Job Overview 

Youth Engagement Specialist Needed at a Reputable Firm

J0b Description

The Youth Engagement Specialist will be responsible for developing and implementing activities that will enhance collective action and activism by GYW and also enable their meaningful participation in decision-making. The Youth Engagement Specialist will provide capacity development in lobby and advocacy to women’s rights and GYW-led organizations. He/she will ensure that feminist principles of co-creation of knowledge, collaboration, participation, transparency and respect for the agency of women’s rights and GYW-led organizations will be integrated in all aspects of this role. The post-holder will be based in Accra with regular travel to the project locations in Upper West, Northern and North East regions; for approximately 20 – 30% of their time.

Job Functions /Responsibilities 

•  Lead the participatory development and implementation of the project activities
•  Develop annual lobby and advocacy action plans and budgets based on the She Leads Theory of Change and Results Framework.
• Support CSO partner organizations in the She Leads programme in developing their annual action plans.
•  Implement the lobby and advocacy actions identified in the annual plan, particularly those directed at national stakeholders.
•  Building and sustaining effective relationships with related She Leads stakeholders (Government, NGOs, CSOs, media, private sector, etc.) and interacting with them at different stages of the project implementation;
•  Identifying opportunities to influence policy and practices of stakeholders (by, for example, showcasing project results and best practices);
•  Building strategic networks with other CSO actors who are involved in national advocacy related to gender based violence and economic exclusion;
•  Supporting the districts and LNGOs in monitoring of national policies and programs around issues of gender based violence and economic exclusion of girls and young women;
•  Conducting research and disseminating the findings;
• Writing and submitting girls and women’s rights and Protection related write ups for publication to share with internal and external audience quarterly;
•  Assisting other project staff of Plan International Ghana and the LNGO partners in the implementation of their actions at regional/district) level;
• Implementing the capacity development support provided to the LNGO partners in the She Leads programme (in order to enhance their capacity for effective advocacy and improve their performance);
•  Coordinating the project activities (advocacy, lobbying, capacity development support and research) implemented by Plan International Ghana with She Leads Consortium partners (DCI and Women Aspire Ghana) and with LNGO partners;
•  Liaising with the Gender and Communications Specialists to prepare Communication and Information materials for project advocacy to promote equal rights for girls and young women;

Monitoring

• Actively monitors the project implementation through field visits, exchange of information with partners/stakeholders to assess progress, identify bottlenecks and potential risks and work for timely decisions to resolve issues;
•  Supports quarterly and annual reporting on the progress of the She Lead program (against output and outcome targets);
•  Participates in Technical Support Team meetings to discuss work progress and develops appropriate strategies to ensure the attainment of project objectives.

Job Qualification /Requirement

• Master’s Degree in Social Work, Public Policy, Development Planning, or equivalent, with a minimum of five years progressive experience in a related field
• First Degree in Social Sciences or equivalent, with a minimum of 5 years progressive experience in a related field
•  At least 5 years’ experience in Advocacy, with special focus on Gender Equality and Girls’ Rights;
•  At least 5 years’ experience in an international organization similar to Plan International;
•  Gender sensitivity and knowledge to apply a gender equality approach across all partnerships and lobby actions
•  Knowledge of the civil society in Ghana, in particular those organizations working for girls, women and children