Head of Technical Support at Palladium Group

Project Overview and Role

• The Head of Technical Support is responsible for playing a leading role in developing ECP's overarching and component specific engagement strategy and approach, as well as guiding state, regional and federal teams to effectively implement this approach.
• The Head of Technical Support leads the National Technical Support Team of ECP and is responsible for directing and managing the inputs of long and short term technical advisors to ensure state, regional and federal Delivery Teams are effectively supported to deliver against ECP's approach in a co-ordinated manner.
• Developing frameworks to effectively support state, regional and federal teams, as well as regular direct interaction and mentoring with them is required.
• The Head of Technical Support is expected to maintain close working relationships with the Head of Monitoring Evaluation and Learning Support and the Head of Operational Support to ensure programme strategy is agile and responsive to new learning and data analysis.
• A good working relationship with relevant members of the other PERL pillars, and with partner programmes, is essential to ensure a joined-up approach to adaptive learning and effective delivery.

Primary Responsibilities
Visioning, Strategizing, Development of Approach:

• HR: Contribute to the review and revision of the ECP recruitment, induction and performance management processes in line with the programmes technical needs, underpinned by the programme's core values/principles, approach, ethos and priorities. Serve as Recruiting Manager for the Technical Support Team.
• PERL Technical Strategy Proactively contribute to ongoing development and revision as required, of the programme's overall strategic direction and approach, including its theory of change/action and intervention logic, contextual analysis (PEA, D&I Conflict, etc.) and place-level engagement, as required and agreed through cross-pillar working groups.
• ECP Technical Approach / Intervention Logic: Support the ECP Technical, MEL, Operational and Delivery Teams to interpret the broad approach / intervention logic of the programme in the practical day-to-day context of their respective roles.
• Technical Support Strategy: Oversee development of the Technical Support Team's strategy and frameworks for advising and mentoring the Delivery Teams on citizen/ constituency, CS, media, parliament, government and private sector engagement, with built-in mechanisms for adaptive learning based on progress tracking and reporting.
• Work Planning: Support the development of ECP (and PERL's) routine work planning, tracking, reporting and adaptive learning (re-planning) strategies and frameworks in line with and informing ECP's technical support strategy.

Leadership, Teamwork, Relationship Management:

• Membership of Programme Management Team: Provide progress updates to the PMT on technical support provided to Delivery Teams highlighting major achievements and challenges that need attention. Contribute to decisions taken by the PMT, and provide feedback to the Technical Support Team on decisions taken and actions required.
• Leadership of Technical Support Team: Provide daily leadership, advice and mentoring to all members of the Technical Support Team in line with ECP guidance on teamwork and HR management. Oversee their delivery of their individual ToRs and ensure they function and perform effectively together as a team.
• Relationship with Heads of MEL and Operational Support: Routinely liaise with the other two ECP "Heads of Delivery" to ensure the Technical, MEL and Operational Support Teams function and perform effectively together as a wider team in support of the Delivery Teams.
• Relationship with ARC and LEAP Technical Leads: Regularly liaise with counterparts in the other two PERL pillars, and in other DFID programmes (including the local government and sectoral portfolios) to build synergies with ECP.
• Relationship with Delivery Teams and Partners: Periodically liaise with Delivery Team Leaders, members of their teams, and ECP's partners, to gauge whether the technical support they are receiving is in line with the agreed support strategy and framework and is meeting their needs.

Operationalisation of Approach, Delivery of Support, Results:

• Oversee implementation of the Technical Support Team's strategy and frameworks for advising and mentoring the Delivery Teams, including appropriate use of short term technical advisors (STTA), and ensure mechanisms for adaptive learning (re-planning) based on progress tracking and reporting are being appropriately and effectively used.
• Facilitate the Technical Support Team to work with the Delivery Teams to identify and design a portfolio of interventions that are justifiable from the perspective of updated place-level contextual analysis, engagement approach and programme objectives.
• Together with the Head of MEL Support, facilitate the Technical Support Team to contribute to the development of appropriate objectives, indicators, baseline methodologies and target setting processes for populating PERL place-level results frameworks.
• Together with the Head of MEL Support and STTA inputs from ITAD, support the Technical and MEL Support Teams to facilitate periodic joint reflection and re-planning sessions (adaptive learning based on evidence-based monitoring and forward-looking contextual analysis) with Delivery Teams.
• Provide direct technical inputs to Delivery Teams and partners as required and agreed. This covers both technical advice on the programme's engagement approach as well as technical inputs on specific interventions in place-level work plans.

Line Management Responsibilities
Line Managed by:

• National Team Leader (NTL): The Head of Technical Support is responsible for working under the direction provided by the NTL, regularly reporting to him/her and ensuring their performance of the above tasks (primary responsibilities) falls within agreed frameworks and operating principles, as well as building an effective working relationship with the NTL more broadly.
• Additional technical advice, mentoring and oversight will be provided by the Technical Director (TD) and Technical Manager (TM) as required and agreed.

Line Manager of:

• Media Engagement Adviser (MEA)
• Parliamentary and Private Sector Engagement Adviser (PEA)
• Government Engagement Adviser (GEA)
• Diversity and Inclusion Adviser (DIA)
• National Technical Officer (NTO)
• South-East Regional Team Leader (RTL)

Compliance:

• Ensure familiarity with all DFID and Palladium policies & procedures and check the ECP SharePoint regularly to ensure that any updates are also being implemented in a timely manner.
• Adhere to all stipulated PERL-ECP communications protocols regarding use of official email, Box, SharePoint/MIS, Twitter, Facebook, etc. accounts.
• Ensure all labor and finances relating to this role is accurately reported (using correct codes, inserting adequate comments) in timesheets, expense claims and cashbooks.
• Habitually monitor and promote value for money and diminishing dependency of partners on PERL resources in line with the programme's engagement approach. Ensure cost of all activities completed falls within that forecasted to ensure monthly variances of reimbursable income to DFID are kept below 5% in Q1-Q3; 2% in Q4.
• Work to place the programme's core values/principles, approach, ethos and priorities above private interests while delivering to this role.

Requirements
Minimum Education and Experience required:

• Educated to Master's degree level
• At least 15 years of experience working to support voice and accountability supporting voice and governance initiatives in Nigeria
• Experience working in a donor (preferably DFID) funded programme and familiarity with Donor requirements
• Experience working with the private sector is an added advantage
• Experience managing a team is essential

Key Competencies and Professional Expertise required:

• Very strong understanding of state and civil society dynamics in Nigeria at state, regional and federal levels
• Proven ability to work as part of a complex team, take a mentoring-based approach to teamwork and staff development, and maintain remote working relationships
• Strong knowledge of systems for programme delivery, including strategic planning, value for money, monitoring & evaluation, adaptive learning, data management, and knowledge management & communications

Key Values and Behaviors required:

• Accountability
• Sustainability
• Respectfulness & Inclusiveness
• Learning & Sharing
• Teamwork
• Adaptive and Iterative