Project Officer – We Lead and Free To Be Me

Hivos is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Project Officer – We Lead and Free to Be Me

Scope: Southern Africa

Hours: Full-time

Term: This appointment is for an initial term of one year, renewable based on results and performance.

Location: Maputo, Mozambique

Deadline: 28 August 2023

JOB CONTEXT

About We Lead

We Lead is a new, inspiring, innovative and far-reaching program aiming to improve the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRH-R) of young women from four specific groups: who live with HIV, that have a disability, who identify as lesbian, bisexual, trans or intersex, and who are affected by displacement. The program truly puts these young women rights holders in the driving seat, while supporting them to impactful and sustainably advocate for their SRH-R.

The program is implemented in nine countries in Africa, the Middle East and Central America. The We Lead consortium consists of six civil society organizations (Positive Vibes, Restless Development, Marsa, FEMNET, the Central American Women’s Fund, Hivos). The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also part of the partnership. Hivos is the lead party.

The We Lead program supports young women’s’ groups and organizations. We connect these rightsholders with one another in local Communities of Action (CoAs) and support and coach them, so that they are better able to advocate for, claim, protect, and promote their SRH-R. For a start, they will localise the overarching We Lead Theory of Change. A local CoA-facilitator will guide the CoAs. We Lead supports with funding (through an innovative participatory grantmaking mechanism) and capacity strengthening and coaching initiatives.

About Free to Be Me

Free to Be Me is a 5-year program implemented in 14 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Additionally, the program has a focus on influencing the Dutch society.  Free to Be Me aims at building and supporting a vibrant LGBTIQ+ civil society, that is able to successfully generate public support and influence governments, businesses and societal actors to become advocates for people of diverse Sexual Orientation Gender Identity and Expression and Sexual Characteristics (SOGIESC) human and socio-economic rights.

The Free to Be Me program is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affair and consists of three consortium members - Positive Vibes, ILGA World and Hivos and three technical partners - Sogicampaigns, Global Interfaith Network and Workplace Pride who all form the Free to be Me Alliance. Hivos is the lead party.

Anchored on the principle of local ownership, at the heart of the program is the Community of Action (CoA) in each of the 14 countries which is a platform for the members of the community not only to convene but also implement the in-country Theory of Change (ToC) and program activities together. The program also works with multiple partners in each country through direct granting and regranting through the Country Host organizations.

The program ​​has been running since 2021 and is set on the precipice of adaptive management.  The Free to be Me Theory of Change (ToC) focuses on four pathways of change: strengthening the foundations of movements in each country, influencing norms and building public support, legal and policy change and socio-economic empowerment of the LGBTIQ+ community.  The strongly interlinked pathways will enable the program achieve its strategic objective which aims to build a vibrant LGBTIQ+ civil society, successfully generate public support and influence governments, businesses and societal actors to become advocates for LGBTIQ+ people’s human and socioeconomic rights; thus, leading to the improvement of the socioeconomic position of LGBTIQ+ people.

ROLE PURPOSE:

The project officer (PO) supports the effective functioning of the CoAs, as well as the development, approval and implementation of organisational level and joint project proposals, and ensures these processes are developed in line with agreed procedures. She/he/they ensures contracts with local organizations are signed and checks on progress and deliverables.

She/he/they is responsible for upholding We Lead and Free to Be Me values and principles and translating them into practice. The PO coordinates the delivery of sound country level narrative plans and reports, that visualise activities and results of local organizations, joint CoA-activities and Hivos. These contribute to the overarching We Lead and Free to be Me plans and reports. In doing so, s/he/they will closely work together with the Hivos financial officer, the DMEL officer, as well as with the CoA facilitator, amongst others.

She/he/they participates in the regional management team and plays an active role in coordinating activities in the field of capacity strengthening, lobby and advocacy, learning, etc. with consortium partners and local organizations, as well as with the relevant Hivos staff. Next to that, the PO will share progress and results of the program to both the global program management team as well as Hivos colleagues in other countries and global office. She/he/they is also responsible for the preparation of stories and content for website, media and other channels and the organization of internal and external events. The PO will assist the Design, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (DMEL) officer in outcome harvesting, narrative assessment and other reporting needed. The PO will work as a team with the DMEL officer, the financial officer, the linking and learning specialist, amongst others.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Key Result Areas

Program design

• Supports the CoAs in developing their localized ToC, plans and (in coordination with the financial officer) budget, in line with guidelines

• Supports and guides local organizations in the development of their individual or joint plans and proposals for SRH-R and LGBTIQ+ lobby and advocacy, and including activities on capacity strengthening.

• Contributes to the development of Hivos’ overarching Free to Be Me and We Lead planning, and particularly to the design of innovative elements of both programs, in particular the functioning of the CoAs, as well as the design of a participatory grantmaking mechanism.

Implementation of work plans

• Realizes successful implementation in accordance with the specific goals, working methods and budgets of the projects.

• Supports and guides local organizations in the development of their individual or joint plans and proposals.

• Participates in participatory grantmaking mechanisms.

• Ensures contracts with local organizations and host organizations are established.

• Coordinates with CoAs, with consortium members and with Hivos’ staff around capacity strengthening and advocacy activities.

• Ensures Hivos’ own activities are implemented according to plan.

Monitoring & control

• Monitors progress towards established goals in CoAs, and in the organizational level or joint project plans, and flags in the Hivos overarching management team when problems arise.

• Relates progress to the overarching We Lead and Free to Be Me plans.

• Develops country reports for both We Lead and Free to Be Me.

Coordination and collaboration

• Throughout the process of project design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, the PO plays a proactive role in coordinating with the CoA facilitator, with the organizations that participate in the CoA, with the host organization, with consortium members and with the regional and global Hivos team.
• Actively contributes to and supports activities at the national and regional level, such as research, advocacy campaigns, learning events, etc.

Sharing, learning, and quality improvement

• Identifies, analyses and highlights success and good practices, as well as potential risks and problems.

• Proposes solutions for identified problems and follows-up on those.

• Contributes to identifying and sharing positive stories.

• Collaborates with the CoAs, the consortium members, and Hivos’ capacity strengthening officer, in the design and realization of exchange and learning events.

• Contributes to reflection and learning on both the national and regional level, as well as on the wider programmatic level.

REQUIREMENTS

• Relevant degree or equivalent work experience, and academic level of working and an intersectional analysis.
• Minimum of five years relevant working experience.
• Work experience with civil society, in project design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and working in international teams.
• Expertise in working on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRH-R), LGBTIQ+ rights and programming or with one or several of the rightsholder groups.
• Keen on ensuring ownership by local organizations, and in finding innovative and creative solutions to realize goals.
• Work experience in an international environment.
• Flexible attitude, creative, supports Hivos’ and We Leads and Free to Be Me values, has a progressive and positive view on SOGIESC issues, SRH-R and the leadership of rightsholders.
• Full professional proficiency in English and Portuguese.
• Lived experience as a part of one or more of the rightsholder groups is an asset.

We particularly welcome applications from young women, LGBTIQ+ persons and/or persons that belongs to one of the rightsholder groups.

What we offer

Hivos offers a challenging position in an international environment.

The Regional office is based in Harare, Zimbabwe. This position will be based in Maputo, Mozambique.  Hivos welcomes International & Regional applicants but can only offer a position to only those with a valid work permit for Mozambique. Hivos can only offer employment on local terms and conditions.

How to apply

Please apply before 28 August 2023. If you meet the above-mentioned qualifications (please look carefully), you can apply to this vacancy by filling in a digital application form and adding a cover letter explaining your motivation and your CV.

About Hivos

Hivos is an international development organization guided by humanist values. Together with citizens and their organizations, we aim to contribute towards just, inclusive and life sustaining societies where people have equal access to opportunities, rights and resources. We work in partnership with others in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Latin America on three impact areas: civic rights; gender equality, diversity and inclusion, and climate justice. Our approach is solution driven, and we build wider movements for change by amplifying and connecting voices.

More about Hivos at: www.hivos.org