Regional Programme Advisor Equality, West Africa at Oxfam

Job Purpose

To support and/or coordinate programmes tackling inequality through extractive industries and progressive taxation and spending on quality and social services. This involves overseeing the design and implementation of donor funded programmes in this area, including in some instances reporting and donor relationship support

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

This role will be responsible for providing technical support on approaches to influence more progressive resource mobilisation strategies and policies of governments, connect work on the ground with national and global level policy and campaigning, and ensuring citizens are meaningfully engaged in holding duty bearers to account for promoting and implementing progressive, gender sensitive and accountable fiscal policies. Key responsibilities include:

• Provide leadership and strategic direction to country teams on programme design, planning , implementation and monitoring of activities in relation to fiscal justice aiming at fighting against Illicit Financial flows and improving tax policies and regulations, improving governance standards in the exploitation of mineral resources and increasing investment in social services
• Raise awareness and understanding on IFFs and build a West African constituency that is able to contribute to the global actions on the issues
• Advocate for West African presence and contribution in global initiatives aiming at redefining international tax rules
• Conduct regional studies on tax and inequalities in the region
• Engage with regional bodies for the adoption of a common regional guidelines for tax exemptions, and advocate for transparency in tax exemptions management at countries level and for relevant tax related information to be made accessible to public scrutiny
• Analyse information to assess progressivity of tax system in the region and make recommendations
• Provide programme oversight, ensure linkages and learning between country programmes and manage effective reporting and communications externally and with donors
• Work towards influencing relevant regional actors such as ECOWAS, WAEMU and the AU to improve the revenue collection capacity of countries in the region
• Provide advice, facilitation and accompaniment to build country and regional programmes capacity and support strategy and best practice, with a particular focus on public spending and budget monitoring
• Build partners capacity to be able to monitor tax policies and public investments in priority sectors and demand for reforms in the region
• Support fundraising, including the development of donor proposals in relation to Fiscal Justice related work
• As appropriate, contribute to OI inter-affiliate working groups on Fiscal Accountability for Inequality reduction (funding and programme development)
• Work closely with other regional actors to define and voice the region’s position and contribution to the continental and global movement.
• Lead on development of thinking, learning and knowledge on fiscal justice and social accountability approaches that support women’s and youth empowerment, promoting free access to quality essential services

Technical Skills, Experience & Knowledge

Essential

· A university degree in law, economics, international development, social or environmental science, or other relevant fields

• Proven experience of programme management, strategic project oversight and coordination of complex projects and multi-country programmes

• Experience and understanding of key policy and programme areas linked to tax and progressive public spending, particularly in health, education, social protection, agriculture; or social accountability

• Experience in mainstreaming gender and supporting the design of programmes with a strong focus on gender justice and knowledge of approaches such as gender responsive budgeting

• Excellent written and oral communications skills in English or French, and good working knowledge of the other one

· Ability and willingness to travel including in remote and conflict affected areas

Desirable

• Experience in providing advisory support to senior managers or coaching staff – especially in advocacy, influencing and programme management.
• Experience in working on programmes with young people

· Understanding of advocacy and/or campaigning, particularly directed at Southern Governments and southern or global institutions.

Key Behavioural Competencies (based on Oxfam’s Leadership Model)

Competencies

Description

Decisiveness

We are comfortable to make transparent decisions and to adapt decision making modes to the context and needs.

Influencing

We have the ability to engage with diverse stakeholders in a way that leads to increased impact for the organisation We spot opportunities to influence effectively and where there are no opportunities we have the ability to create them in a respectful and impactful manner.

Humility

We put ‘we’ before ‘me’ and place an emphasis on the power of the collective, nurture the team and play to the strengths of each individual. We are not concerned with hierarchical power, and we engage with, trust and value the knowledge and expertise of others across all levels of the organization.

Relationship Building

We understand the importance of building relationship, within and outside the organization. We have the ability to engage with traditional and non-traditional stakeholders in ways that lead to increased impact for the organisation.

Listening

We are good listeners who can see where deeper levels of thoughts and tacit assumptions differ. Our messages to others are clear, and consider different preferences.

Mutual Accountability

We can explain our decisions and how we have taken them based on our organizational values. We are ready to be held to account for what we do and how we behave, as we are also holding others to account in a consistent manner.

Agility, Complexity, and Ambiguity

We scan the environment, anticipate changes, are comfortable with lack of clarity and deal with a large number of elements interacting in diverse and unpredictable ways.

Systems Thinking

We view problems as parts of an overall system and in their relation to the whole system, rather than reacting to a specific part, outcome or event in isolation. We focus on cyclical rather than linear cause and effect. By consistently practicing systems thinking we are aware of and manage well unintended consequences of organisational decisions and actions.

Strategic Thinking and Judgment

We use judgment, weighing risk against the imperative to act. We make decisions consistent with organizational strategies and values.

Vision Setting

We have the ability to identify and lead visionary initiatives that are beneficial for our organization and we set high-level direction through a visioning process that engages the organization and diverse external stakeholders.

Self-Awareness

We are able to develop a high degree of self-awareness around our own strengths and weaknesses and our impact on others. Our self-awareness enables us to moderate and self-regulate our behaviors to control and channel our impulses for good purposes.

Enabling

We all work to effectively empower and enable others to deliver the organizations goals through creating conditions of success. We passionately invest in others by developing their careers, not only their skills for the job. We provide freedom; demonstrate belief and trust provide appropriate support. We give more freedom and demonstrate belief and trust, underpinned with appropriate support.