Ongoing recruitment at Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI)

Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI) is an international development company. For more than 45 years, we have worked on the frontlines of international development, tackling fundamental social and economic development problems caused by inefficient markets, ineffective governance, and instability. Currently, DAI is delivering results that matter in some 80 countries. Our development solutions turn ideas into impact by bringing together fresh combinations of expertise and innovation across multiple disciplines. Our clients include international development agencies, international lending institutions, private corporations and philanthropies, and national governments.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: LGA Manager

Location: Akwa Ibom
Start date: April 2021

Background

• The purpose of the five-year (2020-2025) “State Accountability, Transparency and Effectiveness” (“State2State”) Activity is to increase the accountability, transparency and effectiveness of selected states and local governments (LGAs) in Nigeria.
• This will be achieved by: strengthening governance systems (with a focus on public financial management [PFM] and procurement, as well as monitoring and evaluation) related to the delivery of services in key sectors (basic education, primary health care, and water, sanitation and hygiene [WASH]); increasing government responsiveness to citizen needs and priorities; and improving government and civil society capacity to manage conflict (through work on prevention, mitigation and reconciliation with the same sectoral partners, not stand-alone assistance to the police or judiciary).
• State2State will achieve this purpose by facilitating the strengthening of subnational governance systems in a sustainable manner, supporting the efforts of local reformers and building on locally derived solutions including, to the extent possible, reforms already working in other parts of Nigeria.

Position Objectives:

• The LGA Manager in Akwa Ibom will oversee and implement all aspects of State2State at the LGA Level.
• They will individually provide support to their respective State Lead activities and ensure relevant LGA interventions within the state.

Responsibilities

• The LGA Manager will be responsible to provide strategic leadership for the LGA level engagement activities and, effective management of reform support with local government representatives and community level stakeholders.
• LGA Manager will be responsible for: delivering support for improved governance and service delivery within the local government; maintaining strategic relationships with government counterparts and other relevant stakeholders, including local government, civil society and development partners; taking overall responsibility for operation and technical delivery of LGA activities whilst ensuring governance improvements are owned and delivered by the state governments under their own agenda; engaging local partners in setting sector and budget priorities and strengthening LGA budgeting and planning procedures while adapting existing citizen guides to the budget and co-create CSO grants to raise budget literacy;
• Applying a Do No Harm approach, work with local partners to mitigate the potential for conflict by using grants to forge partnerships between state and LGA institutions and CSOs to support participatory mechanisms for dialogue on budget priorities; provide training and mentoring to LGA finance and administration staff on developing systems for more rigorous controls on LGA expenditures; focus on tracking improvements at the state and LGA levels in all areas of governance including auditing, budgeting and planning, and procurement processes as well as the ability to address conflict; provide M&E support at both the state and LGA levels including establishing KPIs that flow down to the LGA level on health, education, and WASH facilities.
• Reporting: The LGA Manager will report to the State Lead, Akwa Ibom and will coordinate closely with the MEL Director on M&E matters.
• Line Management: The LGA Manager will supervise the LGA Coordinators.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as Social Sciences, Law, development studies, etc. However, four (4) additional years of relevant international development experience can be substituted for the bachelor’s degree. Master’s degree is preferable.
• At least nine (9) years of demonstrated experience in the successful implementation of international development activities or relevant technical activities, with preference given to democracy and governance activities under a USG instrument, related to technical area of the position.
• Experience of leading successful reform interventions and evidence of good working relations with relevant local, ward, and state-level governments and other key stakeholders.
• An ability to manage relationships and a sound understanding of institutional change in complex environments.
• An excellent understanding of financial and technical delivery, monitoring and evaluation of program impact and reporting against results.
• Prior experience in overseeing the awarding and managing grants to local organizations to promote democracy and governance goals preferred.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Fluency in the English language.

Deadline: 26th February, 2021.

How to apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send their CV to: NigeriaGovernance@dai.com using “LGA Manager, Akwa Ibom” in the subject line of your email.

Job Title: Public Financial Management (PFM) Specialist

Location: Akwa Ibom
Start Date: April 2021

Background

• The purpose of the five-year (2020-2025) “State Accountability, Transparency and Effectiveness” (“State2State”) Activity is to increase the accountability, transparency and effectiveness of selected states and local governments (LGAs) in Nigeria.
• This will be achieved by: strengthening governance systems (with a focus on public financial management [PFM] and procurement, as well as monitoring and evaluation) related to the delivery of services in key sectors (basic education, primary health care, and water, sanitation and hygiene [WASH]); increasing government responsiveness to citizen needs and priorities; and improving government and civil society capacity to manage conflict (through work on prevention, mitigation and reconciliation with the same sectoral partners, not stand-alone assistance to the police or judiciary).
• State2State will achieve this purpose by facilitating the strengthening of subnational governance systems in a sustainable manner, supporting the efforts of local reformers and building on locally derived solutions including, to the extent possible, reforms already working in other parts of Nigeria.

Position Objectives:

• The PFM Specialist in Akwa Ibom is a technical staff member embedded at the state-level. S/he will provide support and leadership to PFM activities and ensure relevant PFM interventions within the state.

Responsibilities

• The PFM Specialist will provide technical assistance (TA) to all PFM activities within the state for which they are responsible. For example, s/he will facilitate activities such as developing annual procurement plans in key sectors health, education and WASH to foster greater transparency, reduce risk, and support service delivery efficiency. With guidance from the Technical Director PFM, this role will mentor partners and will provide TA to support realistic annual budget ceilings for the state ministry, department, and agencies. This role will collaborate on Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability assessment and PFM activity design and support implementation, and other activities as needed.
• Reporting: The PFM Specialist will report to the State Lead Akwa Ibom, and will coordinate closely with the Technical Director PFM on technical matters.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as Accounting, Business, Social Sciences, Law, Development Studies, etc. However, four (4) additional years of relevant international development experience can be substituted for the bachelor’s degree. Master’s preferred.
• At least nine (9) years of relevant professional experience. At least three (3) years of demonstrated experience in the successful implementation of international development activities, with preference given to democracy and governance activities under a USG instrument, or experience related to technical area of the position.
• Experience working in the PFM, democracy, and governance sector in Nigeria.
• Prior experience in overseeing the awarding and managing grants to local organizations to promote democracy and governance goals preferred.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Fluency in English language

How to apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send their CV to: NigeriaGovernance@dai.com using “Public Financial Management (PFM) Specialist, Akwa Ibom” in the subject line of your email.

Job Title: State Lead

Location: Akwa Ibom
Start date: April 2021

Background

• The purpose of the five-year (2020-2025) “State Accountability, Transparency and Effectiveness” (“State2State”) Activity is to increase the accountability, transparency and effectiveness of selected states and local governments (LGAs) in Nigeria.
• This will be achieved by: strengthening governance systems (with a focus on public financial management [PFM] and procurement, as well as monitoring and evaluation) related to the delivery of services in key sectors (basic education, primary health care, and water, sanitation and hygiene [WASH]); increasing government responsiveness to citizen needs and priorities; and improving government and civil society capacity to manage conflict (through work on prevention, mitigation and reconciliation with the same sectoral partners, not stand-alone assistance to the police or judiciary).
• State2State will achieve this purpose by facilitating the strengthening of subnational governance systems in a sustainable manner, supporting the efforts of local reformers and building on locally derived solutions including, to the extent possible, reforms already working in other parts of Nigeria.

Position Objectives:

• The State Lead is a critical technical and management staff. S/he provides day-to-day leadership and management to the state project interventions.
• S/he will develop strong relationships with government and relevant counterparts to move State2State activities forward successfully. S/he will oversee the state-based teams and activities, ensuring the highest quality implementation.
• S/he will support technical activities, such as: assist partners develop and implement their own budget transparency plans.
• S/he will facilitate regular meetings with the private sector, state procurement agencies, and MDAs to improve transparency and expand bidders.
• S/he will review state-level performance against work plans, the Nigerian budget cycle, and other relevant factors; identify performance gaps; adjust programming approaches and supports; and schedule and coordinate input and support as needed.
• S/he will ensure strong, ongoing coordination with cross-cutting State2State teams, such as MEL and GESI. S/he will support the approval and development of a Transformation Committee (TC), aimed to design and oversee the implementation of annual sector-based reform plans.
• S/he will assist the TC to develop an overall M&E strategy to support service delivery and governance improvements by identifying evidence needs, including gender analysis, capacities, system requirements, and roles and functions. S/he, with the support of experienced Nigeria consultants, will initiate the Political Economy Analysis.
• S/he will work with state governments to begin a tailored design process to adopt innovations through a Best Fit Clearing House, incorporate the transfer design into the state’s annual work plan.

Responsibilities

• The State Lead serves as the principal point of contact in the state for technical and operational matters, serving as the key staff facilitating activities, and develops and maintains positive relationships with keys stakeholders.
• This role oversees a state-based team that will manage outreach, support activities, and handle the development and monitoring of grants. This role spearheads state work plans and interventions, ensures timely and appropriate state interventions, and provides task oversight to ensure high-quality implementation within the state.
• Reporting: The State Lead will report to the Deputy Chief of Party.
• Line Management: The State Lead will directly supervise their respective state-based teams, including PFM Specialist, Citizen Engagement/Capacity Building Specialist, GESI Specialist, MEL Specialist, LGA Manager, and Finance/Accounting Officer/Specialist and any additional on-demand staff or consultants.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or HND in a relevant field such as International Development, Social Sciences, Law, Development Studies, etc. Master’s degree preferred.
• At least twelve (12) years of relevant professional experience. At least nine (9) years of demonstrated experience in the successful implementation of international development activities, with preference given to democracy and governance activities under a USG instrument – three (3) years of which must be in senior program management, including direct supervision of professional and support staff.
• Experience working in the democracy and governance sector in Nigeria.
• Prior experience in overseeing the awarding and managing of grants to local organizations to promote democracy and governance goals preferred.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Fluency in English Language

How to apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send their CV to: NigeriaGovernance@dai.com using “State Lead, Akwa Ibom” in the subject line of your email.

Job Title: Citizen Engagement/Capacity Building Specialist

Location: Akwa Ibom
Start Date: April 2021

Background

• The purpose of the five-year (2020-2025) “State Accountability, Transparency and Effectiveness” (“State2State”) Activity is to increase the accountability, transparency and effectiveness of selected states and local governments (LGAs) in Nigeria.
• This will be achieved by: strengthening governance systems (with a focus on public financial management [PFM] and procurement, as well as monitoring and evaluation) related to the delivery of services in key sectors (basic education, primary health care, and water, sanitation and hygiene [WASH]); increasing government responsiveness to citizen needs and priorities; and improving government and civil society capacity to manage conflict (through work on prevention, mitigation and reconciliation with the same sectoral partners, not stand-alone assistance to the police or judiciary).
• State2State will achieve this purpose by facilitating the strengthening of subnational governance systems in a sustainable manner, supporting the efforts of local reformers and building on locally derived solutions including, to the extent possible, reforms already working in other parts of Nigeria.

Position Objectives:

• The Citizen Engagement/Capacity Building Specialist in Akwa Ibom will support the implementation of advocacy, oversight, and engagement activities and ensure the advocacy and or oversight of interventions in Akwa Ibom.
• S/he will also address gaps in capacity through range of technical assistance, mentoring and peer learning, ensuring sustainable capacity for implementing reforms.

Responsibilities

• The State Citizen Engagement/Capacity Building Specialist will collaborate with relevant stakeholders within the state and beyond to design training and grants for local CSOs and media on sector-specific procurement monitoring; support the co-create grants to engage CSOs and media to design activities that support reform objectives in using audit reports to monitor service delivery efficiency and will hold co-creation workshops twice a year.
• S/he will facilitate engagement among State Boards of Internal Revenue, State Ministry of Finance, and local chambers of commerce to discuss tax policy options and their impact on the private sector growth using DAI analytic tools to assess how new tax and fee rates may affect women and men differently; support the coalitions of complementary organizations, including think-tanks, private sector and professional associations, as well as traditional and faith-based organizations, around issues linked to state reform plans.
• The incumbents will facilitate, coordinate, track and report on the engagement of citizens in all core activities of priority sectors; conduct surveys and use citizen scorecards to measure their trust in elected (or appointed) government officials and their satisfaction with health, education, and WASH services; strengthen individual and institutional capacities of citizens/CSOs for good governance reforms, ensuring sustainable skills’ building and knowledge applications; and carry out any other function(s) as may be assigned by the Line Manager/ Deputy Chief of Party/Chief of Party.
• Reporting: The Citizen Engagement/Capacity Building Specialist will report to the State Lead Akwa Ibom and, work closely with the Citizen Engagement/CSO Director.

Minimum Requirements

• A relevant degree or HND in Social Sciences, Development Studies, or relevant field required. Master degree is preferable.
• At least nine (9) years of relevant professional experience. Requires experience in the successful implementation of international development activities, with preference given to governance activities under a USG instrument, building technical and organizational capacity of CSOs in areas advocacy planning and engagement of government and stakeholders.
• Stated experience in working for or with civil society to drive a reform agenda.
• Stated experience in community mobilization and civic engagement.
• Stated experience using facilitative, participatory approaches to organizational and technical capacity development.
• Demonstrated effective training, capacity building and coaching skills, networking, interpersonal skills, creative problem solving, conflict, and ethical management skills.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Computer literacy in word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software (Microsoft Office).
• Previous experience or familiarity with working in activity’s priority sectors in the state will be an added advantage.
• Fluency in English language

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send their CV to: NigeriaGovernance@dai.com using “Citizen Engagement/Capacity Building Specialist, Akwa Ibom” in the subject line of your email.

Job Title: Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI) Specialist

Location: Akwa Ibom
Start Date: April 2021

Background

• The purpose of the five-year (2020-2025) “State Accountability, Transparency and Effectiveness” (“State2State”) Activity is to increase the accountability, transparency and effectiveness of selected states and local governments (LGAs) in Nigeria.
• This will be achieved by: strengthening governance systems (with a focus on public financial management [PFM] and procurement, as well as monitoring and evaluation) related to the delivery of services in key sectors (basic education, primary health care, and water, sanitation and hygiene [WASH]); increasing government responsiveness to citizen needs and priorities; and improving government and civil society capacity to manage conflict (through work on prevention, mitigation and reconciliation with the same sectoral partners, not stand-alone assistance to the police or judiciary).
• State2State will achieve this purpose by facilitating the strengthening of subnational governance systems in a sustainable manner, supporting the efforts of local reformers and building on locally derived solutions including, to the extent possible, reforms already working in other parts of Nigeria.

Position Objectives:

• The GESI Specialist in Akwa Ibom will support the design and implementation of GESI advocacy, integration, and engagement activities in Akwa Ibom, with cross-cutting support to other states as needed.

Responsibilities

• The GESI Specialist will collaborate with the GESI Advisor and partner organizations to ensure integration of GESI interventions into state-level program activities. Using gender institutionalization methods, GESI Specialists will collaborate on GESI assessments, activity design, and implementation. S/he will be responsible for integrating gender-based indicators into programs across key sectors.
• S/he will be involved in guiding state-level Transformation Committees (TCs) in designing and operationalizing gender plans. GESI Specialist will explore how to expand women’s participation in TCs and will contribute to gender dimensions for each sector in which the project works.
• S/he will contribute to measuring gender-related TC reform impacts. S/he will help states access and translate Nigeria’s latest reform knowledge to fit local conditions. S/he will be responsible for collecting and sharing capacities and knowledge with the GESI Advisor and with peers in other states.
• S/he will contribute to program activities such as gender budgeting training for finance ministries and civil society organizations (CSOs), and strengthening mechanisms for women’s participation in budget, service delivery, and policy decisions at the state and local government levels.
• GESI Specialist will support partner institutions and CSOs to study the impact of governance and service reforms on women. They will build the skills of women’s groups to contribute to local government activities, provide feedback, and monitor follow-up.
• Reporting: The GESI Specialist will report to the State Lead in Akwa Ibom and coordinate closely with the GESI Advisor in the main project office (in Bauchi).

Minimum Requirements

• A relevant degree in Social Sciences, Gender Studies, Development Studies, or relevant field required. Master’s degree preferable.
• At least nine (9) years professional experience, with at least five (5) years of demonstrated experience in designing appropriate interventions to meet project goals in assisting vulnerable populations, including women and the disadvantaged
• Stated experience in working for or with civil society to drive a reform agenda
• Demonstrated effective training, capacity building and coaching skills, networking, interpersonal skills, creative problem solving, conflict, and ethical management skills
• Demonstrable experience in integrating gender into governance programs
• Strong skill set in reporting, monitoring and evaluation
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Computer literacy in word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software (Microsoft Office)
• Fluency in the English language

How to apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send their CV to: NigeriaGovernance@dai.com using “GESI Specialist, Akwa Ibom” in the subject line of your email.

Job Title: Maritime Security Adviser, Support to West Africa Integrated Maritime Security – SWAIMS

Job Code: 5689
Location: Abuja
Inputs: Full time / 362 working days/ 23 months

Background

• DAI is implementing a long-term TA Maritime Security Project in Abuja, Nigeria. The Contracting Authority is the Regional Authorizing Officer (RAO) for the EDF representing the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The Technical Assistance reports to ECOWAS and the EU Delegation in Abuja.
• The project is multi-country, covering all ECOWAS member States covered by the EU-West Africa regional Indicative Programme (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo), as well as Mauritania with a specific focus on coastal countries.

Description:

• Title of the project: Technical assistance of the ‘Support to West Africa integrated maritime security’ project (SWAIMS)

Overall objective

• The overall objective of the project of which the TA contract is a part is to improve maritime security and safety in the Gulf of Guinea in the ECOWAS Region. The specific objectives of the SWAIMS project are: (1) Governance and law enforcement frameworks are strengthened and prosecution and adjudication of maritime crimes are more successful; and (2) law enforcement operational capacities and responses are strengthened.
• The Technical Assistance has certain general and specific responsibilities to ensure the effective organization of the overall SWAIMS programme and is charge of the operational implementation of specific activities.

The Role

• DAI is recruiting for a Maritime Security Adviser to be based full-time in Abuja, Nigeria with missions to the different in the region of the Gulf of Guinea.
• The Expert will support ECOWAS Integrated Maritime Strategy (EIMS) and the Yaoundé process, encouraging regional cooperation in maritime security and ensuring a close coordination with the EU Delegation in Abuja and the ECOWAS Commission.

Main Tasks

• Provide technical expertise in the implementation of the different components of SWAIMS Action Document, developing maritime threat assessments, following strategy developments, raising maritime domain awareness, etc.;
• Coordinate the implementation of the activities linked to Result 1.1. Strengthened integrated maritime governance, policies, laws and systems to support maritime security;
• Encourage effective cooperation and donor coordination amongst the regional Yaoundé architecture in Zones E-G: ICC, CRESMAO, and the Multinational Maritime Coordination Centres (MMCC);
• Assist ECOWAS and the EU Delegation in Abuja in problem analysis, stakeholders’ analysis, assessment and communication of best practices in the priority areas of operations and training, legal enforcement and communications /IT;
• Support in the supervision of programme activities entrusted to the PMU, including the visibility strategy in consultation with the Project Coordinator and the expert based at CRESMAO;
• Liaise at regular intervals with the Project Coordinator with the other EU funded projects in the GoG to ensure coherence of action;
• Liaise with other actors involved in maritime security in the region such as the G7++ FoGG, Interpol, UNOCD, bilateral donors, International Maritime Organisation (IMO), etc.;
• Represent the project and participate in meetings.

Qualifications and skills

• University degree (BA or MA or equivalent) in International Law, Public Administration, International Relations or Political Science with a focus on Maritime, Defence or Security Affairs or related fields;
• Excellent command of English and at least good command of French (or vice versa) as well as good reporting and communication skills in both languages (written and spoken). Knowledge of Portuguese is considered an asset;

General professional experience:

• A minimum of 10 years of working experience in maritime administration, Coast Guard or Navy, or any field related to maritime security; more than 12 years would be considered an asset;
• Good understanding of the maritime security challenges in the Gulf of Guinea. Work experience in at least two Gulf of Guinea Countries demonstrated by having been team member of at least 1 assignment in the region;
• Experience working on inter-agency/administration cooperation especially with ECOWAS will be a strong asset;
• Experience in EDF financial and procurement procedures as well as construction of logical frameworks will be an asset;
• Experience in international cooperation and possibly of international projects implementation.

Specific professional experience:

• Excellent understanding of capacity building and administrative reforms;
• Strong capacities in devising strategies;
• Strong ability to evolve in a political and sensitive environment.

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

Note

• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted to request additional information.
• Applications will be reviewed as received.