Gender and Social Development Specialist

Gender and Social Development Specialist.
(1 national, intermittent) (Subject to Award)

World Vision is a global community of millions, working together for Hope, Joy and Justice for All Children Our vision for every child, life in all its fullness.

Are you driven by purpose and ready to leave your legacy on a nation’s future?

We’re searching for a committed expert with the passion and vision to help drive multi-billion dollar initiative that will shape the next chapter of Lao PDR’s development.

World Vision’s calling in Lao PDR

World Vision is a child-focused organization operating in Laos since 1968 initially through relief assistance provided to people displaced by the Indochina War until 1975. After the reopening in 1991, our mission to build brighter futures for Lao children has never stopped. Our grassroots approach allows us to create a life-changing experience for the communities we serve through development, relief, and advocacy projects, adapting to the continuously evolving challenges faced by the most fragile part of the population. Our programs are now focusing on the most vulnerable children, especially in rural areas, with ethnic communities different than Lao-Tai through the following priority sectors: Integrated Health & Nutrition, Education, Climate Change Adaptation and Livelihood, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene.

1. Project Background

The Building Resilience and Reducing Rural Poverty Project (BRRRP) is a critical initiative by the Government of Lao PDR, in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), aimed at addressing food insecurity, rural poverty, and reduce vulnerabilities exacerbated by climate change. It aims to improve the health, resilience, and socioeconomic profile of poor households, particularly women, through a combination of adaptive and shock-responsive social protection measures. This project aligns with the national priorities outlined in Lao PDR’s strategic frameworks and complements ongoing efforts in poverty reduction and social protection.

1. Key components of the project include:

• Output 1: Coverage of shock-responsive and nutrition-sensitive conditional cash transfer
• program expanded.
• Output 2: Gender-responsive and climate-resilient poverty graduation program piloted.
• Output 3: Social protection delivery systems and CCT implementation enhanced.
• Output 4. Institutional capacity for gender-smart and climate-responsive monitoring and

evaluation strengthened.

Output 2: Gender-responsive and climate-resilient poverty graduation program piloted.

Output 2 will support the design, implementation, and impact evaluation of the first climate resilient and gender-responsive poverty graduation program specifically for rural women in the Lao PDR. The pilot will benefit at least 4,500 rural women CCT beneficiaries across four districts of selected provinces: Xayabory district, Xaignabouli; Chomphet district, Louangphrabang; Assaphone district, Savannakhet; and Boualapha district, Khammouan.1 Recognizing the multidimensional nature of poverty and climate vulnerability, the program will offer a holistic set of carefully sequenced, climate-smart, and time-bound interventions tailored for poor women, combining targeted cash transfers with: (i) livelihood grants to pursue climate-resilient and sustainable livelihoods, (ii) technical skills training, (iii) support for financial inclusion, and (iv) social empowerment through psychosocial support, including dedicated coaching and life skills training to promote social inclusion and positive behavior change. The program will follow a gender-responsive approach focused on building women’s social capital, promoting intra household decision-making, and engaging men to transform gender norms.

The gender-responsive and climate-resilient poverty graduation pilot program in Lao PDR aims to reduce multidimensional poverty and climate vulnerability and promote economic inclusion of the women beneficiaries and their households by placing them on an upward trajectory out of poverty into climate-resilient and sustainable livelihoods. The pilot consists of activities across five poverty graduation pillars (social protection, livelihoods promotion, financial inclusion, social empowerment, coaching & mentorship), in a strategic sequence within 24 months to empower poor women with the skills, knowledge, tools, access to resources, livelihoods, and self-confidence to build long-term resilience, particularly to climate shocks. The pilot combines support for immediate needs (conditional cash transfer) with longer-term investments in training and income generation to build long-term resilience.

The pilot will entail a detailed planning and preparatory phase from Q3 2025 to Q1 2026, followed by implementation from Q2 2026 to Q1 2028. The Department of Rural Development (DRD) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) will be the leading department for the poverty graduation pilot program, supported by a technical support partner firm.

World Vision International – Laos hiring consultant – Gender and Social Development Specialist. (1 national, intermittent)

The position is offered under a 3-month contract.

Major Responsibilities:

The consultant will have overall responsibility for delivering the deliverables outlined. She/he will support the preparation, implementation, and monitoring of pilot activities and training, including but not limited to:

1. Provide context-specific guidance for mainstreaming gender and social inclusion considerations in activities related to program implementation, management and monitoring, including assessing the gender-responsiveness of the project;
2. Provide inputs to ensure that all training materials for PMU and implementation staff and for the training for the participants incorporate gender considerations, are adapted to low levels of literacy, and cultural values of different indigenous groups so that the materials are accessible and effective;

• Support in the development of community outreach documents tailored to different ethnic groups in the target locations and target beneficiaries (i.e. mothers of infants and toddlers);

1. Provide inputs and recommendations in the selection of life skills training topics and the development of its training materials and accompanying materials.
2. Support the development of training modules to train participants on gender-based violence (GBV), including how to recognize signs of GBV among peers, ways to provide support, and refer survivors to available local resources and services.
3. Support the design and development of training modules for couples’ discussion series including participants and their partners on gender roles and gender norms, joint family vision for their future, shared division of labor, non-violent conflict resolution strategies, gender equality in their families and communities as well as household income and cash flow, setting financial goals, dealing with financial stress, budgeting and planning.

• Support the design, implementation, and monitoring of the accelerated and intensive support initiative targeting a cohort of high-performing entrepreneurial pilot participants in collaboration with the Livelihoods Specialist in the PMU. This involves providing inputs in the development of its package including (i) identifying transformative and innovative livelihoods track for women, such as those altering traditional gender norms and increasing access to formal employment (ii) business mentoring and coaching, (iii) technical skills training on how to transition from microenterprises to running sustainable small businesses or establish new home or community-based enterprises, (iv) support in accessing microloans from credit cooperatives and microfinance institutions and ultimately graduation to a regular credit environment, (v) peer-to-peer learning and follow-up support, including to access new agricultural value chains, and (vi) linkage to market systems.
• Monitor and evaluate progress of the gender-specific measures in the household monitoring indicators every month and overall, on the DMF and GAAP throughout the program duration and GAAP;

1. Support capacity building activities of the DRD-PMU and implementation staff to implement, monitor, evaluate, and report progress of the gender-specific measures.

Preferred Knowledge and Qualifications

• Advanced degree in gender studies, social sciences, or related fields.
• At least 10 years of experience in social development, gender or related areas, including at least 7 years of experience working in gender-related work and community development.
• Experience in Lao PDR required.

Encouragement

World Vision is committed to the principles of workplace diversity. Qualified women and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

World Vision offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package. We offer a challenging work environment, opportunities to lead, and a commitment to growing your skills in a fulfilling and international working environment.

Interested candidates are invited to submit a Cover Letter (indicate your daily rate here) and CV to WVLao_Application@wvi.org . Please indicate the Position Title.  This is a rolling recruitment; Applicants are encouraged to apply early as applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis and the position may be closed once a suitable candidate is identified.

Please note: i) No transfer of invitation to another party; ii) Applicants must not have any conflicting activities, assignments, or relationships that may compromise their eligibility and; iii) Selected applicants must possess the legal capacity to enter into binding and enforceable contracts.

Women are strongly encouraged to apply.

Code of Conduct

World Vision has zero tolerance of incidents of violence or abuse against children and other people in the communities we serve, either committed by our staff or others connected to our work. We abhor any misuse of power, status, or trusted position for any sexual or other exploitative purposes. All World Vision’s employees are required to adhered to and promote World Vision shared responsibility and obligation to report matters involving Sexual Exploitation & Abuse, Trafficking in Persons, Child Safeguarding and any suggested violation to our Code of Conduct which may involve Conflicts of Interest, Fraud, Corruption or Harassment.

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