The Gender, Social Inclusion & Climate Resilience Expert will be embedded in the Kigali-based project team and report directly to the Project Manager. They will lead the dedicated GESI-Climate workstream, providing high-level technical guidance on gender equality, social inclusion and climate-risk resilience to the project team, the Rwanda TVET Board (RTB) and other stakeholders. Responsible for the end-to-end delivery of this activity package, the Expert will ensure that every project component—from policy dialogue and curriculum design to campus infrastructure upgrades—is gender-responsive, socially inclusive and climate-smart. They will spearhead the review and development of policy frameworks, strategies, tools and operational procedures that broaden the participation of women, youth, persons with disabilities and other marginalised groups in TVET, embedding climate-risk screening and the principle of “leaving no one behind.” Through this leadership, the Expert will be pivotal in securing an equitable, inclusive and climate-resilient implementation of the project.

The main responsibilities of the GESI-CR Expert will be:

1. Provide strategic and technical advice for TVET reform

• Embed GESI & climate resilience in TVET frameworks. Advise on the design and review of curricula, policy documents and pedagogical approaches so that gender equality, social inclusion and climate-risk resilience are systematically integrated at every stage.
• Strengthen institutional capacity. Support RTB and other implementing bodies to analyse current practices, identify gaps and recommend concrete measures that improve gender responsiveness, social inclusion and climate readiness across all TVET activities.
• Inform strategic planning. Work with project leadership and stakeholders to align GESI-climate strategies with wider TVET reform goals, ensuring systems become more equitable, accessible and resilient to climate impacts.

2. Lead the project’s GESI-climate workstream

• Develop and operationalise GESI-Climate Action Plans. Draft, update and steer action plans—in collaboration with RTB—so they are fully reflected in project workplans, budgets and timelines.
• Coordinate implementation. Provide day-to-day leadership for GESI-climate activities (capacity building, awareness campaigns, tool development, safeguards). Manage and coach national/international experts mobilised for specialised tasks.
• Monitor, evaluate and report. Partner with M&E teams to track progress against disaggregated indicators (sex, age, disability, climate vulnerability), capture lessons learned and report achievements or challenges to donors and partners, ensuring adaptive management.
• Ensure compliance and coherence. Oversee administrative and logistical processes linked to GESI-climate interventions, guaranteeing alignment with donor rules and Expertise France procedures.

3. Support the transition of target TVET schools into Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs)

• Promote inclusive and climate-resilient campuses. Provide technical inputs during design, construction and renovation so that facilities accommodate women, persons with disabilities and other disadvantaged groups—and incorporate climate-smart features (energy efficiency, green spaces, water management).
• Institutionalise inclusive & safe learning environments. Help schools create or refine policies and mechanisms (e.g., GBV/SEAH reporting, accessible grievance channels, disaster-risk protocols) that underpin equitable, secure and climate-prepared CoVEs.
• Build capacity at all levels. Conduct training-needs assessments and deliver capacity-building sessions enabling staff to integrate GESI principles and climate resilience into teaching, administration and daily operations.
• Facilitate peer learning. Stimulate exchanges of successful GESI-climate initiatives among TVET institutions, scaling up proven practices as schools progress towards CoVE status.