Senior Governance and Capacity Development Advisor at Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)

The Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (German Agency for International Cooperation) is an international enterprise owned by the German Federal government, operating in many fields across more than 130 countries.

In Nigeria, GIZ's portfolio includes among others, a programme to support the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in its regional integration goals. The programme aims to strengthen sector-specific capacities in the areas of Peace and Security, Customs and Trade as weir as Strategic Management and Organizational Development in the ECOWAS Commission.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Senior Governance and Capacity Development Advisor

Vacancy No: 049
Location: Abuja
Employment Type: Full-time

The Project
Social and Economic Participation of Returnees, IDPs and the Host Population in North-East Nigeria (SEPIN):

• On behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is implementing the Programme, ‘Social and Economic Participation of Returnees, IDPs and Host Population in North-East Nigeria’ (SEPIN). The main objective of the programme is to improve the economic and social participation of returnees, internally displaced persons, and vulnerable members of host communities in Adamawa State in a gender-responsive way.
• Adopting an integrational approach, the programme contributes to SDGs 1, 2, 5, 10, and 16 in accordance with the ‘leave no one behind’ principle and hopes to complement the humanitarian response to the crisis in the Northeast by going beyond a humanitarian short-term approach and focusing on a more long-term development perspective, through the institutionalization of gender-responsive participatory planning and provision of livelihood support.
• Addressing the situation of IDPs, returnees, and the host population, the Programme is primarily implemented at LGA and community levels to ensure direct benefit for the target groups. Through the Community Development Planning (CDP), the Programme hopes to strengthen the relationships between local communities and community leaders, government institutions, and civil society. Simultaneously, the Programme hopes to build the capacities of local and state governments as well as civil society and community-based organizations for improved service delivery.
• Alongside the CDPs, the Programme will set up and consolidate spaces and mechanisms where women can meet to engage in dialogue to identify problems, needs, and priorities and voice their concerns to the leadership of their communities. The gender and governance interventions will be supported by livelihoods activities in the agricultural sector.
• Here the focus is on group initiatives, which will give access to markets and improve conditions for economic participation.

Responsibilities

• Under the supervision of the Head of Component for Governance and in close coordination with the Governance teams in Adamawa and Borno states, the Senior Governance Adviser provides technical support to the design, planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of the activities of the governance component.

Tasks
Programme Planning and Implementation:

• Support internal processes, including preparation of concept papers, strategy development, result monitoring, project progress reviews, and reporting.
• Support goal setting, prioritization, and the development of operational plans.
• Work closely with state institutions (MDAs), local governments, and traditional leaders to promote participatory planning, state-citizen dialogue, transparency, and accountability mechanisms.
• Liaise with Governance Advisors in charge of the Community Planning Processes to ensure that LGA officials are aware of and engaged in the ward level CDP processes.
• Support the integration of Ward Development Plans into LGA plans and budgets, ensuring holistic, long-term development perspectives for target LGAs in line with the Citizens’ Engagement and Participatory Planning Policy (CEPPP) of Adamawa and Borno States.
• Support the integration of LGA Development Plans into the State Development Plan and budget in line with CEPPP provisions.
• Conduct research and provide technical inputs on relevant political issues beneficial to the program.
• Engage relevant State MDAs and LGAs to identify capacity needs for state and LGA officials, making recommendations for capacity development measures.
• Organize capacity development measures for state and local government officials, including preparation of Terms of References and contract documents.
• Contribute to the regular control of governance activities, budgets, and deadlines.
• Support the Head of Component in coordinating field activities and ensuring efficient and timely delivery.
• Support the development of calls for proposals, assessment of partner proposal submissions, and preparation of grant agreements.
• Facilitate grants monitoring, including checking financial reports/documents of partners before submission to the programme finance team and HQ, giving feedback on adjustments needed for correction, ensuring expenditure tallies with budget provisions.
• Perform regular field visits to the target LGAs, ensuring strategic focus and delivery of all envisaged outcomes.
• Provide technical guidance to the GIZ governance team in Yola and Maiduguri.
• Contribute to building strong and effective working relationships with local and international development partners, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), CSO networks, and government MDAs operating in the governance sector in Adamawa and Borno States.

Impact Studies and Research Capacity Development:

• Analyze and assess the capacity building needs of relevant State MDAs and LGAs, supporting the identification of trainers and resource persons for identified training.
• Coordinate and oversee the implementation of training and capacity building for state and local government officials, the LGA legislative council, and other stakeholders in line with priorities identified by the governance unit.
• Ensure experience sharing between LGAs and dissemination of good practices in capacity development across all target LGAs.

Knowledge Management:

• Ensure the knowledge transfer to other program units and GIZ internal knowledge management, coordinating the Governance Component’s internal knowledge management, including the collection of good practices and documentation of lessons learned, and revising factsheets and communication materials.
• Supervise staff responsible for updating the knowledge management folder structure for the governance unit, ensuring consistent transfer and storage of all relevant documents in the appropriate file structure.
• Support with regular report writing and editing.

Other Duties / Additional Tasks:

• Perform other duties and tasks at the request of management.

Required Qualifications, Competences, and Experience
Qualifications:

• A master’s Degree in Political Science, Law, Economics, Sociology, Public Administration, or another relevant Social Science field.

Professional Experience:

• At least 7 years of relevant experience in the international development sector with specific thematic focus on democracy, citizen engagement & civic participation, state and local government budgeting and planning policy frameworks, and governance reform, especially at the state and local government levels.
• Knowledge and experience working in North-East Nigeria. Extensive work with government actors in Adamawa State is a plus.
• Experience and familiarity with key regional, state, and local government level political, top administrative, and traditional leaders & actors in the Northeast.
• Knowledge and familiarity with the political and administrative structure and systems of states in the Northeast.
• Knowledge of North-East Nigeria security context – the actors, challenges, and current and previous efforts by state and non-state actors.
• Familiarity with International development and humanitarian actors working in the Northeast, including CSOs and CSO networks.
• Knowledge of the humanitarian and development nexus, especially as it applies to Northeast Nigeria.
• Hands-on project management experience and ability to efficiently manage numerous activities simultaneously, a flair for problem-solving, and an ability to self-navigate through complex bureaucratic environments.
• Knowledge and skills in context change management.
• Skills in facilitating learning processes.
• Experience in providing advisory services in the area of capacity development.
• Experience in governance and public sector management, particularly in public sector capacity development at the subnational/local level.

Other Knowledge, Additional Competences:

• Fluent written and oral knowledge of English. Knowledge of Hausa and other relevant local languages spoken in the Northeast would be an asset.
• A very good working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Salary

• According to GIZ salary scale for Band 4.

Application Closing Date
10th June, 2024.