USAID/DRC Program Officer

Job Description

About Us

International Business & Technical Consultants, Inc. (IBTCI), a U.S. based international development consulting company established in 1987, has worked in over 100 countries and implemented over 300 projects. IBTCI serves government agencies, private sector companies, and several donor agencies. IBTCI specializes in monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning (MERL) and institutional support across many areas and sectors including, but not limited to, conflict and crisis, democracy and governance, agriculture, economic growth, food security, education, environment, and global health.

Job Title: Program Officer

Department/Location: USAID/DRC Program Office

Reports To: ISPI Project Manager

Classification: Consultant / 100 days (STTA)

Clearance Required: Facilities Access

Overview:

USAID/Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC’s) 2020-2025 Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) is: Working Towards “A More Peaceful and Prosperous DRC with Improved Opportunities for Communities and Individuals to Thrive”. This high-level goal encapsulates USAID’s long-term vision of a DRC where all communities and people are empowered to move their country closer to self-reliance. Over the performance period, USAID will partner with individuals, communities, and institutions and increase their ability to generate and achieve locally led solutions. However, significant obstacles, including pervasive corruption, weak and ineffective state institutions, extreme poverty, an extractives-dependent economy, and ongoing conflict and instability may affect the Mission’s ability to achieve this goal. These daunting challenges arise from a lack of capacity as well as weak government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (GDRC) commitment at both the national and sub-national levels.

USAID/DRC’s Program Office is charged with strategic planning, budget monitoring and reporting, outreach and communications, knowledge management, policy compliance, and reporting to major stakeholders such as the U.S. Congress, on behalf of the entire Mission.

On behalf of USAID/DRC, IBTCI seeks to hire a Program Officer on a short-term consulting basis to support the implementation of high priority U.S. Government initiatives under the Mission’s Program Office portfolio. In this consulting role, the Program Officer will play a role in supporting the capacity of the Mission’s Program Office support teams, including the Development Outreach and Communications (DOC) Team, the Budget Team, and the Knowledge Management Team.

On behalf of USAID/DRC, IBTCI is seeking a Program Officer that can serve in a short-term advisory role for 100 days with potential for extension an additional 100 days (for up to 200 days total). The STTA will report to the Deputy Director of the Program Office and will work in close collaboration with program and technical staff within the Mission.

Responsibilities

Essential Duties/Tasks and Responsibilities:

The primary role of the Program Officer position is to work directly with and provide institutional support to USAID/DRC’s Program Office in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. They will play a key role in supporting the Program Office’s DOC, Budget, and Knowledge Management teams, in addition to other duties for Program Office leadership as the need arises. This will include working within teams with Foreign Service National (FSN) staff as they design and disseminate information and communication products for a variety of audiences; formulate, manage, analyze, and report program budget and financial information for the USAID Mission in the DRC and regional Operating Units; and support technical teams to integrate gender and conduct performance-related tasks associated with program activities. They will also support the management of various trackers, draft memos, handle mission concurrence and unsolicited proposals, update and organize contact lists, and update other Program Office managed resources.

Specifically, the Program Officer is expected to perform duties in the following areas:

A. Strategic and Technical Guidance on Communications and Outreach - 25%
Support the Mission DOC Team on the most effective approaches and content for raising public awareness of USAID’s assistance in the DRC. These tasks may include:

• Conducting strategic analysis on overall messaging to a variety of audiences, and review Mission communications materials and revise them, as needed, to enhance their positive impact.
• Contributing to the selection, design, and most effective format and mode of dissemination of content about USAID/DRC’s programming.
• Liaise closely with technical teams to provide strategic counsel and tailored trainings on their communications products and on DOC team processes.

B. Budget Reporting and Analysis - 25%

Collaborate with the Budget Team on managing key Mission budget processes, including:

• Updating the Mission Budget Tool with current and accurate information on implementing mechanisms, funding allocations, obligations, expenditures, pipeline, and mortgage levels.
• Advising technical teams in the correct use of the Budget Tool. Provide analysis of program budget pipelines, expenditures, mortgages, and historic trends to technical offices and Mission leadership for consideration in budget formulation and execution decisions and development strategies.
• Maintaining up-to-date summaries and records of relevant budget and other financial information (past and present) for use in internal and external briefings on USAID assistance.This includes maintaining up-to-date and accurate official files on Mission allowances, obligations, expenditures, and pipeline data, as well as complete files of major program documents, including bilateral grant agreements and their amendments and other program
  financial documents in accordance with Mission filing policies.

C. Knowledge Management - 25%
Coordinate closely with the Knowledge Management Team on the following:

• Collaborating with USAID staff and USAID implementing partners to develop, maintain and implement a detailed Mission-wide performance monitoring plan that will ensure that program activities contribute to the overall goals of the Mission and its programs in a timely and effective manner.
• Assisting technical staff in the project planning cycle as well as relevant reporting exercises, including analyzing baseline data, setting life of project targets and indicators in new project designs, participating in post-award meetings to discuss monitoring and evaluation, and analyzing individual partner work plans and monitoring and evaluation plans.
• Supporting in the integration of new activities in the Development Information Solution (DIS) as well as their performance indicators. Generate performance data reports from DIS and perform analysis to inform strategic learning events such as the mission portfolio reviews, midcourse stocktaking, and team retreats.
• In close coordination with the Knowledge Management Specialist or his designee, provide guidance and support in data collection, organization, and analysis. Resolve problems and delays with data entry and report continuing problems to the Knowledge Management Team, contracting officer’s representative (COR)/agreement officer’s representative (AOR), and implementing partners.
• Supporting in Mission Strategic Support Program (MSSP)-related tasks as recommended by the COR, such as reviewing work orders from technical teams.
• Providing input into gender, youth and social inclusion policy analysis, research, project design and implementation, monitoring and evaluation as well as contributing to gender and inclusive development sections of strategic planning documents, and provides relevant inputs for the Operational Plan and Performance Plan and Report, Congressional Notifications, and other reports within the Mission’s three operating units.

D. Other Program Office Support Duties and Responsibilities - 25%

• Performing tasks linked to the tracker in close coordination with the Knowledge Management Specialist or designee.
• Drafting documents needed to recruit additional staff for the Program Office as needed.
• Responding to Washington and Embassy taskers and preparing and circulating for clearance requested documents (memos, talking points, etc.) as the need arises.
• Managing trackers, mission concurrence, unsolicited proposals, contact lists, and updating other Program Office-managed resources.

KEY DELIVERABLES

• Strategic and technical guidance on communications and outreach to most impactfully reach the largest possible local and U.S. audiences, including documentation and presentation of the achievements of the Mission in supporting the DRC’s progress in
  sustainably addressing its major development challenges;
• Technical assistance to the Budget Team on tasks related to budget monitoring and analysis;
• Technical assistance to the Knowledge Management Team in data collection, organization, and analysis related to current programming; and
• Additional support to Program Office in managing trackers, mission concurrences, and other
  tasks as they arise.

The consultant will not perform other inherently governmental functions or duties (e.g. will not serve as AOR/COR or supervise staff), but rather will advise, mentor, and facilitate as appropriate on the performance of inherently governmental functions on the part of the DRC Mission.

Qualifications

Minimum Requirements:

• Minimum of three years of responsible professional or program experience in development administration if the applicant has a Bachelor’s degree. Only two years of experience is required if the applicant has a Master’s degree.
• Familiarity with the design of public communications strategies, content development and dissemination; financial management and Mission-related budget processes; and collecting, analyzing and synthesizing quality information relevant to program activity performance.
• Strong analytical, management and organizational skills are required.
• Strong leadership and negotiating skills are required.
• Demonstrated knowledge and proficiency in Microsoft Windows, Word, and Excel are required.
• Language proficiency: Excellent English writing and speaking ability is required. French writing and speaking ability (FSI level 2/2) is strongly desired. The candidate should have a demonstrated capacity to communicate complex policy, strategy, and program issues orally and in writing in a clear, concise, and well-organized manner.

Education:

The applicant must have a Bachelor’s Degree or higher in a field of organizational learning or development assistance such as public, business or development administration, knowledge management, political science, economics, development studies or other closely related, interdisciplinary fields.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Prior experience with communications or knowledge management regarding international development is highly desired.
• Prior experience working in sub-Saharan Africa with exposure to the DRC, highly preferred.
• Prior USG experience is highly preferred.
• Significant knowledge of Official Development Assistance programs, and working methodologies of donor agencies is desired.
• Demonstrated skills in communications, budget analysis, and data collection as well as some technical knowledge of gender and inclusive development is desired.
• The applicant should possess strong interpersonal and cross-cultural skills, the ability to work within a team setting and with minimal supervision.
• Familiarity with Microsoft PowerPoint is desired.

Working Environment: Work is typically performed in an office environment. Currently the company is allowing for hybrid work in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia (DMV) area. This can be updated by the company.

Physical Requirements: This is largely a sedentary position that requires the ability to speak, hear, see, and lift small objects up to 20 lbs.

Supervisory Responsibility: This position does not have supervisory responsibilities.

Travel: International travel may be required and may include travel to fragile and/or conflict-prone zones.

About the Organization

About Us

IBTCI has been in business since 1987. We specialize in Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning (MERL), Institutional Support (IS), Financial & Risk Management (FRM), Supply Chain Management & Procurement (SCMP); Social & Behavior Change (SBC) and Capacity Building. We provide these services across many sectors including, but not limited to, agriculture, resilience & food security, conflict & crisis, democracy & governance, economic growth & trade, education & human capacity development, energy & infrastructure, environment & climate change, global health & WASH and humanitarian and disaster assistance. At IBTCI, our colleagues are encouraged to collaborate and be part of the solution while getting the tools and guidance needed to grow and support our clients' missions.

IBTCI is committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity for all persons without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identification, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, disabled veteran or Vietnam-era veteran, or any other classification protected by applicable anti-discrimination laws. We prohibit and do not tolerate any form of discrimination or harassment. VEVRAA Federal Contractor.

If you are an applicant with a disability that requires a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process or are limited in the ability, or unable to use the online application system and need an alternative method for applying, you may contact the Talent Acquisition team at TalentAcquisition@ibtci.com (Do not send your resume to this account, for consideration please apply in our career page, https://careers.ibtci.com/jobs).