Program Director

Terms of Reference (TOR)

Program Director

Number of Positions: 1

Location: Kathmandu

Full-time

Company Description

The Why: NEPAL aspires to graduate from least developing 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

Growth Entrepreneurship and Employment Program (GEEP): GEEP accelerates rural enterprises for boosting employment and income growth in rural Nepal. GEEP is executed through a partnership among Daayitwa, Gandaki and Koshi provincial governments, 10 local governments and the Nepali diaspora. GEEP’s objectives are to accelerate growth-oriented rural enterprises, build state capability for effective policy implementation and foster stakeholder collaboration for governance innovation. GEEP builds on Daayitwa’s decade-long experience in governance innovation and accelerating growth-oriented enterprises in rural Nepal to create jobs and amplify income through the Rural Enterprise Acceleration Program (REAP).

Daayitwa Nepal Public 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, 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. So far, 129 DNPPF Fellows have conducted policy research for 28 parliamentarians and 32 government agencies.

Daayitwa Nepal Public Administration Fellowship Program: Daayitwa enables local youth to support local governments in formulating and implementing public policies. Through the Daayitwa Nepal Public Administration Fellowship (DNPAF) Program, Daayitwa enables local youth to understand government priorities, connect with local communities, design and implement policies and strengthen trust and accountability between communities and the government. So far, 53 DNPAF Fellows have supported 42 municipalities in all 7 provinces.

Policy and Governance Research: Daayitwa has conducted research on several topics including youth employment, enterprise ecosystem, as well as women’s political and economic empowerment.

Leadership for Economic Governance Program: Daayitwa enables local 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 local 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. So far, LEG has supported 3 municipal governments of Lumbini province to promote youth employment and women’s economic empowerment.

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.

Job Description

The What: YOU, as the Program Director, will work along with the Executive Director to provide results-oriented, strategy-driven leadership and management of Daayitwa’s strategy, programs, and operations. You will strive to make Daayitwa a great place to work, where we build strong teams, where people are challenged to do their best, and where everyone makes a difference. Exceptional people deserve the best work environment that we can provide. You will work with other Abhiyaan teams to support our people to learn, grow and contribute to our shared vision of an equal and enterprising Nepal. As an ambassador of Daayitwa Abhiyaan’s vision, values and principles, you will accelerate its impact by accelerating results, exploring innovative avenues and building new partnerships at Daayitwa, while supporting the synergistic growth of the other Daayitwa Abhiyaan organizations. Reporting to the Daayitwa Executive Director, your role will include but are not limited to the tasks listed below.

1. Program Strategic Leadership: Oversee the effective implementation of all programs, including providing technical guidance, visiting sites to monitor progress when required, ensuring programs promote and adhere to GESI principles, etc.
2. Business Development Leadership: Identify opportunities for collaboration and build and strengthen strategic partnerships with local, national and global stakeholders. Lead fundraising efforts, including writing proposals and organizing events.
3. Impact Communication Leadership: Mobilize the communications and outreach team to develop effective materials to communicate organizational impact to stakeholders. Represent Daayitwa in relevant events, panels, meetings, forums, etc. when required.
4. Team Management Leadership: Foster a productive environment for team members to learn, grow, and enjoy, while cultivating their resonance with Daayitwa’s core values, passion, and deep commitment to our mission.
5. Financial Oversight & Compliance: Collaborate with the Finance and Admin lead to ensure effective financial management and project compliance with donor regulations and organizational policies. Oversee financial integrity and the management of grants across all projects.
6. Integrity & Compliance: Uphold and promote Daayitwa Abhiyaan's standards by ensuring the program team adheres to logistics, procurement, HR, and finance protocols. Coordinate with internal and external audit teams to maintain compliance and accountability.

Qualifications & Skills:

YOU must be a people-loving, growth-oriented, impact-minded, young dynamic team-builder with following qualifications:

• Masters degree in business administration, public policy, economics or other related field
• Minimum of 3-5 years of relevant professional experience
• Impeccable managerial and interpersonal skills, with proven record of effectively interacting with senior management
• Recognized expertise in rural development, community engagement, government collaboration and private sector development
• Understanding of social issues related to youth employment, youth entrepreneurship, and community-driven development
• Independence in working on complex problems in the field of specialization consistently applying creativity and independent judgment
• Experience working in an institution focusing on international development and/or dealing with government officials.
• Excellent client orientation, diplomatic skills, and drive for results are essential
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams under pressure in a diverse, uncertain environment. Experience of having led start-up teams will be a plus point.
• Strong motivation and organizational/time management skills.
• Proven ability to handle multiple tasks at a time within deadlines.
• Growth mindset - exceptional willingness to take risks and work hard.
• Excellent oral and written communications skills in Nepali and English

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 25th October 2024. To access the page, please click on the provided link and right-click to go to the link.

https://forms.gle/UfuNTBkdPKbyzJo6A

In the subject line, put “Job title - followed by your first and last name (e.g., “XXX – 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: 25th October 2024. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

**Only shortlisted candidates will be notified**