Governance & Accountability Thematic Manager

Internal Job Grade – National

Contract type  – If Fixed Term state contract length,

Reporting to  –Head of Programs

Staff reporting to this post  –Technical staff: Project Coordinators & Assistants in Governance & Accountability

Locations     –Countrywide

Oxfam is a worldwide confederation of 20 member organisations (affiliates) working in over 80 countries and coordinated via the Oxfam International Secretariat. We are a global movement of people who are fighting inequality to beat poverty together. We tackle the inequalities that make and keep people poor. We save and protect lives in times of crisis, work with people to build resilience and rebuild their livelihoods and, because we want lasting solutions, we campaign for genuine, durable change.  We engage partners, Government and local communities to build a world in which everyone enjoys the same opportunities regardless of gender, race, culture, or physical ability. In Uganda, our program is anchored on three broad themes of Resilient Livelihoods; Governance and Accountability; and Humanitarian Preparedness and Response,  which are all deliberately focused on promotion of women’s rights. Our Governance and accountability work ensures that people’s participation and voices on public matters are respected and that public policies and laws are responsive to public demands, and there is equitable access to quality public services for all, including women, young people.

Shaping a stronger Oxfam for people living in poverty.

Team Purpose

Program team:

• Is responsible for the strategic development and management of the country program
• Supports Oxfam’s impact locally, regionally, continentally and globally through ensuring program alignment to the key strategic objectives and program standards.
• Supports resource mobilisation for the country strategy implementation
• Ensures that the promotion of women’s rights is at the heart of all Oxfam in Uganda’s program work

Job Purpose – Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

Thought leadership and strategic management                                                       25%

•  Provide thought leadership on thematic area, staying up to date with the latest thinking, undertake/commission organised research and analysis and spend time in reflective consideration to develop a comprehensive understanding of the governance & accountability theme in Uganda, how it contributes to poverty and Inequality in the country, and ways of addressing these
• Convene and broker learning, reviews and such other knowledge management processes around the Governance and accountability theme.

People Development and Management                                                                       10%

• Manage the program team to deliver on the OCS, providing leadership, inspiration and guidance and ensuring that the management of the team is in line with Oxfam’s HR policies and procedures.
• The Thematic Manager, with support from HR, will manage the life cycle of individuals within the team from pre-recruitment to exit, including performance management processes, and working with HR on issues such as disciplinary matters.

Program design, development, implementation and monitoring                         25%

• Deliver a thematic program with impact that contributes to the principle of one program in Uganda, seeking synergy with the other themes in the spirit of the nexus thinking
• Ensure that women’s rights are  developed and protected in the program
• Working closely with the Media & Comms coordinator, provide regular information, briefings and publicity on the governance program activities
• Manage staff, consultants and researchers as required, in accordance with Oxfam policy and procedures
• Effectively manage allocated budgets and assigned projects, specifically control expenditure and manage compliance with donor requirements and regulations
• Working closely with the Head of Programs and the Program Quality and Learning  Co-ordinator ensure that an effective, transparent and robust MEAL system and process is in place to ensure that the program delivers on the OCS

Working with partners and stakeholders                                                                    20%

• Develop a comprehensive understanding of Oxfam’s partnership approach, including work with coalitions and networks, adopting a strategic, proactive perspective on how to achieve partner led approaches to achieve sustainable change
• Develop and facilitate links with civil society (including non-implementing partners), the private sector, academic /knowledge institutions  and governments, initiating contacts and building associations that can be used to enhance Oxfam’s work , and identifying key partners to collaborate with on the delivery of the program
• Coordinate and mobilise technical support for the program partners, accompanying them and ensuring high quality of programming
• Stay in contact with and in some cases co-lead global learning agendas across the Oxfam confederations on issues relevant to the active citizenship. The post holder is a member of the Oxfam Active citizenship knowledge hub,

Resource mobilisation  20%

• Develop, nurture and cultivate good working relations with Oxfam Partner Affiliates to enable joint fundraising efforts.  S/he will actively scan the environment for strategic funding opportunities relevant to the sector.  Identify and share ideas and analysis to enable fundraising engagements to commence in consultation with the HoP and PFM.
• Working closely with the Program Funding Manager in development of fundable concepts (at all levels) and technically support the development of donor proposals, budget submissions and other necessary activities to secure funding for programme objectives

Technical Skills, Experience & Knowledge

Skills

• A Masters Degree in any of the following fields: Law, Public Policy Management, Diplomacy and International relations & Local Governance and Administration
• Ability to engage and influence both corporate direction, contributing to and following it as appropriate and the ongoing development of program policy and quality to enhance the impact of Oxfam’s work
• Ability to build a people’s movement around  the program theme and  inspire followership
• Proven analytical and conceptual thinking, high level research, project management knowledge and skills and experience using participatory tools and methodologies for assessment, programme identification, implementation, monitoring and evaluation
•  Strategic and people management skjlls, supporting and mentoring the team in their professional and personal growth

Knowledge and Experience

• Comprehensive knowledge and 5 years experience of implementing governance and accountability programs and initiatives including in public finance management, ideally built on mature understanding of relevant issues derived from field experience.
• Good understanding of Uganda’s public policy processes including budgeting and citizen engagement desired.
• Strong program management and quality knowledge, with ability to ensure consistent quality against standards and to implement effective monitoring and evaluation systems to assess and adjust performance
• Commitment to and good knowledge of working with networks, coalitions and a partnership approach across the spectrum of Oxfam’s work, including innovative approaches to capacity strengthening
• Good knowledge of and experience in developing advocacy and campaign strategies and plans and successfully achieving external impact and change. Some experience in undertaking media presentations including use of new media.
• Good knowledge of and years experience with donor funding environment and good financial management skills, with experience of project budgeting and control of financial  risks
• Proven people and finance management experience at a strategic level in a complex, dispersed organisation with evidence of leading, facilitating and integrating a specific area of expertise across a wide network, providing clarity and focus of vision and impact, strategic planning and decision making and the delivery of agreed results
• Excellent knowledge of the Ugandan environment and issues, supported by personal exposure through having worked and lived there
• Politically astute, with high impact influencing and persuasive skills and personal gravitas to gain respect and build and maintain strong, credible relationships, with internal and external stakeholders at all levels
• Strong organisational and personal management skills, with ability to prioritise work issues to meet deadlines with minimal supervision and adjust to constantly changing situations while maintaining focus on delivery and follow-through
• Excellent personal communication skills
• A high level of self-awareness, initiative, sound judgement, personal energy and flexibility

NOTE: Women are particularly encouraged to apply

Key Behavioural Competencies

Competencies	Description
Decisiveness	We are comfortable to make transparent decisions and to adapt decision making modes to the context and needs.
Influencing	We have the ability to engage with diverse stakeholders in a way that leads to increased impact for the organisation We spot opportunities to influence effectively and where there are no opportunities we have the ability to create them in a respectful and impactful manner.
Humility	We put ‘we’ before ‘me’ and place an emphasis on the power of the collective, nurture the team and play to the strengths of each individual. We are not concerned with hierarchical power, and we engage with, trust and value the knowledge and expertise of others across all levels of the organization.
Relationship Building	We understand the importance of building relationship, within and outside the organization. We have the ability to engage with traditional and non-traditional stakeholders in ways that lead to increased impact for the organisation.
Listening	We are good listeners who can see where deeper levels of thoughts and tacit assumptions differ. Our messages to others are clear, and consider different preferences.
Mutual Accountability	We can explain our decisions and how we have taken them based on our organizational values.  We are ready to be held to account for what we do and how we behave, as we are also holding others to account in a consistent manner.
Agility, Complexity, and Ambiguity	We scan the environment, anticipate changes, are comfortable with lack of clarity and deal with a large number of elements interacting in diverse and unpredictable ways.
Systems Thinking	We view problems as parts of an overall system and in their relation to the whole system, rather than reacting to a specific part, outcome or event in isolation. We focus on cyclical rather than linear cause and effect. By consistently practicing systems thinking we are aware of and manage well unintended consequences of organisational decisions and actions.
Strategic Thinking and Judgment	We use judgment, weighing risk against the imperative to act. We make decisions consistent with organizational strategies and values.
Vision Setting	We have the ability to identify and lead visionary initiatives that are beneficial for our organization and we set high-level direction through a visioning process that engages the organization and diverse external stakeholders.
Self-Awareness	We are able to develop a high degree of self-awareness around our own strengths and weaknesses and our impact on others. Our self-awareness enables us to moderate and self-regulate our behaviors to control and channel our impulses for good purposes.
Enabling	We all work to effectively empower and enable others to deliver the organizations goals through creating conditions of success. We passionately invest in others by developing their careers, not only their skills for the job.  We provide freedom; demonstrate belief and trust provide appropriate support. We give more freedom and demonstrate belief and trust, underpinned with appropriate support.

How to apply

Please follow the link below to access the detailed Job Description and submit your application by 19th February, 2021, indicating the position name in the email subject line. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Link to job description

Governance & Accountability Thematic Manager

http://bit.do/fNkqR – Internal (staff) applicants
http://bit.do/fNkqT – External applicants

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