Decentralization Consultant, Tarabot, Iraq
Decentralization Consultant, Tarabot, Iraq
Company Profile: MSI is a Washington, D.C.-based international development firm providing specialized short- and long-term technical assistance. Since its 1981 founding, MSI has grown in size and technical scope, now implementing and managing more than 70 projects worldwide. More than 30 are long-term, many in conflict-prone or fragile states that include Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and South Sudan. Today, our range of technical expertise includes analytical and field projects in democracy and governance, economic growth, strategic planning, organizational capacity building, health and the justice sector. MSI focuses on helping our local partners foster progress, manage change and improve the effectiveness of development assistance. We expanded our global footprint in 2008 by becoming part of Coffey, a leading geoscience, international development and project management firm, and a publicly traded company on the Australian Stock Exchange. Alongside the international development arm of Coffey, MSI has corporate offices in 17 countries. Together, MSI and Coffey employ more than 1,400 professionals worldwide. For more information on MSI, please visit our website at www.msiworldwide.com.
Project Summary:
MSI is implementing the Iraq Administrative Reform Project - Tarabot. The Tarabot project works to improve the functions of the GOI’s public institutions in order to improve services delivery processes through better governance and resource management approaches. Over the past two years, MSI through the USAID-Tarabot project has worked with the Government of Iraq to undertake a number of decentralization initiatives at the national and provincial levels. This work has catalyzed a number of significant changes, ranging from shifts of specific central ministry authorities to the provincial level to the recent passage of a stronger Law 21 Provincial Powers Act - Iraq's primary decentralization legislation.
Position Summary:
The consultant is responsible for aggregating, synthesizing, and analyzing information from a variety of sources within the project, the central government, and the provincial governments. The consultant will then draft a white paper describing the context of decentralization in Iraq, the project's approach to decentralization, successes and shortcomings, and finally, recommending avenues for Tarabot programming. This position will also provide support to the project's Decentralization Consulting Unit to assemble several institution- level deliverables, including the development of "decentralization road maps" for select partner ministries. This is a short-term assignment based in Baghdad, Iraq.
Responsibilities:
• Develop a workplan to achieve the goals and objectives of the consultancy. The workplan should include key activities, milestones, and deliverables presented on a GANTT chart.
• Develop an impact assessment methodology for USAID-Tarabot's decentralization activities. This methodology shall incorporate Iraq's legislative, institutional, and budget frameworks and their respective roles in decentralization.
• Review the project's existing decentralization activities with the GoI, including technical assistance, capacity building, advocacy and follow-up, as well as the implementation of numerous functions decentralized from ministries to provinces.
• Conduct interviews and focus group sessions with members of USAID-Tarabot's Decentralization Consulting Unit, project leadership, and members of the project's numerous partner ministries, governors' offices, and executive offices to further inform the white paper and ministry road maps.
• Review GoI legislation, regulations, and ministerial decrees pertinent to decentralization.
• Review the GoI budget law and analyze the level of central vs. provincial.
• Assist the project's DCU team to assemble ministry "decentralization roadmaps" that describe the plans, processes, and procedures necessary to effectively decentralize targeted central functions.
• Draft a white paper report that describes the context of decentralization in Iraq, the nature of USAID-Tarabot's interventions, and subsequent changes observed in GoI performance. The report will incorporate conclusions and recommendations ascertained over the consultancy. Recommendations will include the identification of project actions that are most likely to strengthen the sustainability of the elements of the decentralization process supported by Tarabot.
• Formally present the report to Tarabot project leadership and USAID officials.
• Draft other narrative pieces for the project, including success stories, embassy cables, and social media updates as requested.
• Meet all project and USAID reporting requirements.
• Attend regular project meetings as well as ad-hoc or special meetings as necessary.
Qualifications:
• Seven years’ experience in relevant fields, including decentralization, public administration, international development, and program evaluation. Experience with national-level decentralization efforts is requisite.
• Master's, MBA, or Law degree in a related field, which could include social sciences or construction management. Field experience in Iraq is advantageous.
• Extensive knowledge of the theoretical background of decentralization, knowledge of practical on-the-ground approaches, and an understanding of capacity building and systems improvement approaches.
• Familiarity with Iraq's legal framework, particularly Law 21, is extremely important.
• Excellent knowledge of monitoring and evaluation concepts.
• Well-versed in all facets of the Microsoft Office suite of software, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Full fluency, written and spoken, in English.
• Professional proficiency in Arabic is highly desirable.
• Familiarity with USAID requirements ad protocol for reporting and branding.
How to apply:
Only candidates who have been selected for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls, please.
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