Digital Access Programme Advisor at the British High Commission (BHC)

Posted on Wed 09th Jan, 2019 - www.hotnigerianjobs.com --- (1 comments)

The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer.  We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow.

We are recruiting to fill the vacant position below:

Job Title: Digital Access Programme Advisor

Ref Id: 21/18 LOS
Location: Lagos
Job Category: Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Policy & Political roles)
Job Subcategory: Economic and Prosperity
Type of Position: Fixed term, with possibility of renewal
Working hours per week: 37
Start Date: 28th February, 2019.

Background
The Prosperity Fund:
  • Many developing countries, including middle-income countries - where around 60% of the world’s poor live - still face considerable challenges such as rapid urbanisation, climate change and high and persistent inequality (including gender inequality) which can lower long-term growth prospects. Launched in April 2016 to help promote economic growth in developing countries, the UK Government’s Prosperity Fund supports the broad-based and inclusive growth needed for poverty reduction
  • The Fund’s priorities include improving the business climate, competitiveness and operation of markets, energy and financial sector reform, and tackling corruption. These reforms will drive sustainable development in partner countries - and in the process it will also create opportunities for international business, including UK companies.
The Digital Access Programme:
  • The Digital Access Programme will be resourced by the Prosperity Fund to facilitate wider and more affordable, safer and more secure access to the internet for excluded populations, harnessing the power of digital inclusion to tackle poverty, build prosperity and enable millions of people - especially socio-economically disadvantaged populations -to benefit from digital services and opportunities in Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Indonesia and Brazil
  • Access to the internet is a powerful catalyst to prosperity, reducing poverty and building inclusion – with a 10% increase in internet access linked to 3% growth in GDP, and a range of social and economic benefits. The objective for this programme is to support development and prosperity outcomes.
The Digital Access Programme aims to address the fundamental constraints to digital inclusion through a multi-pillar structure, harnessing the role and expertise of various UK government departments:
  • Department for International Development (DFID) ‘Models & Enablers’: Test and validate innovative business models that take emerging technologies to market, in order to facilitate the sustainable expansion of affordable internet access for the poor and excluded. This will be complemented by enablers such as regulatory reform and support to locally-relevant content for development.
  • Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) ‘Trust & Resilience’: Build partner countries’ capacity to prevent and respond to cyber-security risks affecting governments, businesses and citizens (including vulnerable groups at risk of online abuse or exploitation).
  • Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) ‘Sustainable Digital Ecosystems’: Stimulate local digital economies, and forge partnerships between local tech sectors and international businesses (including UK firms) through a Tech Hub network.
Main Purpose of the Job
  • We are advertising for a Programme Adviser  to work on the Digital Access programme located in Nigeria to support across all three programme pillars, with a particular focus on Pillar 1 (Models and Enablers) and Pillar 2 (Trust and Resilience).
  • In this role you will work with relevant UK government teams, with implementing partners (including the main management agents),  Nigeria’s federal government and agencies (and to an extent, state governments), private sector and civil society in Nigeria, and with some travel to the UK as needed, to advance the objectives of the programme.  Given the importance of engaging the private sector and civil society, the Adviser will be based in the British Deputy High Commission in Lagos, but will need to travel regularly to Abuja and to other states
  • The role will involve elements of programme coordination, management and monitoring, with a particular attention to risks and impact. Using analysis of the digital economy and of the cyber security situation, you will contribute to policy dialogue and reform in the relevant sectors in Nigeria, including by gathering relevant information and collaborating with others to promote more inclusive, more sustainable and safer digital access for development in Nigeria
  • Working with the in-country Prosperity team and liaising with the central Programme Management Committee you will contribute to effective coordination with the work of in-country DCMS-led UK Tech Hub team (Pillar 3 of the Digital Access Programme)
  • It will be an exciting role on an innovative programme with potential opportunities for regional or international travel
Roles and Responsibilities
The Digital Access Programme Adviser will be responsible for helping to set up the programme in Nigeria – working with the Prosperity team at post and with the Programme Management Committee in the UK. The post-holder will provide oversight of project activities and contributing to stakeholder engagement in the public and private sectors to promote digital access and cyber security. 

The role presents unique opportunities to advance the UK-Nigeria relationship on digital access and cyber security for economic growth at a time when these issues are of increasing importance on the international agenda. The indicative time allocation is shown below.

Programme Coordination and Management - 40%:
  • Oversee the activities of the Digital Access Programme in Nigeria as delivered by contracted management agents and other implementing partners, in coordination with in-country Prosperity team and with the central Programme Management Committee. This will require an ability to apply project oversight, coordination, monitoring, risk management and stakeholder engagement skills.
  • The jobholder will build relationships with the programme management agents and their implementing partners and local supply chain to ensure delivery is monitored in coordination with the Prosperity team in-country and with the central Programme Management Committee.  This will include pre-empting risks and ensuring that project activities deliver the expected outcomes.
  • The jobholder will act as focal point for internal and external communication on the programme in Nigeria, ensuring the Programme’s visibility is properly managed and that the UK government gains recognition for its work, while also managing the risks of mis-reporting and misperceptions from external stakeholders. The post holder will support the implementation the Programme’s communications strategy as approved by the Programme’s governance structure. The jobholder will also support the organisation and delivery of key visits from the UK, related to the implementation and promotion of the Digital Access Programme.
  • The jobholder will act as front-of-house for in-country prosperity governance and coordination mechanisms; this means working as part of the broader Nigeria Prosperity team consisting of colleagues drawn from DFID, DIT, FCO and the DCMS Tech Hub, to ensure that the programme’s delivery is coherent with the Nigeria network’s broader objectives, including those on business environment reform and economic diversification.. The jobholder will prepare and provide inputs to the Digital Access programme governance functions via the Programme Management Committee, which in its turn feeds into the Senior Governance Committee (Programme SROs) and Strategic Advisory Board.
  • The post-holder will be expected to regularly join key meetings, remotely where required, and to provide regular updates on the programme’s progress.
Policy and Programme Delivery - 40%:
  • Monitor Nigeria’s cyber security, internet governance and telecoms regulatory environment.  Monitor the emerging technological innovations and new business models that drive affordable and inclusive digital access for the most disadvantaged populations in Nigeria.
  • Help to influence key decision-makers at federal and state government level, and in civil society and private sector - in support of the programmes objectives in these areas.  This will involve building relationships that help to drive forward UK policy priorities in the digital/cyber policy area in, securing regulatory and policy shifts through diplomatic engagement and leveraging the programme and senior engagement to enhance progress.
  • Provide reporting on analysis and meetings to government colleagues.  Coordinate own work with others in the British Deputy High Commission in Lagos, the High Commission in Abuja and relevant government departments in London. It is expected that the jobholder will deliver quality service in a matrix management environment.
Prosperity Delivery - 15%:
  • Support the prosperity benefits of the programme by identifying opportunities to expand the digital/cyber market and help international (including UK) companies trade with and/or invest into it, including through close collaboration with the Department for International Trade (country-level team)
  • Act as the key point of coordination with the UK Tech Hub in Nigeria to ensure that it is fully aligned with the other parts of the programme and relevant British High Commission work.
Corporate - 5%:
  • As all other staff at post, the job holder is expected to participate in wider British High Commission activities. These may include  being active on various committees and in other corporate roles, as well as play a role in crisis management activities on an ad hoc basis.
  • The jobholder will also need to ensure Gender Equality Act compliance and support PF ambitions on women’s economic opportunities, inclusive growth and poverty reduction through your department / team.
  • The jobholder will need a combination of digital access and/or cyber security subject knowledge (with an ability to use self-directed study to learn about both in the role), project management and coordination experience and the skills to work in a team and influence others. It is important that the post holder has good knowledge of the local context, including experience of working with Nigeria’s federal and state governments, civil society, business and other stakeholders, including in relevant digital access and/or cyber security sectors.
  • No direct line management is envisaged, at least initially. However team management and leadership experience, particularly across different geographies is preferred given the jobholder will  need to work closely with the UK Tech Hub team and Head of UK Tech Hub to coordinate programme activity and ensure the work of the UK Tech Hub  fits into the strategic direction of the programme as a whole.
  • The jobholder will need  good communication and coordination skills in collaborating across UK government departments as well as with the Federal Government of Nigeria and state governments.
  • There will be some possibilities for travel in the region and to the UK, as needed by the Programme’s objectives and priorities.  Relevant job-related training will be provided as required.
Essential Qualifications, Skills and Experience
  • Experience of managing large and/or complex programmes
  • Permission to work in Nigeria
Desirable Qualifications, Skills and Experience 
  • Policy experience in at least one of the following will be essential, and awareness of / interest in a second area will be highly desirable: digital access (innovative models for inclusive connectivity, use of digital for development), telecoms, digital/ICT, and cyber security. Experience at policy, regulatory as well as field level will be considered relevant. Experience of working in an international development context, including managing/working with development programmes, including in Nigeria.
  • Experience of working in or with government in Nigeria Experience of working in the private sector or organised civil society in relevant fields (e.g. use of digital for affordable connectivity, use of digital for development).
Required Competencies:
  • Seeing the Big Picture, Leading and Communicating, Collaborating and Partnering, Engaging Internationally
Starting Monthly Salary
  • N812, 470
Other Benefits and Conditions of Employment 
  • The job provides an excellent opportunity to acquire and/or deepen skills in programme management/coordination, in technical advice, and in policy influencing, including through exposure to senior levels of host government and within the relevant private sector
  • We place a strong emphasis on learning and development.  You will have access to existing and new Project & Programme Management L&D as well as wider job-relevant L&D and support for your own personal development
  • You may have the opportunity to participate in annual reviews to assess the performance of PF and other programmes
  • If you only have digital policy experience in one of the areas relevant to the Programme, then you will be expected to undertake a combination of self-study and organised training as soon as possible after starting in order to gain awareness of a second policy area to the extent needed to effectively engage with programme stakeholders and provide credible activity oversight at local level.
Application Closing Date
11th January, 2019.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Additional Information
  • Please check your application carefully before you submit, as no changes can be made once submitted.
  • Employees recruited locally by the British High Commission in Lagos are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local employment law in Nigeria.
  • All candidates must be legally able to work and reside in the country of the vacancy with the correct visa/work permit status or demonstrate eligibility to obtain the relevant permit.
  • The responsibility lies on the successful candidate to:
    • Obtain the relevant permit
    • Pay fees for the permit
    • Make arrangements to relocate
    • Meet the costs to relocation
  • The British High Commission does not sponsor visas/work permits except where it may be local practice to do so.
  • Employees who are not eligible to pay local income tax: e.g. certain third-country nationals and spouses/partners of UK diplomats will have their salaries abated by an equivalent amount.
  • Information about the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Competency Framework can be found on this link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-competency-framework Please note: AA=A1, AO=A2, EO=B3, HEO=C4, SEO=C5
  • Reference checking and security clearances will be conducted on successful candidates.
  • The British High Commission will never request any payment or fees to apply for a position