Steps Towards Development, a national level NGO, working to promote gender equality, human rights and gender responsive governance, is looking for a deserving individual to fill in the above position of Local Governance Project-SHARIQUE PHASE IV operating in the unions under Barisal district of Bangladesh.

Job Title: Field Coordinator

Vacancy: 01

Job Context

• Steps Towards Development, a national level NGO, working to promote gender equality, human rights and gender responsive governance, is looking for a deserving individual to fill in the above position of Local Governance Project-SHARIQUE PHASE IV operating in the unions under Barisal district of Bangladesh.
• Reportable to: Executive Director (ED) or his delegate
• Based at: This position will be based at the project office of Steps Towards Development in Barishal, with frequent travel to the unions and upazilas of Barishal district, often remote villages.
• Duration of the contract: Duration of this contract is up to October 2019 from the date of appointment (possibility of extension).

Objectives:

The overall impact hypothesis of the Project is that capacity building - promoting citizens empowerment and enabling good-quality public management - and establishing sound Union Parishad training curricula and capacities of national training institutions, will result in better functioning of Union Parishads, better quality of services to citizens more accountable and legitimate Union Parishads, and will lead to a changed mind-set, and subsequent improvements in the quality of life of citizens. Empowered citizens play in this a key role as they make and implement inclusive, gender sensitive and pro-poor collective choices about their lives and livelihoods.

Outcome from the Citizens:

A vibrant local democracy depends to a large extent on empowered citizens, who effectively claim democratic spaces, participate in decision-making and effectively hold their local government to account. Effective engagement of citizens also informs and influences Union Parishads’ decision-making. This in turn shall ensure that public service and infrastructure provision responds better to citizens’ needs. Effective participation of citizens in Union Parishad affairs signifies more than just articulating wishes. It is meant to ensure development of appropriate strategies (Five-Year Plans), plans (annual plans) and operationalization of those (e.g. formulated projects/schemes and their implementation). Furthermore, effective participation of citizens in monitoring the UPs’ performance promises to ensure that policies and plans have resulted in the expected improvement of public service delivery.

Given that Bangladesh finds itself in a situation of a non-violent crisis, with the state losing its legitimacy leading to an erosion of the social contract, empowered citizens, who hold the local government to account can play a significant role in re-establishing trust between the (local) state and the citizens. Empowered citizens have the potential to demand from but also provide support to the Union Parishads to put in place effective political processes that balance and bring conflicting interests in society, state capacities and social expectations into equilibrium. By doing so they contribute to re-establishing the legitimacy of the (local) state and building in resilience into the political system.

The current non-violent crisis also erodes social cohesion in society. Empowered citizens of majority and minority groups who effectively participate in local affairs also have the potential to strengthen social cohesion in society by the manner they interact in public meetings but also in the manner the influence the discourse and decisions of the Union Parishads to make sure that no segments of society are marginalised.

Responsibilities

• Participate in workshop, training and advocacy event organized by HSI.
• Provide input to Focal point person to prepare final report.
• Ensure the CGs mobilizes citizens to participate in UP public consultation meetings meaningfully
• Communicate with CCDM to provide progress of activities, context, challenges and how it overcomes.
• Participate different coordination meeting and discuss about the progress as well as challenge.
• Maintain necessary liaison with Upazila and district level stakeholders
• Participate monthly coordination meeting organized by BRDB.
• Accommodate feedback from BRDB and HSI staffs.
• Supervise Field Officers (FOs)
• Provide accompaniment and coaching support to FOs.
• Administer monitoring system of the project.
• Lead in preparing Annual Plan of Operation as well as budget.
• Ensure budget control with the support of district level Finance officer.
• Produce case study/story from the field and send it to CCDM.
• Organize Knowledge management and experience capitalization of the project
• Any other responsibilities time to time assigned by his/her management.

Deliverables

• Ensure monthly activities report and quarterly progress report to HSI and Steps.
• Ensure Orientation/training with the assigned CGs (citizen group) i.e, Ward Shava, Open budget meeting, Roles and responsibilities of UP, RTI, Women Leadership development, Speak up, Social Safety net etc.
• Ensure final reporting on the project and submit to HSI and Steps office.
• Ensure financial report of the project and send it to HSI and Steps on Monthly basis.
• Any other responsibilities time to time assigned by his/her management.

Working Conditions

• To be based in the district.
• On a highly frequent field visit

Authority

• Line Management of FOs
• Project Banking signatory
• Expenditure ceiling to be determined by the employer

Qualifications and Competencies

• A Master Degree, preferably in Social Science,
• At least five years’ experience with NGOs on Local governance.
• Educational qualification may be relaxed if candidates having more than six years experience with NGOs on local governance
• At least 2/3  years experience in field management/ operation
• Excellent Skill in Operating Computer
• Excellent skill in report writing
• Excellent training and facilitation skill
• Having valid motorcycle driving license and willingness to drive motorcycle
• Have willingness to work in geographically difficult location
• Sharique Implementation experience will get preference

Salary Range

• In between 42,000.00 to 45,000.00 BDT on monthly basis

Other Benefits

• Admissible benefits that include Festival Allowance, mobile allowance, motorbike maintenance allowance etc.

Apply Instruction

If you are passionate to make a difference in the governance and services towards citizen, women and disadvantaged groups with more responsive and transparent manner and confident enough to meet the organization’s expectation and project goal as well as fulfill the above mentioned requirements, please apply to 'The Executive Director, Steps Towards Development, District Office Address: Khalil Mension (Ground Floor), House no-964, Altaf Hossain Mahmud Housing, Oxford Mission Road, Barishal and E-mail:steps.bd@gmail.com and cc to sharique.steps.recuitment17@gmail.com and mtsazzad@yahoo.com.

To apply, please attach the following:

1. A cover letter no more than one A4 pages with a summary of why you are applying, your skills and experience and how these are relevant to the role, and what in particular you would bring to this position.
2. A detail CV (maximum 3 pages) with two recent passport size color photograph.
3. The names, positions and contact details of at least two referees, including your current or most recent employer.
4. Copies of NID, Valid motorcycle driving license, latest academic certificates and local government related training certificates

Please mention (exactly) the name of the position applied for at subject of the letter. 

Women are highly encouraged to apply.

ONLY SHORT-LISTED CANDIDATES WILL BE CONTACTED 
Candidates will have to be ready to go through an extensive selection process

Application Deadline: 23 June 2019 before 5.00 p.m.

Company Information