1.          Preliminary

1.1. Purpose of memo:

This memo describes the main tasks involved in the position and the qualifications requested from candidates to the job. 

1.2. Expected composition of the selection committee:

Applicants for the position will be selected for interview by the Danish embassy and the Democratic Governance Facility Management Unit (DGF FMU). Mercuri Urval will participate in the process of appointment by conducting personality tests and test interviews with the selected candidates, as well as taking part in the final interview. The final interview panel consists of the Programme Coordinator and the Deputy HoM from the Embassy, a representative from the other development partners behind DGF, the Head of Facility from the DGF FMU and the consultant from Mercuri Urval A/S in charge of the recruitment process.

2.          The Programme

2.1. The programme in short:

The Democratic Governance Facility (DGF) is a multi-donor funding mechanism aimed at strengthening governance, promoting and protecting human rights, enhancing access to justice, and improving accountability in Uganda by working with state and non-state institutions at national, regional and district levels throughout the country. DGF’s mandate is aligned to the Government of Uganda’s democratic governance objectives and principles as laid out in the 1995 constitution of the Republic of Uganda, and contained in the country’s Vision 2040.

Building on the achievements of the first phase of the DGF (July 2011 – December 2017), the facility is now implementing a five-year governance programme (January 2018 - December 2022) funded by seven development partners: Austria, Denmark, European Union, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. Denmark is the legal entity and contract holder with the Government of Uganda. The facility is bound by Danida guidelines. 

The overall vision is “a Uganda where citizens are empowered to engage in democratic governance and the state upholds citizens' rights”. To achieve this vision, the programme works towards four high-level outcomes: (i) strengthened democratic processes that respond to citizens’ rights, (ii) strengthened rule of law and improved access to justice, (iii) increased protection and fulfilment of human rights and gender equality, and (iv) improved citizens’ inclusion and engagement in decision-making processes.

To contribute to these four high-level outcomes and ultimately the vision, DGF’s work is encapsulated in three broad and interconnected domains called “spheres”.  These include: (1) Democratic process that shape citizen-state relationships; (2) Citizen empowerment, engagement and accountability; (3) Protection of human rights, access to justice and gender equality. The spheres are designed to facilitate DGF in identifying and analysing governance issues upon which decisions on whether or not to launch an area of intervention are based. Through mainstreaming and targeted interventions, DGF aims to reduce gender disparities, promote youth engagement and reach the most vulnerable people in Uganda.

The DGF programme is managed by the Facility Management Unit and governed by the seven development partners represented in the Steering Committee and the Board. 

More specific information on the DGF programme is available at www.dgf.ug and specifically http://www.dgf.ug/sites/default/files/rescrc/DGF%20II%20Program%20Document.pdf. 

2.2. Requirements and expectations from the relevant parties:

The PLM is the thought leader for sphere 1: “Democratic Processes that build citizen state relationships”, supporting key interventions as well as ensuring analysis and learning. The PLM facilitates and manages the implementation of activities designed for specific areas of intervention which include: (1) Improving government accountability towards citizens including electoral processes: (2) An improved representation and recognition of women in leading political institutions and as election candidates (3) Diversifying political engagement (between elected officials, political parties and citizens), and (4) Improving participatory decision-making in planning, monitoring and evaluation processes.

The Programme and Learning Manager (PLM) works in close collaboration with the Deputy Programme and Learning Manager (DPLM) of Sphere 1 and other FMU staff to oversee and manage the design and appraisal of concrete interventions to be funded by the DGF. The PLM engages and facilitates stakeholder driven demands for democratic governance processes in Uganda and ensures that designs of interventions are within the mandate and framework of the DGF. 

Together with peers, the PLM contributes to the strategic direction and continued development of the programme in Sphere 1 and the DGF as a whole, through facilitation of sphere specific and cross cutting learning activities, Political Economy Analysis (PEA) and the implementation of Problem Driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA) approaches.

3.          The Position

3.1. Title: Programme and Learning Manager Democratic Processes (PLM) (N1)

3.2. Place of service: Kampala, Uganda

3.3. Terms of Employment according to Danida staff rules. 

Contract period: 3 years. Attractive remuneration package. Contribution to a pension scheme, health insurance and reimbursement of school fees. Housing will be paid.

3.4. Area of responsibility/tasks:

Representation

  • Represents the DGF in discussions with Ugandan and international stakeholders relevant to the identified Areas of Intervention in Sphere 1 and takes part in relevant working groups with Government of Uganda state institutions and civil society organisations (CSO) to position and align the Areas of Intervention to meet the expectations of stakeholders and donors.
  • Manages senior level contacts with participating Ugandan organisations and institutions in the process of drawing up work plans and funding agreements.

Management

  • Play an active role as a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT) under the supervision of the Head of Facility.
  • Provides leadership and overall supervision of the Sphere 1 team and provides appropriate support and feedback to enhance performance.
  • Supervises the appraisal and approval of all grant applications under the auspices of Sphere 1 and promote collaboration with colleagues in other units and spheres to create synergy and avoid overlap with other interventions.
  • Supervises and monitors progress in implementation of the funded projects and the provision of technical support to implementing partners through monitoring visits and learning events.
  • Ensures Sphere 1 contributions to annual plans, reports, policy brief, website contributions and other communication products.
  • Line manages the Deputy PLM.

Analysis and Learning

  • Supports a culture of continuous learning and improvement within the FMU.
  • Facilitates learning and documentation through continued analysis and evaluation of contextual changes, opportunities and risks (PEA) and apply the lessons learned through iterative adaption (PDIA) of the programme.
  • Facilitates reviews and evaluations and ensure that lessons learned are incorporated in the design of the DGF programme and adequately shared with stakeholders inside and outside the DGF.
  • Provides strategic and technical analysis and advice to the design of (new) areas of intervention and, through appraisal of concrete proposals vis-à-vis the results framework, ensure the strategic relevance, value for money and sustainability of proposed interventions and activities.
  • Provides strategic advice and recommendations on any changes to the future direction, approach or design of the DGF programme that may require decisions by the Steering Committee or the Board.

Other 

  • Undertakes any other assignments as a result of DGF’s adaptive programming approach or as delegated by the Head of Facility

4.          Demand Profile/Qualifications 

4.1 Requirements and expectations concerning the candidates’ formal qualifications:

         Required

  • An advanced university degree in development studies, management, public administration, organizational development, or related area.
  • Solid relevant experience and a demonstrated track record of achievement in grant making and management of development programmes.
  • Experience with Political Economic Analysis and adaptive programming and management.
  • Strong background in democratic governance and electoral processes in young democracies.
  • Experience working with state institutions and civil society organisations in a development country context.
  • Strong track record in team management and leadership.
  • Experience with monitoring, evaluation and knowledge management.                        Excellent communication and writing skills in English.

         Desired

  • Knowledge of current democratic governance related developments in Uganda.
  • Experience with implementation of multi-donor programmes in a multicultural environment.

4.2 Requirements and expectations concerning the personal qualifications of the candidates: 

  • Ability to interact at senior political, policy and technical levels.
  • Strong conceptual and analytical skills in the area of governance.
  • Ability to delegate.
  • Strong interpersonal skills.
  • Strong team motivation skills.

  

5.          Recruitment Procedures (Mercuri Urval takes care of the below)

5.1 How do you apply

Information about the mandatory application procedure can be found through the job ad at: www.job.um.dk  where you will also find the application template used for the recruitment process. Reference number DK-06687-2019/UGA.01 should be stated in the application.

5.2 Deadline for applications: 9 September 2019

5.3 Preliminary interviews and personal evaluation: Week 39. Mercuri Urval will conduct a personal evaluation of selected candidates.

5.4 Language test: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has decided that all candidates called in for interview - except for those to whom the relevant language is mother tongue, or long experience working in English speaking environment - shall be language tested in the working languages of the duty station (i.e. English).

5.5 Presentation to the selection committee at the final interview: 27 September 2019

5.6 Expected commencement: 1 January 2020

At Impactpool we do our best to provide you the most accurate info, but closing dates may be wrong on our site. Please check on the recruiting organization's page for the exact info. Candidates are responsible for complying with deadlines and are encouraged to submit applications well ahead.
Before applying, please make sure that you have read the requirements for the position and that you qualify. Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.