Program Coordinator (Governance Cluster)- GEEP

Terms of Reference (TOR)

Program Coordinator (Governance Cluster)- GEEP

Full-time

Location: Kathmandu

Company Description

The Why: NEPAL aspires to graduate from least developed country to a lower middle-income country by 2026. However, the development community’s excessive focus today on socio-political empowerment has not yielded the desired economic transformation. In reaching the 2026 national target, shall we wait for institutions of power to become accountably productive or shall we bolster innovations of people to bring inclusive prosperity? And, shall we strengthen grassroots-government collaboration in shaping an equal and enterprising future?

The How: DAAYITWA, with a focus on economic empowerment, envisions an enterprising Nepal where every youth has opportunities for a prosperous future. Daayitwa is a part of the Daayitwa Abhiyaan, which consists of four organizations: Daayitwa, Governance Lab, Nepal Leadership Academy based in Nepal, and Nepal Rising (Daayitwa-US) based in the U.S. Inspired by shared values of innovation, collaboration, and service, it promotes the socio-economic development of Nepal. The movement fosters inclusive and equitable economic growth by accelerating grassroots innovations, strengthening government institutions, and revitalizing a virtuous cycle of democracy and development through grassroots-government collaboration.

Our Focus Areas:

1. Enterprise-led employment creation
2. Design evidence-based policies for improved decision-making
3. Build state capability for effective policy implementation
4. Foster stakeholder collaboration for governance innovations

Daayitwa Nepal Public Service Policy Fellowship Program: Daayitwa supports bureaucrats and parliamentarians in making policy decisions by conducting policy research, building capability of government and strengthening research ecosystem. Through the Daayitwa Nepal Public Policy Fellowship (DNPPF) Program and Daayitwa Nepal Public Administration Fellowship (DNPAF), Daayitwa identifies service-minded talented Nepali youth, capacitates them to conduct policy research, connects their policy recommendations with government actions and builds an evidence-based policy ecosystem. Since 2013, DNPSF has supported 189 talented Nepali youth trained in 32 countries to conduct research projects for 28 parliamentarians and 74 government organizations in all 7 provinces (42 municipalities).

Chief Minister Public Governance Fellowship Program: Daayitwa supports bureaucrats and parliamentarians in making policy decisions by conducting policy research, building capability of government and strengthening research ecosystem. Through the Chief Minister Public Governance Fellowship Program, Daayitwa identifies service-minded dynamic Nepali youth, capacitates them to conduct policy research, connects their policy recommendations with government actions, and fosters an evidence-based policy ecosystem. The Chief Minister Public Governance Fellowship is a flagship initiative of Daayitwa, implemented in collaboration with the Provincial Governments of Madhesh, Gandaki, and Sudurpashchim.

The fellowship is envisioned to host 36 fellows, 12 fellows in each province, in three provinces over the span of six months to contribute to strengthening the subnational governance. The fellows will be placed in the Provincial Policy and Planning Commission (PPPC), Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers (OCMCM), and relevant line ministries to contribute in their areas of interest, aligning with the priorities of the provincial governments.

This fellowship enables Nepali youth with skills, innovation, as well as national and international professional networks to support provincial governments in formulating and implementing effective public policies. Through the fellowship program, Daayitwa encourages Nepali youth from within the country and Nepali diaspora around the world to engage with government priorities, connect with local communities, design and implement policies, and foster trust and accountability between communities and the government. This fellowship is envisioned to provide a platform for Nepali youth to contribute to their area of expertise, recommended by the provincial governments.

Leadership for Economic Governance Program: Daayitwa enables subnational governments to promote local economic development by enhancing their policy leadership capability and fostering trustful collaboration with other municipal ecosystem stakeholders. Through the Leadership for Economic Governance (LEG) program, a joint initiative of Daayitwa, Governance Lab and Nepal Leadership Academy, we run an executive policy leadership course for national and subnational governments, supports them to identify major economic challenges, and facilitates them to implement innovative policy pilots using the Problem-Driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA) and Rapid Results Initiative (RRI) approaches.

National Governance Symposium: The National Governance Symposium (NGS) is an annual event organized by Governance Lab at Daayitwa Abhiyaan, with Daayitwa as the organizing partner. This program strives to be an intellectually rich and politically unbiased learning platform for celebrating, studying, and contextualizing models of innovation and collaboration in public service delivery that can enable governance stakeholders to think freshly and act productively. NGS has been conducted since 2022 in partnership with the Office of Prime Ministers & Council of Ministers, Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, Ministry of Finance, and National Planning Commission.

Policy and Governance Dialogues: Daayitwa has been organizing policy and governance dialogues to enhance the governance ecosystem of the country. These dialogues aim to foster greater shared clarity, commitment, and capacity among key stakeholders such as the Federal Parliament of Nepal, academic institutions, civil society organizations, and the private sector. Through such dialogues, Daayitwa aims to bring together stakeholders on crucial policy matters related to Nepal's economic development. Daayitwa also brings together local leaders, national and international experts, and development practitioners from various fields to gather unique insights and perspectives.

Responsibilities: You as The Program Coordinator with supervision from the Program Manager, will provide strategic and technical governance support across projects at Daayitwa. This role involves engaging with stakeholders, with a particular focus on provincial and local government across various provinces in Nepal.

• Oversee the research projects, regional policy fellowship programs, regional symposiums and events, leadership courses offered by Governance Lab, and other projects with key focus on results-oriented implementation and their impact analysis.
• Manage capacity development initiatives for various policy stakeholders, including public officials and representatives at municipal, provincial and federal governments
• Engage and fortify relationships with key community partners, including civil society organizations, journalists and private companies, to ensure effective collaboration
• Manage relationships with other team members appointed at provinces and collaborate with them for project implementation and logistics.
• Plan and organize regular outreach activities at local, provincial and federal levels to strengthen GovLab’s relationships.
• Write proposals, prepare project implementation reports, lead monitoring and evaluation of projects undertaken at federal and provincial levels.
• Manage all assigned administrative requirements of the project portfolio, including financial management, budgeting, procurement, contract set-up and compliance, grant reporting, deliverable tracking, etc.
• Contribute to GovLab’s strategic vision by identifying sources of potential partnerships at local/ provincial level for the expansion of our governance portfolio

Requirement: We are looking for people-loving, growth-oriented, impact-minded, dynamic team player with the following qualifications:

• Academically compelling with a Master’s degree in social science, management, public administration or other related field with an experience in managing governance initiatives.
• Contextually aware with understanding of Nepal’s social, economic, and political issues, including federal and local government structures, and bureaucratic system
• Be innovative and take initiative in implementing projects and be vigilant of current affairs in Nepal’s socio-economic framework.
• Reliably independent in tackling complex problems consistently applying creativity, independent judgment and detail orientation.
• Adept at handling multiple tasks, stakeholders, and team members at a time within deadlines.
• Self-motivated and able to work with minimal oversight with time management skills.
• Able to work effectively under pressure in a diverse and uncertain environment.
• Excellent oral and written communications skills, both in Nepali and English language.
• Passionate about understanding Nepal’s policy landscape and being willing to travel to provinces driven by a strong inner calling for economic empowerment of Nepal.
• Passionate about leading a team of researchers and coordinators, and guiding them in the same direction as Daayitwa Abhiyaan.

Additional information

Compensation: Daayitwa will provide compensation on a monthly rate basis. The rate will be mutually agreed upon, commensurate with the level of the required deliverables, the qualifications and experience of the candidate.

If you're keen on this position, kindly complete the form below by 17th August 2025. To access the page, please click on the provided link and right-click to go to the link.

https://forms.gle/vmg4XhhN4FVQvHAx6

In the subject line, put “ Job Title followed by your first and last name” (e.g., “Program coordinator – Sabina Nepali ) and attach the following documents. All documents must be compiled in a single file, in the same order and saved in PDF format:

• Cover letter (one page max)
• CV
• Academic transcripts/certificate for most recent qualification

Deadline: 17th August 2025. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The vacancy may be closed prior to the deadline if a suitable candidate is found. Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

Daayitwa is committed to promoting workforce diversity and actively encourages applications from individuals belonging to marginalized and discriminated groups, including women, Dalit, Janajati, Madhesi/Terai, and other minority communities. The organization values inclusive representation and strives to create a diverse and equitable working environment.