Project Coordinator - Gender and Inclusion (Kakuma, Turkana)

THE ORGANISATION

Founded in 1937, Plan International, Inc. ("PII") is a globally recognized non-profit dedicated to advancing children's rights and gender equality in both humanitarian and development contexts. With over 80 years of experience, Plan International addresses the root causes of challenges faced by girls and vulnerable children, working in 70+ countries. The organization collaborates with children, young people, supporters, and partners to create a just world, acknowledging that the potential of every child is often hindered by poverty, violence, exclusion, disasters, and discrimination.

PLAN INTERNATIONAL KENYA

Plan International Kenya (PIK), operational since 1982, focuses on long-term development and humanitarian programs. Collaborating closely with local communities and governments, PIK implements programs to enhance the well-being of children in areas such as Nairobi, Machakos, Kajiado, Tharaka-Nithi, Siaya, Kwale, Kilifi, Homa Bay, Kisumu, Tana River, Turkana, and Marsabit.

ABOUT PLAN KENYA PROJECTS IN TURKANA

Plan International Kenya is implementing two projects in Turkana County, Kenya; Turkana West Sub-County specifically, as it hosts the Kakuma refugee camp and Kalobeyei Settlement, as well as Lopur Ward. The program is under the Integrated Refugee Response Program (IRRP) which is a multi-stakeholder initiative designed to address the needs of refugees and host communities in a coordinated and sustainable manner.  The IRRP in Kenya focuses on a multi-sectoral approach combining humanitarian aid with long-term development for both refugees and host communities.

Climate Proofing WASH services

This is a 3-year project that is being implemented in Turkana County, Kenya. Turkana West Sub-County was identified the main implementation area as it hosts the Kakuma refugee camp and Kalobeyei Settlement, with implementation in other Turkana sub-counties based on further assessments and alignment with other initiatives.

The Climate Proofing WASH services (CPW) is a consortium-led led project; members combine their expertise to ensure that refugees and host communities in Turkana County enhance their resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related challenges through improved economic self-reliance and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services. Interrelated barriers for achieving economic self-reliance and access to sustainable WASH are addressed through a three-pronged approach whereby 1. local markets related to water, sanitation and hygiene are assessed and piloted if proven high potential to create access to job opportunities, including green jobs 2) socially, environmentally, and financially sustainable WASH services contribute to healthy lives and communities, and 3) policies and legal frameworks are enabling and inclusive for sustainable water governance.

Nurturing Futures is a new 3-year project that is being implemented in Turkana County, specifically in Kakuma refugee camp and Kalobeyei Settlement as well as Lopur  Ward by Plan  International Kenya, working in partnership with the Agency for Cross Border Pastoralist Development (APaD). The project's goal is to ensure that crisis-affected girls and boys in refugee- and host populations have access to food and nutrition and receive gender-sensitive nurturing care. The project combines parenting interventions with food security and nutrition interventions that can positively impact and save lives in Kakuma refugee camp in Turkana, Kenya. The project is designed against three Outcome areas namely: a) improved access to food and nutrition for children and the most vulnerable; b) Improved nurturing care practices for children and enhanced parental psychological well-being, and c) Improved service provision for early learning.

Outcome 1 entails the provision of cash, knowledge, and means sharing for the production and preparation of nutritious food, as well as strengthened referral mechanisms. Outcome 2 entails the setting up of a parenting programme that aims to empower parents and caregivers to provide nurturing care that supports their children’s healthy and holistic development and wellbeing and supports solidarity networks between crisis-affected parents. Finally, under Outcome 3, the project will work with teachers to improve their knowledge and skills for early learning specifically emotional learning as well as reconstruct ECD centres.

Plan International Kenya applies a gender transformative approach in the implementation of both projects address the gender-related barriers and root causes and drivers of existing inequalities in this context, for sustainable and rewarding change. Locally led development is emphasised, enabling local communities, organisations, and county government to lead, while promoting green jobs and green transition. The target group includes young women and men and their families. Key stakeholders and actors are refugees and host communities, the County Government of Turkana, relevant agencies of the national government, UNHCR and other relevant UN agencies, local and international civil society, and a broad spectrum of private sector actors and financial institutions operational in Turkana County. 

The Project Coordinator -Gender and Inclusion will be responsible for driving the gender transformative approach of both projects, ensuring that they challenge and address gender related barriers and drivers of inequalities, for sustainable change in WASH and nutrition programming. The role will also be critical in providing leadership to the Integrated Refugee Response Program in advancing gender transformation across all the IRRP 15 stakeholders. The coordinator will therefore have both an internal and an external mandate to guide project teams and partners to advance gender transformation through the different dimensions of the program. The role will also ensure that the gender marker application is managed throughout the project cycle for the Plan Kenya project activities.

Accountabilities and MAIN WORK ACTIVITIES

Strategic Guidance on Gender Transformative Programming in Turkana- 15%

• Provide technical leadership in the integration and effective implementation of gender transformative strategies, approaches, policies, and frameworks at the Turkana Project level in the Nurturing Futures and CPWASH projects.
• Ensure programmatic alignment with Plan International Global Strategy and Global Gender Equality standards (e.g., Plan International’s Global Gender Equality and Inclusion Policy and feminist leadership principles).
• Provide technical leadership of the IRRP towards advancing gender transformation across the program.
• Ensure that all the project staff and implementing partners understand the importance of gender programming and inclusion approach and how it relates to them in the project contexts, and that they are fully involved in its implementation to sustain achievements in gender transformative programming

Effective Technical Project Design, Planning and Implementation (25%)

• Ensure the Turkana Program advances gender transformation in all project activities. This includes but not limited to; addressing harmful gender norms directly, improving girls’ agency, promoting diversity, promoting positive masculinity, improving the daily condition and position of girls and fostering an enabling environment, where possible and appropriate.
• Support projects to achieve the highest standards of gender transformation, addressing power and gender inequalities that undermine responsive nutritional and food security outcomes for children and women, adaptive climate change, improved economic self-reliance and community resilience and water, sanitation, and hygiene.
• Provide technical support to Turkana Programs on gender transformation project planning and management, while ensuring timely preparation and uploading of the Gender Marker for the two projects as required.
• Facilitate meaningful engagement, consultation, participation and feedback amongst staff, partners and project stakeholders to ensure gender transformation is on track.
• Facilitate and support the localization and implementation of the Gender Equality and Inclusion strategy into all the components of the project cycle. The coordinator will work towards promoting gender equality, women's empowerment, and social inclusion in the project's activities, strategies, and outcomes.
• Guide community led beneficiary targeting processes and reporting on interventions being undertaken from a gender and inclusion perspective.

Partnership, networking and Alliance Building (20%)

• Provide support and capacity building on gender equality and inclusion to staff and partners in the Plan CP WASH consortium.
• Understand the local partnership context and inform the GEI aspects that affect the project implementation.
• Lead in providing technical support to the IRRP consortium to advance gender transformation. This includes capacity development and defining individual projects milestones that advance the gender elements.
• Build and strengthen working relations with local structures (local administration, schools among others) key county partners, County Government, National Government line Ministries, Private sector, Community Based organizations, and NGOs,
• Support the delivery of trainings on gender equality and inclusion for stakeholders and partners.
• Assess local partners’ capacity gaps in delivery of program work with attention to GE&I and develop capacity building plans for mutual development.
• Participate in the Annual Turkana County Government’s Planning and Budgeting process to influence women participation in Climate Change Adaptation
• Participate in technical working groups and forums on gender equality in Turkana County to influence and advocate for gender transformative programs.
• Lead gender related advocacy initiatives in partnership with the County and Sub County teams e.g. celebration of the international day of the girl, 16 days of activism against gender-based violence etc

  Monitoring, Evaluation and Quality Assurance (20%)

• Coordinate with the Program Manager and partners to effectively support the project to carry out all assessments including baseline, ongoing monitoring, evaluations, dissemination of best practices etc, in accordance with established GE&I standards, policies and procedures.
• Lead in the setting project targets and monitoring/tracking gender transformative milestones and outcomes.
• Monitor and guide on defined milestones across the IRRP consortium to advance GEI
• Contribute to regular project narrative reports and communication materials in a timely manner, ensuring that implementation of gender transformative programming is clearly articulated and supported with high quality data, results and lessons.
• Support the development and submission of program reports and core documents demonstrating gender related changes, as per donor standards and guidelines.
• Manage and ensure the application of the gender marker across the projects.
• Review and input into the projects MERL plans and framework, data collection tools and M&E guidance to ensure that MERL practices and processes are gender responsive and the project is expertly capturing gendered outputs and outcomes.
• Participate in baseline/end-line and other qualitative and quantitative evaluation activities (i.e. methodology and tool development and data analysis) to ensure a gender lens is applied.
• Monitor and advise on the actions that promote gender transformation as defined in the marker, across all project phases.

Financial Management (5%)

• Manage the implementation plans and budgets related to the GEI activities under both projects.
• Monitor expenditures to promote prudent budget management and adherence to approved budget

Risk Management (5%) 

• Contribute to development of the project risk assessment on matters GEI.
• Continually advise on the risks and opportunities in the local context in advancing gender transformation.
• Identify and manage project risks related to gender equality and inclusion
• Promote compliance with Plan Kenya and donor requirements and regulations in project implementation
• Coordinate and support programme quality and delivery on gender transformative programming initiatives and projects, audits and adequate application of GEI management responses across all project impact areas.

Safeguarding Children and Young People (Safeguarding) and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI) (5%)

• Understands and puts into practice the responsibilities under Safeguarding and GEI policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), ensuring that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.
• Leads the orientation of programme staff to ensure that they are properly inducted on and understands their role in upholding Plan International’s safeguarding and GEI policies;
• Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in project design, during implementation and as principles applied in day-to-day work of Programme team;
• Ensures that Plan Kenya contributes to Plan International’s global efforts to ensure safeguarding and GEI, including making sure that relevant reporting and data are submitted. 

Other duties (5%)

• As assigned by the Line Manager within the scope of the role.

Technical expertise, skills and knowledge

Qualifications/ experience essential:

• Bachelor’s degree in Gender, Social Studies, or other related fields preferred.
• Minimum of 4 years' experience in guiding, managing, and implementing gender inclusive and/or transformative projects especially working with girls and youth.
• Technical knowledge of Gender Equality and Inclusion in general, and as it relates to relevant sectors, especially WASH, Nutrition/Food security and Women’s Economic Empowerment.
• Experience of integrating Gender transformative and Rights based Approaches into project design, implementation, reporting, monitoring and evaluation.
• Demonstrated understanding of gender rights issues in both development and humanitarian contexts.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, networking and representation skills;
• Proven leadership qualities, problem-solving and negotiation skills, and evidence of successful team player.

Click on the following link to access full job description:  JD Project Coordinator -Gender and Inclusion Turkana (002).pdf 

Location: Kakuma, Turkana

Reports to: Turkana Program Manager

Closing Date: 12th December 2025

Turkana West residence and ability to speak Kiswahili and local languages will be added advantage.

Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the very heart of everything that Plan International stands for.

We want Plan International to reflect the diversity of the communities we work with, offering equal opportunities to everyone regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Plan International is based on a culture of inclusivity and we strive to create a workplace environment that ensures every team, in every office, in every country, is rich in diverse people, thoughts, and ideas.

We foster an organisational culture that embraces our commitment to racial justice, gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion.

Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. This means that we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with and we must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.

A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International's Safeguarding Children and Young People policy. Plan International also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this scheme we will request information from applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

Disclaimer: Plan International is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate applicants on any basis. We also do not charge Job seekers any fees at any point of the recruitment process.