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Afghanistan: Human Resource Management System Consultant

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Organization: The Asia Foundation
Country: Afghanistan
Closing date: 20 Jul 2017

The Asia Foundation is a nonprofit international development organization committed to improving lives across a dynamic and developing Asia. Informed by six decades of experience and deep local expertise, our work across the region addresses five overarching goals—strengthen governance, empower women, expand economic opportunity, increase environmental resilience, and promote regional cooperation.

Headquartered in San Francisco, The Asia Foundation works through a network of offices in 18 Asian countries and in Washington, DC. Working with public and private partners, the Foundation receives funding from a diverse group of bilateral and multilateral development agencies, foundations, corporations, and individuals. In 2016, we provided $87.8 million in direct program support and distributed textbooks and other educational materials valued at $9.5 million.

The Foundation with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is implementing an 18 month project to support capacity building of an International University based in Kabul.

TAF is seeking for a Human Resource System Development Consultant to provide technical support on developing the current level of organizational and staff capacity among the targeted organization in the areas of human resource management by developing respective manual and providing trainings to the staff therein.

Note: This position can be filled by an individual consultant that can deliver all the items listed in the

“Key Duties and Responsibilities and Deliverables” section.

Key Duties/Responsibilities and Deliverables

General

The consultant shall work very closely with TAF and university during all stages of the project. Emphasis of overall methodology should be on actively engaging university staff and leadership during each stage so that they take ownership of the interventions and feel motivated to implement the suggested changes and ensuring sustainability of interventions going forward.

The scope of work may change required may vary based on needs of the project and below only gives outline of expected requirements. The consultant will, from time to time, be required to undertake other duties of a similar nature as may reasonably be required by his/her line manager.

Capacity Building Planning

The consultant shall be required to identify process universe for human resource management function, obtain understanding of current processes and confirming the staff training needs. Further a baseline study needs to be carried out against select KPIs based on which performance of University can be monitored going forward.

Deliverables

The key deliverables for this area shall be Capacity Building Plan outlining:

  • Methodology for executing capacity building plan

  • Timelines for proposed interventions

  • Process universe for human resource management functions

  • Table of contents for human resource management manual

  • Training needs assessment including list of trainings required and course outline

  • Baseline study report outlining the current status of agreed indicators

Capacity Building Interventions

The consultant shall be required to develop interactive training course material for each area of human resource management based on training needs assessment. The trainings shall include case studies based on actual scenarios (including standard templates) which will help the university staff to implement the developed policies and procedures. Further, while developing the trainings, specific consideration should be given to responsibilities of all level of staff members in processes i.e. leadership, managers and staff to assist them in fulfilling their roles going forward. Further, mechanism should be developed to assess the effectiveness of the trainings provided e.g. pre-test, post-test, feedback etc.

The consultant shall be also be required to develop/ update human resource management manuals for the University. The processes/ manuals need to evolve as a result of interactions between consultant and IP staff which requires consultant working hands and glove with the University staff.

Deliverables

The key deliverables for this area shall following:

  • Training materials on human resource management function

  • Provision of trainings to staff

  • Human resource management manual

Sustainability

Consultant needs to work closely with University staff to ensure that the skills imparted to CSO staff are retained going forward. In this regard, a detailed sustainability plan shall be prepared to outline methodology and level of effort required by TAF to support University in maintaining the gains made.

Deliverables

The key deliverable for this area shall be a sustainability plan.

Qualifications

  • An advanced degree (Master’s level and above) in organizational development, human resource management, or a related field;

  • Minimum of 5 years of experience in successfully developing capacity in the areas of human resource management is preferable;

  • Experience in Afghanistan and/or similar context required;

  • Excellent analytical reporting and professional English communication skills;

  • Facilitation, presentation and mentoring skills; and

  • Excellent facilitation skills with demonstrated ability in working with people from diverse backgrounds.


How to apply:

Qualified applicants are encouraged to submit their resumes with a detailed application letter and contact details, no later than July 20**, 2017** to afghanistan.jobs@asiafoundation.org. Please clearly indicate “Human Resource Management System Development Consultant” in the subject line. Only short listed candidates will be informed.


Afghanistan: Procurement System Development Consultant

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Organization: The Asia Foundation
Country: Afghanistan
Closing date: 20 Jul 2017

The Asia Foundation is a nonprofit international development organization committed to improving lives across a dynamic and developing Asia. Informed by six decades of experience and deep local expertise, our work across the region addresses five overarching goals—strengthen governance, empower women, expand economic opportunity, increase environmental resilience, and promote regional cooperation.

Headquartered in San Francisco, The Asia Foundation works through a network of offices in 18 Asian countries and in Washington, DC. Working with public and private partners, the Foundation receives funding from a diverse group of bilateral and multilateral development agencies, foundations, corporations, and individuals. In 2016, we provided $87.8 million in direct program support and distributed textbooks and other educational materials valued at $9.5 million.

The Foundation with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is implementing an 18 month project to support capacity building of an International University based in Kabul.

TAF is seeking for a Procurement System Development Consultant to provide technical support in developing the current level of organizational and staff capacity among the targeted organization in the area of procurement by developing respective manual, and mentor the staff by providing on the job trainings.

Note: This position can be filled by an individual consultant that can deliver all the items listed in the “Key Duties and Responsibilities and Deliverables” section.

Key Duties/Responsibilities and Deliverables

The scope of work may change required may vary based on needs of the project and below only gives outline of expected requirements. The consultant will, from time to time, be required to undertake other duties of a similar nature as may reasonably be required by his/her line manager.

Working closely with the Project Manager, this role will support the development of Procurement Strategy and lead on the delivery of innovative and lean procurement solutions that maximizes value for money for the University.

The consultant shall work very closely with University during all stages of the project. Emphasis of overall methodology should be on actively engaging University staff and leadership during each stage so that they take ownership of the interventions and feel motivated to implement the suggested changes and ensuring sustainability of interventions going forward.

The ability to build capacity of procurement function of the University is essential. The consultant will be responsible for developing a team of procurement professionals, overseeing their delivery, continually building their capability and improving their performance.

The consultant shall be required to identify process universe for procurement functional area at University, obtain understanding of current processes and confirming the staff training needs. Further a baseline study needs to be carried out against select KPIs based on which performance of University can be monitored going forward. Further, consultant will be required to develop or update the procurement manual in line with best practices and applicable legal requirements. The processes/ manuals need to evolve as a result of interactions between consultant and IP staff which requires consultant working hands and glove with the University staff.

The consultant shall be required to develop interactive training course material for procurement management based on training needs assessment. The trainings shall include case studies based on actual scenarios (including standard templates) which will help the University staff to implement the developed policies and procedures. Further, while developing the trainings, specific consideration should be given to responsibilities of all level of staff members in processes i.e. leadership, managers and staff to assist them in fulfilling their roles going forward. Further, mechanism should be developed to assess the effectiveness of the trainings provided e.g. pre-test, post-test, feedback etc.

Consultant needs to work closely with University staff to ensure that the skills imparted are retained going forward. In this regard, a detailed sustainability plan shall be prepared to outline methodology and level of effort required by TAF to support in maintaining the gains made.

Consultant will have knowledge and previous experience of working with the USAID Procurement Regulations and an understanding of the challenges faced by a diverse organization with a multimillion spending and how those challenges may be met in line with regulatory and contractual requirements.

Other responsibilities can include providing assistance in preparation and analysis of commodity spends, rapid development of supplier agreements, identification of potential strategic suppliers, negotiation of formal contracts and timely review of all facilities related purchase orders and supplier contracts. This position will collaborate with the contract accountant responsible for data entry of purchase orders that are in compliance with procurement financial policies and the timely and accurate processing of contract billing.

Qualifications

• An advanced degree (Master’s level and above) in organizational development, procurement management, or a related field;

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in successfully developing capacity in the area of procurement management is required;

• Experience in Afghanistan and/or similar context required;

• Excellent analytical reporting and professional English communication skills;

• Facilitation, presentation and mentoring skills; and

• Excellent facilitation skills with demonstrated ability in working with people from diverse backgrounds.


How to apply:

Qualified applicants are encouraged to submit their resumes with a detailed application letter and contact details, no later than July 20, 2017 to afghanistan.jobs@asiafoundation.org. Please clearly indicate “Procurement System Development Consultant” in the subject line. Only short listed candidates will be informed.

Philippines: Assistant Program Officer (Open to Philippine Nationals only)

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Organization: The Asia Foundation
Country: Philippines
Closing date: 30 Jul 2017

The successful recruit will support the “Restoring Mutual Trust in Mindanao through People to People (P2P) Engagement” and “Cohesion, Advocacy, Resilience, and Expansive Engagement (CARE) for Peace” of The Asia Foundation Philippines Conflict Management Unit on project activity implementation and monitoring. S/he will work with the Program Manager and Senior Program Officer to deliver the P2P II and CARE for Peace target results and consults with Finance and Administration staff on all logistical, administrative, and financial aspects of project activities.

S/he will closely coordinate and liaise with Consultants, stakeholders, and partners to ensure their support on relevant project activities and reporting requirements. Successful recruit will prepare letter of grants to partners and letter of contracts to Consultants and monitor their deliverables and financial requirements. S/he will provide administrative and logistical assistance to the program team on travel arrangements, events/training/workshop organizing and management.

Qualifications:

  • Must have completed a Bachelor’s degree. Master’s degree is a plus.
  • Minimum of two (2) years professional experience, preferably with development organizations.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English and Tagalog.
  • Must have strong time management skills and attention to details.
  • Computer proficient in word processing, spreadsheets and database management.
  • Knowledge of the Philippine NGO community and government agencies particularly those working on governance and/or conflict management issues.
  • Knowledge of USAID, DFAT or other international donor agency requirements and regulations is an advantage.

For more details about the position, please browse through http://bit.ly/JD_APO_P2PandCARE


How to apply:

Please send CV and application letter to efren.tadeo@asiafoundation.org not later than July 30, 2017. Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we will only respond to shortlisted candidates.

Nepal: Program Director

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Organization: The Asia Foundation
Country: Nepal
Closing date: 21 Aug 2017

In an increasingly complex and interconnected world, Asia plays a crucial global role. Would you be excited at the prospect of employing your knowledge and skills to improve lives, expand opportunities, and help societies flourish across this dynamic region?

You could have this opportunity at The Asia Foundation. Informed by six decades of experience and deep local expertise, we address critical issues affecting Asia in the 21st century: governance and law, economic development, women's empowerment, environment, and regional cooperation. We work with innovative leaders and communities to build effective institutions and advance path-breaking reforms. Together with our partners, we are committed to Asia’s continued development as a peaceful, just, and thriving region of the world.

The Asia Foundation’s Nepal office is seeking a Program Director. The Program Director (PD) reports to the Country Representative (CR) of The Asia Foundation in Nepal. The PD is responsible for the effective management and implementation of the TAF-DFAT Strategic Partnership/Sub-national governance program including supervision of the deputy-program director and coordination with regional technical advisors. The PD provides strategic direction to the Program team regarding the Partnership/Sub-national governance Program including providing technical guidance in the areas of local, urban or economic governance and establish synergies between different strategic areas under the Partnership/Program. He/she shall brief the CR on a regular basis regarding Partnership/Program implementation; support in liaising with and appraising the DFAT mission in Nepal of Partnership/Program progress and in the establishment of high-level strategic partnerships with senior government officials, civil society, academic and research institutions, business associations and development partners at national level. The PD shall ensure the use of a politically informed, flexible, iterative programming approach; oversee the implementation of a high quality research agenda and development of knowledge products. Responsibilities include sound financial management and compliance with TAF and DFAT rules and regulations; the timely submission of narrative and financial progress reports to DFAT; and overseeing the implementation of a rigorous monitoring, evaluation and learning agenda under the program. The program has now completed inception-phase activities and is looking for a long-term leader.

RELATIONSHIPS:

Internal • Daily contact with all staff within the Foundation’s Kathmandu office.

External • Frequent contact with DFAT; senior and mid-level government officials; heads and deputy-heads of civil society organizations, academic and research institutions, business associations and companies; TAF/SF, field offices, and other development partners.

JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Responsible for the effective, efficient and quality implementation of Partnership/Subnational governance Program; • Provide strategic direction to the Program team regarding the Partnership/Sub-national governance Program including the technical guidance in the areas of local, urban or economic governance and establish synergies between different strategic areas under the Partnership/Program; • Brief and discuss with the Country Representative on a regular basis regarding Partnership/Program Implementation and the future direction of the Partnership/Program; • Support the Country Representative in liaising and appraising the DFAT mission in Nepal of Partnership/Program progress; • Supervise the Deputy-Program Director and coordinate with him/her regarding the implementation of the Partnership/Program; • Coordinate with the team of regional technical advisers supporting the Partnership/Program regarding their technical assistance; • Oversee the use of a politically informed, flexible approach to program implementation through continuous political economy analysis to inform program implementation, adaptation and development in response to emerging opportunities and new developments; • Build high-level strategic partnerships through intensive relationship building and frequent liaison with government, civil society, academia, private sector and development agencies at national level; • Oversee the implementation of a high quality research agenda and development of knowledge products under the Partnership/Program in collaboration with academic and research institutions; • Ensure that gender equality and social inclusion are effectively mainstreamed throughout activities at the subnational level as well as addressed through targeted activities to contribute to increased equity in economic development and participatory subnational governance in Nepal. • Ensure the timely and quality submission of narrative progress reports to DFAT including an inception report after 6 months, quarterly and annual reports; • Conduct field visits to the program’s target sites to monitor implementation; • Ensure compliance of the Partnership/Program with TAF’s and DFAT financial and other rules and regulations; • Manage the Partnership/Program budget, monitor expenditures and ensure the timely submission of quarterly and annual financial reports to DFAT; • Liaise and coordinate with TAF Headquarters in San Francisco and other Country Offices where needed in support of Partnership/Subnational Program implementation; • Any other task as assigned by the Country Representative.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Experience: Minimum of 15 years’ progressively responsible experience in managing and implementing governance programs with a subnational/local emphasis in Asia (mandatory); specialized experience in economics, local or urban governance (required); ability to lead politically-informed programming; work experience in South Asia, preferably in Nepal, is an advantage. Education Advanced degree in political sciences, public policy, international development, economics, social science, or a related field of study.

Other: Excellent program and financial management skills; strong background in local, urban or economic governance; excellent interpersonal skills; strong analytical and critical thinking skills; ability to multi-task, perform under pressure and ensure timely delivery of quality work; excellent oral and written communication skills in English; experience in politically informed, flexible, iterative program implementation; demonstrated knowledge in gender equity and social inclusion programming approaches; strong monitoring and evaluation skills; ability to assume the position within a short timeframe and commit to being based in Nepal for a minimum of 3 years.

Why work at The Asia Foundation? At a critical moment in history, you will have the opportunity to contribute to the development, stability, and growth of the Asia region. You will help promote a more constructive engagement between government and citizens and advance learning and awareness about The Asia Foundation. You will work with and learn from dedicated, smart, and accomplished colleagues and local partners, and, in the process, improve your skills and expertise.


How to apply:

Applications should be submitted by visiting our website: http://asiafoundation.org/about/careers/ and selecting “Regular Employment”. To be considered, please upload your cover letter and resume. The application closing date is Monday, August 21, 2017. The Asia Foundation offers excellent benefits and salary commensurate with experience. We are an equal opportunity employer. Women and people of color are encouraged to apply. No phone calls please.

Afghanistan: Director, Women's Empwerment Program

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Organization: The Asia Foundation
Country: Afghanistan
Closing date: 30 Aug 2017

In an increasingly complex and interconnected world, Asia plays a crucial global role. Would you be excited at the prospect of employing your knowledge and skills to improve lives, expand opportunities, and help societies flourish across this dynamic region?

You could have this opportunity at The Asia Foundation. Informed by six decades of experience and deep local expertise, we address critical issues affecting Asia in the 21st century: governance and law, economic development, women's empowerment, environment, and regional cooperation. We work with innovative leaders and communities to build effective institutions and advance path-breaking reforms. Together with our partners, we are committed to Asia’s continued development as a peaceful, just, and thriving region of the world.

The Asia Foundation’s Afghanistan office is seeking a Women’s Empowerment Program Director. The Foundation’s Afghanistan office’s Women Empowerment Program (WEP) is a dynamic department with multiple donors supporting projects implemented currently in over 20 provinces. WEP has an established track record of successful impacts utilizing a ‘women’s rights in Islam’ footprint, in addition to advocacy on the Law on the Elimination of Violence against Women, and women’s role in seeking social justice, conflict resolution, and problem solving through informal or traditional dispute mechanisms at the community level. WEP is currently exploring other innovative options to improve the status of Afghan women, including advancing women’s economic empowerment, and, in coordination with other departments and projects at the Foundation in Afghanistan, the role of women in peace making and political participation, which the Director of WEP will be responsible for leading.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OVERVIEW:

The Director of the WEP will be primarily responsible for planning, implementation, and over-sight of all projects within the WEP portfolio, plus building the capacity of staff, sharing best practices for project implementation, monitoring and evaluation of projects, and donor relations. Additionally, the Director of WEP will be responsible for leading program development, including identifying new opportunities and heading all WEP-related proposal development along with support from the Office of the Country Representative.

The Director will supervise all long-term and short term WEP staff and will have overall responsibility for the day to day management of the WEP. The Director will work in close collaboration and consultation with the Office of the Country Representative or his designee and will represent the WEP Directorate at meetings, workshops, stakeholders’ forums, and such like.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP:

The Director will work closely under the supervision of the Foundation’s Deputy Country Representative to provide conceptual direction, set project priorities, and formulate activity plans; while identifying appropriate benchmarks and milestones and articulating expected results and impact. The Director is responsible for directing project implementation and communicating expected contributions to the donors, the Foundation’s senior management and other stakeholders toward meeting these goals. In collaboration with the Program Manager of WEP, the Director will:

• Assume overall charge of the project and key responsible persons for project leadership, providing overall strategic direction and technical oversight across all project results;

• Assume the primary point of contact with external stakeholders and donors in consultation with the Foundation’s Country Representative and Deputy Country Representative;

• Lead oversight and management into the development and implementation of work plans (with budgets, staffing and timelines for the activities); strategically organizing the work of the project personnel; overseeing and managing deliverables conforming to donors’ requirements and deadlines, including technical reports, progress reports, and project final reports, and the achievements of other specified project technical requirements;

• Oversight of monitoring project performance against work plan objectives with all project domain areas;

• Ensure compliance donors’ requirements and the Foundation’s policies in project implementation and closeout, in coordination with the Senior Grants and Finance Director, including but not limited to project management, employment of international and national personnel, conflicts of interest and ethics, etc.;

• Lead role in developing and maintaining good working relationships with donors and stakeholders;

• Lead oversight and management of all solicited and unsolicited WEP proposals and concepts notes, in coordination with the Finance Department and the Office of the Country Representative, including identifying new opportunities;

• Provide reporting, information dissemination, and representation of project(s) at donor coordination meetings, to the Afghan government and other related stakeholders, as may be requested;

• Oversee regular documentation of the methodology and outcomes of the project for dissemination;

• Ensure that all hiring, promotion and discharge of personnel are consistent with the recruitment and employment policies of the Foundation;

• Develop draft annual work plan(s) and oversee the implementation and management of activities under the work plan once approved by the respective donors;

• Keep donors informed about project developments and progress and issues related to the type of support, assistance or coordination donors may consider toward furthering project objectives and results;

• Conduct annual performance review of all project personnel in collaboration with the Foundation’s Deputy Country Representative;

• In close coordination with the Deputy Country Representative, and the Senior Finance and Grants Director, coordinate and monitor the responsibilities of all program services (administration, finance, and compliance) activities to ensure that project progress is achieving its goals, objectives and deliverables and is delivered with quality, on time and on budget;

• In close coordination with the Deputy Country Representative and the Senior Finance and Grants Director, oversee the effective management of project resources, including timely reporting of expenses, procurement, inventory, and maintenance of equipment and facilities;

• Facilitate and support regular progress meetings, presentations, and program services reports to the donor and stakeholders;

• Lead the preparation of the project budget to achieve the project's objectives, in consultation and coordination with the Senior Finance and Grants Director and the Foundation’s Deputy Country Representative;

• In close coordination and collaboration with the Senior Finance and Grants Director and the Foundation’s Deputy Country Representative, oversee all financial and program services support to the project;

• In close coordination and collaboration with the Senior Finance and Grants Director and the Foundation’s Deputy Country Representative, oversee and guide the team on the budget availability and donor requirements in regards to reporting and spending patterns in the project, while ensuring achievement of the project’s objectives; and

• Be involved in any other assignment asked and required.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Experience:

• At least ten years’ experience in international development programming, program design, implementation, planning, reporting, and monitoring and evaluation;

• Extensive experience with women’s programming in Afghanistan (on-ground Afghanistan experience highly desired) or in the region;

• Proven experience in developing women’s business development programs; and

• Documented evidence of developing successful proposals.

Education:

• A graduate degree in international development, gender studies, law, or a related field from an accredited university;

REQUIRED SKILLS

• Strong leadership, strategic planning, management and supervisory skills; achieving results and meeting deadlines;

• Experience in managing highly visible and politically sensitive projects in a multicultural environment;

• Proven success in dealing with complicated program partnerships and skills in prioritizing major strategies and critical relationships;

• Demonstrated problem solving and diplomatic skills;

• Good knowledge of monitoring and evaluation methodology and analysis;

• Demonstrated team-building and interpersonal skills and ability to develop staff capacity;

• Demonstrated experience managing program budgets;

• Proven sound judgment and decision-making skills;

• Demonstrated ability to work under pressure to meet tight deadlines;

• Must be sensitive to political and cultural nuances and able to consistently apply excellent judgment to a variety of demanding and fast-changing situations;

• Excellent interpersonal skills essential for performing the required tasks to work with a diverse team of national and international staff and consultants;

• Demonstrated ability to communicate detailed program narrative and financial related information in a clear, concise manner, both orally and in writing;

• Ability to develop concept notes and proposals and assist in the identification of new funding sources;

• Ability to work effectively in a team environment; and

• Proficient computer skills with ability to utilize various software including MS project.

Why work at The Asia Foundation?

At a critical moment in history, you will have the opportunity to contribute to the development, stability, and growth of the Asia region. You will help promote a more constructive engagement between government and citizens and advance learning and awareness about The Asia Foundation. You will work with and learn from dedicated, smart, and accomplished colleagues and local partners, and, in the process, improve your skills and expertise.


How to apply:

HOW TO APPLY:
Applications should be submitted by visiting our website: http://asiafoundation.org/about/careers/ and selecting “Regular Employment”. To be considered, please upload your cover letter and resume. The application closing date is Wednesday, August 30, 2017. The Asia Foundation offers excellent benefits and salary commensurate with experience. We are an equal opportunity employer. Women and people of color are encouraged to apply. No phone calls please.

Myanmar: Program Manager - Decentralization and Local Governance

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Organization: The Asia Foundation
Country: Myanmar
Closing date: 30 Aug 2017

In an increasingly complex and interconnected world, Asia plays a crucial global role. Would you be excited at the prospect of employing your knowledge and skills to improve lives, expand opportunities, and help societies flourish across this dynamic region?

You could have this opportunity at The Asia Foundation. Informed by six decades of experience and deep local expertise, we address critical issues affecting Asia in the 21st century: governance and law, economic development, women's empowerment, environment, and regional cooperation. We work with innovative leaders and communities to build effective institutions and advance path-breaking reforms. Together with our partners, we are committed to Asia’s continued development as a peaceful, just, and thriving region of the world.

The Asia Foundation’s Myanmar office is seeking a Program Manager. The Program Director(PM) is responsible for the overall management of the Foundation’s portfolio on decentralization and local governance, particularly, two ongoing projects on fiscal transparency, public financial management, support to state/region government, municipal governance, and social accountability. One project will be ending in March 2018, while the other will run through to April 2019. The Program Manager will have significant experience working on governance and/or development programs with relevant technical expertise. He/she will also have significant management experience and will be responsible for project administration, financial and grant management, donor reporting and representation of The Asia Foundation to government agencies, donors, partner organizations, diplomatic missions, and national and international institutions, as required. The Program Manager will oversee a team of international and national staff and consultant. As a senior program staff, the Program Manager will also contribute to the broader development of the office’s governance portfolio.

RELATIONSHIPS:

Internal

Extensive interaction with: members of the Foundation’s governance team, governance partners, consultants, other program units within the Foundation, as well as with the Administration and Finance & Grants units of the Foundation.

External

Regular contact with government officials and agencies in Myanmar, bilateral and multi-lateral development agencies, implementing partners, business sector and civil society organizations, professional organizations, community groups and leaders, and academic and other local institutions.

REQUIREMENTS:

Experience

• Minimum eight years or more of relevant professional experience of designing, managing and implementing governance programs in developing countries.

• Significant experience working on decentralization and local governance, urbanization, fiscal transparency, public financial management, and citizen-government interactions.

• Solid experience in project management, budget management and oversight, team building in multi-cultural environment, efficient and effective delivery of project milestones, and donor relations.

• Strong track record of facilitating partnerships across governing authorities, community groups and members of the public, and a high level of comfort in engaging high level government officials.

• Strong political awareness and analytical skills. Knowledge of governance institutions and practices in development countries, particularly Asia and Myanmar specifically. Gender programming and mainstreaming experience would be a plus.

Education

Advanced degree in law, policy studies, political science, economics, social sciences, public policy, public administration, international relations, women’s education/development, economics, foreign affairs or Asian studies.

Skills

Strong analytical and problem solving skills; excellent verbal and written communication skills; proven interpersonal and intercultural skills. Experience in proposal and report writing, financial and grants management and budget control, strategic planning, fundraising and managing international donor-funded projects.

JOB FUNCTIONS:

Project Management

• Ensure that project activities are efficiently and effectively implemented in project’s sites in select states and regions in Myanmar, including strong relations with government authorities, parliaments, civil society organizations, and community leaders.

• Oversee and manage a team of international and national staff and consultants to implement project activities and maintain project coherence.

• Ensure the team develops a deep understanding of old and emerging formal and informal local urban decision-making that impact project activities.

• Ensure the team keep up to date and contribute best practices in relevant thematic areas that impact fiscal decentralization and transparency, public financial management, urbanization, and interactions between government and citizens.

• Continuous development of program activities to suit evolving project needs and proactively deploy necessary resources to adjust and implement activities.

• Ensure substantive inputs, coaching and assistance to partners/grantees as they plan for, design, and implement project activities, and ensure that timely updates and reports are received from partners/grantees.

• Track on-going developments with the government at both national and subnational levels and provide regular feedback to supervisors of broader context impacting project implementation.

• Track the activities of other organizations/development partners that are also implementing governance-related activities both at the union and subnational levels.

• Lead the development, and ensure high quality, of any research and information materials that will be produced by TAF/Myanmar office.

• Ensure the team manage regular field visits by Foundation and partner staff to sites, and draft letters of grants, letter of contracts, presentation materials, speech, etc.

• Manage the project monitoring, evaluation and learning framework, and draft periodic reports, either for the purpose of Foundation’s internal reporting, or for project donors.

• Follow all Foundation administrative and logistical policies, rules and practices when carrying out all activities.

Financial Management

• Following Foundation policies and practices, ensure that all financial documentation related to project activities is prepared, updated and settled, including supporting documents.

• Approve due diligence to potential partners/grantees conducted by the project team and Finance & Grants unit, and ensure that all due diligence documents are completed/submitted by potential partners/grantees.

• Manage relationships with potential partners/grantees, oversee development of their budget proposals, monitor their expenditures, and ensure that they are within approved budgets, and that spending targets are met.

Donor Relations

• Ensure that donor colleagues are updated regularly with project progress.

• Respond to donors’ requests as needed.

Representation

• Participate in meetings and events with development partners, governments, and civil society organizations as assigned.

• Contribute to articles, written materials, and documentation for publication.

• Participate in Foundation meetings and other relevant professional forums and events.

Other Responsibilities

• Provide support to other on-going programs and activities of the Foundation as may be necessary.

• Other duties as assigned by the Country Representative and the Deputy Country Representative.

Why work at The Asia Foundation?

At a critical moment in history, you will have the opportunity to contribute to the development, stability, and growth of the Asia region. You will help promote a more constructive engagement between government and citizens and advance learning and awareness about The Asia Foundation. You will work with and learn from dedicated, smart, and accomplished colleagues and local partners, and, in the process, improve your skills and expertise.


How to apply:

HOW TO APPLY:

Applications should be submitted by visiting our website: http://asiafoundation.org/about/careers/

and selecting “Regular Employment”. To be considered, please upload your cover letter and resume. The application closing date is Wednesday, August 30, 2017.

The Asia Foundation offers excellent benefits and salary commensurate with experience. We are an equal opportunity employer. Women and people of color are encouraged

Philippines: Director for Internal Audit (Open to Filipino Nationals Only)

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Organization: The Asia Foundation
Country: Philippines
Closing date: 07 Sep 2017

The Director for Internal Audit will design, implement and manage the Foundation’s internal audit program. S/he will plan and perform independent and objective audits of internal systems that improve the Foundation’s operations. S/he will evaluate internal controls to ensure compliance with established Foundation policies and procedures that result in value-added, cost effective services. S/he will ensure compliance with regulatory requirements applicable to the Foundation. The successful recruit will meet regularly with TAF Senior Management to provide updates on Internal Audit activity and other risk management information. S/he will adequately document all relevant information to support conclusions and engagement results, prepare audit reports, explain engagement results and recommend operational enhancements. S/he will report internal audit findings to the Audit Committee and Senior Management. S/he will support external audits of TAF and regulatory audits of funding sources, as needed. S/he will train staff in the Foundation’s units so they have an adequate understanding of internal controls, the Foundation’s policies and procedures and applicable governmental regulations. S/he will advise on Foundation operations and promote best practices throughout the Foundation. S/he will monitor and investigate incidents reported through the Foundation’s whistle blower hotline. This position requires the ability and willingness to travel internationally 40-50% of the time.

Knowledge: A Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance or Business Administration is preferred. Holder of Master’s degree is a plus. A Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Chartered Accountant (CA) or Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) is strongly desired. At least five (5) years of Audit and/or Accounting experience. Knowledge of US federal cost regulations, OMB circulars and USAID rules and regulations and other bilateral/multilateral donor regulations is preferred. Must have strong knowledge of US GAAP and GAAS.

Attributes: Must demonstrate strong team building, representational and leadership skills. Demonstrated management skills and experience dealing with multi-disciplinary teams; strong analytical and problem solving skills; excellent verbal and written communication skills including proven interpersonal and intercultural skills. Strong interest in or exposure in Asian cultures and societies. Familiar with QuickBooks accounting software.

The Asia Foundation offers excellent benefits and salary commensurate with experience. For the more detailed position description, please check http://bit.ly/2gEc2w4


How to apply:

How to apply:

Application letter and CV must be uploaded through our website at www.asiafoundation.org/about/employment/ and select “Regular Employment”.

The cut-off for receiving application is SEPTEMBER 7, 2017. We will only consider applicants who submit a cover letter and resume/CV on or before the deadline. Only shortlisted applicants will be called for interview.

**The Asia Foundation is an equal opportunity employer

Myanmar: Program Manager - Decentralization and Local Governance

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Organization: The Asia Foundation
Country: Myanmar
Closing date: 31 Oct 2017

In an increasingly complex and interconnected world, Asia plays a crucial global role. Would you be excited at the prospect of employing your knowledge and skills to improve lives, expand opportunities, and help societies flourish across this dynamic region?

You could have this opportunity at The Asia Foundation. Informed by six decades of experience and deep local expertise, we address critical issues affecting Asia in the 21st century: governance and law, economic development, women's empowerment, environment, and regional cooperation. We work with innovative leaders and communities to build effective institutions and advance path-breaking reforms. Together with our partners, we are committed to Asia’s continued development as a peaceful, just, and thriving region of the world.

The Asia Foundation’s Myanmar office is seeking a Program Manager. The Program Manager is responsible for the overall management of the Foundation’s portfolio on decentralization and local governance, particularly, two ongoing projects on fiscal transparency, public financial management, support to state/region government, municipal governance, and social accountability. One project will be ending in March 2018, while the other will run through to April 2019. The Program Manager will have significant experience working on governance and/or development programs with relevant technical expertise. He/she will also have significant management experience and will be responsible for project administration, financial and grant management, donor reporting and representation of The Asia Foundation to government agencies, donors, partner organizations, diplomatic missions, and national and international institutions, as required. The Program Manager will oversee a team of international and national staff and consultant. As a senior program staff, the Program Manager will also contribute to the broader development of the office’s governance portfolio.

RELATIONSHIPS:

Internal: Extensive interaction with: members of the Foundation’s governance team, governance partners, consultants, other program units within the Foundation, as well as with the Administration and Finance & Grants units of the Foundation.

External: Regular contact with government officials and agencies in Myanmar, bilateral and multi-lateral development agencies, implementing partners, business sector and civil society organizations, professional organizations, community groups and leaders, and academic and other local institutions.

REQUIREMENTS:

Experience: • Minimum eight years or more of relevant professional experience of designing, managing and implementing governance programs in developing countries. • Significant experience working on decentralization and local governance, urbanization, fiscal transparency, public financial management, and citizen-government interactions. • Solid experience in project management, budget management and oversight, team building in multi-cultural environment, efficient and effective delivery of project milestones, and donor relations. • Strong track record of facilitating partnerships across governing authorities, community groups and members of the public, and a high level of comfort in engaging high level government officials. • Strong political awareness and analytical skills. Knowledge of governance institutions and practices in development countries, particular Asia and Myanmar specifically. Gender programming and mainstreaming experience would be a plus.

Education: Advanced degree in law, policy studies, political science, economics, social sciences, public policy, public administration, international relations, women’s education/development, economics, foreign affairs or Asian studies.

Skills: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; excellent verbal and written communication skills; proven interpersonal and intercultural skills. Experience in proposal and report writing, financial and grants management and budget control, strategic planning, fundraising and managing international donor-funded projects.

JOB FUNCTIONS:

Project Management: • Ensure that project activities are efficiently and effectively implemented in project’s sites in select states and regions in Myanmar, including strong relations with government authorities, parliaments, civil society organizations, and community leaders.
• Oversee and manage a team of international and national staff and consultants to implement project activities and maintain project coherence.
• Ensure the team develops a deep understanding of old and emerging formal and informal local urban decision-making that impact project activities.
• Ensure the team keep up to date and contribute best practices in relevant thematic areas that impact fiscal decentralization and transparency, public financial management, urbanization, and interactions between government and citizens.
• Continuous development of program activities to suit evolving project needs and proactively deploy necessary resources to adjust and implement activities. • Ensure substantive inputs, coaching and assistance to partners/grantees as they plan for, design, and implement project activities, and ensure that timely updates and reports are received from partners/grantees. • Track on-going developments with the government at both national and subnational levels and provide regular feedback to supervisors of broader context impacting project implementation. • Track the activities of other organizations/development partners that are also implementing governance-related activities both at the union and subnational levels. • Lead the development, and ensure high quality, of any research and information materials that will be produced by TAF/Myanmar office. • Ensure the team manage regular field visits by Foundation and partner staff to sites, and draft letters of grants, letter of contracts, presentation materials, speech, etc. • Manage the project monitoring, evaluation and learning framework, and draft periodic reports either for the purpose of Foundation’s internal reporting or for project donors. • Follow all Foundation administrative and logistical policies, rules and practices when carrying out all activities.

Financial Management: • Following Foundation policies and practices, ensure that all financial documentation related to project activities is prepared, updated and settled, including supporting documents. • Approve due diligence to potential partners/grantees conducted by the project team and Finance & Grants unit, and ensure that all due diligence documents are completed/submitted by potential partners/grantees. • Manage relationships with potential partners/grantees, oversee development of their budget proposals, monitor their expenditures, and ensure that they are within approved budgets, and that spending targets are met.

Donor Relations: • Ensure that donor colleagues are updated regularly with project progress. • Respond to donors’ requests as needed.

Representation: • Participate in meetings and events with development partners, governments, and civil society organizations as assigned. • Contribute to articles, written materials, and documentation for publication. • Participate in Foundation meetings and other relevant professional forums and events.

Other Responsibilities: • Provide support to other on-going programs and activities of the Foundation as may be necessary. • Other duties as assigned by the Country Representative and the Deputy Country Representative.

Why work at The Asia Foundation?: At a critical moment in history, you will have the opportunity to contribute to the development, stability, and growth of the Asia region. You will help promote a more constructive engagement between government and citizens and advance learning and awareness about The Asia Foundation. You will work with and learn from dedicated, smart, and accomplished colleagues and local partners, and, in the process, improve your skills and expertise.

The Asia Foundation offers excellent benefits and salary commensurate with experience. We are an equal opportunity employer. Women and people of color are encouraged to apply. No phone calls please.


How to apply:

HOW TO APPLY:
Applications should be submitted by visiting our website: http://asiafoundation.org/about/careers/ and selecting “Regular Employment”. To be considered for this position, please upload your cover letter and resume into the system. The application closing date is Tuesday, October 31, 2017.


Afghanistan: Compliance/Forensic Specialist Consultant

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Organization: The Asia Foundation
Country: Afghanistan
Closing date: 28 Oct 2017

The Asia Foundation (the Foundation) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization committed to the development of a peaceful, prosperous, just, and open Asia-Pacific region. Drawing on 60 years of experience, the Foundation supports initiatives to improve governance, law and civil society; women's empowerment; economic reform and development; sustainable development and the environment; and international relations. The Asia Foundation has offices in 18 countries throughout Asia and is headquartered in San Francisco. In Afghanistan, the Foundation supports five primary themes: Governance and Law, Women’s Empowerment, Education, Survey/Research and Knowledge Development, and Regional Cooperation.

The Foundation, with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is implementing an 18 month project to support capacity building of an International University based in Kabul.

TAF is seeking a Compliance/ Forensic Specialist to assist in complex or conduct noncomplex reviews and investigations of allegations of fraud and corruption related to USAID-financed activities and follow through on resulting recommendations.

Key Duties/Responsibilities and Deliverables

General

Assist in complex or conduct noncomplex reviews and investigations of allegations of fraud and corruption related to USAID-financed activities and follow through on resulting recommendations. Assist in supporting USAID’s project procurement-related audit program through planning, conducting and reporting such audits. Contribute to formulating recommendations on policies, guidelines and procedures and provide advisory services with regard to anticorruption (i.e., detect and prevent fraudulent, corrupt and abusive practices). Share findings with the USAID OIG in Kabul.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES

Compliance and Anticorruption Support

The Compliance Officer will be briefed by the TAF team on USAID’s perspective of the requirements. He/she will hold meetings with USAID prior to commencement of work to gain further understanding and finalize methodology to meet engagement requirements. He/she is expected to perform the following procedures with a view to identify potential areas of misappropriation of funds:

Conduct a detailed review on all funds collected, handled and disbursed (based on financial statements prepared by management) from August 1, 2013. This review can include a complete analysis of the manner in which the University collected funds for scholarships, made scholarship awards, accounted for those scholarships and whether or not each scholarship award was in complete compliance with the terms of the scholarship program.

Review the University’s procurement processes and, at a minimum, assess procurements over $20,000 for compliance. A lower minimum threshold may be established if the assessment reveals that a lower amount is warranted.

Perform initial determination on potential areas of misappropriation of funds including conducting interviews; obtaining and analyzing evidence; reviewing and analyzing reliable and relevant information; assist in determining the need for independent investigation by OIG through collaboration with the TAF project team and the USAID COR.

Contribute to the formulation of possible technical assistance to help prevent and detect fraud, corruption, or other forms of misconduct.

Submit a report of the work performed within 6 months of the date of joining.

Knowledge Management

Identify and report findings, determine, and obtain agreement to recommendations from project procurement-related audits.

Record, monitor and report on OIG complaints, allegations, and investigations.

Make presentations, facilitate meetings, or conduct seminars, and workshops to foster an understanding of USAID’s Anticorruption Policy and procedures.

EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

A University degree in Law, Business Administration, and Accounting, Finance or related fields; preferably at post-graduate level or its equivalent and a professional qualification such as Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), or Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is required.

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

Suitability to undertake the responsibilities mentioned above at the required level

• At least 6 years of relevant professional work experience demonstrating progression of responsibilities in fields that demonstrate application of analytical skills with sound judgment, including but not limited to investigation, law, law enforcement; forensic accounting; financial or performance auditing; financial analysis; financial accounting; administrative investigation; or economic analysis.

• Established reputation for integrity, sound judgment, fairness, and discretion.

• Ability to perform under pressure and interact with others with utmost diplomatic and professional manner at all times.

• Ability to balance multiple work priorities effectively and adapt priorities in a changing environment.

• Demonstrated teamwork (ability to work with others to achieve more effective results), leadership (apply interpersonal influence to inspire others to move in a meaningful direction with competence and commitment), and conceptualization (developing viable solutions based on an understanding of institutional perspectives and needs) skills.

• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English, including the ability to clearly and concisely prepare, present, discuss and defend issues, findings, and recommendations at senior levels and to produce complex and compelling briefs, reports, papers, etc. Ability to communicate in Persian (Farsi/Dari), Afghan (Pashto/Native) and Urdu would also be helpful.

• International experience working in several countries, including Afghanistan.

CORE COMPETENCIES

Application of Technical Knowledge and Skills

• Regularly shares knowledge on new international best practice trends in comparator situations

• Proactively applies relevant international best practices to own work

• Convinces others to adopt international best practice by explaining the situational relevance and benefits

Client Orientation

• Helps colleagues work effectively with clients in different contexts and from diverse backgrounds and country situations

• Adapts own approach and style when interacting with clients, as opposed to requiring them to adapt

• Draws upon international best practice in exploring solutions with clients

• Confirms the clients’ understanding and agreement before progressing

Achieving Results and Problem Solving

• Draws on own and others’ multi-country experience to identify viable courses of action when conducting analyses

• Highlights possible solutions for project issues based on relevant multi-country and/or multi-client experience

•Regularly contributes insights and experiences to colleagues in the TAF Project Team to help them achieve quality results

• Overcomes unexpected difficulties and challenges to produce desired outcomes

Communication and Knowledge Sharing

• Checks the audience’s level of understanding and awareness of required follow up actions

• Consistently seeks and addresses feedback on own performance

• Independently amends and clarifies messages and documents

Innovation and Change

• Actively supports work improvement and/or organizational change by work and deed

• Develops and adopts change plans to support TAF Project initiatives

• Considers current and future needs in proposing ideas

• Vocalizes early support for change

• Recommends inputs to new policies, systems and processes in immediate work area

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS

Supervisor: TAF Project Manager


How to apply:

How to Apply

Qualified applicants are encouraged to submit their resumes with a detailed application letter and contact details, no later than October 28, 2017 to afghanistan.jobs@asiafoundation.org. Please clearly indicate “Compliance & Forensic Specialist Consultant” in the subject line. Only short-listed candidates will be informed.

Afghanistan: Communications and Program Development Specialist

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Organization: The Asia Foundation
Country: Afghanistan
Closing date: 03 Nov 2017

In an increasingly complex and interconnected world, Asia plays a crucial global role. Would you be excited at the prospect of employing your knowledge and skills to improve lives, expand opportunities, and help societies flourish across this dynamic region?

You could have this opportunity at The Asia Foundation. Informed by six decades of experience and deep local expertise, we address critical issues affecting Asia in the 21st century: governance and law, economic development, women's empowerment, environment, and regional cooperation. We work with innovative leaders and communities to build effective institutions and advance path-breaking reforms. Together with our partners, we are committed to Asia’s continued development as a peaceful, just, and thriving region of the world.

The Asia Foundation’s Afghanistan Office in Kabul is seeking a Communication & Program Development Specialist. The Communications and Program Development Specialist will have program development, communications and management experience. The Communications and Program Development Specialist is a part of the Office of the Country Representative (OCR) and reports to the Country Representative (CR) of The Asia Foundation Afghanistan (TAF AG) and will be supported by a Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist.

It is envisioned that the Communications and Program Development Specialist will assist the CR and Deputy Country Representative (DCR), as needed, on the implementation for all TAF AG programs and projects from “concept to close-out” with the ability to facilitate discussions on new program opportunities and assist relevant directors and managers with program management, communications, and concept and proposal development.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Minimum of Bachelor degree from an English-language accredited academic institution.

• Minimum of three years’ experience.

• Demonstrated experience with international organizations in the field of communications, quality control, and program development.

• Excellent English language written and verbal communication skills (native English-language capacity).

• Ability to work independently, often with little oversight, in a fast-paced and complex environment.

• Ability to work in post conflict and security-sensitive environment preferred; experience in an on-the-ground international assignment required.

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, and ability to work effectively with a multinational staff.

• Experience with international organizations preferred, especially in Afghanistan.

• Excellent computer skills, including Microsoft Office applications (particularly Word and Excel) and internet software is required.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Program Development

• Identify new opportunities for discussions with the CRDeputy Country Representative/DCR and relevant Program Directors and Managers.

• Participate in concept and proposal development in coordination with relevant Program Directors, Managers, CR/DCR and headquarters.

• Track donor comments on concept notes/proposals and work with relevant Program Directors and Managers to provide timely and high-quality feedback.

• Coach and mentor TAF AG staff on proposal writing as required.

Communications and Donor Compliance Project Reporting

• Improve internal communication between TAF AG staff and between TAF AG and TAF Headquarters, TAF DC office and other country offices.

o Act as the Global Ambassador for TAF AG Office.

o Advise and provide technical support on communication initiatives and project-related external communications and advocacy as required.

o Produce quarterly newsletters for TAF AG, highlighting success stories, project summaries, fact-sheets and other related contents for internal and external distribution.

o Work with program staff to develop InAsia blog posts.

o Support the identification and documentation of links, synergies, lessons learnt and best practices across projects that can be useful in the institutional learning process.

• Improve external communication of TAF AG with partners, donors, and the general public.

o Prepare, produce and disseminate outreach produces (project briefs, policy briefs, case studies, press releases, brochures, and talking points) that promotes the strategic and timely flow of information and key messages about TAF AG projects and results to key stakeholders including the Afghan Government and donors to maximize the visibility of TAF AG programs.

o Develop communication and advocacy strategies and manage TAF AG’s communications and public relations through appropriate channels to maximize outreach and visibility.

• Maintain high quality TAF AG donor contributions – reports, proposals, etc.

o Coach and mentor relevant TAF AG staff on report writing as required.

o Ensure that the program and donor-funded project reporting processes are systemized, consistent with the results framework and quality checks completed.

o Set up donor reporting and compliance procedures and processes for TAF AG to effectively respond to donor information requests.

o Track, document and disseminate donor reporting trends, quality assurance issues and feedback from donors on compliance issues following through to ensure all queries are resolved timely.

Continue Implementing Capacity Building Program for TAF AG

• Oversee an annual comprehensive capacity assessment of TAF AG staff to determine strengths and weaknesses every February.

• Continue running the capacity building program “TAF Learns” for eligible staff to include (but not limited to) communications trainings, M&E trainings, writing trainings, presentation trainings, and photography trainings. Utilize appropriate TAF AG staff as trainers where possible, coordinate consultants when appropriate.

Manage TAF AG’s Country Implementation Plan (CIP)

• Coordinate and update all items on the TAF AG CIP Gantt chart to support propelling the organization further.

Why work at The Asia Foundation in Afghanistan?

At a critical moment in Afghanistan’s history, you will have the opportunity to contribute to the country’s development and, more broadly, to the development, stability, and growth of the Asia region. You will help promote a more constructive engagement between government and citizens and advance learning and awareness about the country. You will work with and learn from dedicated, smart, and accomplished colleagues and local partners, and, in the process, improve your skills and expertise.


How to apply:

HOW TO APPLY:

Applications should be submitted by visiting our website: www.asiafoundation.org and selecting “Employment Opportunities.” The application deadline is November 3, 2017.

The Foundation offers excellent benefits and salary commensurate with experience. The Asia Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. Women and people of color are encouraged to apply. No phone calls please.

Sri Lanka: Chief of Party

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Organization: The Asia Foundation
Country: Sri Lanka
Closing date: 03 Nov 2017

The Asia Foundation (the Foundation) is a non-profit international development organization committed to improving lives across a dynamic and developing Asia. The Foundation seeks an experienced Chief of Party (COP) for an anticipated four-year, multi-million dollar Social Cohesion and Reconciliation Program funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The program will positively transform relationships across traditional lines of division and foster the development of a common national identify among all Sri Lankans by supporting institutions, processes and stakeholders at the national, subnational and community levels.

The COP will be responsible for providing overall vision, leadership, and guidance for the program. Candidates should be seasoned development professionals who will be responsible for the essential duties and who possess the qualifications below:

SUMMARY OF JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serve as the primary point of contact with USAID for procedural and substantive matters, and be responsible for quality control of the technical aspects of performance, procurement, personnel, reporting, and other management-related requirements of the cooperative agreement;

• Provide technical leadership for program activities including conceptualizing, designing, implementing and monitoring innovative, cutting-edge programming activities;

• Build and manage relationships with partners and USAID counterparts in Colombo, including meeting and consulting regularly with USAID regarding the program’s performance and direction;

• Supervise a multi-cultural team of professionals and experts across various technical and functional areas (e.g. social cohesion and reconciliation, research, monitoring and evaluation, etc.)

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Relevant advanced degree in international development, social science, conflict management (including post-conflict reconciliation and social cohesion), public policy, or a related field of study;

• Minimum of ten (10) years’ progressively responsible experience in international development, with at least five (5) years of senior managerial-level experience in a developing country, preferably in Sri Lanka or South Asia;

• Demonstrated capabilities in high-level strategic visioning and leadership, and experience working effectively with senior government officials/agencies, civil society, local, and national government authorities and with USAID and/or other development partners and donors;

• Demonstrated leadership/managerial, technical, and administrative skills in program management, including managing budgets and personnel, motivating and supervising team efforts, and achieving success in complex activities, preferably in Sri Lanka or South Asia;

• Demonstrated experience working across ethnic, religious, and language identify groups, as well as marginalized groups such as women, youth, and persons with disability;

• Proven effectiveness in relationships with counterparts, partners, and clients, and strong interpersonal and organizational skills;

• Previous experience managing USG-funded programs of similar scale and scope highly preferred; and • Excellent oral and written communication skills in English. Proficiency in Sinhala and/or Tamil preferred.


How to apply:

Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and CV by November 3, 2017 to psds.consultants@asiafoundation.org with the position listed in the subject line. The Asia Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. No phone calls, please.

Sri Lanka: Deputy Chief of Party

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Organization: The Asia Foundation
Country: Sri Lanka
Closing date: 03 Nov 2017

The Asia Foundation (the Foundation) is a non-profit international development organization committed to improving lives across a dynamic and developing Asia. The Foundation seeks an experienced Deputy Chief of Party (CCOP) for an anticipated four-year, multi-million dollar Social Cohesion and Reconciliation Program funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The program will positively transform relationships across traditional lines of division and foster the development of a common national identify among all Sri Lankans by supporting institutions, processes and stakeholders at the national, subnational and community levels.

The DCOP will support the Chief of Party (COP) in providing overall vision, leadership, and guidance for the program, including serving as Acting COP during the COP’s absence. Candidates should be seasoned development professionals who possess the qualifications below:

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Relevant advanced degree in international development, social science, conflict management (including post-conflict reconciliation and social cohesion), public policy, or a related field of study;

• Minimum seven (7) years of relevant professional experience managing and implementing conflict management programs (including in post-conflict settings) or similar/related international development projects;

• Demonstrated leadership/managerial, technical, and administrative skills in program management, including managing budgets and personnel, motivating and supervising team efforts, and achieving success in complex activities, preferably in Sri Lanka or South Asia;

• Demonstrated experience working across ethnic, religious, and language identify groups, as well as marginalized groups such as women, youth, and persons with disability;

• Proven effectiveness in relationships with counterparts, partners, and clients, and strong interpersonal and organizational skills;

• Demonstrated drafting and report writing skills;

• Previous experience managing USG-funded programs of similar scale and scope highly preferred; and

• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English. Proficiency in Sinhala and/or Tamil preferred


How to apply:

Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and CV by November 3, 2017 to psds.consultants@asiafoundation.org with the position listed in the subject line. The Asia Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. No phone calls, please.

Afghanistan: Impact Evaluation Consultant

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Organization: The Asia Foundation
Country: Afghanistan
Closing date: 20 Nov 2017

Duration: 30 days – start date no later than 29 November 2017 Nationality: Expatriate Closing Date: 20 November 2017 (but may close earlier if position is filled prior to the closing date)

Background on The Asia Foundation:

The Asia Foundation has had a long presence on the ground in Afghanistan, from 1954 to 1979 and from 2002 to the present. With a long history of planning and implementing effective programs that benefit the country and its citizens, the Foundation maintains strong relationships with the government and civil society that have led to sustainable initiatives in governance and law, women’s empowerment, education, regional cooperation, and our signature Survey of the Afghan People, an annual nationwide opinion poll that has been carried out for over a decade.

In 2004, The Asia Foundation conducted the first Survey of the Afghan People (SAP), a nationwide survey of public opinion, in response to a critical lack of statistical information to inform the Afghan government and the international donor community. The survey was the first data gathering exercise of such a scale attempted since 1978, and provided a wealth of reliable information on the public perception of government performance, the economy, security, women’s rights, and governance across Afghanistan. Since 2006, the SAP has been an annual publication; in 2011, the scope of the project expanded further, including additional topics of public interest, such as access to information, political participation, and service delivery. Today, the survey results are in a book and policy papers, including original analysis, international and national presentations, and online visualization tools are in Dari and English for policymakers. While The Asia Foundation’s Policy and Research Department conducts several surveys annually, the SAP remains the largest.

Position Description:

The Asia Foundation’s Policy and Research Department is seeking a consultant to lead the 2017 SAP impact evaluation and assessment. He/she will be responsible for gathering data to assess impact, including uses of the survey by international and national stakeholders. These stakeholders may include, but are not limited to, academic researchers, policy analysts, government officials and employees, and those working in policy formation within civil society or NGOs.

The consultant will:

Propose a methodology for an Impact evaluation (3 days) to include the following at minimum:

• Follow up with parties who have accessed SAP data to inquire how it was used, and what was learned from the use. (Specifically, which questions in the survey were consulted? What did the analysis reveal? Were results used in any products? Were conclusions disseminated, and how?)

• Engage through interviews stakeholders involved in Afghanistan policy formation or implementation, within NGOs, embassies, local and international development partners, as well as academics, to determine how the survey could be improved.

• Propose a strategy to determine the survey’s priority thematic directions in 2018-2020 based on the anticipated needs of the Afghan government, NGOs, and international partners. This strategy may take into account, for example, the UN Millennium Goals, but also areas of growing concern where longitudinal data may be missing and not otherwise answered in outside surveys.

Consultant Background:

The consultant should have at least five years’ experience in M&E and previous experience conducting assessments. At least 5 years of experience conducting qualitative and quantitative research, particularly with interviews and surveys. S/he should also have prior experience in and knowledge of Afghanistan’s social and political situation.

Deliverables:

The consultant will be responsible for producing the following documents:

  1. Work Plan: The consultant will deliver a detailed work plan and proposed methodology and criteria.
  2. Interim Report: The consultant will deliver an interim report at the midpoint of the assignment, to provide The Asia Foundation’s Policy and Research Department an opportunity to review progress and consider any adjustments.
  3. Exit Briefing: The consultant will deliver an exit briefing, including a PowerPoint presentation, to be provided at the conclusion of the evaluation, to be presented to donors on key findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
  4. Final Evaluation Report: The consultant will deliver a detailed final evaluation report addressing key questions posed in this terms of reference. The final report should include the following sections:

a) Executive Summary

b) Introduction a. Project Background b. Evaluation Purpose c. Evaluation Questions
d. Limitations c) Methodology

d) Findings

e) Recommendations

f) Conclusions

g) Annexes, including a list of all individuals interviewed, including their contact details (if possible)

h) Bibliography of all documents reviewed

The duration of the evaluation will be no more than 30 days. The rough draft of the final evaluation report is due December 20, 2017. The report should be submitted seven calendar days prior to the consultant’s departure from Kabul to ensure time for revision and provision of comments which should then be incorporated into the final report.

  1. Be involved in any other task related to the assessment, as required.

How to apply:

Qualified applicants are encouraged to submit their resumes with a detailed application letter and contact details, no later than 20 November 2017 to afghanistan.jobs@asiafoundation.org. Please clearly indicate “Impact Evaluation Consultant” in the subject line. Only short-listed candidates will be informed

Afghanistan: Affordable Private Schools Development Consultant

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Organization: The Asia Foundation
Country: Afghanistan
Closing date: 20 Nov 2017

Position Title: Affordable Private Schools Development Consultant Department: TAF/Education (SEA-II) Contract Duration: 6 months (extended if needed) Duty Station: Kabul office Number of Posts: One Nationality: International Gender: Male/Female Announcement Date: November 6, 2017 Closing Date: November 20, 2017

Background:

The Asia Foundation (the Foundation) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization committed to the development of a peaceful, prosperous, just, and open Asia-Pacific region. Drawing on 60 years of experience, the Foundation supports initiatives to improve governance, law and civil society; women's empowerment; economic reform and development; sustainable development and the environment; and international relations. The Asia Foundation has offices in 18 countries throughout Asia and is headquartered in San Francisco. In Afghanistan, the Foundation supports five primary themes: Governance and Law, Women’s Empowerment, Education, Survey/Research and Knowledge Development, and Regional Cooperation.

In the Education department, the Foundation through the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is implementing a three-year project on Development and Expansion of Affordable Private Schools in Afghanistan (APS).

Goal:

The goal of this activity is to increase enrollment significantly in private schools and thereby achieve the universal education goal of Sustainable Development Goal 4 and reduce the burden on the Government of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA) and its development partners.

Objectives:

This project will focus on the following three major objectives to strengthen and expand affordable private schools in Afghanistan:

• Objective 1: Establish strong partnership between Ministry of Education (MoE) and Private Schools Associations (PSA)

• Objective 2: Create a favorable environment for the establishment and expansion of Affordable Private Schools (APS)

• Objective 3: Provide technical support to the MoE, PSA, and APS owners and administrators for the development and expansion of APS in Afghanistan

Scope of Work:

The Foundation is looking for a technical consultant to support the above goal and objectives in these areas: General

• Review available studies to: a) understand the bottlenecks APS are facing; b) the extent of the bottlenecks and their impact in terms of affecting enrollment, revenue generation, and other benefits of a healthy private school sector; and c) recommend possible solutions on how to resolve these bottlenecks;

• Support MoE and PSA in the development or revision of policies, rules and regulations which create an enabling environment for the development of APS;

• Assist the PSA and MoE in improving the current registration, licensing and license renewal processes;

• Provide technical support to MoE, Ministry of Economy (MoEC), Ministry of Finance (MoF) and PSA in improving the tax structure and also providing concessions and incentives to reduce transaction cost (e.g. books and supplies are not taxed, foreign investments are not-taxed, not taxed for the first 5 years, etc.) that make it more appealing to current and prospective investors.;

• Recommend options for reducing the rates on services provided by the government: electricity, access to internet, and so on;

• Develop criteria for small grants distribution to strengthen existing APS and to encourage establishment of new APS; and

• Recommend options (including technology based), applicable in Afghanistan, for reducing the cost of delivering education, with creative but practical models for distributing content, engaging students, widening access and making quality education available, at low cost, to larger segments of the population.

Capacity Building:

• Develop capacity of PSA members in identifying, prioritizing and profiling potential funding sources for APS with a focus on major grants, donations, endowments and generation of own income; and

• Assess and make recommendations on opportunities for public private partnerships for APS as a strategy for enhancing financial sustainability.

Sustainability:

Consultant needs to work closely with PSAs members to ensure that the skills imparted to them are retained going forward. In this regard, a detailed sustainability plan shall be prepared to outline methodology and level of effort required by the Foundation to support PSAs in maintaining the gains made.

Deliverables:

Key deliverables for this assignment include:

• A report along with recommendations for addressing issues that hinder expansion of APS;

• Facilitate the development or revision of policies with key stakeholders (such as Ministry of Education, Ministry of Economy, Finance and so on) for improving the current registration, licensing and license renewal processes for private schools in Afghanistan;

• Facilitate the development or revision of policies/regulations with key stakeholders to improve the current tax structure, rates on services (such as electricity, internet, access to land) of private schools;

• Work with the Islamic banks and Micro Finance Institutions to address the needs of investors in making access to loans easy and affordable;

• Revise the policy with the line ministries for reducing the rates on services (electricity, access to internet and so on) for private schools;

• Conduct a workshop on innovations used in other countries in the area of low-cost private schools; and

• Develop together with PSAs members a detailed sustainability plan.

Qualifications Master’s / Ph.D in Education;

  1. Demonstrated experience in the development of affordable private schools in developing and/or post-conflict regions;
  2. Experienced in development and implementation of access to affordable financing mechanisms for the establishment of APS;
  3. Demonstrated experience in development of strategies, situation analysis and economic modelling in the area of affordable private schools;
  4. Experienced in working with ministries, donors, and CSO’s in the education sector;
  5. Experience in living and working in post-conflict areas required (Afghanistan preferred but not required);
  6. Excellent communication skills in English;
  7. Excellent interpersonal relationship skills and ability to work with a diverse team of national and international staff and consultants; and
  8. Able to quickly join the organization.

How to apply:

Qualified applicants are encouraged to submit their resumes with a detailed application letter and contact details, no later than November 20, 2017 to afghanistan.jobs@asiafoundation.org. Please clearly indicate “Affordable Private Schools Development Consultant” in the subject line. Only short-listed candidates will be informed. Applicants who have previously submitted applications for this position are not required to submit a new application

Philippines: Researcher

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Organization: The Asia Foundation
Country: Philippines
Closing date: 22 Nov 2017

Project Background:

In 2016, The Asia Foundation assisted the Philippine Supreme Court to develop and pilot guidelines on Continuous Trial in 52 courts in Metro Manila. The pilot yielded positive results and the SC en banc decided to roll out the guidelines in all courts by September 1, 2017. The SC hopes that continuous trial will reduce congestion and delay and that trial process tracking will serve as operational model for all courts. The UK previously funded The Asia Foundation's project to map the business process of two family courts, resulting in policy decisions that will improve the way family courts do their business. This project will select two urban and rural regional trail courts in the National Capital Region and Angeles City, Pampanga implementing the continuous trail guidelines to be analyzed and will serve as a model to re-engineer the entirety of the trial process in the second level courts in the country.

The Researcher will perform the following duties:

  1. Conduct research activities with the Project Officer in four subject courts;
  2. Assist the Project Officer in conducting interview of judges, court personnel, and other stakeholders on the "as-is" state of the process in subject courts;
  3. Observe actual conduct of continuous trial at different stages of the process in subject courts;
  4. Assist in mapping current state processes, reviewing of existing technologies, and in performing process analysis concerning the subject courts;
  5. Assist in developing "to-be" states for the components of the continuous trial guidelines;
  6. Work with research assistants in the gathering, encoding, and interpretation of the data gathered from the courts;
  7. Draft minutes of the meetings and activities performed during court visits and other related activities;
  8. Assist in drafting progress reports to the Foundation regarding court visits and activities conducted.
    Interested applicants must be willing to start asap and open to consultancy agreement. The duration of this project is from November 24 to February 16, 2018.

How to apply:

Please send your application to reuelangelo.realin@asiafoundation.org


Afghanistan: Compliance/Forensic Specialist - Consultant

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Organization: The Asia Foundation
Country: Afghanistan
Closing date: 10 Dec 2017

Position Title: Compliance/ Forensic Specialist Department: To be advised Contract Duration: 6 months (extended if needed) Duty Station: Kabul office Number of Posts: One Nationality: International Gender: Male/Female Announcement Date: November 27, 2017 Closing Date: December 10, 2017

Background The Asia Foundation (the Foundation) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization committed to the development of a peaceful, prosperous, just, and open Asia-Pacific region. Drawing on 60 years of experience, the Foundation supports initiatives to improve governance, law and civil society; women's empowerment; economic reform and development; sustainable development and the environment; and international relations. The Asia Foundation has offices in 18 countries throughout Asia and is headquartered in San Francisco. In Afghanistan, the Foundation supports five primary themes: Governance and Law, Women’s Empowerment, Education, Survey/Research and Knowledge Development, and Regional Cooperation. The Foundation with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is implementing an 18 month project to support capacity building of an International University based in Kabul.

TAF is seeking a Compliance/ Forensic specialist to assist in complex or conduct noncomplex reviews and investigations of allegations of fraud and corruption related to USAID-financed activities and follow through on resulting recommendations.

Key Duties/Responsibilities and Deliverables:

General- Assist in complex or conduct noncomplex reviews and investigations of allegations of fraud and corruption related to USAID-financed activities and follow through on resulting recommendations. Assist in supporting USAID’s project procurement-related audit program through planning, conducting and reporting such audits. Contribute to formulating recommendations on policies, guidelines and procedures and provide advisory services with regard to anticorruption (i.e., detect and prevent fraudulent, corrupt and abusive practices). Share findings with the USAID OIG in Kabul.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES:

Compliance and Anticorruption Support- The Compliance Officer will be briefed by the TAF team on USAID’s perspective of the requirements. He/she will hold meetings with USAID prior to commencement of work to gain further understanding and finalize methodology to meet engagement requirements. He/she is expected to perform the following procedures with a view to identify potential areas of misappropriation of funds:

Conduct a detailed review on all funds collected, handled and disbursed (based on financial statements prepared by management) from August 1, 2013. This review can include a complete analysis of the manner in which the University collected funds for scholarships, made scholarship awards, accounted for those scholarships and whether or not each scholarship award was in complete compliance with the terms of the scholarship program.

Review the University’s procurement processes and, at a minimum, assess procurements over $20,000 for compliance. A lower minimum threshold may be established if the assessment reveals that a lower amount is warranted.

Perform initial determination on potential areas of misappropriation of funds including conducting interviews; obtaining and analyzing evidence; reviewing and analyzing reliable and relevant information; assist in determining the need for independent investigation by OIG through collaboration with the TAF project team and the USAID COR.

Contribute to the formulation of possible technical assistance to help prevent and detect fraud, corruption, or other forms of misconduct.

Submit a report of the work performed within 6 months of the date of joining.

Knowledge Management:

-Identify and report findings, determine, and obtain agreement to recommendations from project procurement-related audits.

-Record, monitor and report on OIG complaints, allegations, and investigations.

-Make presentations, facilitate meetings, or conduct seminars, and workshops to foster an understanding of USAID’s Anticorruption Policy and procedures.

EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS A University degree in Law, Business Administration, and Accounting, Finance or related fields; preferably at post-graduate level or its equivalent and a professional qualification such as Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), or Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is required.

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
Suitability to undertake the responsibilities mentioned above at the required level • At least 6 years of relevant professional work experience demonstrating progression of responsibilities in fields that demonstrate application of analytical skills with sound judgment, including but not limited to investigation, law, law enforcement; forensic accounting; financial or performance auditing; financial analysis; financial accounting; administrative investigation; or economic analysis.

• Established reputation for integrity, sound judgment, fairness, and discretion.

• Ability to perform under pressure and interact with others with utmost diplomatic and professional manner at all times.

• Ability to balance multiple work priorities effectively and adapt priorities in a changing environment.

• Demonstrated teamwork (ability to work with others to achieve more effective results), leadership (apply interpersonal influence to inspire others to move in a meaningful direction with competence and commitment), and conceptualization (developing viable solutions based on an understanding of institutional perspectives and needs) skills.

• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English, including the ability to clearly and concisely prepare, present, discuss and defend issues, findings, and recommendations at senior levels and to produce complex and compelling briefs, reports, papers, etc. Ability to communicate in Persian (Farsi/Dari), Afghan (Pashto/Native) and Urdu would also be helpful.

• International experience working in several countries, including Afghanistan.

CORE COMPETENCIES: Application of Technical Knowledge and Skills- • Regularly shares knowledge on new international best practice trends in comparator situations

• Proactively applies relevant international best practices to own work

• Convinces others to adopt international best practice by explaining the situational relevance and benefits

Client Orientation- • Helps colleagues work effectively with clients in different contexts and from diverse backgrounds and country situations

• Adapts own approach and style when interacting with clients, as opposed to requiring them to adapt

• Draws upon international best practice in exploring solutions with clients

• Confirms the clients’ understanding and agreement before progressing

Achieving Results and Problem Solving- • Draws on own and others’ multi-country experience to identify viable courses of action when conducting analyses

• Highlights possible solutions for project issues based on relevant multi-country and/or multiclient experience

• Regularly contributes insights and experiences to colleagues in the TAF Project Team to help them achieve quality results

• Overcomes unexpected difficulties and challenges to produce desired outcomes

Communication and Knowledge Sharing- • Checks the audience’s level of understanding and awareness of required follow up actions

• Consistently seeks and addresses feedback on own performance

• Independently amends and clarifies messages and documents

Innovation and Change- • Actively supports work improvement and/or organizational change by work and deed

• Develops and adopts change plans to support TAF Project initiatives

• Considers current and future needs in proposing ideas

• Vocalizes early support for change

• Recommends inputs to new policies, systems and processes in immediate work area

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS:

Supervisor- TAF Project Manager


How to apply:

How to Apply: Qualified applicants are encouraged to submit their resumes with a detailed application letter and contact details, no later than December 10, 2017 to afghanistan.jobs@asiafoundation.org. Please clearly indicate “Compliance & Forensic Specialist Consultant” in the subject line. Only short-listed candidates will be informed

Kenya: Consultancy Call: Final External Evaluation

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Organization: Rift Valley Institute
Country: Kenya, Somalia
Closing date: 09 Feb 2018

Project Name: Supporting the delivery of high quality research in Somalia
Project Location: Garowe (Puntland), Hargeisa (Somaliland) and Nairobi (Kenya)

Background to the Organisation

The project is a collaboration between the Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS) at the University of Hargeisa (UoH), the Centre for Postgraduate Studies, Research and Capacity Development (CPSRCD) at Puntland State University and the Rift Valley Institute (RVI). The overall aim of the collaboration is “to deliver high quality research by Somalis that will generate useful knowledge of the Somali regions and its communities and that will inform Somali and International development policy”.

PSU, founded in 1998 and registered as a university in 2004, offers two master’s degree programs in business administration and in development studies and a course in research methods as a cross cutting module. CPSRCD has participated in several social research and survey projects with external partners including UNDP, ILO, SIDA, the University of Sussex and development organizations.

Since it was founded in 2008 IPCS through diploma and master’s programs has been educating leaders including, but not limited to, customary authorities, members of parliament and members of civil society. IPCS regularly hosts talks by Somali and non-Somali academic researchers at the institute and regularly invites them to lecture on post-graduate courses.

RVI founded in 2001 conducts long-term research in Eastern and Central Africa. This has included an investigation of local Sudanese peace processes and political settlements, a study on armed groups in the Eastern DRC, land disputes in Mogadishu and the impact of war on Somali men. Capacity building of researchers is integrated into RVI research projects. Furthermore, for over 10 years RVI has run annual educational courses on the Sudans, the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes Region and organizes bespoke courses on individual countries in the region.

Introduction to the project

Project objectives: The overall goal of the project is to deliver high quality research by Somalis and Somali institutions that will generate useful knowledge of the Somali regions and its communities and that will inform Somali and international development policy. The specific objectives of the project are;

· To develop individual capacities for research through training in research methodologies, the provision of scholarships, and work placements in research projects

· To develop competence in two Somali higher education institutes for training and research through investments in human resources, research resources and in equipment and facilities

· To support the socio-economic development of Somali communities by enhancing local capacities for evidence based research to generate knowledge that will inform governance and development policies.

Project strategy

To achieve the objectives identified above the project has implemented the following set of activities;

I. Supported the development of existing, locally founded and managed Somali universities to deliver high quality training courses in social science research.

II. Supported the development of specialist research and training centres specializing in peace and conflict studies and development studies.

III. Developed capacities for evidence based research that will inform Somali development policies and bring local knowledge to bear on international development policies.

Project outcomes and targets (summary with details are annexed in the log frame)

The project has three key outputs

· Output 1: Somali university teachers, students, development practitioners and policy makers receive quality training in research methodology and are able to undertake and manage research

· Output 2: Individual researchers have increased access to training and support for their research and career development

· Output 3: Development of two specialist research centres in conflict and peace studies and development studies with the ability to produce high quality research on Somalis that can be accessed by a wide range of development actors.

Purpose of the evaluation

The purpose of the evaluation is to establish whether the project achieved its targets and goals and whether this has contributed or will contribute to long-term capacity improvement in research and training at the targeted institutions.

Scope of work

Period covered by the evaluation

The evaluation will cover the full period of project implementation from August 2015 and December 2017. The evaluation will assess all the activities of the project, including training in research, curriculum development, evidence-based research and institutional development.

Evaluation questions

Effectiveness: Effectiveness refers to the extent to which a development intervention has achieved its objectives, taking their relative importance into account:

· To what extent has or will the investment likely achieve planned results? What difference will this make to the beneficiaries? Have any identified risks been addressed?

· Were the institutional partnerships selected the most appropriate for attaining the investment objectives? Were all the required partners adequately engaged?

· If gender and inclusion targets were set at the investment inception, what is the likelihood of the investment achieving these targets? If not, were there any significant achievements with regards to addressing gender and inclusion issues?

· Were other crosscutting aspects such as Environment, Poverty and Climate Change taken into consideration during in design and implementation?

· How well was the project managed with regards to project implementation, time management and quality assurance? Were there any successful approaches used to manage the project across all locations?

Relevance**:** Relevance is the extent to which a development intervention conforms to the needs and priorities of the target groups, the policies of recipient countries and donors and SSF strategy:

· Has the investment been aligned with the needs and priorities of the government, other constituents, the target institutions and the focal beneficiaries?

· Are the investments consistent with SSF Theory of Change? Are the investments consistent and complementary with activities supported by other donors?

Sustainability**:** Sustainability is the continuation or longevity of benefits (the continued impact) of the investment beyond the support from donors (SSF).

Is there any evidence that there will be sustainability of the investment outcomes and impact as well as institutional capacity beyond the project period?

Additionally: A value for money analysis should be undertaken to the extent possible, as part of answering the cost- effective and efficiency related questions in the evaluation criteria. The evaluation should assess the extent to which the consortium put adequate measures in place to ensure cost-effectiveness and efficiency in the delivery of the investment.

Is there any significant evidence to demonstrate that if the investment had not taken place, the results achieved or likely to be achieved would not have been attained?

Were there any examples of efforts to ensure value for money and cost-effectiveness?

What are the key lessons learned and recommendations that can be made for future investments within this area?

Methodology

The evaluation will use a mixed-method methodology combining both quantitative and qualitative methods and analysis to strengthen the reliability of data and the validity of the findings.

Data collection and analysis tools will include literature review of key project documents and reports, focus group discussions and semi structured interviews with beneficiaries, key informant interviews with project managers, consortium partners, trainers, and researchers. The evaluation will also collect case studies to illustrate challenges, achievements of the project.

Evaluation tasks and deliverables

The evaluators are expected to provide RVI with the following deliverables:

· A detailed inception report with a work plan and proposed data collection tools to be delivered within fifteen (15) days after signing the contract. The inception report should describe the technical approach (and data collection tools) that will be used in the evaluation, including draft questions, and a detailed work plan.

· A draft evaluation report of the evaluation to RVI and partners to review and comment on;

· A revised and final evaluation report for the RVI and partners responding to comments from the project partners;.

· The evaluation report shall be written in English, be of no more than 40 pages including an executive summary, but excluding annexes.

· Annexes will include detailed information collected during field visits, such as focus discussion reports, summaries of interview sheets, summaries of responses to questionnaires and any case studies documented;

· During the interviews and field visits, the evaluators will take photos at project sites and audio- record some of the interviews of the stakeholders that will be submitted along with the reports.

Proposed Evaluation Timeline

Activity

Inception report, programme document review, work plan and data collection tools developed (3 days)
Early February 2018

Travel to the region to conduct data collection (12 days)
Mid February 2018

First draft report to be shared with the partners for evaluation and input (7 days)
28 February 2018

On-going communication with partners to finalise the external evaluation report (2 days)
15 March 2018

Composition and Qualifications of the evaluation team

To ensure the independence of the evaluation, and the credibility of the findings, the evaluation will be conducted by external consultant identified through transparent selection processes. The team will have an appropriate balance of expertise in evaluation methodologies, relevant technical expertise and practical experience in conflict and fragile affected states. The team should ideally include an experienced Somali national. The evaluation team leader is expected to be an evaluation professional with at least 5 years’ experience leading and managing complex evaluation assignments, particularly relating to evaluation of training and research projects. The team should include members with skills in data collection, validation and analysis. Fluency in written English is essential.


How to apply:

Application procedure

Online applications can be submitted until the closing date of midnight (EAT) 9 February 2018 using the following link: http://riftvalley.net/employment/consultancy-ssf-final-external-evaluation. Please note that due to the urgency of this position applications will be reviewed when received, we therefore encourage applicants to submit their proposal as soon as possible.

Please ensure your application includes ALL of the following:

· An up to date CV

· A covering letter that highlights how you fit the above person specification

· Details of two referees, one must be a previous consultancy contractor (references will only be followed up if your application is successful)

· A detailed budget based on your daily rate and estimated number of days required for each stage of the assignment. Note: if applying as a team please submit a shared budget that includes both individuals’ costs. RVI will cover the cost of flights, insurance and in- country expenses such as accommodation and a modest daily per diem rate.

· Your organisational profile (if applying as an institution).

· A sample of your work that is relevant to this assignment.

· Your availability throughout February and March 2018.

Kenya: Head of Finance and Operations

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Organization: Rift Valley Institute
Country: Kenya
Closing date: 21 Feb 2018

The Rift Valley Institute (RVI) seeks an experienced and dedicated Head of Finance and Operations. This is a full-time position, based in Nairobi, involving travel between Nairobi and RVI’s offices in the region and in the UK. The Head of Finance and Operations manages a Finance and Administration team. Essential qualifications are membership of a recognized UK accountancy body, working experience of the NGO sector, and management experience. The application deadline for this post is 21 February 2018.

General

Title of post
Head of Finance and Operations

Location
Nairobi, with travel to RVI offices in Juba, Hargeysa and London.

Salary level
Competitive salary commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Employment type
Five days a week

Duration
Permanent contract

Start date
March 2018 (negotiable)

Essential qualifications and skills

  • Membership of one of the major UK accountancy bodies.
  • Minimum of five years’ relevant experience.
  • Fluent spoken and written English.
  • Working knowledge of QuickBooks, other financial accounting systems, and Excel.
  • Experience of working in the international NGO Sector.
  • Experience of developing and managing organisational budgets.
  • Team player with excellent interpersonal skills.
  • Willingness to travel.

Desirable experience and skills

  • Operational and project management experience.
  • Experience of field operations in one or more East African country.
  • Experience of establishing financial systems.
  • Human resources management.

Benefits
28 days annual paid leave, travel insurance, pension plan, medical insurance, training allowance.

Responsibilities

The Head of Finance and Operations is overall responsible for the efficient and effective financial management of the Institute. The Head of Finance and Operations will work with colleagues to develop and standardise the Institute’s financial and operations management tools and procedures, and ensure their implementation throughout the organisation. The Head of Finance and Operations line manages the Finance Manager and, indirectly, the Finance Officer in Nairobi, and monitors and supports all programme staff on financial management. The Head of Finance and Operations reports to the RVI Executive Director. This is a senior position within the Institute. The Head of Finance and Operations is a member of the senior management team and participates in decisions that supports the development of the Institute.

Financial oversight

  • Overall responsibility for the Institute’s financial operations.
  • Maintenance and regular updating of RVI financial management documents, including monthly project and institutional accounts, cash-flow forecasts, balance sheets, income and expenditure forecasts.
  • Assist in drafting, review and approval of all project funding proposals with particular attention to cashflow and overhead recovery implications.
  • Ensure effective and timely financial reporting to funders.
  • Co-ordinate the production and management of the Institute’s annual budgets.
  • Support the Institute’s fundraising efforts, and maintain an overview of the funding pipeline.

  • Liaison and negotiation with external agencies as appropriate, including banks, insurance brokers, payroll providers, and others as may be required.

  • Co-ordination of all audits, including the annual institutional audit, and production of the Annual Report and Accounts for submission to the RVI’s Board of Trustees, the Charities Commission, and Companies House.

  • Ensure maintenance of the Institute’s registration and compliance with financial regulations and other legal requirements (including taxation and registration) in Eastern and Central Africa, the UK, the EU, and the United States.

  • Advise the Board on their responsibilities as defined by the Charities Commission and the Companies Act.

  • Actively contribute to the senior management team of the Institute, taking joint responsibility for the conduct of the Institute’s affairs, and attending all Board Meetings and other governance meetings as required.

  • Create, test, revise and update financial policies, manuals, templates, and guidelines and information sheets.

Programme support

  • Support programme staff in all aspects of financial management and reporting of programmes, visiting country offices on a regular basis.
  • Ensure staff, local partners and consultants are trained in RVI’s financial management and reporting procedures and are standardised across the Institute.
  • Develop procedures for and undertake financial due diligence assessments of partner organisations

Human resources

  • Recruit and line-manage RVI financial and administrative staff and consultants.
  • Develop and review procedures and policies relating to staff recruitment, induction, appraisals, management and succession of staff.
  • Prepare and approve contracts and job descriptions for staff, consultants and service providers, in collaboration with programme managers.
  • Regularly review the Institute’s staff salary structure and remuneration policies.
  • Ensure compliance with employment regulations and other legal requirements in various jurisdictions in Eastern and Central Africa, in the UK, and the United States, and liaising with local legal and accountancy advisors.
  • Ensure staff and consultants travel and leave plans are coordinated and recorded so there is minimal disruption to the Institute’s workflows.

Administration

  • Negotiate and maintain the Institute’s insurance cover including liability Insurance, and indemnity and travel and medical insurance for staff and consultants.
  • Review and approve all service contracts, including office leases.
  • Ensure RVI offices have the necessary equipment and IT support in place for staff and consultants.

Fundraising

  • Maintain good working relations with funders and, as required, support and develop new funding opportunities.
  • Represent RVI, as reqired, in discussions with funders, international organisations, government officials, and persons of influence.

Risk management

  • Ensure the Institute has policies and practices in place that mitigate financial and environmental risks to the Institute, including security protocols, insurance policies, and fraud and anti-bribery regulations.
  • Ensure the RVI offices are safe and healthy environments conducive to productive work.

How to apply:

Please apply online by filling out the application form below. The deadline for applications is 21 February 2018. Only applicants invited for interview will be contacted. For further information see www.riftvalley.net or write to recruitment@riftvalley.net.

Philippines: Gender Consultant (Filipino Nationals Only)

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Organization: The Asia Foundation
Country: Philippines
Closing date: 27 Feb 2018

Background

The Asia Foundation’s (TAF) programs in the Philippines promote better governance to support economic growth, strengthen the rule of law, and foster peace and development in Mindanao. Building on its wide network of partners, the Foundation is helping government, local NGOs, and the private sector to strengthen democratic institutions and create sustainable economic growth.

The Coalitions for Change (CfC) is a centerpiece program of the partnership between the Australian Embassy and TAF in the Philippines. CfC focuses on key policy reforms to improve lives of Filipinos and promote their economic well-being. CfC encourages civil society, private sector, academe, and government to work together and bring about public policies that contribute to Philippine development reform priorities.

Gender Approach

TAF operates within the distinct development and historical context of the Philippines, wherein fundamental policies to promote gender equality and promote women are generally in place. Thus, the program takes advantage of opportunities to further refine policies or push for their effective implementation. As such, it is important for TAF projects to consistently apply gender sensitive approaches in the planning and implementation of its activities, ensure participation of women, and provide opportunities for leadership in relevant reform areas.

TAF utilizes gender analysis to understand the gender dimensions of specific reform initiatives under the CfC program. In addition, it employs both gender mainstreaming and spotlighting approaches to incorporate gender considerations and tackle inequalities. For CfC, TAF tracks and monitors progress on gender both at the level of the program and thematic reform areas.

CfC’s gender efforts respond to Australia’s gender equality and women’s empowerment strategy. The said strategy identifies the following as priorities: a) enhancing women’s voice in decision-making, leadership and peace-building; b) promoting women’s economic empowerment; and c) ending violence against women and girls. It also sets a target requiring that eightypercent of Australia’s aid effectively address gender issues in their implementation regardless of its objectives.

As TAF further strengthens its work on gender, there is a need to assess TAF’s gender efforts and progress-to-date including that of CfC and for all program staff to develop a common understanding of gender equality principles to increase confidence in using analytical tools and their practical application.

The services of a consultant are required to support the following: a) conduct of an assessment of TAF’s gender work with a special focus on CfC and preparation of recommendations for further improvement; and b) development of a training program for TAF staff and support of post-training activities.

Scope of Work

  1. Assess CfC’s gender efforts and progress-to-date

· Propose methodology and develop assessment tools

· Review select reports (e.g. progress, final, etc.), workplans, and materials on gender of select reforms (approx.. 7)

· Analyze women's participation in reform areas

· Conduct interviews with program staff/relevant resource persons

· Check alignment with CfC-Australia gender priorities

· Provide recommendations for improvement

· Provide advice on gender issues, to be taken into account throughout CfC’s implementation

· Prepare assessment report

  1. Assess TAF’s overall gender efforts and progress-to-date

  2. Develop gender training program

· Determine training needs of program staff

· Design training modules and content for relevant groups

· Deliver trainings/workshops

· Prepare training report

  1. Support post-training activities

· Assist program staff in developing own gender work plans and activities as needed

· Review and provide recommendations on how to improve analytical and monitoring and evaluation tools

Activities, Work Schedule, and Reporting Relationship

The consultant is expected to start work on 26 February until 15 June 2018 on a 70-day engagement that will include the following activities adhering to the suggested timeline below:

Activities

Number of Days

Preparatory meetings - 5 days

Prepare inception report - 5 days

Prepare assessment report - 20 days

Prepare training needs report - 5 days

Develop training modules/content - 10 days

Conduct gender trainings/workshops - 5 days

Prepare training report - 5 days

Support post-training activities - 15 days

TOTAL DAYS = 70 days

It is also understood that the Consultant will coordinate and work closely with the Program Leader and Senior Program Officer*.*

Qualifications

· Master's degree in a relevant field: Gender Studies, Anthropology, Sociology, Social Welfare, and Development Studies

· Minimum of 5 years of experience in gender mainstreaming, gender analysis, and policy review

· Sound experience in needs assessment planning and implementation

· Professional experience specifically related to the promotion of gender equality and women's empowerment

· Background in qualitative/quantitative research

· Excellent writing skills

· Displays gender, religion, cultural, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability

· Experience working with CfC and DFAT is an advantage


How to apply:

Please send CV along with letter of intent and quoted rate/proposal to patriciamarie.taglay@asiafoundation.org not later than February 27.

Afghanistan: Finance and Procurement Consultant

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Organization: The Asia Foundation
Country: Afghanistan
Closing date: 05 Mar 2018

Position Title: Finance and Procurement Consultant Contract Duration: 6 months Duty Station: TAF Kabul office Number of Posts: One Nationality: International Gender: Male/Female Announcement Date: February 20, 2018 Closing Date: March 5, 2018

Background The Asia Foundation (the Foundation) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization committed to the development of a peaceful, prosperous, just, and open Asia-Pacific region. Drawing on 60 years of experience, the Foundation supports initiatives to improve governance, law and civil society; women's empowerment; economic reform and development; sustainable development and the environment; and international relations. The Asia Foundation has offices in 18 countries throughout Asia and is headquartered in San Francisco. In Afghanistan, the Foundation supports five primary themes: Governance and Law, Women’s Empowerment, Education, Survey/Research and Knowledge Development, and Regional Cooperation.

In the Education Department, the Foundation, with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is implementing a six-year project titled Strengthening Education in Afghanistan (SEA-II). A key deliverable is to build organizational and staff capacity of local CSOs and NGOs. Similarly, the Foundation with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is implementing an 18 month project to support capacity building of an International University based in Kabul. In this regard Capacity Assessments have already been carried out whereby plan of intervention to address the gaps with a view of improving organizational performance in areas identified above is developed.

The Foundation is seeking for a Finance and Procurement Consultant to provide technical support in system development and implementation of the finance and procurement policies and procedures and enhance staff capacity among the targeted organizations in the areas of financial management and procurement by providing technical assistance, on-the-job trainings, mentoring and couching. The consultant will be assisted by the Foundation staff knowledgeable in the above areas.

Note: This position can be filled by an individual consultant that can deliver all the items listed in the “Key Duties and Responsibilities and Deliverables” section.

Key Duties/Responsibilities and Deliverables General:

The consultant will work very closely with the Foundation staff finance specialist, CSOs during all stages of the project. Emphasis of overall methodology should be on actively engaging national NGOs and CSO staff and leadership during each stage so that they take ownership of the interventions and feel motivated to implement the suggested changes. It is to be recognized that all organizations are not same therefore the relevant trainings may require some customization specifically for each entity. Further, to help audience grasp one concept at a time, the trainings should be broken down into various sessions over a period of time.

Further, it is expected that consultant should transfer relevant knowledge to local the Foundation staff so that they can take the lead in ensuring sustainability of interventions going forward.

Capacity Building Planning The consultant should be required to identify process universe for both functional areas at each CSO, obtain understanding of current processes and confirming the staff training needs. Further a baseline study needs to be carried out against select KPIs based on which performance of CSOs can be monitored going forward.

Deliverables

The key deliverables for this area shall be Capacity Building Plan for each IP outlining:

• Methodology for executing capacity building plan;

• Process universe for finance and procurement functions;

• Training needs assessment including list of trainings required and course outline; and

• Baseline study report outlining the current status of agreed indicators.

Capacity Building Interventions

The consultant should be required to review and modify training course material for each area of financial and procurement management based on training needs assessment. The trainings shall include case studies based on actual scenarios (including standard templates) which will help the CSOs staff to implement the developed policies and procedures. Further, while developing the trainings, specific consideration should be given to responsibilities of all level of staff members in processes i.e. leadership, managers and staff to assist them in fulfilling their roles going forward. Further, mechanism should be developed to assess the effectiveness of the trainings provided e.g. pre-test, post-test, feedback etc.

The consultant shall be also required to assist CSOs in implementation of finance and procurement policies, procedures and guidelines.

Deliverables

The key deliverables for this area are following:

• Assist CSOs in implementation of finance and procurement manuals;

• Review and finalize developed training materials on financial management function;

• Develop training material on procurement management function;

• Provision of trainings to CSO and NGO staff;

• Support CSO in restructuring of finance department; and

• Develop Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for monitoring of progress.

Sustainability

Consultant needs to work closely with the Foundation national staff and CSOs to ensure that the skills imparted to CSO staff are retained going forward. In this regard, a detailed sustainability plan shall be prepared to outline methodology and level of effort required by the Foundation to support CSO s in maintaining the gains made.

Deliverables

The key deliverable for this area shall be a sustainability plan for each CSO.

Qualifications

• An advanced degree (Master’s level and above) in organizational development, financial management, procurement management, or a related field;

• CPA, ACCA or equivalent is required;

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in successfully developing capacity of NGOs in the areas of financial and procurement management is required;

• Experience in QuickBooks/ MS Dynamics GP;

• Experience in Afghanistan and/or similar context required;

• Excellent analytical reporting and professional English communication skills;

• Facilitation, presentation and mentoring skills; and

• Excellent facilitation skills with demonstrated ability in working with people from diverse backgrounds.


How to apply:

How to Apply

Qualified applicants are encouraged to submit their resumes with a detailed application letter and contact details, no later than March 5, 2018 to afghanistan.jobs@asiafoundation.org. Please clearly indicate “Finance and Procurement System Development Consultant” in the subject line. Only short listed candidates will be informed.

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