Call for Expression of Interest: Consultancy for Assessment on Access to Financial Services for Young Women with Disabilities - GESP.
Team/ Program: Girls Education Skills Programme, Nigeria.
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Reports to Nigeria Country Director
6 week Contract
Project Background
In 2019, Nigeria signed into law the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018, to prioritise disability rights by stakeholders and duty-bearers. The Act also led to the establishment of the National Commission for Persons with Disability, aimed at preventing discrimination against people with disabilities and to ensure disability inclusiveness across all sectors. However, policy implementation has been a challenge due to weak law enforcement, inadequate funding, negative attitudes towards disability and a lack of data on disability.
According to the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics labour force survey, there are close to five million unemployed people in Lagos and Kano States, representing 36.4% of the active labour force. Development Initiative's analysis of the 2012-13 Household Survey shows that women with disabilities are 43% more likely to be out of employment relative to women without disability. The high cost of living and level of inequality in the country contributes significantly to the adversity faced by people with disabilities, particularly women.
The Girls Educational Skills Programme (GESP) is design to address the barriers of including women with disabilities into the Nigerian Labour Force. The project seeks to build the employment readiness and confidence of young women with disabilities (ages 18-24) to secure jobs or run their own micro/small businesses. The project will also empower adolescent girls with disabilities in senior secondary schools (ages 13-18) to widen their career aspirations through skills development and mentoring.
Sightsavers is working with two organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) to deliver on these objectives. These OPDs are Project Enable Africa and Kanawa Educational Foundation for the Disabled. Some private sector partners are also keying into the GESP project to ensure its success, these partners include Unilever Nigeria, Guinness Nigeria, Access Bank, and the Industrial Training Fund (ITF).
Consultancy objective
- Identify institutional, physical, attitudinal and communication barriers hindering people with disabilities, particularly young women with disabilities, from accessing wide range of financial services.
- Conduct analysis of existing legal framework including the National Financial Inclusion Policy and strategy; National Sustainability Banking Principles, among others to identify gaps and means in which they could be strengthened.
- Propose short and long-term implementable solutions that could enable the project to advocate for policy reforms and influence relevant stakeholders in the financial institution sector.
- In addition, identify the relevant technical capacity needed by both the demand and supply actors in implementing the policy reforms proposed to enable the project achieve its financial inclusion objective.
To apply for this exciting opportunity, please complete an Expression of Interest form via our recruitment portal.
As an equal opportunity employer, we actively encourage applications from all sections of the community. Sightsavers is a Disability Confident Leader and qualified people with a disability are particularly encouraged to apply.
Sightsavers is an employer that does not tolerate any form of harassment and has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse. All potential candidates will be subjected to rigorous background checks and controls.
In line with its commitment to safe programming and recruitment, Sightsavers participates in the inter-agency (MDS) administered by the . Through collaboration with other MDS members, Sightsavers aims to ensure that there are no sexual exploitation, abuse or harassment issues relating to potential new hires and that we can respond systematically to checks from fellow MDS members. This ensures our work is accountable, delivered to a high standard and supports safeguarding across the development and humanitarian fields.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
SPANA - The Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad is the global charity for working animals in low-income countries. Since 1923, we have supported the welfare of working animals, including donkeys, horses, camels and elephants, in communities that depend on working animals for water, transport, agriculture and their very survival. Today, we support working animals across 26 countries, through a series of global projects and partnerships.
This role will be a part of the Global Programmes team, working alongside colleagues responsible for Education & Social Behaviour Change Communication, and Programme Quality and Delivery. The succesful candidate will liaise with colleagues in the Global Resources, Global Fundraising, Marketing, and Communication departments, and in support of our colleagues across the majority world. The role will report to the Director of Global Programmes, and directly oversee three Technical Animal Health & Welfare Advisors.
You will be responsible for delivering SPANA’s technical animal health and welfare work, relatedly, against the 2023-2027 SPANA strategy and its key performance indicators. Your work will be supported by a nascent external animal health and welfare advisory panel, as well as that of your direct reports. You will be responsible for representing the organisation in relevant fora, amongst other responsibilities as required.
While we classify this role as hybrid, it's worth noting that the vast majority of your work can be done from the comfort of your own home. Occasional in-person visits to our London office (located in Borough High Street), and all-staff gatherings will be necessary. Our full time hours are 34.5 hours per week and we offer core working hours between 10am and 4pm.
Key responsibilities
Strategy
- You will have responsibility for developing and delivering the organisation's technical animal health and welfare strategy, plans and policies, with a primary focus on best practice and quality;
- You will lead the development of a global technical audit tool to ensure best practice is consistent across all partners & programmes supported by SPANA.
Leadership
- Promote the development of your immediate team, and the technical capacity and development of animal health workers across the SPANA network. Provide mentoring and targeted training and support succession planning and growth.
- Develop a high-performing team culture within the Animal Health & Welfare Team that demonstrates organisational values.
- Maintain an effective working relationship with all colleagues and SPANA partners.
One Health
- Lead on the development of SPANA’s One Health quality framework and support the Global Programmes Team in ensuring effective delivery.
- Provide technical input in veterinary health and education based on robust data and researched evidence.
- Develop a strategy focused on improving animal health systems specific to working animals.
- Lead on the development and delivery of all aspects of the technical provision of SPANA’s animal health and welfare.
- Monitoring epidemiological trends of working animal health and welfare data to 1) advise on and support appropriate health responses and strategies; 2) inform animal health surveillance goals
- Ensure technical support and advice is effectively managed and consistent with SPANA’s standards.
- Work with the Global Programmes Team in developing robust technical indicators to ensure evidence drives decision making
- Design and oversee research and analysis activities to support the development of technical standards, innovation and programme development;
- Ensure the provision of subject matter expertise, translational evidence and advice in support of policy development in the fields of animal welfare, and in parallel working closely with the Head of Education & SBCC on education materials. This will include the provision of or contribution to briefings, submissions and official and organisational reports
Advocacy, Policy and Representation
- Collaborating with coalitions, external working groups and stakeholders, advising on and coordinating SPANA’s contribution to these groups, chairing where relevant and reporting back to relevant teams in SPANA.
- Collaborate across teams to ensure technical input is included in all external advocacy work as and where needed;
- At a global level, build effective relationships with key stakeholders in the animal welfare sectors, such as WOAH, AUiBAR, and FAO etc;
- Represent our work to supporters, influencers, key stakeholders and partners.
About You
Training and Qualifications
Essential
- Qualified Veterinarian MRCVS a minimum of 12 years of veterinary experience.
- Clinical experience in mixed or large animal practice.
Desirable
- Further qualifications in the areas of animal welfare, herd health, surveillance, preventive medicine, epidemiology or One Health is highly desirable
- Further qualifications or proven experience in project management and/or leadership.
Experience
- Experience of working or living in low-income countries
- Experience working in the animal welfare, humanitarian and/or development NGO sector.
- Experience of developing, monitoring and/or auditing technical standards in veterinary medicine is highly desirable.
- Experience of working with governmental, animal health or agricultural organisations is desirable
- Experience of communicating and working with international stakeholder groups collaboratively.
- Experience with participatory or community-led interventions for animal or public health.
- Strong interest in One Health concepts and community-level interventions.
- Good understanding of the role and socioeconomic importance of working animals in low-income communities.
Skills and Attributes
- Ability to think holistically and apply technical knowledge within a One Health framework
- Strong knowledge and motivation for animal welfare.
- Strong leadership, communication and interpersonal skills as well as strong cultural sensitivity.
- High level of fluency in English (written and spoken). Basic level of French, Arabic or Spanish is highly desirable.
- Ability and willingness to travel to overseas projects independently as well as to SPANA’s head office in the UK as required.
Benefits
- 26 days annual leave, plus bank holidays. Further leave will accrue after two years of service up to a maximum of 30 days
- Company pension scheme (SPANA will contribute 10% of salary, if you contribute 5% of salary)
- Hybrid working with London Head Office (Borough High Street) attendance approx. 1 day a month (travel expenses not included)
- Health Cash Plan with Medicash which includes access to virtual GP appointments and a members discount portal
- Group Life Insurance scheme, which provides coverage at 3x your annual salary
- Group Income Protection scheme, designed to provide income if illness or injury prevents you from working for a period of time
- Enhanced Employee Assistance Programme including face-to-face counselling
- Paid Volunteer Day
Due to a high volume of applications, we are unable to contact each applicant individually regarding the status of their application. If you are selected for an interview, we will reach out to you directly.
To avoid disappointment, you are advised to submit your application as soon as possible as we reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a high volume of applications are received. This is to ensure that we can manage application levels whilst maintaining a positive candidate experience. Unfortunately once a vacancy has closed, we are unable to consider further applications.