SENIOR GOVERNANCE ADVISOR

SENIOR GOVERNANCE ADVISOR

Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Position Status: Full Time

Mercy Corps has been present in Ethiopia since 2004, working to drive bold and transformative ideas in partnership with government, private sector, and civil society to build a more resilient country. Our vision is to enhance the resilience of climate and conflict-affected communities through market system development for improved livelihoods, access to food, and clean water. We operate across the regional states of Afar, Amhara, Gambella, Oromia, Somali, Sidama, Southern Ethiopia, Tigray, and Addis Ababa city administration, working with donors such as USAID, EU, GAC, Hilton Foundation, UN, JOA, Sweden, and others.

General Position Summary

The Senior Governance Advisor will set the strategy for governance approaches across the Resilience in Pastoral Areas Activity (RIPA) - North, focusing on community disaster risk management (DRM), natural resource management (NRM), and governance of nutrition services. The role will provide capacity building, technical support, oversight and monitoring of governance activities, and lead the development and implementation of governance activities in coordination with regional government stakeholders and Mercy Corps staff. This 20 month role is focused on building the capacity of government partners and mobilizing communities for collective action.

Essential Job Responsibilities
Strategy and Vision

• Develop a strategy for influencing government institutions to invest in community DRM and rangeland management plans.


• Develop a strategy and roadmap for government ownership and financing of climate information services.


• Review the sustainability prospects of key community governance institutions (e.g., DRM Councils and Rangeland Councils) and develop a strategy for improving sustainability.

Program Management

• Collaborate with component and field teams and regional government officials on program delivery, joint planning, capacity strengthening and measurement.


• Support integration of cross cutting aspects of the program such as gender equality, peace building, social cohesion, youth, climate adaptation and resilience into the country level institutional strengthening strategy.


• Support RIPA field teams in socializing the program with local and country government stakeholders, traditional leaders, civil society organizations and other relevant stakeholders, and pursue necessary approvals and collaboration.


• Lead implementation of country level context and government capacity assessment processes, including staff coordination and mapping of formal and informal governance structures with key stakeholders.


• Prepare regular country context updates with analysis of governance planning and budgeting cycles and political windows of opportunity, advising how these may affect RIPA North activities.


• Refine and implement regional contextual strategies for community mobilization and engagement in governance processes.


• Work with RIPA component leads and CoP to develop or refine community mobilization, civil society strengthening, or capacity building for government officials in community engagement skills, including facilitation, consultation, negotiation and participatory planning and budgeting.


• Mentor officials in good governance skills, including planning and conducting regular awareness raising and consultative meetings on DRM, NRM, gender and nutrition planning.


• Support Institutionalization of Learning Systems Strengthening by providing strategy and direction for country level program implementation, and maintaining a monitoring system to measure governance system performance.


• Design and facilitate community and government learning events to review progress, highlight challenges and identify solutions.


• Contribute country level information on complementary activities by partners and collaborators to support program coordination at the household and community levels.


• Convene and facilitate meetings between governance structures at different levels and across geographies to promote communication and collaboration within and between government authorities.


• Lead governance knowledge management activities with country and field offices, including documentation.


• In coordination with the Learning and Accountability team, support documentation of governance practices and outcomes.


• Produce written reports on program activities, capturing impacts of activities.


• Participate in the agency wide governance practitioners learning exchange network.


• Proactively ensure networking and sharing of lessons from Mercy Corps programs with strategic governance stakeholders including government.


• Ensure communication of governance concepts within the organization, with partners and other stakeholders.