Director, Bougainville Partnership

Director, Bougainville Partnership

Abt Global

Papua New Guinea

Core Responsibilities:

The Director, Bougainville Partnership will have responsibility for:

• Operating in a senior leadership role in supporting DFAT, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), the Executive Director, leading BP Advisers and team in the implementation, management and coordination of the Partnership in consultation with the program’s primary counterparts;
• Demonstrated ability to work in an adaptive manner, with the strategic ability to pivot program approaches in line with the political economy in consultation with, and at the direction of, the Australian High Commission (AHC) and New Zealand High Commission (NZHC);
• Assist DFAT and MFAT to build, manage, and leverage a network of relationships and stakeholders that are central to the Bougainville Partnership;
• Demonstrate a visible and systematic commitment to achieving gender equality through the APSP and for achieving against agreed gender equality performance objectives.

Partnership Management:

In collaboration with the Executive Director, APSP, lead the strategic direction and sound management of the BP, ensuring the Partnership remains positioned to achieve its goals and outcomes under the three Pillars:

• Pillar 1 – Capable Institutions:
  • Maintain implementation momentum;
  • Alignment of BP programming with draw down and transfer of powers;
  • Advisory support to develop capability of identified ABG Departments;
  • Advisory support to Intergovernmental dialogue between the ABG and the GoPNG;
  • Support to the free, fair and transparent delivery of the 2025 ABG elections.
• Pillar 2 – Economic Development:
  • Assure BP alignment with ABG Economic Policy imperatives;
  • Ongoing support to operationalise economic legislation;
  • Commodity Support Facility Grants and the CARE BECOMES program;
  • Bougainville Business Association Strengthening Project;
  • Labour Mobility Program;
  • Numa Numa Trail Development Program;
  • Bougainville Chocolate Festival.
• Pillar 3 – Stronger Communities:
  • Bougainville Community Grants Scheme;
  • Strongim Social Capital Grants to key civil society organisations;
  • Community Government Institutional Strengthening Program;
  • Infrastructure Projects – Water Security, Sanitation, Police Infrastructure, Community and Government Infrastructure.
• Facilitate Partnership delivery in a way which responds to the priorities of the ABG, Australia, and New Zealand; leverages resources and activities; is responsive to stakeholder needs and ensures effective allocation of BP resources;
• Engage in dialogue on Partnership related matters with ABG, GoPNG, AHC, NZHC, and sector stakeholders;
• Ensure timely, high quality, responsive, flexible, and within budget delivery of the Annual Work Plan (AWP) as approved by the Bougainville Partnership Steering Committee;
• Provide operational advice to the Executive Director on emerging issues as they arise, including advising on possible ways to address issues and mitigate risks and take an active role in their resolution;
• Oversee Finance & Operations Lead who will ensure a functioning operating platform for delivery of services including finance, human resources, travel, procurement, logistics, security and transportation across all three Pillars of BP Program activities and implementation throughout Bougainville.

Planning and Policy:

• Drive BP annual planning including; review annual plans, bi-annual plans and undertake ad-hoc planning as required through the Executive Director;
• Lead the development of Concept Notes/Business Case Proposals with other Advisers for new projects for submission to the Executive Director and relevant Technical Working Groups and Committees;
• Support the development of appropriate Partnership policies as required for submission to the Executive Director and oversee the implementation of those approved policies and operational procedures.

Team management:

• Plan, direct and coordinate the work of BP staff including supervision and evaluation, training and team building;
• Monitor and mentor the continued improvements in performance to ensure adequate and qualified staff carry out BP activities;
• Manage the selection, procurement and delivery of other forms of non-advisory technical assistance as required;
• Provide leadership, coaching and mentoring to BP staff to foster a cohesive, shared and unified approach to program implementation with strategic partners, counterparts and implementing partners.

Operations Compliance:

• Ensure key Partnership planning documents are up-to-date and in accordance with the priorities of the Partnership, as agreed with the Executive Director;
• Ensure compliance with the APSP operations manual, APSP financial controls manual (incl. for grants coordination, management and administration), and grants management procedures.

Financial Management and Grants Management:

• Ensure that general financial documents and controls are up-to-date and in accordance with the priorities of the Partnership, as agreed with the Executive Director;
• Ensure that financial procedures and controls for the implementation of approved projects and grants are established, managed and administered in accordance with APSP standards of transparency, accountability and fiduciary risk;
• Oversee regular fiduciary risk reviews of approved projects to ensure accountable standards of management and administration.

Risk Management and Security:

• Facilitate Partnership annual risk and security planning; review risk and security plans quarterly and undertake ad-hoc risk and security assessments as required;
• Facilitate the development of Risk Assessment and Security Plans in accordance with APSP policy with an emphasis on security of personnel and property/assets; regional remote travel; ocean/estuary travel; sensitive localities; and the political economy;
• Oversee implementation and compliance of approved risk and security management plans in consultation with the Executive Director, Team Leaders and Senior Advisers. Ensure compliance with APSP program risk strategies/plans and security strategies/plans;
• Ensure all programmatic and corporate risk and fraud issues are proactively identified, reported, and managed following corporate and DFAT policies and procedures.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting:

• Support the updating of the BP design and impacts on logical framework as required, inclusive of identification of relevant performance indicators and means of verification to enable output, outcome and impact reporting;
• Facilitate regular monitoring, evaluation and reporting of relevant Program activities;
• Facilitate the production of analytical and progress reports on BP strategies, activities, risks and issues for various stakeholders, including, the Executive Director, DFAT, MFAT and Formal Committees;
• Facilitate ongoing performance information and data collection to update and maintain relevant BP baseline files and contribute to biannual and annual reports as required.

Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion Mainstreaming:

• Demonstrate leadership support for the implementation of key diversity and inclusion policies, including:
  • Gender Equality Policy;
  • Respect at Work Policy;
  • Flexible Work Policy;
  • Paid Parental Leave Policy;
  • Compensation Policy;
  • Leave Policy.
• Gender Mainstreaming: Ensure the BP delivery strategies address issues of women’s leadership, economic and physical security through mainstreaming inclusion principles and strategies across all work plans;
• Continuous Improvement: Monitor evidence of what works to promote greater gender equity, disability, and social inclusion and ensure evidence is translated into changes in implementation.

Selection Criteria:

• Advanced Degree qualification in international relations, public policy, human rights, development studies, management or a related field (preferable);
• Strong background and demonstrated capacity to oversee all administrative, operational and programmatic aspects of a high-profile aid investment within a complex, sensitive and evolving political economy;
• Awareness and understanding of the Bougainville history and context within PNG, Melanesia and the Pacific, would be beneficial;
• Demonstrated awareness and understanding of sub-national governance in PNG and Melanesia and place-based programming and locally led development methodologies to improve service delivery, would be beneficial;
• Outstanding intercultural team leadership skills demonstrated on large donor programs within an evolving political economy;
• Excellent political economy analytical skills that are regularly applied to ensure the Program’s sustained delivery against approved investment designs, strategies and workplans;
• Ability to understand local contexts and provide advice to donors on adaptive programming to ensure investments remain aligned with partner’s priorities;
• Excellent representational skills that ensure key relationships are well maintained with donor partners, senior government officials (national and sub-national), implementing partners and civil society;
• Strong negotiation skills that are applied across various contexts to ensure program continuity and program growth.

Apply NowDeadline 19 August