EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY Project: “Transformation to an Open Public Administration in Belize”

Project: “Transformation to an Open Public Administration in Belize”
Country: Belize - Duration: 13-17 months

The Trust for the Americas, a non-profit organization affiliated to the Organization of American States (OAS) that promotes partnerships for social and economic inclusion of vulnerable communities in Latin America and the Caribbean, is seeking to fill two part-time consultancy positions for the local implementation of the project “Transformation to an Open Public Administration in Belize”, funded by the US Embassy in Belmopan. 

Project Objectives:

1. Broaden knowledge and build capacities of government and non-government actors to co-create and initiate more transparent and efficient public service delivery.
2. Unleash critically needed collaboration between Civil Society and Government to Improve Transparency and Open Government
3. Empower communities through Innovation to promote solutions that generate livelihood opportunities and good governance

Job context
he concept of an Open Government requires multi-sector involvement in the co-creation and coimplementation of policies, plans, and services. In many cases, this type of collaboration between Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and governments is not regularly exercised or embraced. A transformative process needs reformers in civil society and in government to work together under Open Government principles: Transparency (providing citizens with meaningful information), Participation (empowering citizen voice in policymaking) and Collaboration (solving problems with citizens and respond to their needs, including marginalized communities). Collaboration is key for incorporating different end-user views in the policy-making processes or government service design. 

Establishing an open government ecosystem is critical to improving public safety and governance in Belize. Building pro-transparency coalitions among civil society and local governments, including active participation from vulnerable groups, is key to combating criminal activity and increasing the effectiveness and resilience of public institutions.

Purpose of the Job
The local team will be comprised of two members, to complement and back-up each other in different tasks related to the project implementation. The consultants will plan, and conduct project activities, develop and nourish relationships with stakeholders (civil society organizations, academia, partners, private sector, donors and government entities), and facilitate the implementation of the program at a national level. 

The consultants will report to the project team of The Trust and the OAS, based in Washington DC. Both positions will have to work closely with other staff of The Trust and the OAS. We are looking for one proactive candidate to fulfill operations and reporting tasks, and a public relations candidate to support operations, maintain key communications, and facilitate coalition-building processes with
relevant stakeholders. 

General Responsibilities
 Follow closely and informed the project’s management team in DC about developments in the country on open government, digital government, and open data.

 Map and identify potential partners in Belize that may contribute to project activities and outcomes achievement.
 Produce a detailed assessment of the national political and public administration scenario, as well as of civil society groups and experts working on Open Government/Transparency/Access to Information topics.
 Establish an on-going relationship with donor, local partners (government and civil society) and project team in Washington DC, through emails, telephone calls, videoconference, meetings and presentations.
 Build relationships with networks, civil society activists and organizations and donor agencies in order to translate and transform innovative ideas and solutions into sustainable programs and projects.
 Support the design and development of action plans promoting meaningful citizens’ engagement to the project.
 Support the production of project documents (agendas, concept notes, social media content), reports, communication material, and media products for project implementation.
 Manage and update databases and the Trust Information System (TIS) to record metrics and participants of project activities, as well as other relevant information, according to the grant needs and M&E requirements.
 Preparing internal monthly reports and support the development of quarterly reports to donor and Board of Directors.
 Monitor and keep record of expenditures on project activities.
 Identify potentially interested funders and partners for future interventions or expanding the project in Belize.
 Provide support on developing training curricula, and delivery of training for civil society and government leaders, together with Trust and OAS teams, partners and other relevant stakeholders.
 Support in the development of terms of reference for contracts with local partners.
 Support with logistics for events of the project (arrangements with local vendors)
 Oversee the implementation of activities of the project and make suggestion to improve the effectiveness of the project.
 Social media management support. 

Profile - Knowledge and experience in Open Government and working with civil society sectors and government institutions is necessary.

 Ability to encourage, facilitate, and coach multi-stakeholder dialogues, research, interviews, and institutional analysis across non-profit, public, and private sectors.
 Specific experience working on public policy issues and development of action plans related to governance, transparency, accountability, or public participation more broadly.
 Experience in organizing and contributing to events; including communications and media skills.
 Proven relationship-building skills, with the ability to develop trust from involved parties (civil society groups. Academia, private sector, governments, media outlets).
 An understanding of how civil society groups and government entities in Belize operate, including knowledge of relevant legislation around E-Government and Access to Information.
 A network of contacts and potential funders to scale up the project.
 Experience in project management and coordination.
 Deadline oriented but also able to respond quickly to changing priorities. 
 

Level and job skills

 Bachelors required in public policy, political sciences, international relations, or a related discipline.
 Strong influencing and negotiating skills;
 Excellent working knowledge of English. Spanish is a plus.
 Ability to manage several strands of work at the same time;
 Excellent communication skills – both written and verbal;
 A demonstrated high level of drive whether working as an individual or as part of a team.

Conditions. Preferred start date is November 15, 2019. Compensation commensurate with experience. Please submit a current resume as an attachment to RIriani@oas.org Please use “Belize Open Government” in the subject line.