Ghana: Budget and Governance Advisor

The Parliamentary Centre, an International NGO working in Parliamentary Development, seeks a Budget and Governance Advisor to join its Poverty Reduction team.

Summary of functions
Under the supervision of the Director for Africa programs, the bilingual (English/French)Budget and Governance Advisor is responsible for the Africa Poverty Reduction Office (APRO) Learning Centre activities which include developing/delivering training programs for Parliaments and CSOs and producing research and training material as well as contributing to the overall program activities of the African Parliamentary Poverty Reduction Network (APRN) and the PC Africa Team in order to achieve results identified in Parliamentary Centre plans and agreements.

Primary responsibilities
The Budget and Governance Advisor main responsibilities are to:

Advisory (35%)
• Establish and manage the Learning Centre facilities at APRO;
• Plan, develop and coordinate training programs on governance issues such as budget analysis, gender budgeting and committee oversight for African MPs, parliamentary staff and CSOs;
• Develop and deliver training modules as well as training material that reflect the need of target groups;
• Contribute program advice and training inputs to designated projects and program components;
• Participate fully in decisions and planning by the Africa Team;

Management (25%)
• Manage designated project components including elements of results-based management, and report to the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and other external agencies, in conjunction with the Program Director and other Africa team members;
• Manage the coordination of logistics involved with project implementation (including training programs, study tours, workshops, research attachments);
• Work on financial management of designated projects and program components, including budget preparation, cash-flow management and reporting in liaison with the Program Coordinator (Finance and Organization);
• Regularly monitor the provision of training, evaluate quality, and develop training in response to evaluation;
• Report on all program matters to the Program Director.
• Travel in Africa and abroad as required in support of the program’s outreach work;

Research and publications (15%)
• Conduct, publish and disseminate research or briefs on poverty and governance related issues;
• Contribute to website updates, publications such as newsletters and project bulletins;
• Conduct needs assessments of parliaments’ training needs or capacity gaps that will inform the Learning Centre and APRN activities;

Representation (15%)
• Interact with external stakeholders and agencies as required;
• Liaise with African Parliaments and other stakeholders and strengthen relationships between these organizations and PC;

Centre-wide collaboration (10%)
• Participate in regular PC staff meetings, and when required in other committees;
• Collaborate with the Director, the regional office program staff, and with colleagues in Ottawa in the identification and evaluation of emerging and key development trends and priorities in a particular region;

This position is based in Accra, Ghana. The candidate must be available to travel in Africa and abroad as required in support of the program’s outreach work and to work irregular hours if needed.
The Budget and Governance Advisor will interact with various stakeholders including African parliamentarians and parliamentary staff, donors, local CSOs and policy institutes.

Qualifications and skills required

The Advisor will have skills and understanding of the training cycle, planning, developing, delivering and evaluating training, together with knowledge of parliamentary systems and the budget cycle process.

The ideal candidate will have:

• A post graduate degree from a recognized university in a discipline related to political science such as international relations, international development, political economy, or related subject;
• Minimum 5-years professional experience in Africa in the field of governance with some expertise in training development and delivery;
• Knowledge of parliamentary systems and legislative institutions in Africa or elsewhere;
• Sensitivity to the importance of gender equity and related issues;
• Experience in project implementation and financial management of development projects;
• Ability to work both independently as well as in a multi-disciplinary team environment;
• Ability to work under short deadlines, resource limitations and balance multiple project activities;
• Excellent communication and organizational skills;
• Proficiency in MS software applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, Power Point) and Internet use;
• Knowledge of Results-Based Management (RBM);
• Excellent English language skills;
• Good knowledge of written and spoken French.

Please e-mail a cover letter and your CV by end of day Wednesday, 26 July 06 to [email][email protected]
or [email][email protected] The subject line should read Budget and Governance Advisor and your name.

For more information on the Parliamentary Centre please visit