This is a full-time position to lead and manage EU funded P4D project activities at the assigned region in Bangladesh.

This role will manage regional team by providing oversight and technical inputs that ensures project staff and partners effectively design, plan, implement and monitor field level activities

The position holder will provide appropriate capacity building support to staff, volunteers and partners, contribute to research, evaluation and learning activities and lead learning sharing events at the regional and district level.

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We create friendly knowledge and understanding between the people of the UK and other countries. We do this by making a positive contribution to the UK and the countries we work with – changing lives by creating opportunities, building connections and engendering trust.

P4D is an EU funded programme agreed with the Cabinet Division of the Government of Bangladesh. It is managed by the British Council in support of the EU’s Roadmap for Engagement with Civil Society in its development partner countries. P4D has an implementation value of EUR 12,650 million.  Its overall objective is to strengthen democratic ownership and accountability mechanisms in Bangladesh.  The specific objective is to promote a more enabling environment for the effective engagement and participation of citizens and civil society in decision making and oversight.

To achieve these objectives, P4D is organised around three converging Result Areas:

• Result Area 1: "CSOs’ ability to influence government policy and practice raised through better accountability to and more effective representation of citizens’ interests";
• Result Area 2:" Accountability and responsiveness of government officials raised through enhanced capacity building of decision makers and engagement with CSOs";
• Result Area 3: "New tools and policy platforms for more effective dialogue between citizens and government are developed and utilised".

P4D defines “civil society” broadly, to mean the whole of society outside of government, rather than just a body of civil society organisations.

P4D will use a range of techniques to support the Government in its delivery of the policy commitments set out in the 7th Five Year Plan on the National Integrity Strategy, Citizens’ Charters, the Right to Information and the Grievances Redress System.  In its work, P4D will promote a collaborative dialogue, multi-stakeholder consultation, and institutional and capacity building of citizens, civil society actors and government officials, including training in strategic communication.

P4D will use a model of multi-actor partnerships and a network of resource centres to engage communities across Bangladesh in 21 Districts.

P4D will work mostly at the local level with key players in government and civil society in its broadest sense. The aim is to identify practical solutions to locally identified issues, a process which, at a later stage, can be scaled up to regional and national levels.

P4D will document and record the discussions in order to identify the ways citizens can solve their problems through collaborative dialogue and engagement with Government. At the same time, P4D will work with senior civil servants to strengthen Government’s ability to engage more fully with civil society.

Implementation of the programme commenced in February 2017. The implementation period of the programme is 36 months.

Work with relevant sector experts, including a range of consultants retained by the programme, to ensure the delivery of high quality and effective capacity building and awareness activities for a range of audiences (including: CSOs, CBOs, Rights Networks, individuals, women, lawyers, journalists, activists and Local Government Elected Representatives).

S/he will be responsible for:

• Develop regional level annual operational plan and implementation strategies to achieve P4D objectives
• Oversee implementation of P4D project activities at the field level ensuring all annual targets are achieved maintaining high quality of results
• Provide strategic and operational guidance to supervisee staff, and plan and organise initiatives for developing capacity of all supervisee staff, CSO partners and volunteers
• Follow up and monitor implementation of P4D activities through extensive field visits in each assigned Districts.
• Build relationship with key stakeholders at the regional, district and Upazila level. Maintain close coordination and liaison with the regional and district authorities and develop effective partnerships with them.
• Maintain close communication and coordination with local NGOs, networks and CSOs in the assigned region to avoid overlapping and create synergies.
• Prepare monthly, quarterly and annual progress reports for sharing with the P4D Head Office, and ensure that all required documentation of P4D is maintained at all district field offices and resource centers.
• Ensure adherence to British Council policy and guidelines in implementation of project activities and field level expenditure.
• Ensure that District Facilitators and Volunteers are maintaining the web based database regularly and accurately
• Ensure timely logistic support to the district offices.
• Support development and piloting of CSO quality standards
• Identify potential risks for implementation and develop appropriate risk mitigation strategies in consultation with the P4D Line Manager
• Lead and organise regional and district level lesson sharing events in coordination with the P4D’s District Facilitators, CSO partners and Government stakeholders

Internal

• Work closely with the Field Training Coordinator, REL Lead and Senior Communication Officer for training, Research Monitoring and Learning, and Communication including Social marketing.
• Liaise with the Programme Manager and Head of Finance to ensure compliance with British Council corporate standards

External

• Partner CSOs, NGOs, Local Government and Local Administration

Yes

• University degree

• At least 10 years of experience in project management
• Experience of working with Local Administration and Grassroots CSOs

Proven experience of:

• Team management
• Experience in partners support and capacity building.
• Experience in working with grassroots CSOs and Local Government
• Proven experience of networking with Upazila, District and Divisional Administration
• Management of Civil Society based project and/or Governance project
• Identifying and sharing lessons learnt, areas of innovation and best practice for continuous improvement of the project and wider internal teams
• Good understanding and knowledge of the socio-political context in Bangladesh

• Information analysis and decision making
• Stakeholder and partnership management
• Resource management including budget and financial compliance
• Experience of advocacy work

• Managing People (Level 3: Manages a team)
• Communicating and Influencing (Level 4: communicates clearly and effectively. English proficiency is required).
• Planning and organising (Level 3: Develops and reviews the implementation of annual plans, taking into account business and client’s requirements and reconciling competing demands.)
• Analysing data and problems (Level 4: solves complex problems)
• Managing finances and resources (Level 4: plans and deploys resources)
• Using technology (Level 2: operates as an advanced user)

• Creating Shared Purpose (More demanding): Creating energy and clarity so that people want to work purposefully together.
• Working Together (More demanding): Creating the environment in which others who have very different aims can work together.
• Making it Happen (More demanding): Challenging myself and others to deliver and measure better results.