Public Investment in Children Advisor at Save the Children

TITLE: Public Investment in Children Advisor

TEAM/PROGRAMME: Programme Development and Quality

LOCATION: Dakar (Senegal) or Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire)

GRADE: NAT2 or INT4

CONTRACT LENGTH: 2 years

CHILD SAFEGUARDING:

Level 2: either the post holder will have access to personal data about children and/or young people as part of their work; or the post holder will be working in a ‘regulated’ position (accountant, barrister, solicitor, legal executive); therefore, a police check will be required (at ‘standard’ level in the UK or equivalent in other countries).

ROLE PURPOSE:

In support of Save the Children’s Global Strategy, the holder of this role is responsible for leading the development and delivery of national and local level advocacy strategies, governance programming, and where relevant campaigning on public investment/fair financing in two country offices. The role will be accountable for securing increased and improved financing and public budgeting for the provision of equitable, quality social services and other rights to children.

This role will be shared by two country programmes and the role holder will be required to be based in Senegal or Côte d’Ivoire with an agreed % of travel to Côte d’Ivoire or Senegal.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: Programme Development and Quality Director with a dotted line to the Head of Advocacy, Campaigns and Communication and the Regional Child Rights and Governance Advisor.

Staff reporting to this post: n/a

Budget Responsibilities: n/a

Role dimensions : Public Investment in children advisor is a demanding role that requires excellent technical knowledge of public financial management, fiscal policy and proven experience leading either (1) the design and implementation of a budget analysis and advocacy campaign; preferably for children or youth, or (2) expertise in assessing public financial management performance (e.g. budget analysis, budget and fiscal participation and transparency, understanding of local political economy and public financial management systems reform); preferably for children or youth. The role requires: the ability to conduct strong technical analysis; provide technical guidance to others; strong written and verbal communication skills; capacity to operate in a global, complex organization; work to deadlines; and manage a heavy workload.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

A. Technical Leadership:

• Provide technical and strategic leadership on public investment/fair finance for the two Country Offices with a focus on budget analysis, budget participation and budget advocacy but also, where appropriate, the assessment of public financial management performance, fiscal policy, domestic resource mobilisation/tax, and the impact of debt relief on children’s rights and outcomes.
• Design, lead and deliver the public investment/fair finance work-plan for the country office identifying high priority opportunities at the subnational and national levels for engagement and influencing.
• Build the capability of country office staff, partners, and strategic partners (including children and young people) to engage with local actors and local/national government on fair financing/public investment in children with a focus on budget analysis and advocacy.

B. Ensuring Advocacy and Programme Quality (Design & Implementation):

• In addition to the above, provide oversight and guidance to programme and advocacy implementation teams to ensure that any public investment/fair finance elements in their work are technically sound, implementation methods are consistent with national and global strategies, and internal good practice (e.g., Save the Children’s own methodology for working on public investment in children); and are likely to achieve scale, as well as equitable and sustainable results.
• Work with Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning teams to conduct quality monitoring of the country offices public investment/fair finance portfolio against international standards and to contribute towards the creation of an organisational learning culture around public investment/fair financing for children.
• Lead proposal writing during new programme development to ensure that we design and deliver high quality integrated public investment/fair finance work, building on global best practice and using a rights-based approach.
• Work closely with new business development colleagues to identify and pursue funding opportunities that allow for both integration into broader programmes and standalone public investment/fair financing work.

C. Networking and External Engagement

• Represent Save the Children in relevant external working groups and meetings, including working with coalition partners and government entities.
• Identify and work with partners, including but not limited to, academic institutions and child-led organisations to build their capacity and support collaboration on public investment/fair finance, advocacy strategies and accountability mechanisms.
• Identify and engage budget and tax advocacy organisations, public finance donors and development banks to strengthen their commitment to investing in children and to engaging children and communities in public participatory mechanisms that hold governments accountable for spending commitments.
• Allocate approximately 10%-15% of their time to Save the Children’s internal working group that provides thought leadership and builds internal knowledge and capacity to this area of work (the Public Investment in Children technical working group and its community of practice).
• Build strong relationships with colleagues across the thematic areas at national level, and with regional and global advocacy and Child Rights Governance colleagues.

QUALIFICATIONS

Educated to degree level in a relevant field / equivalent experience

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• Public Financial Management expert, with specialism on budget and fiscal transparency and analysis and a leading edge understanding of the impact that the public financial management performance has on children’s lives.
• A proven track record of:
  • Leading analysis and research on fiscal policy and public financial management performance. Specifically, budgets/public expenditure (a plus would be experience on domestic resource mobilisation/tax, or public financial management systems and reform); and/or
  • A proven track record of designing and implementing a budget advocacy campaign, preferably with children or young people.
• A proven track record of working with civil society, public participation, or audit institutions to keep government accountable preferably with children and youth will be an asset.
• Ability to think creatively, innovate, set priorities, manage a work plan, and evaluate progress with minimal supervision.
• Very strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work with others and maintain a strong internal and external network, drawing on others when needed; evidence of working in complex, global organization on governance projects, and/or advocacy and campaigning.