Alignment: Unleashing Potentials
Aiming to create a society where women and girls can exercise their human, economic and political rights and freely participate and lead in a society free from gender-based discrimination, USAID Tawazon and the Jordanian National Commission for Women (JNCW) work together to achieve the fourth strategic objective outlined in the National Strategy for Women in Jordan 2020 – 2025 (NSW), and the Gender Mainstreaming Policy 2020 (GMP), which serves as a roadmap for national and international institutions and programs working in women empowerment field. The two parties’ efforts coincided and came together to highlight how critical is to have strong institutional capacities and accountability frameworks in order to create and carry out policies, legislation, programs, and budgets that promote justice, gender equality, and increased women's participation within the government system.
Consequently, it became crucial to examine how well the current JNCW capabilities including the three fundamental pillars of personnel, functions, and structure, align with their mandate to oversee the implementation of the fourth strategic objective, which is about mainstreaming gender in the Jordanian public sector.
Tawazon supported the JNCW’s Policies and Monitoring Unit (PMU) to undergo the Degree of Alignment (DOA). Tawazon helped design a customized tool that targeted JNCW staff and all relevant external supporters, such as gender focal points, alliances, networks, and donors who contributes to the broader efforts to institutionalize gender mainstreaming policies across the public sector to ensure equity and gender equality and have a stake in promoting the occurred success.
By optimizing JNCW’s current resources and functions, Tawazon’s capacity-strengthening approach helped JNCW to better align with its mission and strategic goals. The updated Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning Unit was part of the review of the structure component. The function component addresses a wide range of internal systems and organizational culture including but not limited to ensuring harassment is alleviated and providing a safe workspace for women.
Lastly, the personnel component involved reviewing and updating job descriptions, human resources policies, and alignments required through. The tool was also structured to examine the competencies, motivators, barriers, employee selection criteria, and training needs. As a result, Tawazon identified the need for staff capacity building in drafting positions papers, and policy analysis to be able to continue the institutional development and performance of the PMU.
One of the complex issues and prerequisite in contemporary management theories is the creation of alignment between the mandate and actual functions to assist the design and adoption of required changes. The DOA would help position the JNCW as the national reference and hub for key studies, research, and programs concerning gender equality and the portfolio of women's empowerment, both at the institutional and community level. Also, it would lead the JNCW toward a higher level of maturity toward institutionalizing its functions.