Senior Specialist Government Systems at BRAC

• The role will provide thoughtful expert advice to our country and global teams on how to work effectively with Governments and through Government systems to design and implement Graduation programmes. We are looking for candidates with extensive experience working with Governments and a solid understanding of Government systems relevant to social protection, livelihoods and economic inclusion, rural and urban development, and/or youth programming. We are looking for candidates who are interested in thinking outside the box, and excited to explore how a well evidenced approach proven to deliver transformational impacts for people living in extreme poverty can be adapted so that it can be delivered through Government systems and within available capabilities. This is a global position and will require work across multiple countries across Africa and Asia, with regular travel. 
• This role will be based within the Program Design & Impact (PDI) team, which aims to support country teams and partners by ensuring efforts are informed by an understanding of evidence, lessons, and recent trends relevant to the Graduation approach, and tailored to the unique contexts and institutional arrangements and capabilities of partner governments. The role will require out of the box thinking, an understanding of how to work in partnership with Governments, and creative suggestions to support design decisions and ensure that they are compatible with existing government systems and capabilities.
• Reporting to the Global Lead, Program Design & Impact, the Senior Specialist, Government Systems will lead our support to the UPGI country teams and our government partners, providing senior expertise and connecting them to knowledge and networks, as well as ensuring that we are learning across our efforts globally. This is a new position within the team; there is substantial room for innovation and we are looking for candidates willing to propose and operationalize fresh ideas. Candidates who thrive in a self-starting environment with a willingness to deconstruct complex, multisectoral challenges will excel in this role. This position would require close work with staff and partners based in Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia, entailing frequent travel to/within Asia and Africa and a high degree of flexibility to work across different time zones, contextual priorities, and working environments.
• We are looking for someone who enjoys a challenge, likes thinking outside the box, and is interested in exploring how to do development work differently and support Governments and local efforts to develop nationally owned and sustainable solutions towards eradicating extreme poverty. 

Primary Responsibilities

• In close cooperation with the Global Lead for Programme Design and Impact, lead the PDI team in delivering high quality technical assistance on how to deliver graduation programming using Government systems and capacity:

  • Lead efforts to ensure that country governments’ Graduation programme design and implementation plans can scale by ensuring that decisions are informed by an assessment of how they can be delivered through Government systems and within existing or newly built capabilities; 

  • Provide senior leadership and quality assurance globally and to country teams on evidence of what works when leveraging delivery systems within Government and building up Government capability to deliver a new type of programming at scale; 

  • Oversee the development and delivery of technical materials on different relevant government systems and methodologies underpinning our work (including but not limited to MIS, social registries, intra-governmental coordination mechanisms, capacity gap assessments and training plans, targeting methodologies, cost-effectiveness and efficiency assessments, etc) for Country Teams, Governments and local partners across the programme implementation cycle; 

  • Under the leadership of UPGI’s country teams, support the delivery of high-quality technical assistance and thought partnership to government partners when requested;

  • Lead on synthesizing our understanding of what works and how to design and implement government led graduation programmes from a technical perspective, drawing on UPGI’s work in countries and international literature and the work of other relevant actors;  

• Provide senior leadership on activities related to government systems considerations (e.g. political economy analysis, capacity building workshops, needs assessments, programme/policy costing, MIS, targeting, etc).  
• Lead on building up an understanding of relevant government systems across UPGI’s by strengthening (a) the knowledge and capacity of UPGI team members and (b) UPGI’s institutional mechanisms for learning and knowledge retention.
• Lead on the development of a more nuanced and comprehensive understanding of what the latest thinking and evidence on government systems means for effective adaptation of the Graduation approach within governments.
• In partnership with the Senior Specialist Graduation Programme Design, Country teams and others, further UPGI’s learning on how to design and deliver graduation programming so that it can be delivered by Governments using Government systems. Ensure that learning feeds back into our ongoing country work.
• Support UPGI’s Global influencing work when requested by representing BRAC UPGI in external fora such as conferences, webinars, and other influencing environments to drive greater global understanding of the intersection of the Graduation approach and government-led social protection programming/youth programmes/rural development programmes
• Provide Technical inputs on the development of internal- and externally-facing materials highlighting key considerations in adaptation of the Graduation approach with governments to influence key stakeholders (e.g. program/policy briefs, literature reviews, technical blog posts) 
• Provide regular review of knowledge products on adaptation of the Graduation approach with governments (e.g. journal articles, multilateral and NGO reports, thinktank/consulting reports) and identify implications for UPGI’s work. 
• Work closely with staff from a range of technical and cultural backgrounds to build or enhance their technical understanding of graduation as a concept, and co-create strategies for how to adapt and adjust the model to local contexts and delivery by Governments;
• Manage more junior global team members within the programme design and impact team and provide mentorship and guidance more broadly within UPGI on a range of government systems and relevant approaches and methodologies.

The role requires planning, vision, and management capabilities and an interest in doing things differently and a certain degree of comfort and interest in adaptive programming and learning. 

Other (Safeguarding Responsibilities) 

• Ensure the safety of team members from any harm, abuse, neglect, harassment, and exploitation to achieve the program’s goals of safeguarding implementation. 
• Practice, promote and endorse the issues of safeguarding policy among team members and ensure the implementation of safeguarding standards in every course of action.  
• Follow the safeguarding reporting procedure in case any reportable incident takes place, and encourage others to do so.

Qualifications 

• We are looking for experienced candidates who are interested in thinking about how to do development work differently. A strong candidate would combine deep technical expertise with intellectual curiosity on how to do work differently. A deep understanding of the need to adapt to local context and how to work in support of Governments is essential. 

Specific qualifications and skills:

• Master’s degree in social sciences, public administration, economics, international development, or another related field required; 
• At least 10 years of work experience in international development and/or within Government. Experience in programme design, institutional reform processes, providing technical assistance to Government, or delivery systems within a relevant sector preferred
• Sector expertise in governance or social protection/the Graduation approach/economic inclusion is essential. Expertise and understanding of any of the following desirable - social protection, gender, livelihoods, or financial inclusion; cash-plus programmes
• Experience of working directly with Governments is highly desirable
• Proven track record of building capacity across a global organization highly desirable
• Ability to think outside the box and work independently 
• Strong organization and planning
• Ability to thrive in work environments that are diverse, fast moving, entrepreneurial, and located in multiple time zones.