The five-year (2020-2025) USAID Local Impact Governance Activity (Local Impact) is helping Zambia build up a sub-national system of governance for devolved service delivery more responsive to citizen needs. The program is engaging national and sub-national authorities to expand the capabilities of partner provinces and districts to deliver sustainable development outcomes, increase effective citizen and private-sector involvement in development planning and monitoring, and improve public financial management and domestic revenue generation. Local Impact is looking to hire for the following position.

The activity is specifically working toward three objectives:

• Objective 1: Citizens improve their collective skills to effectively assess service-delivery needs and performance and constructively engage with government.
• Objective 2: The sub-national governance system becomes more responsive to citizen needs, generates, and accountably expends revenue, and improves service-delivery outcomes.
• Objective 3: The program generates learning and facilitates problem solving that supports the development of an effective, financially viable sub-national governance system for devolved services, capable of being scaled up throughout Zambia.

1.    Position One (1)

Position Summary

Position: Decentralization Technical Advisor
Location: Lusaka, Zambia
Contract Name: USAID Local Impact Governance Project
Type: Long Term Technical Assistance
Salary Grade: Grade 12
Period of Performance: On/around November 1, 2022 – November 1, 2025

1.    PURPOSE

The Decentralization Technical Advisor (DTA) will support the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) in promoting and implementing its decentralization and service delivery devolution, agenda, as described in the most recent Decentralization Policy and Decentralization Implementation Plan currently being finalized by the GRZ. This will entail provision of technical expertise to the Decentralization Secretariat (DS) and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD). The DTA may be embedded at the DS and MLGRD spending two days a week in each agency and one day at Local Impact Office. The DTA will report directly to the Local Impact COP and work closely with project’s Senior Management Team to ensure that this work is aligned with Local Impact activities described in project’s Annual Work Plan and the GRZ’s decentralization and devolution priorities.

2.    MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provides support to the DS and MLGRD Local Government Administration directors and their respective teams to support planning and implementation of DIP activities and Decentralization Policy priorities;
• Supports effective collaboration and communications between the DS and MLGRD and the other key GRZ decentralization and devolution stakeholders, including but not limited to the Ministry of Finance and National Planning along with relevant line ministries and service commissions;
• Supports the effective and systematic coordination and communications between MLGRD, DS, and subnational authorities, including but not limited to provincial and local authorities, to ensure for the effective implementation of the DIP;
• Advises and supports the DS and MLGRD on cooperating partner consultations and coordination, including work related to the management of the Decentralization Working Group;
• Supports GRZ in their making strategic policy and programme choices and implementing them; and
• Coordinates closely with the World Bank-supported Zambia Devolution Programme. Decentralisation for Development (D4D) and other cooperating partner projects on national-level interventions to advance decentralization.

3.    PLACE OF PERFORMANCE AND REPORTING

• The position will be based in the Local Impact main office in Lusaka, Zambia and will report to the Chief of Party;
• There may be some travel to provincial offices.

4.    MINIMUM QUALIFICATION AND COMPETENCIES

• A Master’s degree in Social Sciences or Public Policy/Administration or other related field
• At least ten years of experience working with subnational governments (provinces, districts and/or local authorities) with expertise in one or more relevant technical areas such as capacity development/institutional strengthening related to decentralization and intergovernmental relations (especially, but not limited to, fiscal systems);
• Excellent relationship-building skills, understanding how and when to capitalize on relationships to facilitate achievement of results;
• Strong written and oral English skills; fluency in one or more local languages preferred.