Company Profile

The Advocacy and Social Accountability (ASA) funding mechanism was approved for establishment by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) in December 2017. GPE’s aim is to strengthen national education systems to deliver stronger outcomes in the areas of learning and early childhood development, equity, gender equality, and inclusion. GPE is the largest fund for education in the world and provides around $800million a year for education in developing country partners.

The goal of the ASA mechanism is to enhance civil society capacity to further GPE’s strategic objectives in learning, equity, and stronger systems by improving their participation, advocacy, and efforts to ensure transparency and increased effectiveness in national educational policy and implementation processes. As such it aims to support both the traditional education networks and civil society partners working in areas such as tax justice, citizens engagement in fiscal transparency and community mobilisation.

The ASA mechanism is comprised of three funding streams (Operational Components) to support work at local, national and transnational levels to (1) strengthen national civil society engagement in education planning, policy dialogue and monitoring; (2) strengthen civil society roles in promoting the transparency and accountability of national education sector policy and implementation and (3) create a stronger global and transnational enabling environment for national civil society advocacy and transparency efforts. Together, these objectives will help to amplify the voices of people in education policy debates, helping to better match citizen demand for an equitable quality education with responsive public policy solutions. The ASA mechanism has a target of supporting at least 100 civil society partners, in approximately 90 countries throughout the world, including Africa, Asia, Pacific, Latin America and MENA/Eastern Europe.

In January 2019, GPE selected Oxfam IBIS as Grant Agent for the ASA mechanism, subject to final board approval end March 2019. The programme is forecast to run for at least 5 years, with the inception phase commencing imminently. Oxfam IBIS’ Grant Agent role will be implemented primarily through a Global Management Unit (GMU) based in Copenhagen, and Regional Management Units (RMUs) in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Each RMU will be led by an expert Program Manager that will provide oversight of day-to-day operations across countries in the region, including management of staff, provision of technical advice, and quality assurance of reporting across the entire region.

Job Description

What are we looking for
We are looking for an experienced and highly motivated bi-lingual (English and French) Program Manager to lead the Regional Management Unit in Ghana of this large-scale, complex funding mechanism. The candidate will be a senior professional with a proven track record in leadership and programme management. The candidate will need to demonstrate strategic and leadership direction in one or a combination of the following areas: education policy, civil society, social accountability, campaigning and advocacy.

The candidate will manage a team of experts to successfully deliver the ASA mechanism, under operational oversight of the Global Management Unit and leading an adaptive programming approach which responds to rapidly changing political environments, delivering outputs that contribute to the ASA goal: enhanced civil society capacity to further GPE2020 goals in learning, equity, and stronger systems, by improving their participation, advocacy and efforts to ensure transparency and increased effectiveness in national educational policy and implementation processes.

Based in Accra, Ghana, the candidate will have strong leadership qualities to motivate the team. They will be politically astute, with compelling communication and influencing skills. Regular travel within the region might be required, equivalent to approximately 12-14 weeks per annum in order to monitor the grants managed by the region and participate in events under ASA.

Job purpose
The candidate will be responsible for managing the Regional Management Unit (RMU), a team of 5 professionals working to ensure success of this complex funding mechanism. They will work under the line management of the Global Programme Manager and implement the resources allocated to the team, ensuring support to the regional staff so they are able to provide comprehensive oversight and management of regional portfolios.

The candidate will lead strategic planning processes, be responsible for impeccably implementation of the programme according to agreed procedures and principles as well as represent Oxfam IBIS/ASA programme at regional level (including convening meetings and preparing the annual work plan). The Program Manager will report to the Global Program Manager, ensuring that key information and lessons are shared between the region and Copenhagen-based staff.

Core details
Location is Accra, Ghana. Our package is competitive and depending on experience. The contract is for three years with the possibility for extension. The position is a full time role equivalent to 37 hrs./week. The role reports to the Global Program Manager GMU. Four staff is reporting to this post. The post may involve regional travel – approximately 12 – 14 weeks/year. The post will require a work permit for Ghana.

Key responsibilities 

• Strategic planning of the ASA mechanism, in close conversation and collaboration with the GMU
• Ensuring the monitoring and documenting progress of the regional ASA portfolio
• Leading the RMU’s program management, including performance management of all Ghana based staff
• Representing the RMU both at regional level and with the GMU
• Day-to-day management of, and reporting to, the GMU (e.g., convening meetings and preparing the annual work plan)
• Managing Regional Team enabling key information and lessons to be shared between the region and Copenhagen-based staff.
• Support the team by mentoring and coaching to improve their capacity and be able to take on additional responsibilities.
• Ensure that staff reporting to post holder have work plans, performance objectives and performance development plans that are gender sensitive, within the stipulated deadlines
• Regularly review work plans and performance and ensure that staff are adequately supported and perform effectively.
• Ensure staff reporting to this position have a good understanding of Oxfam’s safeguarding policy and adhere to it.
• Relate to GCE and other learning partners at regional level
• Overseeing the due diligence processes in the region making sure that all partners are evaluated and have approved improvement action plans

Required Skills or Experience

The successful candidate will need to demonstrate the following essential skills, and it would be advantageous to demonstrate some or all of the desirable skills.

Essential 

• Master’s degree or significant experience in a relevant field (International Development, education policy, etc.)
• Experience managing programmes of a similar size and complexity, preferably in the development sector
• Ability to lead, inspire and manage multi-disciplinary teams in complex programmes
• Experience of working with civil society in a partnership based approach
• Strong verbal and written communications and language skills in both English and French (knowledge of Portuguese will be an advantage)
• Proven ability to analyse and synthesise complex issues
• Very strong interpersonal skills, excellent stakeholder management
• Ability to think critically and strategically
• Demonstrated ability, tact, and sensitivity in working across institutional boundaries, business units, and teams in an effective and productive way
• Some technical expertise in one of the following areas: education policy, civil society, social accountability, campaigning and advocacy
• Risk management experience

Desirable 

• Demonstrable experience working with an adaptive management approach, and an understanding of the challenges and opportunities

Key attributes 

• Ability to demonstrate sensitivity to cultural differences and gender issues, as well as the commitment to equal opportunities.
• Ability to demonstrate an openness and willingness to learn about the application of gender/gender mainstreaming, women’s rights, and diversity for all aspects of development work.
• Commitment to Oxfam’s safeguarding policies to ensure all people who come into contact with Oxfam are as safe as possible.