Social Accountability Technical Advisor

Oxfam’s program in the Solomon Islands was established in 2001 by Oxfam Australia.  It is part of our Pacific regional program, along with programs in Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu.  Our work in the Solomon Islands falls under the broad themes of gender justice, active citizenship, resilience and humanitarian support.  We work on issues related to the elimination of violence against women, emergency response, human security, disaster risk reduction, climate change, youth empowerment, strengthening of civil society, livelihoods and economic empowerment.  We work closely with communities, local, regional and international NGOs, government, aid agencies and a range of civil society stakeholders.

 

Currently, the Active Citizenship portfolio consists range of projects to advancing social accountability, good governance, youth engagement and civil society strengthening. Social accountability program will be implemented in collaboration with Solomon Islands Social Accountability Coalition (SISAC), which consist of key national organisations in Solomon Islands. The SISAC coalition aim in influence inclusive, transparent budget development, public spending and service provisions for most vulnerable people.

 

Purpose

The Social Accountability Technical Advisor provides technical leadership of all aspects of this Social accountability program design implementation and monitoring and evaluation.  The role ensures the development and application of context specific approaches including contextualize tools to advance social accountability. Responsible for enhancing the capacity of Oxfam staff, partners and communities in testing social accountability tools in budget monitoring, expenditure tracking and service monitoring. Strong emphasis is placed on the development of Solomon Islander capacity on application of participatory tools, advocacy and campaign capability, particularly in the area of social accountability programming.

 

The role reports to the Active Citizenship Program Manager and matrix management engagement with Program Director.

 

Core Responsibilities

 

Program Specialty

• Lead the design and implementation of context specific social accountability approach, tools and strategies to engage communities and CSOs in budget monitoring and SA initiatives
• Provide technical support to establish strong evidence base to advance social accountability through research, analysis and information management and provide technical support to translate data and findings into programmatic guidance and policy advocacy
• Build Oxfam, partner staff and community member’s capacity for integration of citizen led social accountability approaches and tools through infield training and testing participatory SA tools and approaches.
• Facilitate opportunities to reflect, collaborate and learn from each other’s work in country and from the work of other regional and global Social Accountability programs to advance Social Accountability in Solomon Islands
• Lead in supporting budget analysis and develop information dissemination documents for communities and CSOs for awareness creation.
• Support CSOs and advocacy manager in the development of advocacy and campaign strategies.
• Identify technical support needs of partners and facilitate capacity building trainings and other supports to program partners on social accountability.
• Coordinate research and analysis works on Social Accountability issues within SISAC and develop policy brief to be used for Social Accountability advocacy.

• Maintain effective communication between SISAC partners, while identifying, compiling, and disseminating relevant literature and tools; and coordinating learning activities and.

 

Operations

• Ensure the timely input to donor reports and documentation of key lessons from application of Social Accountability and budget monitoring tools.
• Ensure that good practice financial and fraud management systems are embedded within social accountability program and staff and partners practice and comply with Oxfam and donor requirements.
• Ensure implementation and compliance with Oxfam’s policies and procedures across SA programming , including but not limited to health, safety and security, child safe, child protection and sexual harassment and compliance with Red Cross and People In Aid codes of conduct

 

Management

• Ensure that appropriate support is provided to all Oxfam and partner staff in testing of social accountability tools and techniques
• Participate in regular one-to-one and annual performance appraisal meetings with line manager and peer and team reflective practice activities
• Prioritise the development of technical and influencing leadership capabilities of Solomon Islander staff by monitoring mentoring and/or coaching plans and by ensuring that appropriate exchange opportunities are provided
• Participate in the key program design, review , reflection meeting and relevant management structures within Oxfam

 

Representation and Relationships

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with existing partners and government ministries
• Identify and pursue potential partnership with academic institute in close consultation with the Program Director and Active citizenship team members
• Develop and manage effective relationships with Oxfam’s internal stakeholders, particularly with Oxfam affiliates and colleagues within the Pacific region
• Identify and develop partnerships that support collaboration and learning on active citizenship, Social Accountability related issues amongst civil society organisations in the Solomon Islands
• Represent Oxfam’s social accountability work in a professional way to external stakeholders in the Solomon Islands and elsewhere, including government, United Nations and local and international organisations
• Support on advocacy initiatives that are related to social accountability

 

Professional Attributes

• Organisational leadership
• Achieving results
• Leading people
• Working with others

 

Skills and Experience

 

Essential

• Demonstrated experience in development and implementation of SA strategies and tools and training staff on the application tools and data analysis
• Commitment to community-led development processes of social change. Understanding of participatory approaches to working with communities
• Strong understanding of rights based approach to development. Recognition of the role of power and politics (vested interests) in constraining locally-led change.
• Substantial experience of working cross-culturally and able to communicate to a range of audiences and promote sharing and learning between diverse groups.
• Demonstrated experience of working with highly sensitive governance issues in a complex environment
• Demonstrated experience of designing and implementing bottom up social accountability approaches in one or more challenging locations, preferably in Melanesia
• Demonstrated experience of developing and managing often complex partnerships with internal and external stakeholders at all levels
• Demonstrated success in influencing and advocacy with a range of external stakeholders
• Relevant post graduate qualification in development studies with minimum of 5 years’ experience in social accountability, active citizenship and governance programing.

 

 

Preferred

• Pacific Islander nationality or significant experience of working in Melanesia and a working knowledge of Solomon Islands languages

 

Travel

This position will require periodic regional/international and local travel to provincial areas within the country. It is a condition of employment that Oxfam staff comply with all agency security and safety protocols.

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