Delivery Advisor at Tony Blair Institute for Global Change

Job Reference: tbigc/TP/22858/229
Location: Abuja
Contract Type: Fixed Term / Full Time
Working Hours: 40 Hours per week
Business Unit: Nigeria
Job Category: Advisory
Business Area / Division: Advisory - Africa

Focus of the Role

• The Tony Blair Institute (TBI) is a purpose-driven, not-for-profit organisation, with a mission to equip leaders to build open, prosperous and inclusive societies. We believe that politics done well has the power to transform lives. When governments work well, they are able to create economic and social change in a way that promotes fairness, social justice and opportunity. We are optimists, and we work relentlessly to support leaders and governments with the challenges they face: giving them practical solutions and actionable insights, that once implemented, can be transformative for their people.  

We do this within two connected divisions:

Government Advisory:

• Our Advisory Practice works directly with political leaders and governments around the world to implement reforms that improve the lives of their citizens. It has both non-profit partners and a client base and its outputs cover a range of disciplines and projects across countries in Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and South Asia. We are currently in a rapid expansion phase from c. 18 countries at present, to 30 by December 2022.

Policy Futures:
Our Policy Futures work encompasses three broad areas:

• Renewing the Centre: developing a bold and innovative domestic policy programme to help renew the centre ground of British politics;
• Tech and Public Policy: exploring the policy challenges and opportunities presented by the technological revolution; and
• Extremism Policy Unit: creating solutions designed to tackle the threat of extremist ideologies in the UK and around the world.

As an organisation, the core beliefs we all embrace are:

• Open and Progressive: you’ll believe in the value of teamwork
• Bold and Pragmatic: you’ll approach everything you do with integrity and authenticity
• Optimistic Changemaker: you’ll be focused on results

The Project for Agriculture Coordination and Execution (PACE) in the Office of the Vice-President has been set up with responsibility for the coordination of the implementation of two flagship programmes: the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) and the Green Imperative (GI) - a partnership with Brazil to improve access to mechanization and technology in Nigerian agriculture. PACE also supports the implementation of the COVID-19 agriculture response (Agric for Food and Jobs AFJP).

The TBI Delivery Advisor will be assigned to work with the Office of the Vice President to support the implementation of the three priority projects. The role will work with and report to the Lead Delivery Advisor as well as working closely with the rest of the team particularly the experts to implement the two flagships at the state level.

The role will ensure that at the state level, there are strong management systems and practices in the state teams, identifying any capacity gaps to ensure a highly effective team focused on the implementation and coordination of the two flagship programmes. For the AFJP, the Advisor will support with stakeholder coordination and management.

Key Responsibilities

• Provision of flexible, adaptive management support to the state teams and to key officials in the Office of the Vice President and State Governments, including through coaching and on-the-job mentoring. This requires building a strong trusted working relationship with the Programme leads at the state level to allow for constructive challenge in a suitable manner, particularly on issues of state team management and effectiveness.
• Support the state programme leads to develop and implement a politically smart strategy to oversee and coordinate the implementation of the flagships.
• Support the state programme leads to build or manage an existing, cohesive and effective team that can become a highly effective implementation and coordination mechanism for these flagships at a state level.
• Ensure operational functioning of the state teams, as well as the clarity of roles, responsibilities, internal coordination and learning so that its staff are fully empowered to deliver.
• Ensure the state offices have the systems needed for effective monitoring and evaluation of the two flagship programmes.
• Help the state programme led to ensure that key decision makers and politicians in the state government have timely information and the structures to collaborate in order to unblock the key bottlenecks to implementation.
• Help state teams to mobilise and align additional resources as needed, including from development partners, for example to provide suitable support for State Governments and other Federal Ministries and agencies to implement as needed.

Person Specification

• The role must be filled by a Nigerian citizen.
• At least 7 years’ experience in roles that require strong management skills, political smartness strong relationship management, business acumen pro-activeness, going the extra mile and strong team work
• Experience developing competitive proposals and reports that unlock project funding
• A University degree at a minimum of a Masters’ level
• In-depth knowledge and experience of Nigeria’s political and government system, ideally both at Federal and State levels
• Strong analytical and management skills, including sound knowledge of strategic planning and project management tools.
• Effective inter-personal and leadership skills with an ability to develop and foster relationships across a wide range of diverse and senior stakeholders
• Nigerian language skills will be an added advantage

Salary
Competitive.