DFID Recruits Workers

DFID remains one of the largest bilateral donors in Ghana but we are in transition towards a smaller spending programme that focuses more on providing high-level advice in support of Ghana’s position as a Lower Middle Income Country. The UK Government will provide more than £125m of aid to Ghana each year for the next four years – through the bilateral programme managed directly by DFID Ghana, through programmes run from DFID in UK and through other UK Government Departments’ programmes.

The office in Accra currently has around twenty programmes covering education, health, social protection, gender, economic development, governance and accountability. We work with a range of different partners to deliver these programmes – including Government, non-government organisations, and private sector suppliers.  We also work very closely with other development partners, including the World Bank, United Nations, International Monetary Fund, European Union and with other bilaterals. We work increasingly closely with other parts of the UK Government represented in Accra.

Job Description

Job Title: A2 Social Development Advisor

Summary of the role

DFID Ghana is recruiting a Social Development Adviser (SDA) to be based in its office in Accra.  The role incorporates leading and overseeing projects managed by DFID Ghana, engaging with projects managed by DFID in UK and providing cross-cutting social development advice to the Ghana office.

Key Duties and Responsibilities 

DFID is the biggest contributor to the Government of Ghana’s flagship social protection programme – Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP).  Our commitment to this programme is valued at £36m over a 5-year period, currently scheduled to end in March 2017 but in the process of being extended to the end of 2017.  We are considering whether and how the UK might input to LEAP beyond that date.

LEAP is a complex programme which requires strong oversight.  The SDA is the Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) and lead adviser for this programme which essentially means taking responsibility for the strategic direction and technical oversight, as well as ensuring all aspects of its programme and financial management are carried out correctly.

Key interlocutors include the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP); the Chief Director and the Director of Social Protection at MoGCSP; key officials at the Ministry of Finance, the LEAP Management Unit; and team leaders/chiefs of social development units at WB/UNICEF/EU. The SDA will maintain strong contact with the social protection policy team in the UK, contributing to central thinking, inputting into key deliverables, and identifying opportunities between work being led by the Social Protection team in the UK and how it can support the Social Protection agenda in Ghana.

A newly approved programme, Preventing Violence Against Adolescent Girls (PVAAG) is planned to be launched early in 2017.  This is a £15m programme over 5 years. We are currently finalising the procurement process for the main implementing partner.  The SDA will be the SRO and lead adviser for this programme.  This is an important programme that will contribute to Government of Ghana and UK policy on ending child early and forced marriage (CEFM), addressing harmful social norms and preventing violence against women and girls (VAWG).

DFID Ghana recently funded a national domestic violence survey for Ghana, the findings of which were recently released.  It will be important for the successful candidate to follow up on the findings, engaging with stakeholders in Ghana and in DFID to share the findings and reaction to these.

The SDA will also maintain strong contact with VAWG leads and CEFM Policy Advisers in DFID UK, contributing to central thinking, inputting into key deliverables, and identifying opportunities between work being led by the VAWG and Gender teams in the UK and how it can support the agenda to end VAWG and CEFM in Ghana. The SDA will provide social analysis, as required, as well as poverty, vulnerability, gender and inequality analysis that will inform new programmes which may be developed.

Role as a cross-cutting adviser

• Lead on ensuring DFID Ghana’s compliance with the UK’s International Development (Gender Equality) Act 2014.
• Lead DFID Ghana’s engagement in the development of poverty analysis, working closely with key partners including Government of Ghana, other donors, think tanks, civil society and other key stakeholders.
• Lead on providing high quality and relevant social development and gender analysis, advice and appraisal in the development of business cases, programme implementation and monitoring/review, working with other lead advisers to ensure appropriate attention is given to social analysis, gender and disability concerns.
• Respond to corporate returns and public correspondence, Ministerial Enquiries and UK Parliamentary Questions as appropriate.

Role within the wider UK in Ghana team and across DFID on central policy

• Represent DFID Ghana in relevant external fora and work with other donors, the UN, Government and civil society to ensure that strong social analysis is more broadly considered in development activities.
• Act as DFID Ghana lead in providing advice and input into DFID policy dialogue on gender equality, women and girls’ empowerment and social protection.
• In time, play an active role in the Africa regional network of Social Development Advisers, sharing knowledge, lesson-learning and strategic thinking on Africa development issues. This includes the use of 10% of advisory time in support of wider DFID objectives.
• Engage actively in programmes run from DFID in UK.
• Identify and lead on the development of communications opportunities focused on gender equality, women and girls’ empowerment, social protection and social development issues more widely.  This will involve a close working relationship with other UK Government Departments, notably the High Commissioner, the Press and Public Affairs section and DFID Ghana’s communications lead.

Required Skills or Experience

At entry level, all Social Development Advisers are required to have a minimum of a Masters Degree or equivalent level of academic and professional experience in a subject area clearly related to social policy and development (including in social anthropology, sociology, political science, human geography, social/development policy and planning). In exceptional circumstances substantial experience will be accepted in lieu of higher degrees.  Knowledge and experience of social research, and of direct working in or on developing countries and/or in/on fragile and conflict affected environments, is also required.

Technical Competencies
1. Shared Technical Competency (applicable to all advisers) covering the following aspects;

• International Development.
• Develop and implement policy.
• Use evidence to inform policy and programming.
• Design and manage programmes and projects.
• Apply key economic and commercial concepts.

Social Development Adviser competencies

2.    Primary Competencies:

• Social and political analysis.
• Poverty, gender, vulnerability and inequality analysis and monitoring.
• Processes, programmes and institutions that enable or constrain development.

3.    Specialist Competencies (2 out of 4 required):

• Inclusive growth and economic development
• Empowerment and accountability
• Social protection
• Human development and service delivery

How To Apply

Details of the Social Development competencies are available at:

Click to access Social-Development-Sept16_.pdf

Core UK civil service competences for this post (level 4)

• Delivering at Pace
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Leading and Communicating
• Collaborating and  Partnering

Details of the above UK Civil service competencies are available at http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Civil-Service-Competency-Framework-July-2012.pdf

HOW TO APPLY

The candidate must complete the attached application form and send it to the [email protected] with a copy of their most recent CV.

Please quote the following reference number when applying “GHA/001”. Failure to do so may result in your application not being viewed,

The closing date for the vacancy is 12:00 pm on 1^st November 2016. If you have not received a response by 11 November 2016 please consider your application as unsuccessful.