Technical Director 157 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

Program Delivery (PDEL) – Pact exists to help create a world where those who are poor and marginalized exercise their voice, build their own solutions, and take ownership of their future. The Program Delivery Team, contributes to realizing this purpose by: Forging smart partnerships and treating all people with dignity and respect; Applying organizational policies and regulatory compliance appropriately and consistently; Facilitating team spirit among colleagues and promoting the organization through communications; Influencing decision makers through focused, relevant communications; Continually striving to learn and share knowledge and find small ways to make the workplace more enjoyable for all; Cultivating and harvesting innovation; Contributing to the organization’s ability to think and act strategically at all times; Inspiring and spreading our desired organizational culture across the global enterprise.

Position Overview

Project Overview

Pact is recruiting a Technical Director for an upcoming five-year, cross-sectorial (health, education, nutrition and natural resource management), USAID-funded governance program in Zambia – District Governance Strengthening (DGS). DGS seeks to help build up a local system of governance capable of responsive service delivery to drive USAID results and advance Zambian self-reliance. The program aligns with Zambia’s decentralization policy framework and intends to maximize the impact of local partners, build the capabilities of service providers, enhance coordination across sectors, and improve targeted citizen oversight of government performance.

The program seeks to attain the following objectives:

• Objective 1: Citizen-responsive governance structures acquire skills to effectively assess service delivery needs and performance, and constructively engage with government.
• Objective 2: The sub-national governance system develops the capacity to respond to citizen needs and improve service delivery outcomes
• Objective 3: Zambia’s commitment to open government increase, advancing self-reliance

Position Purpose

Reporting to the COP, the Technical Director is responsible for all aspects of the technical activities and services. S/he will serve as DGS’ technical subject matter expert (i.e., decentralization, service delivery, and government performance), oversee the technical teams and partners, and support the monitoring and evaluation teams’ daily operations. S/he will ensure effective coordination with key stakeholders, including government, CBOs, and private sector. Responsibilities include leading technical design and implementation, operationalization of program standards, systematic monitoring of program results against targets and work plans and employing data for decision-making and course correction. This position is contingent upon award.

Key Responsibilities

• Responsible for the overall technical direction of the project and management of project activities, providing technical leadership to the project team to ensure high quality programming to achieve project results.
• Provide technical leadership, ensuring integration across the project’s objectives and adaptive management
• Supervise and provide technical guidance to project staff and partners throughout the design and implementation of project strategies to ensure effective integration of project’s objectives
• Lead the technical design and create a realistic and donor-responsive timeline and continuously evaluate project progress towards achieving program’s strategic goals.
• Maintain a strong and extensive network with key in-country partners and stakeholders and ensure that the project is represented on appropriate steering and advisory groups.
• Conduct and oversee deep and ongoing legislative and policy analysis for the project and other stakeholders, focusing on the topics of decentralization, federalization, service delivery, and gender equity and social inclusion (GESI) issues.
• Other tasks as required to achieve the Program Objectives and Expected Results.

Basic Requirements

• An advanced degree in a relevant field, such as political science, public policy, or public administration
• At least eight years of experience specifically related to policy and legislation development, ideally in Zambia on topics related to decentralization, public financial management, improving service delivery, and governance system development.
• Demonstrated experience supporting good governance on both the demand and supply side; such as strengthening CSO networks and supporting efforts to boost citizen access to information (demand-side) and mobilizing TA for relevant governmental units (supply-side).
• Demonstrated experience providing technical assistance to government units related to service delivery and decentralization; such as creating sound policies and legislation that empower, finance, and regulate sub-national units
• Strong knowledge of the political, social, and economic context of Zambia.
• Ability to sustain interpersonal relationships with internal colleagues and contacts in donor and peer organizations.
• Creative problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage and oversee multiple complex tasks simultaneously.

Preferred Qualifications

• Zambian National preferred.
• Demonstrated knowledge of USAID’s objectives and Journey to Self-Reliance

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.