Team Leader – Ethiopia Social Accountability Programme

Aim of this assignment

The Team Leader (TL) is based in Addis Ababa and will be assigned for the period through May 2023 (An extension until mid-2024 is possible contingent on availability of funds).

The TL ensures that the Management Agency (MA) in Addis Ababa implements the program in line with World Bank rules and procedures, the project’s Terms of Reference and the approved project documents (technical proposal and annual work plans and budgets).

The TL’s principal role is to provide managerial and technical direction for the complex array of tasks in the ESAP3 program, and to ensure that project staff are supported adequately and able to carry out their respective roles efficiently.

The TL oversees and actively promotes the internal capacity development of ESAP MA staff, including the delegation of responsibility and authority of selected tasks.

The TL is responsible for the overall delivery of the ESAP3 outputs and ensures quality standards are adhered to.

Activities to be performed

Main activities include but are not limited to:

• Management of the MA office in Addis Ababa.
• Supervise and coordinate all aspects of the MA’s implementation of ESAP3:
  o Updated terms of reference of project staff and external experts
  o Selection and recruitment of staff
  o Overall planning and reporting
  o Supervises, coordinates and supports the MA teams: Capacity Development, Grant Management, MEL, Financial Management, Internal Audit, Operations and Communications.
  o Procurement of services, goods and works (as required)
  o Overall communication and visibility (e.g. website), including PR of ESAP3 throughout Ethiopia
• Ensure effective communications with all project partners, including the Ministry of Finance (MOF), the World Bank, the Steering Committee (SC) and development partners (DPs) participating in the ESAP3 Trust Fund
• Work closely with other ESPES program implementing agencies and development partners to ensure programmatic coherence.
• Liaise with ESPES components such as FTA and GRM and other relevant government and citizen engagement projects.
• Maintain strong collaboration with the VNG International home-office and establish clear policies on delegation and decentralization
• Coordinates ESAP representation at joint review and implementation sessions (JRIS), technical committee meetings and other forums. As much as possible, delegates the responsibility to represent ESAP to national staff.
• Ensure a strongly coherent work approach within the MA with free communication and information sharing across the various units.

Verifiable deliverables

The TL has direct responsibility for the timely delivery to VNG International of:

• Annual Work Plan and Budget
• Strategy updates
• Quarterly Program Progress and Financial Reports
• Any other report or document that requires no-objection from the WB.

Minimum qualifications

• University degree; a master’s degree in an appropriate field preferred;
• Over 10 years of experience as TL or project director of a complex project;
• Excellent management skills (including reporting, planning and team management);
• Excellent communication skills;
• Knowledge and understanding of SA/citizens participation/local governance, or the potential to quickly acquire related knowledge;
• Understanding of civil society organisations, preferably in Ethiopia;
• At least 8 years of proven experience of working with local government and service providers;
• At least 8 years of experience in Sub Sahara Africa, preferably in Ethiopia;
• Excellent mediation and moderating skills;
• Thorough experience with managing grant programs;
• Good working knowledge of English; and
• Pro-active and outspoken, with the ability to navigate diplomatically through the complex network of stakeholders and competing interests.

Approximate numbers of working days

Approximately 220 working days over the period between March 2022 – May 2023.

Period of the assignment

March 2022 – May 2023 (with a possible extension, depending on the contract between the World Bank and its back donors).

Place of the assignment

Addis Ababa with frequent missions to the regions.

The TL will be available for missions to The Hague, the Netherlands for reporting and briefing sessions with VNG International Headquarters.