The purpose of the Iraq Governance and Performance Accountability (IGPA) project is to advance effective, accountable, and transparent governance in Iraq. This USAID effort, implemented by DAI, will work with the Government of Iraq (GOI) at all levels to better respond to citizen needs by supporting reform initiatives and Iraqi change agents on inclusive governance and public sector transparency, accountability, and economy. “Reform initiatives” include support to improve service delivery functions, public financial management, and open government initiatives. IGPA will support the GOI and the citizens of Iraq in forming partnerships and collaborative efforts to solve problems jointly. IGPA has four objectives:
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Enhance GOI service delivery capacity
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Improve public financial management
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Strengthen monitoring and oversight of service delivery and public expenditure
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Support Iraqi change agents (cross-cutting objective)
Under the supervision of the Oversight and Accountability Objective Director, IGPA will support the capacity of governorate institutions to gauge citizens’ opinions and prioritization of a variety of issues and, at the same time, increase the ability of citizens and CSOs to monitor government service delivery and transparent Public Financial Management.
While Objectives 1 and 2 focus on the “supply side” of government, Objective 3 targets citizen “demand,” including the demand for more transparent and accountable government. Part of the approach to Objective 3 is to make granular-level data generated under Objectives 1 and 2 available to civil society actors, internal audit departments, and external oversight bodies such as the Federal Board of Supreme Audit.
Through PEAs and initial assessments, IGPA seeks to identify the level of demand for certain data, especially data that would help civil society hold government accountable. This accountability is critical in light of the importance of supporting the current reform processes in Iraq, and Objective 3 will play an increasing active role in ensuring that civil society in an active and productive force for reform.
Lastly, in anticipation of upcoming parliamentary elections, Objective 3 will play a major role in ensuring that civil society is active during all phases of the elections in encouraging and demanding issue-based dialogues between voters and candidates.
The Oversight and Accountability Director will undertake a wide range of tasks, including but not limited to:
Duties and Responsibilities:
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Work closely with IGPA’s COP and DCOP, and with the ongoing effort to refine programmatic plans for oversight and accountability activities;
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Oversee oversight and accountability planning and implementation and coordination among staff in terms of systems oversight and accountability improvement, management, and implementation, including identifying potential partners, overseeing the drafting of Request for Proposals (RFPs), providing technical direction on bid evaluation committees, leading subcontractor kick off meetings, monitoring subcontractor progress and addressing any challenges, and highlighting activity successes and lessons learned;
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Work collaboratively with other IGPA technical components to support a well coordinated technical approach across programmatic activities; and ensure oversight and accountability technical plans are effectively integrated into other technical component plans;
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Supervise all oversight and accountability staff at the national level and technically guide all oversight and accountability staff at the regional and provincial levels in line with IGPA personnel policies and standard operating procedures;
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Manage oversight and accountability component activity budget including budget planning, projections and spending; manage oversight and accountability component subcontracts, their budget and spending;
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Maintain close relations with related stakeholders of the GOI including attending meetings, soliciting feedback and inputs, and reporting those to the IGPA management. In particular, implement a program of support to the COMSec DNGO that builds on IGPA’s previous work to establish functional CSO offices in selected governorates;
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Design activities that support the greater involvement of civil society in the reform processes as detailed in the government’s recent White Paper, including oversight of the budget process and development of a Citizen’s Budget;
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Develop research on the political dynamics surrounding the upcoming parliamentary elections and the potential role of civil society in promoting an issues-based election campaign;
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Identify, based on a criterion developed, possible change agents and have those participate in oversight and accountability activities to ensure a long-term champions of the change IGPA introduces through oversight and accountability objective;
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Manage TAMIS Classic and TAMIS Pro; and,
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Perform other duties as assigned by the DCOP – Programs and the COP.
Common Duties:
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Uphold the mission, values, and spirit of DAI in coordinating the program and in interacting with all community members;
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Follow and enforce all DAI codes of conduct, including but not limited to the Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Code of Conduct and Drug and Alcohol Policy; Report any violations to appropriate IGPA authority and participate in preventative initiatives;
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∙ Follow and enforce all DAI organizational policies, procedures, and guidelines including but not limited to personnel, security, communications, finance, procurement, and logistics. Report any violations to appropriate DAI authority;
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∙ Actively seek opportunities that will complement ability to fulfill position’s responsibilities as well as further professional development, such as taking part in internal and external trainings and participating on relevant advisory boards; and, ∙ Perform other duties as requested by supervisor.
Qualifications and Experience:
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Master’s degree in a social science, economics, project management or engineering.
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At least 10 years of working experience with INGOs and USAID funded projects; working with a project related to governance sector will be preferred. ∙ Strong verbal and written communication skills in English and Arabic. ∙ Excellent personnel and task management skills.
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Prior experience in a managerial position to manage staff.
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Must be capable of working both individually and as part of a team to undertake tasks in a fast-paced environment.
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Must be flexible, willing to perform other duties and work irregular hours. ∙ Excellent interpersonal skills, including patience, diplomacy, willingness to listen and respect for colleagues.