltd.
1/1B, Choudhary Hetram House, Bharat Nagar 
New Friends Colony, New Delhi 110 025
Phone Nos.: 011- 4081 9900; 4165 3612

11. APPLICATION PROCESS:

Eligible candidates interested in the position are requested to apply using the link https://recruitment.samshrm.com/Jobs/UNFPA, by or before April 14, 2023.