Program Advisor Consultancy

The Freedom Fund

Details / requirements:

Program Advisor Consultancy

SEPTEMBER 2019

The Freedom Fund is a public charity and philanthropic initiative dedicated to identifying and investing in the most effective front-line efforts to end slavery. Since 2014, the Freedom Fund has been supporting the South Eastern Nepal Hotspot program, to reduce the prevalence of a traditional form of agricultural bonded labour (known as Harawa-Charawa) in the districts of Siraha, Saptari and Dhanusa. The program supports local organisations in these districts to reduce community members’ vulnerability to exploitation, help build community members’ skills to lead independent lives, and enable bonded labourers to better protect and advocate for their rights. The Freedom Fund has a second hotspot in the Kathmandu valley focused on ending the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC).

TheSouth-Eastern Nepal Hotspot strategy will be refocused in 2020 to build on recent success in loca land national level advocacy promoting the rights Harawa-Charawa labourers and linking them with other activist groups to support a unified movement against forced labour.

The Freedom Fund is seeking a consultant to act as a Program Advisor for the South Eastern Nepal Hotspot program. The successful candidate will have a range of responsibilities, including managing grants to local partners, conducting site visits, supporting a community of practice among grant recipients, monitoring results, coordinating joint advocacy initiatives and convening meetings and events for partners, government officials, and other stakeholders.

The consultant will be an independent contractor to the Freedom Fund and not an employee of the company. The consultant is not eligible for any employee-related benefits, plans or programs of the Freedom Fund, and the consultant is expected to provide their own workspace to successfully carry out the deliverables listed below.

Key Deliverables

  • Working with the programs team in London to manage and implement the Freedom Fund program in South-Eastern Nepal - which will include, but is not limited to, the following:
  • Provide advice to the Freedom Fund for the South Eastern Nepal Hotspot program, working closely with community-based organisations, local officials, and other key stakeholders.
  • Contribute to the Freedom Fund’s on-going understanding of the program context and sector-specific trends and issues.
  • Oversee due diligence processes on new and existing grant recipients, which includes organisational and project risk assessment at the project and program level; and finalising outcome targets for projects and across the program.
  • Conduct regular office and program site visits of grant recipients.
  • Facilitate reviews of grant recipients’ operations, processes ,and policies, such as financial reviews and organisational capacity assessments.
  • Contribute to the development and coordination of capacity building plans for grant recipients.
  • Provide assistance to grant recipients to ensure the completion of impact reports and bi-annual narrative reports.
  • Provide financial oversight of grant recipient budgets and ensure strong financial management and reporting of grant recipients.
  • Support the coordination of program-level research and evaluation projects among grant recipients.
  • Assist in the development and facilitation of a learning ‘community of practice’ for implementing organisations.
  • Manage relationships and coordinate work across the hotspot with new and existing technical assistance providers.
  • Coordinate various meetings for a diverse range of stakeholders, including grant recipients, government stakeholders, and other service providers.
  • Contribute to special projects within the hotspot, including supporting on-going national-level advocacy efforts.
  • Coordinate logistics and lead program site visits with Freedom Fund representatives and other donors.
  • Contribute to the strategic planning for next stages of program development, as needed.
  • Communicate progress, challenges, and lessons learned related to program deliverables with members of the the Freedom Fund team on a regular basis.
  • Complete additional assignments, as requested by the Freedom Fund.
  • Cooperate with other members of the Freedom Fund staff and teams in other countries and the headquarters offices, as needed.

Qualifications

Essential

  • 5-7 years of experience in project management/coordination and community development in Nepal.
  • Experience engaging and advocating with government stakeholders on the rights of vulnerable populations.
  • Grantmaking experience on behalf of international organisations to local civil society organisations.
  • Experience in monitoring and evaluation of grants and programs, including data collection, data management, and financial monitoring.
  • Knowledge and experience working on human rights, anti-human trafficking or modern slavery initiatives.
  • Experience liaising with and hosting donors.
  • Experience working with vulnerable populations in a highly sensitive environment.

Desirable

  • Experience in key areas such as child and/or forced labour highly desirable.
  • Familiarity with agricultural bonded labour in the Eastern Terai region desirable.
  • Knowedge of government policy, structure and legal system is desirable.
  • Experience in conducting organisational capacity assessments.
  • Experience of child-protection and safeguarding challenges, risks and mechanisms.

Skills

  • Excellent written and verbal communications in English and Nepali.
  • Written and verbal communication in Maithili is desirable.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and Nepali.
  • High proficiency with Microsoft Office tools (especially Word and Excel); experience with grant management databases an asset.
  • Strong group facilitation skills and community organising skills.
  • Detail oriented with the ability to manage and track data across multiple grant recipients.
  • Strong problem-solving, analytical, and organisational skills.
  • Ability to manage multiple deadlines.
  • Ability to take initiative and work independently.
  • Ability to form good working relationships with government, INGOs, and other local agencies.
  • A positive attitude, willingness to support team members to meet short-term needs in a fast-paced environment.
  • Proven experience working effectively in a cross-cultural team.

Location

  • Target districts: Siraha, Saptari and Dhanusa.
  • Candidates who can reside in one of the target district desirable.
  • Ability to spend approximately 30% of time in target districts is essential.

Consultancy Period & Compensation

  • This is a full-time assignment with a fixed-term one-year contract.
  • Competitive compensation dependent on experience

HOW TO APPLY:

The candidate selection process will be conducted by the Freedom Fund. Interested applicants should send a cover letter, CV, and two writing samples in English (two to five pages each; excerpts from longer documents accepted) to jobs@freedomfund.org  (with South Eastern Nepal Program Advisor in the subject line) by 11:59 pm (GMT) on Sunday 29th September 2019.

Due to the volume of inquiries, only candidates offered an interview will be contacted.

The Freedom Fund is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages candidates of all backgrounds to apply for this position. Applicants must be eligible to work in Nepal.

Job Overview

Category Development and Project
Openings 1
Experience 7+ years
Education Please check vacancy details
Posted Date 12 Sep, 2019
Apply Before 29 Sep, 2019
City Kathmandu