Head of Programmes - African Forum and Network on Debt and Development

VACANCY: HEAD OF PROGRAMMES

 

Location: Addis Ababa or Nairobi

 

ABOUT AFRODAD:

 

The African Forum and Network on Debt and Development (AFRODAD) was created 20 years ago as a pan African platform and organisation for lobbying and advocating for debt cancellation and addressing other debt related issues in Africa. Over the next five years, AFRODAD will be working with others to address the problems of debt and development in the following thematic areas on the continent: Debt Management, International Public Finance and Domestic Resource Mobilisation.

 

ROLE PURPOSE:

 

This is a rare and exciting opportunity to play a leadership role in a cutting-edge development finance network. You will lead AFRODAD’s policy research, advocacy and thematic team to deliver specific yet transformative policy changes on critically important development finance issues, including: debt management, domestic resource mobilization and international public finance.

 

The successful candidate will have extensive experience of delivering advocacy wins, and will be an excellent, results-oriented staff manager, focused on building the capacity of colleagues to deliver on AFRODAD Strategic objectives. They will be an excellent communicator in English and French, with highly developed and convincing presentational skills, allied to a first class ability to write for a variety of audiences. They will have an important role in supporting fundraising, including implementing and renewing existing grants.

 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

 

Policy Research, Advocacy and Communication: 

• Strategic research on key policy issues: Coordination of research in all the thematic areas as a basis for policy advocacy. Coordination of quality control of research concept papers, actual research and their outputs (including Research Papers, policy briefs and messages for advocacy).
• Strategic advocacy coordination: Ensure that AFRODAD’s policy advocacy, and programme work is based on sound strategic plans, with SMART objectives, clear theories of change and effective monitoring and evaluation. Ensure coordination across issue areas, including interactions with targets. Help build the capacity of the AFRODAD secretariat team and members, including through organising training, reflection and evaluation, and during joint activities
• Advocacy, communications and policy analysis: Speak, present, brief journalists and represent AFRODAD with advocacy targets, including at the highest levels. Follow closely a wide variety of development finance issues, and write your own reports and articles
• Network building: Lead the implementation of AFRODAD’s network strengthening strategy, which covers both strengthening and expanding the AFRODAD network itself, and strengthening working with other allies, particularly sub regional and national partners. This will involve building strong relations with colleagues from around the continent and the world, facilitating strategic discussions, brokering compromises and helping to build capacity and understanding
• Development of new issues: Support colleagues to develop effective workplans and strategies on new issue areas and cross-cutting issues 

Programme Management and Organisational development: 

• Team management: Lead a motivated and effective policy, advocacy and programme team that delivers our policy change objectives. This includes line managing several staff, providing appropriate feedback, and supporting them to deliver on their strategies and work plans
• Work planning: Ensure that AFRODAD’s work planning systems deliver targeted, effective work plans for each of the thematic areas, backed by advocacy strategies with clear objectives and strong theories of change. Work with the Executive Director and Finance and Administration Manager to develop and implement our monitoring and evaluation system
• Quality assurance and capacity development: ensure that all AFRODAD policy, advocacy and programme outputs are of high quality, including signing off on new positions and recommendations, and commenting on press release, reports, briefings etc. Ensure that the team implements a plan for continued development of relevant skills
• Strategy and organisational development: provide support, as necessary, for the implementation and review of AFRODAD’s 2016-2020 strategy, and lead the implementation organisational development initiatives that involve policy, advocacy and programme staff.
• General: Support colleagues, as required. Attend AFRODAD management team, board meetings and other statutory meetings, and assist in the preparation of these meetings, if required.  

Grants Management and Fundraising: 

• Grant implementation: Support and advise thematic teams on delivering the required outcomes and activities of grants. This may include leading the coordination of major grants that cut across several issue areas. It also involves signing off narrative reports, and supporting the core team, as required, to ensure good financial management of grants
• Donor relations: Help maintain strong relations with existing donors, and ensure that current grants are renewed, including meeting funders, and responding to requests for information
• Fundraising: Support the Executive Director to bring on board new funders, as required. Mainly this means leading on the content side: helping develop concept notes, and drafting proposals, with support from policy and core team colleagues.  

Liaison functions African Union Commission: 

• To provide liaison between the AFRODAD Secretariat and AUC on matters pertaining to the Strategic Objectives of AFRODAD and any other regional integration matters as AFRODAD may decide from time to time.
• To liaise with the AUC and create permanent communication network between the AUC and the AFRODAD Secretariat as well as assisting in the organisation of missions, meetings and follow-ups on priority issues and key policy processes to ensure that AFRODAD provides significant input in the negotiations and implementation of respective policies and programmes.
• To examine policy issues and strategies as well as facilitating AFRODAD/AUC understanding, coherency and complementarity in order to create synergy in impact and contribute to sustainable continental development.
• Develop close professional relationship with officials in departments within the AUC particularly, Economic Affairs Department and all that play substantive role in integration agenda in order to continuously update oneself with issues and timely identify potentials areas, monitor developments and in flash points report to AFRODAD Secretariat. 

ROLE RELATED EXPERIENCE, SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE:

 

Essential skills: 

• Proven academic background and publishing. Minimum of a Masters Degree in economics or any social science.
• Political change expert able to identify and define specific but transformative policy changes, and work out who and how and to influence to deliver them
• Excellent communicator in English and French, with highly developed and convincing presentational skills, allied to a first class ability to write for a variety of audiences
• A people person, able to support, guide and coach colleagues, helping their personal development, while ensuring a focus on delivery of objectives
• Organised and efficient 

Essential experience and knowledge:  

• Over 10 years experience in creating policy change working with civil society organisations, including developing and implementing advocacy or campaigns strategies, working to influence the media, other CSOs, officials, politicians and other targets
• Minimum 10 years experience writing articles, reports, briefings, op eds, etc that have reached a wide variety of audiences
• Line management of staff, and team leadership
• Understanding of key debates and issues in development finance  

Desirable experience:  

• Proven ability to fundraise or support fundraising.
• Experience of developing and implementing initiatives to build capacity of staff, and support organisational development
• Fluent oral and written English and French
• In depth understanding of a range of development finance issues  

Committed to AFRODAD’s objectives and willing to travel

 

The successful candidate be an excellent, results-oriented staff manager, line managing the three Senior Policy Analysts to deliver on our strategic objectives. S/he will have extensive experience of delivering advocacy wins, and be able to build capacity as well as contribute directly to advocacy, communications and policy development

 

NOTE: To be eligible, applicants must have Kenyan citizenship, permanent residence or current valid work authorization for the East African Community including Ethiopia.

 

If you wish to be considered please submit your application and detailed CV to the following email address hopvac@afrodad.co.zw alternatively submit your applications to the following address

 

The Executive Director

African Forum and Network on Debt and Development (AFRODAD)

31 Atkinson Drive

Hillside

PO Box CY1517 Causeway,

Harare 

The closing date is 31st January, 2017