Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) lead

Vacancy Announcement

Position: Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) lead 

Number of Positions: 1

Programme: Samartha: Enhancing Gender and Human Development Outcomes through Systems Strengthening 

Location: Kathmandu (with frequent travel to Madhesh and Lumbini province) 

Type: Full-time 

Line Manager: Team Leader, with reporting to Samartha Programme Management Unit (PMU) 

Start Date: 11 August 2025 (subject to funding approval from the donor) 

End Date: 31 March 2026

ORGANISATION PROFILE 

Adam Smith International (ASI) is a global advisory firm that works with governments, international development partners, and the private sector to deliver long-term, transformative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Operating across more than 30 countries, ASI specialises in governance, economic reform, climate resilience and inclusive development - applying rigorous analysis, technical expertise, and locally led strategies to achieve sustainable impact. 

PROGRAMME BACKGROUND 

Samartha: Enhancing Gender and Human Development Outcomes through Systems Strengthening is a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) funded programme implemented by Adam Smith International. The programme works in close partnership with the Government of Nepal and aims to enhance the capacity of provincial and local governments to deliver social sector services. 

This programme will focus on improving the systems and capacity of local government to deliver its social service mandates with a specific focus on improving access to quality health and education services, especially by women, girls and marginalised communities. This will be complemented with national policy support in the Health and Education sectors to ensure sector policies and resource allocations align to support Nepal in building responsive and resilient Health and Education service delivery systems. Through systems strengthening, Samartha aims to enable more equitable, accountable, and inclusive development outcomes. 

POSITION OVERVIEW 

The GEDSI Lead will provide strategic leadership and technical support to mainstream GEDSI principles across programme design, implementation, and monitoring. This role will ensure that health and education systems are inclusive, equitable, and responsive to the needs of women, girls, persons with disabilities, and marginalised communities and GEDSI is mainstreamed within programme delivery as well. The role will focus on providing technical and strategic guidance to foster inclusive, equitable, and evidence-based governance, while ensuring government ownership and accountability. 

The GEDSI Lead will closely with British Embassy Kathmandu (BEK), Samartha’s Team Leader, Samartha’s provincial and cluster teams in Madhesh and Lumbini, Core Governance lead, Health Systems Lead, Education Systems Lead, Innovation, Evidence and Learning (IEL) Lead, and other members in Samartha’s federal team. The GEDSI Lead will also maintain close relationships with and provide technical assistance to relevant federal ministries such as Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST), Ministry of Finance (MoF), Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration (MoFAGA), Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens (MoWCSC), various inclusion commissions etc. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES 

Technical Support and GEDSI System Strengthening (60%) 

• Lead GEDSI responsive evidence-based planning and budgeting processes at federal and subnational levels, ensuring integration into annual workplans and sectoral strategies.
• Support collection, use and integration of disaggregated data at federal and subnational levels to support in evidence-based planning and implementation.
• Support development and implementation of GEDSI-sensitive monitoring and evaluation systems, including indicators and reporting mechanisms, especially in health, education and financial systems.
• Facilitate inclusive health system strengthening through equity-focused programming and use of HMIS data for outreach to marginalised groups.
• Promote GEDSI-sensitive education interventions, including girls’ and disability inclusion, inclusive infrastructure, and utilisation of equity focused governmental support mechanisms (scholarships and incentives).
• Support integration of needs of women, girls, marginalised and vulnerable population in basic service delivery in events of disaster or emergency 
• Provide mentoring and coaching support to government officials, elected female representatives, frontline service providers, including those providing referral services such as OCMC
• Support in strengthening linkages of referral systems with basic service delivery points
• Support integration of interventions in health and education service delivery centres in inclusive service delivery

Coordination and Stakeholder Engagement (20%) 

• Coordinate with different tiers of government, especially subnational government, and sectoral ministries to promote GEDSI integration in basic service delivery.
• Facilitate multi-sectoral collaboration among health, education, protection, and legal sectors to strengthen referral systems such as OCMC

Evidence Use, Innovation and Learning, and Adaptive Management (20%) 

• Lead GEDSI analysis and diagnostics to inform programme design and continuous adaptive management.
• Support development of knowledge products, case studies, and policy briefs to promote GEDSI learning and innovation.
• Coordinate with Innovation, Evidence and Learning (IEL) team to ensure GEDSI is embedded in results frameworks and learning agendas
• Provide inputs to programme reporting, innovation and learning cycle with evidence generation to support programme adaptations

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE 

Education and Professional Background 

• A Master’s degree in gender studies, social inclusion, public health, education, or related field.
• A minimum of 12 years of experience in GEDSI mainstreaming and targeting on the supply side and inclusive social sector governance with a clear understanding of Nepal’s systems. 
• Demonstrated experience working with subnational governments on inclusive service delivery, planning and budgeting processes or institutional capacity development, especially in health and education
• Experience with donor funded programmes, especially FCDO, is preferred. 
• Proven experience working with government systems in Nepal.
• Strong understanding of GEDSI, resilience, and inclusive development principles.

Skills and Competencies 

• Proven experience working with government systems in Nepal, and understanding of Nepal’s governance systems, policy frameworks and planning and budgeting processes with regards to GESI
• Ability to mainstream GEDSI within the programme and to work with leads, experts and programme staff from diverse backgrounds
• Strong technical understanding of government data systems and data disaggregation by gender, caste, ethnicity, disability etc., preferably in health and education
• Demonstrated skills in stakeholder coordination, government engagement, and technical support for strengthening institutional capacity development. 
• Ability to facilitate participatory planning processes and communicate technical content effectively to non-technical audiences, including community actors. 
• Excellent communication, analytical, and report writing skills in both Nepali and English language

Other Requirements 

• Willingness to be travel frequently to Madhesh and Lumbini province and across rural/ municipalities. 
• Proven ability to work independently and collaboratively in dynamic, collaborative settings, and to adapt strategies based on real-time feedback and contextual learning.
• Ability to work independently in complex and evolving political and institutional environments. 
• Strong personal commitment to gender equality, social inclusion and strengthening of inclusive systems through evidence-based approaches. 

TERM OF REFERENCE (ToR) 

A detailed Terms of Reference outlining the scope of work, responsibilities, and expected deliverables will be shared with shortlisted candidates during the recruitment process. 

APPLICATION PROCESS 

Interested candidates should submit their CV and a cover letter to asi.nepal@adamsmithinternational.com by 31 July 2025. Please include “GEDSI Lead” in the subject line. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for further steps. 

Note: Women, candidates from marginalised communities, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.