ACHIEVE Zambia Systems Strengthening Advisor – Fiscal Accountability 188 views0 applications

At the heart of Pact is the promise of a better tomorrow. A nonprofit international development organization founded in 1971, Pact works on the ground in nearly 40 countries to improve the lives of those who are challenged by poverty and marginalization. We serve these communities because we envision a world where everyone owns their future. To do this, we build systemic solutions in partnership with local organizations, businesses, and governments that create sustainable and resilient communities where those we serve are heard, capable, and vibrant. Pact is a recognized global leader in international development. Our staff have a range of expertise in areas including public health, capacity development, governance and civil society, natural resource management, poverty, fragile states, monitoring and evaluation, small-scale and artisanal mining, microfinance and more. This expertise is combined in Pact’s unique integrated approach, which focuses on systemic changes needed to improve people’s lives.

Department

Programs – Pact strives for a world where all people are heard, capable, and vibrant. The Programs Team helps realize this objective by bridging program management, technical support, and business development, enabling Pact to achieve its global strategy. We ensure program excellence through continuous learning, monitoring and evaluation and provide organizational and industry-wide thought leadership by leveraging a complementary set of cross-functional, multi-disciplinary skills, expertise, and experiences. The Programs team: influences progressive change through the development and implementation of global and regional strategies and business plans; supports advancement of innovative solutions; pursues new business opportunities; and drives effective internal and external engagement to maximize Pact’s impact across the globe. Across all aspects of its role, the Programs Department adheres to and promotes a culture of inclusion, accountability, and respect.

Position Overview

Pact seeks a Systems Strengthening Advisor – Fiscal Accountability for the ACHIEVE Zambia program. ACHIEVE is a five-year, USAID-funded global cooperative agreement with the dual objectives of attaining and sustaining HIV epidemic control among at-risk and hard to reach pregnant and breastfeeding (PBF) women, infants, children, and youth, as well as to mitigate the impact of HIV/ AIDS and prevent HIV transmission among these populations; and supporting the transition of prime funding and implementation to capable local partners in order to meet the PEPFAR goal of 70% of funding to local partners.

ACHIEVE has been funded by USAID in Zambia to implement a four-year activity which aims (1) to strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services (MCDSS) to improve service outcomes and reduce the incidence of HIV in Vulnerable Children and Adolescents (VCA) and their families to accelerate and maintain epidemic control (2) build the capacity of the MCDSS and community structures to deliver quality social services and provide comprehensive case management for beneficiaries and (3) build MCDSS’s capacity to successfully implement Government-to-Government (G2G) activities in accordance with USAID’s policies and procedures. ACHIEVE will begin Activities in Zambia in December 2020.

The Systems Strengthening Advisor – Fiscal Accountability will provide technical leadership for activities under Objective 3 – Build the capacity of the MCDSS to improve fiscal accountability and to manage USAID G2G funds. This position will be responsible for leading capacity development interventions with MCDSS at the national and subnational levels, to address issues identified through capacity and risk assessments conducted by ACHIEVE and/or USAID. This position will function as an embedded advisor to provide on-site technical support to MCDSS’ Planning and Information Department (PID), Department of Community Development (DCD) and Department of Social Welfare (DSW).

Key Responsibilities

· Provide technical leadership, guidance, and support to MCDSS to address capacity development priorities and risks related to fiscal accountability and the potential management of USAID G2G funding.

· Lead the design, planning, monitoring and budgeting of activities under project Objective 3 and participate in other project level processes to ensure integration of activities with other project components.

· Lead the adaptation and implementation of capacity development tools (ex. Government Performance Index, Integrated Technical and Organizational Capacity Assessment; Capacity Action Plans) for use with MCDSS units and subnational entities responsible for social welfare service coordination, in line with roles, responsibilities, and performance benchmarks for each body.

· Identify key gaps in MCDSS’s financial, agreement, and program management systems and fiscal accountability and oversee needed processes for improvement, including the development and tracking of related action plans, engaging outside expertise where appropriate.

· Support MCDSS to conduct supportive supervision and monitoring of provincial and district level counterparts, with a focus on skills development of provincial and district level staff to carry out coordination, operational, and technical functions.

· Participate in or ensure high-level project representation and leadership where needed on technical working groups with Government of Zambia and other stakeholders linked to key project initiatives.

· Ensure the completion of all reporting requirements and other deliverables related to the fiscal accountability objective.

· Coordinate with the ACHIEVE HQ staff in the successful programmatic and technical implementation of the fiscal accountability component of the project.

· Facilitate coordination with other relevant in-country initiatives and, as appropriate, other related ACHIEVE buy-ins, Pact projects, or other projects.

· With the Project Director, represent ACHIEVE’s fiscal accountability activities with USAID, PEPFAR, and other partners.

· Provide other direct technical inputs in line with background expertise and project needs.

· Other duties as assigned.

Basic Requirements

• Advanced degree (Masters or higher) in a relevant field such as public health, social work, etc.
• At least 8 years of technical advisor-type experience in health systems strengthening, governance, fiscal accountability or capacity development in Zambia.
• Prior experience working with or in collaboration with MCDSS or similar Government of Zambia units.
• Previous experience working on USAID- and/or PEPFAR-funded systems strengthening, technical assistance, OVC or child protection, and/or capacity development projects.
• Demonstrated track record of successfully building and effectively managing diverse teams of employees.
• Demonstrated effective interpersonal and creative problem-solving skills.
• Ability to develop and maintain strong relationships with government and civil society partners.

Preferred Qualifications

· Prior experience working on programs in relevant areas such as USAID PEPFAR funded programs.

· Local candidate preferred.

Pact is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, citizenship status, genetic information, matriculation, family responsibilities, personal appearance, credit information, tobacco use (except in the workplace), membership in an employee organization, or other protected classifications or non-merit factors.