*** OPPORTUNITIES ONLY OFFERED FOR CANADIAN CITIZENS and PERMANENT RESIDENTS CURRENTLY IN ONE OF THE FOLLOWING COUNTRIES: Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, eSwatini, Ghana, Uganda, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo or Zambia.

Crossroads International is a leading Canadian international cooperation organization, advancing equality for women and girls and eradicating poverty in some of the world’s poorest countries in Africa where women and girls face great adversity: unequal access to resources and economic opportunities, gender-based violence and limited participation in political and public life. Crossroads International works in partnership with local organizations in 9 countries of sub-Saharan Africa, in order to draw on the skills, expertise and resources, from the North and the South, required to enable people, particularly women and girls, to overcome poverty and defend their rights.

Crossroads is a registered charity supported by government and non-government funders, and many individual donors around the world.

OUR VISION

ONE WORLD where poverty is eliminated, equality prevails, and the rights of women and girls are fulfilled.

Project description and context:

Crossroads International’s 2020-2027 Volunteer Cooperation Program (VCP) entitled Championing Gender Equality Together, funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC), will engage Canadian women and men, Canadian stakeholders, Crossroads staff and volunteers, local partner organizations and women and men in sub-Saharan Africa to become Gender Equality Champions. Collectively these Gender Equality Champions constitute a global community of strong change agents and advocates for the advancement of gender equality both in Canada and overseas.

The Project aims to reduce gender inequalities and alleviate poverty by addressing gender-based violence, inequalities in access to resources and economic opportunities, and barriers in exercising strategic forms of choice, voice and influence, which are the culmination of unequal and discriminatory power relations entrenched in society.  Crossroads will address the root causes of gender-based inequalities and discrimination through a multidimensional holistic approach in the VCP that will, 1) promote women’s rights; 2) advance access to justice and the reduction of gender-based violence (GBV), 3) promote equal representation of women and men, and 4) target inequalities that limit women’s ability to participate in and benefit from economic activities.. Crossroads applies a rights-based approach to programming, which extends to promoting, protecting and defending women’s rights, including strengthening the capacity of women’s rights organizations to participate in and influence policy formulation and hold accountable those who have a duty to act.

Reporting to the Regional program officer or Country Representative depending on the country of assignment, the Program Support Advisor (PSA) will be the program department liaison in the field for providing programming support to Crossroads International volunteers, as well as capacity and program development support for Crossroads local teams and partner organizations.

Main responsibilities:

Working closely with Crossroads’ regional and country teams and Canadian volunteers based in country of assignment, and in collaboration with Sectoral Program Officers in Canada, as relevant, the Program Support Advisor will:

Program support: 50%

• Advise and support the development and design of systems to address specific program goals.
• Advise and support partners’ organizational diagnostics, development of partners’ capacity building plans, country operation plans, grants, contracts, and procedures to attain program goals.
• Provide technical support in design and\or implementation across the project or program life cycle to regional and country teams, volunteers, and partners organizations.
• Advise and support Crossroads offices (In country, Regional or Canada) to maintain program documentation and administrative records.
• Orient volunteers to Crossroads and partner programming.
• Support and advise partners and volunteers on Results Based Management; reporting templates and key data’s collection to comply with Crossroads and other organisations’ requirements (GAC, private donors, foundations, and any other potential institutional donors).
• Work with partners as needed to support the orientation of new volunteers regarding partners programming.
• Identify potential new local partners for Crossroads programming in country of assignment.
• Support volunteers or local consultants in collecting information and data to establish baseline data for the Volunteer Cooperation Program.
• Participate in volunteers’ in-country orientation and support volunteers during their mandate.

Resource development: 5%

• Assist volunteers and partners with revision of proposals.

• Assist volunteers and partners with grant writing as needed.
• Identify potential financial partners for Crossroads programming.

Monitoring and evaluation: 15%

• Advise and support the development or implementation of strong monitoring and evaluation systems including periodical reports.
• Review materials and information produced by partners and volunteers in compliance with required reports and financial reconciliations. Advise and support management (In country, Regional or Canada) with administrative and financial monitoring of project.

Administration and Finance:  15%

• Create a database of most common items for purchase for capacity building projects to support accuracy of project development and reconciliation.
• If required, review and update a database of items purchased every 6 months.
• If required, advise and support implementation of administrative procedures and funding compliance.
• Contribute to document updates as required (i.e. Country-summary, needs assessment, gender, and environmental analysis)
• Support capacity building funds and project reconciliations.
• Plan and manage program funds in countries where there is no Crossroads office.

Representation and Communications: 15%

• Represent Crossroads at local events, meetings with other organizations when needed and as agreed with the Country Manager or the Regional Program Officer.
• Support and ease communications between local partner organizations supporting Crossroads programming.
• When required and under the supervision of the Country Manager or the Regional Program Officer, develop and maintain in-country network with Canadian embassy, United Nations, Government, INGOs and civil society with the objective to develop synergies and create program opportunities.
• Advice and support other volunteers in developing and writing success stories or testimonies along with pictures focusing on partners and specific projects to help Crossroads Communications Team in Canada increasing the visibility of Crossroads’ programming among the Canadian public.

Qualification criteria for selection include:

• Minimum 2 years of experience in related field.
• Experience in the implementation of sustainable development projects/programs overseas.
• Knowledge and experience with results-based management practices (project cycle, theory of change, logical framework, reporting templates, key data’s collection…)
• Budgeting and grant management skills.
• Commitment to women’s rights.
• Knowledge and experience of international programs to advance women’s equality and economic autonomy.
• Demonstrated experience and/or training in international cooperation, preferably in a non-profit environment at the local level is an asset.
• Excellent ability to work autonomously and willingness to take initiative.
• Capacity to work collaboratively with a team.
• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills to support volunteers, including mentorship and counselling.
• Exceptional intercultural competencies and attitudes, including patience and respect for local expertise and work culture and intercultural communication.
• Ability to cope with cultural isolation and a different standard of living.
• Previous experience with personal security risk management and an ability to mitigate personal risk.
• Previous experience in Africa with demonstrated. understanding of country context, landscape and culture is considered a strong asset.
• Previous experience with gender-based issues and results-based methodology are also considered assets.
• Demonstrated knowledge/skills and/or experience in training and facilitation is considered an asset.
• Excellent organizational and administrative skills.

Eligibility criteria:

• Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada CURRENTLY in the country of the mandate.
• Share the commitment of preventing and addressing sexual misconduct
• In good physical and mental health (medical examination required)
• The volunteer needs to bring their own computer

Personalized support before, during and after the mandate provided by an experienced and welcoming team.

The Crossroads’ experience includes the following:

• Daily living allowance (amount varies depending on the country of assignment)
• Medical insurance and vaccinations
• Pre-assignment online training.

Crossroads International is committed to addressing gender-based violence by supporting the innovative work our partner organizations in ending violence against women and girls. JOIN THE MOVEMENT!

APPLICATION

To apply for this position, we kindly ask that you fill out Crossroads’ online application form.

Please contact our Volunteer mobilisation team  if you have any question: volunteer@cintl.org

We thank all applicants but only those selected for interviews will be contacted.