Terms of Reference – Short Term Technical Assistance
Priority Area Specialists
Title: Priority Area Specialist
Reports to: Deputy Chief of Party, AFGP
Contract type: Consultant, (Short Term Technical Assistance)
Indicative Time: 30-60 days per year (based on needs), spread over the year
Location: Each province and region of Pakistan (work from home and travel assignments)
Background:
Trust for Democratic Education and Accountability (TDEA), a Pakistani non-governmental organization, is implementing the USAID’s five-year Ambassador’s Fund Grant Program (AFGP). The Ambassador Fund grants aim at improving the economic and social conditions of Pakistani people in the priority areas identified by the United States Ambassador. The program also aims to expand and strengthen the relationship between the people of the United States and Pakistan. The AFGP began in October 2017 and will continue through September 2022.
AFGP awards grants in the following areas[1]:
- Empowering Vulnerable Populations
- Supporting Governance Institutions in KP-Newly Made Districts
- Engendering Free Information and Free Press Organizations
- Expanding Social Tolerance to Reduce Conflict
AFGP is looking for Technical Specialists, who can provide technical support to the team and the AFGP grantees in the above Priority Areas (PA).
Responsibilities:
Pre-Award
- Promote the PA in the development and private sectors, to enhance/strengthen the applications pipeline
- Support the Technical Review Committee in assessing new applications
- Provide technical assistance to applicants
- Analyze all applications within the PA, to identify technical capacity gaps that need addressing by the wider sector
Post Award
- Support orientation and program related trainings for new grantees
- Provide hands-on technical support to all grantees working in the PA
- Support grantees in the development and implementation of capacity building plans, sustainability plans from a technical perspective.
- Support grantees in connecting them with the relevant stakeholders in the public and private sectors, including private and institutional donors.
Knowledge Management
- Support the Community of Practice (CoP) for the PA, to ensure a vibrant and connected CoP, where grantees can learn and share
- Document and disseminate good practice examples
- Contribute to reports, newsletters etc
General Responsibilities
- Adhere to all security advice from TDEA security Unit.
- Adhere to TDEA Policies and Procedures as outlined in the Program and Operations Manual.
- Submit all technical outputs to the Chief of Party, in accordance with TDEA’s quality assurance procedures.
- Report in advance possible resourcing decisions and/or any procurement to the Deputy Chief of Party – AFGP to ensure all program costs are properly supported within the AFGP budget.
- Engage in the activities of the program team on a needs basis and contribute to the progression of the program, to ensure delivery of project outputs and outcomes in line with the AFGP quality requirements
Undertake other duties assigned by the Chief of Party, Deputy Chief of Party, Head of Programs for the successful accomplishment of the program’s immediate objectives.
[1] Further details on the Priority Areas can be found on the AFGP website: https://tdea.pk/afgp/
- At least 10 years of demonstrable experience in the relevant field.
- Masters’ Degree in development studies, gender studies or public policy or any other subject relevant to the priority area.
- Understanding of institutional development issues in the Pakistan context.
- Advanced communication skills, including active listening skills and excellent written communication.
- Exceptional interpersonal and skills and an ability to work collegially with team members and stakeholders
- Proven analytical skills.
- Ability to allocate and review priorities to meet deadlines.
- Flexibility in approach and an ability to adapt to varying demands.
- Ability to work independently, with minimal support.
- Ability and willingness to travel to remote project locations.
- Working knowledge of the Microsoft Office suite.
Cover Letter is a mandatory part of your application. Please submit your roster application with cover letter through our online career’s portal at https://tdea.pk/careers/. The last date for submitting application is December 31, 2019. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and appropriate candidates may be contacted earlier than the application deadline mentioned above.
The Trust for Democratic Education and Accountability (TDEA) was established in October 2008. It was a spin-off of the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN). After having conducted the largest domestic observation of general elections -2008 in Pakistan and influencing the subsequent process of electoral reforms, member organizations that formed FAFEN decided to formalize the network by acquiring legal status as a prerequisite to sustainability of the landmark work. Following exhaustive discussions that spanned more than a year, FAFEN member organizations decided to transform the network into a legal entity. The establishment of TDEA and subsequent process of institutionalization was a step towards sustainability of work initiated in the area of election observation, voter education and electoral reforms advocacy. Subsequently, TDEA was registered under Trust Act 1882.
TDEA developed a defined governance structure keeping in view the statutory requirements and dynamism of the network that drew its strength from participatory decision-making, inclusiveness and collective action. While Trust can take any measures to achieve its objectives, The Trust Deed empowers TDEA to execute its programs through FAFEN in advancement of its objectives and to ensure a maximum outreach to its beneficiaries — general pubic of all ages, gender, race, ethnicity, creed and religions in Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. TDEA is governed under its Compendium of Policies and Procedures, which define governance and processes for the day-to-day management of its functions. As a forward-looking organization, the Trust organizes itself to maximize efficiency, output, internal accountability and transparency.