Programme Coordinators - Partnership for African Social & Governance Research (PASGR)

The recently-launched Partnership for African Social & Governance Research (PASGR) initiative is concerned with increasing the capacity of African academic institutions and researchers to produce research that can directly contribute to social policy and governance and ultimately to poverty reduction.
The initiative currently embraces six countries – Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and Mozambique, with the intention that it evolves into a pan-African initiative.
PASGR activities are currently organised around four workstreams:

1. the design of a “thematic” research programme within a structure and supporting apparatus appropriate to social science and governance and responsive to policy needs in the region;
2. the development of a collaborative graduate programme that would involve a partnership among African universities and one or two international schools;
3. a strategy for the use of grants, scholarships, training and fellowships (and other forms of capacity building) to support the participation of individuals and organisations in the above activities; and,
4. a proposed organisational design and development strategy for an African body that would manage and sustain the foregoing on a permanent footing.

The PASGR Project Office now wishes to recruit two Programme Coordinators to contribute their knowledge, experience and skills to the design and implementation of the PASGR initiative.

Core Functions and Responsibilities
The Programme Coordinators will fulfil three core functions:

• Support the design and development of the programmes in one or more workstreams
• Develop and maintain PASGR’s relationships with a network of international, regional and national organisations and individuals
• Coordinate the implementation of the designed programme activities once launched

Their primary responsibilities will include:
To facilitate the process of design and development of the programmes,

• in collaboration with the programme development consultants, identify issues, information needs and consultation activities;
• carry out background work and research, prepare discussion papers and reports, and undertake regional and national level consultation activities in relation to specific programme design proposals;
• monitor and assess lessons and data from scoping studies being undertaken to inform programme design and development.

To develop and manage strategic relationships and networks,

• undertake outreach and communication activities involving partnerships with selected national, regional and international organisations;
• facilitate collaboration on specific programme activities among regional bodies;
• represent the PASGR initiative in regional and national public fora.

To facilitate programme implementation,

• undertake activities at all stages of the implementation cycle from developing logframes, preparing programme workplans, budgets, and strategy papers, to monitoring, reporting and evaluations, and preparing presentation materials on programme implementation progress.

In addition,

• participate in the Project Management Team meetings;
• represent the Project at events and meetings;
• assist the Project Director with general project activities, as required;
• assist the Manager of Finance and Administration with planning and monitoring of programme activities.

Each PC will be directly responsible to the Project Director for delivery of all outputs.
Qualifications, Experience and Requirements

• 10+ years of relevant working experience in one or more of the following: managing research projects in the realm of social science and governance from conceputalisation stage through to the dissemination of research findings; policy
• development and implementation; knowledge of the higher education sector in one or more countries in Africa;
• Strong programme administration and management skills;
• Excellent presentational and public-speaking skills;
• An advanced degree in development studies, social sciences, or other related discipline;
• Computer literacy particularly in the use of MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint;
• Ability to work both as a team player and on own initiative;
• Willingness to travel periodically in the region and internationally.

Each PC will be contracted for a two-year period (renewable) on a consultancy basis, working full-time from the PASGR Project Office in Nairobi.
Candidates currently in the East African Region are encouraged to apply.
Applicants who require relocation assistance will not be considered. Interested applicants should provide their applications electronically (only soft copy applications will be accepted) to include their curriculum vitae, contact details and the names and addresses of three referees, under the subject “Application for Programme Coordinator, PASGR”, to the following email address:recruitment@pasgr.org
Applications should be received by 4.30 p.m., Friday, 28 May, 2010
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted

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