Senior Development Advisor, Warri, Nigeria
DAI works at the cutting edge of international development, combining technical excellence, professional project management, and exceptional customer service to solve our clients’ most complex problems. Since 1970, DAI has worked in 150 developing and transition countries, providing comprehensive development solutions in areas including crisis mitigation and stability operations, democratic governance and public sector management, agriculture and agribusiness, private sector development and financial services, economics and trade, HIV/AIDS, avian influenza control, water and natural resources management, and energy and climate change. Clients include international development agencies, international lending institutions, private corporations and philanthropies, and host-country governments.
Job Description
Background of Niger Delta Partnership Initiative (NDPI):
Niger Delta Partnership Initiative (NDPI) is a new initiative established by Chevron Corporation to provide support for socio-economic development programs in the Niger Delta in partnership with other donors and development actors. The initiative will spend nearly half of its total funding of $50 million on a portfolio of projects designed to promote non-oil related economic growth, commercial agricultural development and social entrepreneurship in the Niger Delta region. The concept is based on the premise that multi-stakeholder development partnerships can have a much more beneficial impact than efforts promoted by individual organizations on their own. Therefore, Chevron, through the NDPI Foundation, seeks to fund development programs in partnership with other donors from the public and private sector, seeking to create dynamic, multi-stakeholder partnerships that take full advantage of the synergies of involving diverse organizations and interests. The purposes of the initiative are to:
· Foster sustainable economic development within the Niger Delta
· Empower communities in the Niger Delta to generate a broad range of support from government, non-government and international partners
· Increase the capacity of key development actors in the Niger Delta to generate sustainable development for the region
· Demonstrate how real multi-stakeholder and multi-sectoral partnerships can generate more effective results in addressing the community needs and development challenges of the Niger Delta
In order to achieve these purposes, NDPI structures its activities within four distinct programs including:
· An economic development program focused on identifying and overcoming systemic constraints to market access for the poor, promoting commercial agricultural development and fostering appropriate technology driven opportunities;
· A capacity building program that will support institutional strengthening for federal, state and local government agencies and for civil society organizations;
· A peace-building program that concentrates on understanding and addressing the impacts of conflict on vulnerable segments of communities and facilitate deliberative dialogue on resolving issues that lead to conflict; and
· An analysis & advocacy program that seeks to promote analysis, understanding and awareness of socio-economic needs in the Niger Delta and identify strategies for addressing them.
General Objective:
DAI is seeking a Senior Development Advisor to provide strategic guidance and mentoring to NDPI’s Economic Growth staff as they implement economic development projects in the Niger Delta.
Specific Objectives and Duties:
1. Provide advice, mentoring and training to NDPI Economic Growth staff and relevant local partners to build up the local capacity to design, implement and oversee economic growth projects
2. Provide leadership and assistance in designing projects focused on value chain development, business linkages, and high labor intensity infrastructure development with a Making Markets Work for the Poor (M4P) Approach.
3. Ensure that there is M4P quality control on all projects implemented by NDPI and its partners
4. Advise and offer recommendations as needed to NDPI leadership about strategic options regarding the economic growth portfolio
5. Coordinate and engage major donor partners, local governments and possibly other corporations operating in the Delta
The position will be based in Warri, Delta State, Nigeria with frequent travel to NDPI’s headquarters in Abuja.
This is a one year position that will then transfer to a local professional. Desired deployment date is May 31, 2012.
Basic Qualifications
Qualifications:
1. Minimum 10 years of relevant international experience providing technical assistance activities for donor funded projects in related areas above;
2. Degree in Master of Business Administration, Economics or relevant international development field
3. Technical knowledge and practical experience implementing rural value chain and business linkage projects, particularly with a focus on the market development approach
4. Demonstrated interpersonal, problem solving and leadership skills
5. Experience advising, mentoring and training local staff
6. Ability to liaise and build strong relationships with local governments, local business leaders, multinational corporation staff and donor representatives.
7. Strong communications skills (oral, written, cross-cultural)
8. Knowledge and experience of the country, particularly the Niger Delta is a plus.
9. Experience working with private sector, particularly extractives is a plus
If interested, please send statement of interest and current CV to economicgrowth@dai.com by May 13th, 2012. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
