DEVJOBS List of Jobs October 21, 2004

The Institute for Development in Economics and Administration (IDEA International Institute) is established in Quebec City, Canada since 1997. Its mission is to provide advisory services, applied training, and new IT solutions to the public sector in developing countries for poverty reduction and sustainable development. The Institute works with top decision-makers and high-level professionals in central ministries (Ministry of Economy and Finance, Ministry of Planning, Institute of Statistics), key sectoral ministries (Education, Health, Environment, etc.), decentralized government authorities, international organisations, and aid agencies. For more information, see the Institute website at http://www.idea-international.org/en/main.htm

JOB DESCRIPTION

The Senior Information System Specialist will work in the following areas in the context of the public sector in developing countries:

Ideally, the Specialist would also possess statistical skills to be able to work in the following area:

· Development of socio-economic survey data entry and processing, and statistical analysis routines.

Under the supervision of the Information Systems Unit Head, the Senior Information System Specialist will have the following responsibilities in the areas indicated above:

· Participating in the development of training material and conducting training workshops;

· Problem solving on location and at a distance for the relevant hardware and software.

The position is based in Quebec City, Canada with frequent two-to-three week trips to various developing countries.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Ideally, the Specialist would also possess a university degree in statistics or related field.

Work experience

· At least 7 years of professional experience in the field of database and information system design as an Analyst, Developer or Senior Programmer.

· Possess at least 3 years of professional experience in the field of socio-economic census/survey data management and processing (population census, agriculture census, income and expenditure survey, etc.).

· Have work experience in decreasing order of interest in (1) various developing countries (not only home country) (2) various countries (3) various employers in the same country;

Technical skills

· Good knowledge of desktop Word processing, spreadsheet, database management software (Excel Word, Access, etc.);

Languages

Qualities

· Remuneration including wages, bonus, and social benefits according to training and experience.

DEADLINE AND CONTACT

Applications, including detailed CV, motivation letter, and names and contact (telephone number and e-mail) of 3 possible referees, will be accepted until October 31^st 2004 and should be sent to:

*** : Please mention clearly in your application letter that you learned about this job vacancy through DEVJOBS, and mention the URL of DEVJOBS, which is http://www.devjobsmail.com.

Senior Advisor Local Governance +b

Job description: The mission of SNV – Niger is to provide, through technical advice, consultative services and share expertise and knowledge with its partners, in order to strengthen their capacities to intervene, to stimulate good governance and to have adequate and innovative answers in the field of poverty reduction. The interests of women receive special attention.

SNV Niger has two teams; one team covers the area around Niamey and the other team covers the area around Tahoua, Konni, Maradi and Zinder. In these regions multidisciplinary teams with advisors in the field of decentralisation, community radio, gender, dry land management and economic development provide quality advice to our partners.

Since 2001, SNV – Niger has taken the engagement to support the decentralisation process. The first valid local elections were held 24 July 2004 who have led to the installation of 265 local councils. The great challenge is to make these councils operational.

At present, the decentralisation team in Niamey provides support to the following institutions at national level : the High Commission of Administrative Reform and Decentralisation and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Decentralisation, the Directorate general of Local Government and Decentralisation, as well as the Association of Local Councils of Niger. In the Niamey area SNV also works with several urban councils. Linking these councils and national level is one of the successful strategies.

The consultation between partners, exchanges, sharing and development of knowledge are important in this phase of the decentralisation processes. The senior local governance advisor will have an important role in linking the various actors.

• Assist the HCRAD, the D/GAT and other structures at national level in the elaboration and dissemination of tools and policies promoting decentralisation.

• Assist in the implementation of a monitoring system for local councils (data base).

• Support the process to transfer executive powers from central to local government level.

• Assist in developing strategies to find resources to promote decentralisation.

• Assist in the development of ideas to restructure regional ministerial offices.

• Development and sharing of knowledge in the field of decentralisation by participating and promoting multi stakeholder platforms.

Qualifications and skills required: Educational background: University degree (MSc or equivalent) in economics, social sciences, local development or political and administrative sciences. Field of specialisation: regional planning, local government administration and management

Experience: 8 years of working experience in decentralisation and local government of which 4 years in a West African setting. Experience in and knowledge of Niger is preferable and having a network of international contacts with donors in decentralisation is an advantage

Other: Fluency in French is a must. Candidate must be innovative and inquisitive. The ability to coach and to influence others is very important, as is being result oriented. Candidate must be pragmatic and a team player.

Salary: minimum Euro 2536,00 – maximum Euro 3945,00 gross per month (hypo tax will be deducted), excluding attractive secondary conditions and individual allowances. Desired appointment date: as soon as possible Contract period: three years

Deadline for submission of applications: 31st October 2004

*** : Please mention clearly in your application letter that you learned about this job vacancy through DEVJOBS, and mention the URL of DEVJOBS, which is http://www.devjobsmail.com.

MSI (www.msiworldwide.com) is seeking Middle East experts to add to MSI’s roster of consultants to work on future potential USAID contracts in the area of Democracy and Governance in the Middle East.

If qualified and interested, please e-mail a cover letter and resume to: gcritchley@msi-inc.com

*** : Please mention clearly in your application letter that you learned about this job vacancy through DEVJOBS, and mention the URL of DEVJOBS, which is http://www.devjobsmail.com.

A Program Coordinator is required for overall management of this community-based reintegration and reconciliation program. The Program Coordinator, supervised by the IFESH/Congo Country Representative, will be based in Kalemie and will oversee general management of all aspects of the community reintegration program in northern Katanga, including oversight of program implementation, monitoring progress, and ensuring the program is successfully implemented and in compliance with donor requirements. The Program coordinator will also work in collaboration with government, UN, NGO, donor and other key officials in the implementation of this project.

Ensure overall program direction and quality; representation of the organization and program to local authorities, community, partners and donors; project reporting; and oversight of financial and administrative activities.

Advanced degree in international affairs, development studies, community development, child development, or related field; experience working internationally, preferably in Africa, in the areas of demobilization and reintegration (DDR), child soldier DDR, social research in war-affected communities, and/or other relevant experience; experience managing multi-budget projects, and supervision both expatriate and national staff; experience working with international donors, as well as government bodies, including military forces; experience working in insecure areas and familiarity with security procedures and systems; experience with or good working knowledge of database management; strong writing skills desirable. Fluency in spoken and written English and French required; spoken Swahili an advantage.

Instructions to applicants: If there is a problem with the drc e-mail address, applicants may also submit an application to IFESH headquarters at ltanner@ifesh.org .

*** : Please mention clearly in your application letter that you learned about this job vacancy through DEVJOBS, and mention the URL of DEVJOBS, which is http://www.devjobsmail.com.

Work Station: Maputo, Mozambique, National Directorate for Planning and Budgeting (but will involve trips to Nampula, Cabo Delgado Niassa, Sofala and other Provinces in Mozambique)

UNCDF and UNDP have been supporting the Government of Mozambique (GoM) in the area of local governance and decentralization for the last seven years. UNCDF has been providing both technical and financial support to the emerging decentralized planning and finance programme in Nampula province since 1998 (with financial support from the Government of Netherlands) and more recently in the Province of Cabo Delgado (with financial support from the Norwegian Government). UNDP has been involved in a number of projects but notably one which provided technical assistance to MPF in the area of decentralization through the Economic Management Programme (EMP).

A project amendment has bought UNDP’s project MOZ/01/001 and UNCDF’s project MOZ/01/C01 into a single programme for decentralised planning and finance for which a third immediate objective has been created namely, to strengthen and improve the capacity of the DNPO of the Ministry of Planning & Finance to contribute to a national decentralization strategy in the areas of local government planning, budgeting and fiscal decentralization.

(i) the consolidation and the deepening of the Nampula Local Development Fund (LDF)programme (including its extension to all districts of the province), as an official pilot for the Government’s decentralized planning and finance programme;

(ii) the flexible replication of the programme (including an official public administration capacity building programme) in selected rural districts in the neighbouring province of Cabo Delgado, and;

(iii) the provision of direct technical support to the National Directorate for Planning and budgeting (DNPO) in the development of the National Programme for Decentralised Planning and Finance.

1. TECHNICAL SUPPORT TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DECENTRALIZED PLANNING AND BUDGET CYCLE

This implies adjusting, harmonizing and standardizing analytical and appraisal methodologies, through the annual and medium term planning and budgeting procedures and instruments. This includes contributing to SISTAFE (the State Administrative and Financial System) implementation at district level, dovetailed with the PARPA (Action Plan for Poverty reduction) implementation and monitoring processes.

The proposed activities aim for a vertically and horizontally integrated planning process of substantially improved quality. The orienting logic of this integration is that of the SISTAFE. Thus, planning and budgeting will correspond to the SISTAFE format and will permit the introduction of performance budgeting.

In particular, special attention needs to be given to the harmonization of planning approaches and procedures between municipalities and districts.

The key strategic challenge addressed above requires integration of local government planning and budgeting with local fiscal and other revenue. Therefore, this project amendment includes study and research into the following topics:

· The contributory potential of OLEs (Local State Bodies ie. Provincial and District Governments) and municipalities and capacity for revenue retention and management;

· Forms, mechanisms and cost of a tax collection and administration, including through the recently created Community Authorities (within the framework of decree 15/2000 relating to traditional authorities);

· Relationship between taxation and service delivery; fiscal and financial accountability of local governments;

3. CAPACITY BUILDING AND TRAINING FOR PERFORMANCE-ORIENTED LOCAL GOVERNMENT PLANNING AND BUDGETING

4. INSTITUTIONAL AND METHODOLOGICAL SUPPORT TO ESTABLISHING BEST PRACTICES FOR A NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR DECENTRALIZED PLANNING AND BUDGETING

This area of intervention involves four basic components: First is the consolidating and standardizing of tools and procedures, with, secondly, their mainstreaming and institutionalizing into the Public Sector Reform (PSR) process. The third element is the establishment and improvement of M&E systems (for PARPA, SISTAFE and Millennium Development Goal implementation), and, finally the fourth component deals with technical inputs into strategy development and coordination.

The project amended emphasizes capacity building and training as complementing other key support functions of the UNCDF project at central level, notably in policy advice and monitoring and evaluation. Hence, upon request of the DNPO, a capacity building and training advisor will be added to the team of advisors available to the MPF-DNPO. This advisor will collaborate and coordinate activities closely with three regional training advisors, to be posted at the regional IFAPAs, (Public Administration Training Institutes) instrumental for the up-scaling and mainstreaming of the training experiences.

The national and the regional training advisors are also instrumental in operationalizing the collaboration with the International Centres of Excellence (ICEs) to be involved in designing, implementing and monitoring the training courses foreseen by the project.

With regard to the training/capacity building at the local level (on-the job training), each province will have a training budget that will be managed locally. The provincial director together with a nominated member of Provincial Directorate for Planning and Finance (DPPF) staff will draw together a multidisciplinary team of technicians from within and outside the DPPF. The Regional Advisors posted at the IFAPAs will prepare these technicians in the methodologies to be introduced in the districts and also in how to train the local level staff in a didactic and pedagogic fashion. The Capacity Building and Training Advisor in the DNPO will prepare the necessary manuals and guides for this training, through sub-contracts e.g with the ICEs where appropriate or through synergies with other components of the PPFD where opportune. The Province will be responsible for drawing up an annual workplan based on the outputs of the Project and the existing situation with regard to the progress of the implementation of the legislation concerning districts and municipalities. This plan will include training visits to the districts and municipalities as well as provincial courses to be attended by local level staff. Joint training events for districts and with municipalities are foreseen as a pilot experience.

The courses, methods and curricula of training institutions such as the national training system in public administration (SIFAP), IFAPA, UEM-UFICS need to respond to the needs of decentralization and local government through the provision of specific practitioners’ inputs (experience, trainers, manuals) into their respective programs. Thus training material and experiences are to be mainstreamed within those institutions and a mutually beneficial link between them and the MPF-DNPO needs to be established. This links practice in planning and budgeting to curricula development, research and teaching.

The link to the three regional training institutes, IFAPAs, (in Maputo, Beira, Sofala and Lichinga, Niassa) is of strategic importance, since they are not only subordinated to the Ministry for State Administration – MAE - (and thus to the civil service administration) but also are instrumental in implementing the SIFAP, linking training to career and salary advancement. The regional training advisors are to be based at the IFAPAs. Looking beyond Mozambique, preferential institutionalized collaboration in training and capacity building with ICEs such as ESAF, IBAM in Brazil. has a high priority

With regard to training courses on local government planning and budgeting at the IFAPAs; these will need to be gradually introduced as part of their respective curricula and thus intrinsically linked to the SIFAP. The courses and course materials, designed with assistance of ICEs, will be coordinated, supervised and monitored by the regional training advisors posted at the regional IFAPAs. They will also manage parts of the funds available for decentralized capacity building and training events, executed by the IFAPAs. Case studies and the participation of practitioners from provinces, districts and municipalities will deepen the training experience, relating theory to practice. This approach will provide a particular opportunity to feed experiences gained and lessons learned within the capacity and training component of the project in Cabo Delgado and Nampula into the institutionalised, general coursework at the IFAPA.

At the IFAPAs, specific training events for provincial directors and technicians representing various sectors relevant for PARPA implementation are also envisaged.

Both MPF-DNPO and MAE, through the National Directorate for Public Service (DNFP) and to some extent also its National Directorates for Local Administration (DNAL) and for Municipal Development (DNDA), have particular and specific tasks in capacity building and training, with exclusive competencies as well as foci and contents for capacity building and training. The DNFP is the entity with overall responsibility for the training system for public servants (SIFAP), and the DNAL and DNDA particularly with regard to regulatory functions for local governments, associated with the implementation of the legislation for OLEs, as well as the establishment and streamlining of purely administrative and bureaucratic procedures, associated, for example, with the introduction of the figure of Permanent Secretary for provincial and district governments.

On the other hand, there are overlapping functions of both ministries, e.g. with regard to aspects of participatory planning, management and accountability procedures, involving IPCCs. (institutions for participation and community consultation). This, indeed, requires the full utilisation of the existing coordination mechanisms between the two ministries.

However, it should be noted, that the further one moves down the administrative hierarchy (from central government to district government), the more the distinction between the two aforementioned ministries becomes blurred, since the MPF does not have representation at the local government level. MPF-DNPO is thus being obliged to work through institutions (Administrator, Permanent secretary) subordinated to MAE. As the past experiences of UNCDF in Nampula and Cabo Delgado show, this should not be seen as a serious obstacle to capacity building and , but rather as an opportunity for creating synergies and joint training events.

The National Capacity Building and Training Advisor will be responsible for achieving the Output 4 in the project planning matrix namely ensuring that institutional (including human) capacity is strengthened and made self-sustaining for improved local government performance. This will involve amongst others implementation of the following activities :

1. Support the training of trainers (ToT) through, for example: a) developing consolidated training material from the piloted planning and budgeting projects in the provinces; b) building a ToT team from planning practitioners.

2. Ensuring the mainstreaming of training material within Mozambican public administration training institutes (SIFAP, IFAPA, UEM-UFICS) including: a) support to curriculum development with UFICS and IFAPA based on an analysis of IFAPA’s curricula and performance and through promoting relevant discussion; b) supporting the development of a training placement programme for university students within local government and MPF-DNPO; c) Supporting the recruitment and posting of capacity building advisors for training and research within the regional IFAPAs; d) Organising, together with the regional training advisors, training courses with the regional IFAPAs

3. Organizing joint training events with MAE, MADER, MOPH and other PARPA ministries on matters relevant for decentralised planning and finance, for example: a) lecture series and presentations on key concepts of decentralized planning and finance; b) supporting the development of a communications package for decentralization.

4. Supporting the elaboration and implementation of a Human Resource Development Strategy for MPF-DNPO including a review of the existing training needs assessment and medium term training programme

5. Establishing a strategic partnership with international centres of excellence including:

b) the provision of didactic materials (training material, curriculum, manuals, syllabi etc.)

6. Provision of regular feedback on progress of work, documentation of best practices and provision of technical inputs to UNCDF/UNDP on capacity building/training in Local Governance in programmes in Mozambique

The Advisor shall possess at least the qualifications and experience listed below:

· A degree or higher level qualification in economics, politics, social science, public administration, regional planning or other relevant professional discipline;

· At least 7 years of experience, preferably in local or public administration capacity building and training programs, with a minimum of 4 years experience in assignments in sub-Saharan Africa or similar developing countries.

· Working experience in Mozambique and knowledge of Mozambican public administration and training systems would present a distinct advantage;

· A sound knowledge and experience of decentralized systems of planning and finance at provincial, district and municipal level and of participative planning approaches at sub-district levels in sub-Saharan Africa;

· Experience in the development of human resource development strategies, capacity building and training programs in developing countries, including at local government level.

· Proven experience in the development and elaboration of training material and design of course programmes;

· Ability to transfer know-how to counterparts and preferably experience on training of trainers;

· Thorough knowledge of the use of word processing, spread sheets, presentations and database software;

· Ability to prepare reports and present information and data in a clear, concise and unambiguous way

The National Capacity Building and Training Advisor will be based in the National Directorate for Planning and Budgeting in the Ministry of Finance, Maputo, Mozambique reporting directly to project’s Chief Technical Advisor and the principle counterpart the Deputy National Director for Planning and Budgeting. However, the Advisor will also work in close collaboration with MAE (DNFP, DNAL & DNDA) and in particular with SIFAP. He/she will also have responsibility for the recruitment and supervision of the regional training advisors based in the IFAPAs and will be required from time to time to travel to Nampula, Cabo Delgado, Niassa, Sofala, Maputo and other provinces of Mozambique.

*** : Please mention clearly in your application letter that you learned about this job vacancy through DEVJOBS, and mention the URL of DEVJOBS, which is http://www.devjobsmail.com.

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Senior Information System Specialist +b

Information about the Institute

JOB DESCRIPTION

Ideally, the Specialist would also possess statistical skills to be able to work in the following area:

QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Work experience

Technical skills

Languages

Qualities

DEADLINE AND CONTACT

Senior Advisor Local Governance +b

Deadline for submission of applications: 31st October 2004