Australian Aid to Solomon Islands

Australia has a deep, longstanding, and continuing relationship with Solomon Islands. Australia is an important economic partner and Solomon Islands’ largest development partner, representing two-thirds of all Official Development Assistance. Australia’s assistance is comprehensive including in health, education, infrastructure, scholarships, governance, law and justice, gender equality, disaster preparedness and response, and private sector support.

Australia – Solomon Islands Program Support (ASIPS) Facility

The Australian Government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), has contracted DT Global to establish and manage its multi-sectoral facility, Solomon Islands Program Support (ASIPS). ASIPS is the next phase of Australia’s partnership with Solomon Islands, and will provide logistical, operational and administrative support to Australia’s policy priorities and development program delivery in Solomon Islands.

ASIPS works across the Australian bilateral aid program, as well as provides support to the Australian High Commission administrations in Honiara. The in-country ASIPS Facility Support Unit (FSU) operates in a complex and evolving context, providing operational services to enable DFAT to meet its goals and objectives in Solomon Islands. The range of support includes, but is not limited to:

• Procurement and contract management of technical assistance in Solomon Islands and remotely, and support to performance management across all sector programs.
• Provision of support services (including logistics and security management) for Australian Government’s deployees and technical advisers; and
• Strategic advice, management and reporting, including program management (education), infrastructure technical management, monitoring and evaluation, strategic communications financial management and grant management.
• The integration of the cross-cutting issues of gender equality, disability and social inclusion, climate change, indigenous participation and localisation throughout program delivery.

Purpose

• The GESU Senior Program Manager, has the overall responsibility for managing and ensuring effective implementation of the Gender Equality Support Units (GESU) Activities. This involves providing strategic oversight, as well as the day-to-day operational aspects of all DFAT projects funded under the Gender Equality program, in line with each contractual agreement.
• The Senior Program Manager will also provide stakeholder partnership liaison and support to ensure effective working relationships between donors, stakeholders, and partners. This involves regular meetings and respectful communications with both the Gender Equality Team (GET) at the Australian High Commission in Honiara (AHC) and the Women’s Development Division (WDD) of the Ministry for Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs (MWYCFA) and other partners.

Roles and Responsibility

In close collaboration with the AHC Gender Equality Team and under the supervision of the ASIPS Facility Director, the Senior Program Manager will.

• Guide and support partners in work planning and budgeting, within agreed budgets.
• Support partners to stay on time and on budget with their workplan in collaboration with ASIPS Finance
• Manage any risks in line with DFAT policy in collaboration with ASIPS Finance, Partners and GET
• Support partners (such as WDD) in their procurement through ASIPS systems, through monthly procurement workshops in collaboration with ASIPS Procurement
• Support partners in their reporting and the creation of Public Diplomacy Outputs for the AHC
• Support partners in their 6th monthly reporting to the AHC through the continuous updating of their reporting Templates
• Support Professional Development for DFAT funded partner staff in collaboration with ASIPS staff and Development Effectiveness Hub Staff in monthly workshops on topics negotiated with partner staff and approved by relevant partner counterparts (such as the WDD Director).
• Manage DFAT Funded partner staff contracts in collaboration with ASIPS HR
• Manage DFAT Funded partner staff Performance Assessment in collaboration with ASIPS HR and partners.
• Recruit any short-term advisers in collaboration with ASIPS HR, partners and AHC Gender Equality Team
• Provide regular progress reporting to the Gender Equality Team at AHC through fortnightly meetings with WDD/partners-GET-GESU
• In addition to 6th monthly reporting and public diplomacy products, provide regular progress reporting directly to the AHC Gender Equality Team through either formal weekly meeting, informal one-one-one meetings with the First Secretary, Gender as agreed.
• Track expenditure against agreed budgets

Expected Outcomes

• Trusting and respectful relationships continue to be built between GESU, GET and Partners
• Partners get through their workplans on time and on budget.
• Quality and timely public diplomacy products Outputs for AHC
• Partners provide quality and timely 6th monthly Reports to AHC
• Risks are raised with AHC in a timely way and effectively managed and the GESU SPM contributes to the Facility Risk register and engages in regular reviews.