Job Opportunity for Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) Expert at Palladium

Duration: Up to 150 days (draw-down basis over a period of thirty months)
Location: South Asia
Reporting to: Team Leader

Background

The South Asia Regional Infrastructure Connectivity (SARIC) is an Australian Government funded initiative that aims to increase connectivity between energy and transport investments both within and across the South Asia Region (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Maldives) through two fold approaches – (a) identification of a pipeline of transport and energy projects that connect the economies of the South Asia region, to be financed by an appropriate mix of public and private financing & (b) Training and Networking Services targeted at individuals from the public and private sector directly involved in the preparation and/or eventual delivery of the projects / senior decision makers in the infrastructure sector, covering private and public sector officials, academics, and senior civil society members. While (a) is anchored by the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation, (b) is managed by Palladium.

The Training Services component will aim to enhance knowledge and address skill gaps reported by projects of the World Bank and IFC including aspects of gender equality, inclusion of vulnerable sections, disability, and safeguards. The Networking Services component on the other hand will aim to enhance the knowledge and skills of course participants by providing them with multiple channels to engage with experts, academia, industry, networks and peers from infrastructure, energy, transport, and allied sectors

SARIC trainings will be delivered as customised short courses between 2022-2025 addressing the capacity gaps identified by the World Bank and IFC in select transport and energy projects across South Asia for individuals in two streams as below: 

Individuals from the public and private sector directly involved in the preparation and/or eventual delivery of the projects identified by the World Bank and IFC under (a) above; and Senior decision makers in the infrastructure sector, covering private and public sector officials, academics, and senior civil society members.

The courses may be delivered by Australian universities/training institutes, South Asian universities/training institutes or by any other country that offers the right course for the needs identified.

Purpose of Role

This EOI is for onboarding an International or South Asia-based senior level GEDSI expert with requisite technical background to offer need based support to the SARIC program.

The GEDSI expert will offer support and ensure that activities of SARIC-TNC are in line with DFAT’s priorities surrounding GEDS and will provide advisory to the Working Group and Team Leader to ensure that needs of women and those groups most disadvantaged have been incorporated in interventions.

Scope of Work:

The GEDSI expert will:

• Keep abreast of the GEDSI Strategy for implementation into all contractor services
• Review and advise on all outputs including annual plans, training plans, networking plans, and M&E systems to ensure they comply with the GEDSI strategy requirements
• Identify risks and opportunities related to gender differences and respond to these findings by taking on a gender-sensitive approach
• Translate GEDSI commitments into actions that can be enforced and monitored
• Support and monitor GEDSI activities
• Support the facilitation of a safe and secure environment in which women and marginalised groups feel comfortable and confident to learn and teach
• Support development of tailored short course on examining the differential impacts of infrastructure on men and women and encouraging debate amongst participants on closing gender gaps
• Conduct stakeholder identification, analysis, and advise on most appropriate strategies
• Ensure maximum number of women and marginalised people are selected for training
• Support the development of the training selection criteria and ensure it is in line with GEDSI requirements
• Support the development of all strategies including the M&E strategy, annual plans, training plans, networking plans, and M&E systems to ensure they comply with the GEDSI strategy requirements
• Undertake due diligence to understand women’s/other marginalised groups views, constraints and
• Develop proposed approach to forming and supporting a network of SARIC Stream 1 and Stream 2 training participants in line with GEDSI considerations.

Desired Skills and Qualifications:

• Relevant tertiary qualifications or extensive experience in advising on GEDSI issues
• Relevant work experience, including advisory to public and private sector clients on GEDSI
• Experience delivering courses on gender equality and marginalised groups
• Demonstrated experience working across South Asia with women and marginalised groups
• Experience in designing training interventions targeted at women or marginalised groups
• Extensive experience working in the South Asian region in facilitating social and economic mobility of those most disadvantaged
• Experience conducting stakeholder identification and analysis to ensure those most adversely affected are first to be helped.

Selection Process

Candidates will submit their resumes to Subhalaxmi.borah@thepalladiumgroup.com mentioning subject line “GEDSI Expert”.

Specific areas that will be assessed:

1. Domain expertise

2. Expertise and knowledge of the GEDSI landscape viz:

• An analysis of key GEDSI issues for the SARIC countries
• DFAT, WB and IFC guidelines on GEDSI
• International commitments, e.g. CEDAW, SDGs, CRPD
• Design mechanisms and tools for GEDSI analysis in project conceptualisation and preparation, etc
• Prior experience with similar programs / Donor funded capacity building programs by DFAT / IFC / WB / ADB / GIZ / USAID/ UN etc
• Designing short courses /study tours (or generally, capacity building/networking services) for experienced audience
• Understanding of the South Asian region
• Shortlisted experts will be invited to an interview discussion and selected applicant will be empaneled as a GEDSI Expert on the SARIC TNS project by Palladium. The position is open until suitable expert is empaneled.

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion – Palladium is committed to embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion into everything we do. We welcome applications from all sections of society and actively encourage diversity to drive innovation, creativity, success, and good practice. We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce; and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment regardless of their background or personal characteristics. These include (but are not limited to) socio-economic background, age, race, gender identity and expression, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, veteran, marital or Indigenous status.

Should you require any adjustments or accommodation to be made due to a disability or you are a
neurodivergent individual or for any other circumstance, please email our team at accessibility@thepalladiumgroup.com and we will be in touch to discuss.

Safeguarding – We define Safeguarding as “the preventative action taken by Palladium to protect our people, clients and the communities we work with from harm”. We are committed to ensuring that all children and adults who come into contact with Palladium are treated with respect and are free from abuse. All successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced selection process including safeguarding-focused interviews and a rigorous due diligence process.