Deputy Project Leader – Projet « Sustainable Cities – Ghana » At Expertise France

1. Project description

With a total population of 30.4 million people in 2019 and more than 55% living in cities, Ghana has a dense network of urban areas mostly concentrated along the Atlantic coast and in the Ashanti Region. The country is halfway through urbanisation, and has benefited from an urban economic network more advanced than other countries in West Africa. While the first period of urbanisation has generated job creation and opportunities, improved living conditions and reduced poverty for many Ghanaians, the country now faces the challenges of economic efficiency and social inclusion within its urban areas, where globally basic services are still lacking. In addition, unplanned spatial expansion of urban and metropolitan areas and their limited connectivity within and across Ghana’s cities is a challenge, increasing social and environmental costs, unequal and inadequate access to basic services, health risks and ecological damages.

To address these challenges, an integrated programme is proposed by the European Union to meet demands in infrastructures and services by working both on the institutional and legislative framework at central level, and on the urban growth at local level.

As a second largest technical cooperation agency in Europe, Expertise France (EF) has been entrusted by the EU with the design and implementation of the “Sustainable Cities – Phase 1” project. The action proposed by Expertise France will address the need for capacity building and data collection of the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGRD); at decentralised level the action will target selected Regional Capitals – Wa, Damongo, Nalerigu, Bolgatanga, Tamale – and the secondary city of Yendi.

1. Objectives of the Project

a.Improve governance and implementation of urban policies

The Sustainable Cities in Ghana – Phase 1 is funded by the European Union (EU) to support both national and sustainable and inclusive cities, with local authorities enhancing sustainable cities in Ghana. The project will support the development of more sustainable cities a particular focus on 6 cities of the Northern regions during 48 months.

The Overall Objective of this action is to improve urban prosperity for all.

The Specific Objectives of this action are to:

1. Increase accessibility to quality urban services and accountability of local authorities.

In order to achieve this objectives, EF will pursue the following actions:

• Encourage coordination mechanisms between local and national authorities: strengthening capacities, setting up of an urban observatory, inclusion of climate change and inclusivity issues in the urban policies, peer-to-peer dialogue etc. ;
• Structurally improve urban governance by strengthening the capacity of central and local governments to coordinate, design and implement urban policies, planning and regulation ;
• Enhancing and building the technical capacities of local authorities and promoting participatory approach;
• Supporting local authorities in planning and implementation process to improve water, sanitation and waste management services in the 6 cities of the project.

3. Job description

To support the implementation of the “Sustainable Cities” project, Expertise France is looking for a Deputy Project Leader. Under the responsibility of the Project Leader based between Accra and Tamale, the Deputy Project Leader will support the Project Leader on the operational project management and implementation. He/she will assist the Project Leader in the day-to-day management of the project, helping to ensure that the strategic and financial objectives are translated into operational terms within the activities.

He/she will be specifically responsible for the coordination and supervision of the long-term thematic pool of experts who will be mobilized all along the project on the following themes: waste management, urban planning, business models, water and sanitation.

He/she will work functionally with on-site support and transversal functions dedicated to the project: logistics officer, administration and finance leader, accounting and finance assistants, logistics and security officer, drivers. He/she may also be linked to the transversal services of Expertise France as required (legal affairs, financial affairs, communication, monitoring and evaluation, etc.).

The key responsibilities of the Deputy Project Leader include the following:

Operational management of activities

In close collaboration with the Project Manager:

• Support planning and implementation of the activities as a whole, according to the criteria of quality, duration and costs contractually set with the donors and in close collaboration with the various stakeholders
• Organize and facilitate consultation/coordination meetings between the project team and local partners on technical and operational aspects
• Participate in the identification, definition of needs and the elaboration of terms of reference and the recruitment of experts (short and long term) mobilized to meet the needs of the project
• Coordinate the mobilization of project implementation partners (experts, public and private stakeholders, associations etc.) in the 6 supported cities
• Ensure the quality control of the deliverables produced by the project experts (mission reports, contract deliverables, etc.)
• Ensure, in liaison with the Ghanaian competent authorities, the monitoring of the implementation of expert services in each specific area of expertise, including the proper use and application of tools and procedures
• Report on the difficulties encountered, the risks identified and/or the context elements (sector, security, policy, etc.) that may have an impact on the successful implementation of the activities, and participate in the identification of mitigation measures
• Participate in the organisation of project monitoring and steering committees, in close coordination with stakeholders (Ghanaian authorities, EF, EU, etc.)

Administrative and financial management of the project

• Ensure close coordination with the Administrative-Financial team and the logistic and security officer regarding the administrative, financial and logistical organization of the field technical expertise missions
• Ensure budget planning is consistent with operational planning, identify variances and propose adjustments where necessary
• Contribute to the budget monitoring of the project in collaboration with the Administrative and Financial team
• Contribute to compliance with procedures imposed by the EU and Expertise France (rules on eligibility of expenses, procurement, grants, reporting).

Monitoring, evaluation and capitalization of the project

• Participate in the implementation of the methodological framework and analytical tools to monitor and measure results across the project
• Participate in field data collection and analysis
• Contribute to the development and consolidation of key project documents and deliverables
• Contribute to the preparation of interim and final activity reports (narrative and financial) in accordance with deadlines and contractual terms prior to HQ validation.

4. Position requirements

Education / qualification

• Master’s degree in international development, urban planning, sustainable development, environment or any other relevant discipline
• Fluent in spoken and written English and French
• Computer literacy and IT savviness: text processing tools, spread sheet tools, financial and planning tools

Professional experience

• A minimum of 10 years of working experience in urban planning / sustainable development
• At least 5 years directly managing staffs and project teams
• Proven experience coordinating, managing and leading complex projects, international teams in donor funded projects, for at least 2 projects
• Demonstrated experience in international projects implementation and a strong track record of EU-funded projects’ management
• Strong technical expertise in urban development issues
• Demonstrated experience in institutional capacity-building related to urban development

Additional specific requirements

• Demonstrated management experiences in a multicultural environment
• Proven skills in negotiation, listening, setting priorities, problem-solving and decision-making, in particular in interactions with the EU and its network, diplomatic delegations and other external partners
• A strong sense of organisation, rigour and autonomy is required
• Excellent communication skills: diplomacy and communication with private or public partners, local and international
• Ability to analyze, design and deliver a context-specific solution
• Excellent analytical and reporting skills
• Strong ability to evolve in a political and sensitive environment
• Experience working in Ghana or Gulf of Guinea region will be an asset