Job: Policy Influencing Officer at Haguruka NGO. Deadline 30th August 2021

Ref     : 853/08/UN/2021

EMPLOYEE JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title   : Policy Influencing Officer

Project Title : Policy Information Monitoring and Advocacy (PPIMA)        

Job Type   : Contract

Duration    :  Subject to project duration  

Background

 HAGURUKA is a non-governmental organization registered under the Rwandan Law. We work towards empowering women and children to claim their rights by improving their access to quality justice across the country. HAGURUKA was founded in 1991 and has since been at the forefront of the fight for the rights of women and children. HAGURUKA has its head office in Kigali (the capital city of Rwanda) with regional offices in Northern, Eastern, Southern, and Western provinces of the country. We see our beneficiaries as right holders who are empowered to claim their fundamental rights from duty bearers following relevant international and national legal instruments applicable in Rwanda.  HAGURUKA has a zero-tolerance approach towards sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.

HAGURUKA implements programs that address the immediate human rights needs of vulnerable women and children while working towards combating Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and promoting gender equality. We apply a rights-based approach and a holistic vision of victims’ needs. We Use our shelters in the four provincial centers to provide legal and psychosocial support to women and girls who are victims of sexual and gender based violence as part of response.

Hence and more concretely, our focus is on:

• Legal aid and psychosocial counseling support;
• Awareness-raising and social mobilization;
• Capacity building of partners and stakeholders;
• Research and advocacy.

Objectives

Funded by Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) through Policy Information Monitoring and Advocacy (PPIMA) Programme, HAGURUKA will map out community structures involved in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) services at the community level to identify their approaches in conflict resolutions, best practices, challenges and capacity gaps to be addressed under this action. The activity will cover the whole country and will be carried through:

• Mapping of governmental, non-governmental agencies and community structures providing ADR services at the community level, their approaches, best practices, challenges, and lessons learnt. A comprehensive report will include, accurate information on practicability of the ADR community led model, who are the ADR providers, best practices, challenges and lessons learnt will be collected, documented and shared with relevant stakeholders and inform future interventions. This exercise will also reveal types conflicts/disputes that can be resolved through community ADR practices and highlight gendered aspects of conflicts resolution trough ADR community led model.
• Developing draft model for community led conflict management: Haguruka will lead and coordinate this important deliverable by conducting access to Justice stakeholder’s consultations, technical sessions, exchange and learning sessions around ADR- community led model. Two districts per province and the City of Kigali will be targeted in documenting ADR community led structures and approaches, best practices and challenges. HAGURUKA team will meet members of the existing community structures involved in ADR, including: Abunzi, village leaders, Inshuti z’umuryango, Umugoroba w’umuryango, members of the National Women Council, cell leaders, Justice Reconciliation Law and Order Sector (JRLOS) committees at the district level and district authorities.

 Major Responsibilities include:

• Plan, design, and implement all interventions to promote activity sustainability through widespread buy-in of interventions; transfer of critical and relevant skills and knowledge; use of enabling strategies that encourage a learning-by-doing approach; and use of existing talent, resources, mechanisms, and forums for activity interventions whenever possible in order to take advantage of and build on local knowledge and capacities;
• Seek, develop, and maintain private and/or public sector partnerships that augment activity interventions and/or sustain them beyond the life of the activity;
• Promote gender equality, women’s leadership and empowerment through the planning, management, and implementation of all activity interventions when appropriate including through policy engagement and influencing;
• Promote inclusion of most vulnerable populations, e.g. people living with disabilities so that the demand and supply sides of the Alternative Disputes services are more inclusive and responsive;
• Closely engage with the GOR, other donors, NPA implementing partners, local partners, and other relevant stakeholders and be responsive to relevant GOR priorities and enquiries;
• Implement and manage the activity in a culturally relevant manner by taking Rwandan norms, expectations, attitudes, and behaviors into account, particularly in terms of how they may offer entry points for learning and engagement or that may require adaptation of methods, approaches, and assumptions;
• Apply lessons learned and best practices taken from other, similar countries (geographically, culturally, socially) that may be applicable to the Rwandan context;
• Incorporate a “Do No Harm” and conflict-sensitive approach to activity planning and implementation;
• Support dissemination of lessons learned and best practices—as well as the use of networks for exchange, peer learning and problem solving—to all stakeholders as much as possible and whenever appropriate; and
• Incorporate the use of home-grown solutions where applicable in activity planning and Implementation
• Contribute to policy research and analysis activities by collating and summarizing information, drafting sound briefs for internal and external use
• Coordinate stakeholder engagement and communications throughout the policy consultation, design and implementation phases.
• Conduct research and analysis in assigned areas to support the provision of policy advice.
• Conduct research and analysis to assist issue identification, analysis and policy development activities.
• Respond to, and direct, stakeholder enquiries and communications throughout the policy consultation, design and implementation phases.
• Conduct analysis using established processes to support and inform policy formulation and evaluation activities.
• Draft and produce a range of documentation relating to policy initiatives including updates, reports and correspondence (Policy briefs, position papers, talking notes, media statements, discussion briefs, occasional papers, practice notes, …
• Assist to define and document policy issues, gaps and challenges and provide potential alternative workable solutions.
• Use a range of research methods, ensuring accuracy and reliability of information and evidence sourced through triangulation methods.
• Evaluate and review policy effectiveness, relevance, impact and sustainability using a range of available techniques and tools.
• Identify and recommend possible improvements to policy.
• Any other tasks as required by Haguruka management team.

Reporting

The Policy Influencing Officer will report to the Programme Manager.

Qualifications and Technical skills(Essential(E) and desirable(D))

• At least Bachelor’s degree in Law, Social, Political and Administrative Sciences and/or other related fields(E)
• Master’s degree or additional qualifications (added advantage) (D)
• A minimum of 7 years of proven professional experience in applied research, gender policy formulation, analysis and monitoring as it is related to access to justice, GBV prevention and protection and more generally, women’s empowerment;(E)
• Comprehensive research, interpretation and critical analysis skills(E)
• Research and capacity building skills in terms of analyzing gender policies and laws and proven competencies in transferring that knowledge through different capacity building techniques (Mentoring, Coaching…) (E)

Conversant with the Rwandan legal and policy framework on gender, access to justice and human rights (E)

• Fluency in spoken and written English for purposes of drafting analytical reports and public speaking; (E)
• Advanced and persuasive written and verbal communication skills as demonstrated by selected writing samples and public statements(E)
• Demonstrable Ability to work and deliver on tight deadlines(E)
• Competencies in using Microsoft Office applications such as Word, PowerPoint and
• Ability to work independently and constructively engage with senior level representatives from counterparts as per guidance from HAGURUKA without close oversight from the supervising authority (D)
• Ability to successfully coordinate, advocate and negotiate with various internal stakeholders and external partners including gender machinery (D)
• Ability to establish and maintain strong and broad stakeholder relationships (D)

Submission deadline

 Interested candidates with required skills and competences are requested to submit their applications addressed to HAGURUKA Executive Secretary at info@haguruka.org.rw . The applications include motivation letter, CVs and writing samples if any.

The applications will be accepted not later than Monday 30 August, 2021 at 5:00pm (local time). Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Done at Kigali on August 18, 2021         

_______________________

UMURERWA Ninette

National Executive Secretary

HAGURUKA NGO