Development Liaison Officer at Cowater International

job Description

DUE: 24 MAY 2024
STATEMENT OF WORK
Job Title: Development Liaison Officer
Position Type: Consultancy (up to 5 days per month)
Duration: June 2024 to May 2025
Position Location: Harare, Zimbabwe
Application Deadline: 24th May 2024
Start Date: 17th June 2024
Assignment Duration: 1 year with an option to renew.

SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT
Field Support Services Project (FSSP) Kenya, Somalia and South Africa is a two-year initiative (November 2023 –October 2025) funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and implemented by Cowater International. It offers administrative, financial procurement and logistical support, along with technical expertise to GAC’s development programs in Kenya, Somalia, and South Africa. The project assists GAC in managing local development initiatives in Kenya (and its accredited countries which include Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi, Botswana, Lesotho, Mauritius, and Namibia), South Africa (and accredited countries including Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Madagascar), and Somalia.

BACKGROUND
In Zimbabwe, Canada is represented by the Embassy of Canada to Zimbabwe in Harare and supported by the Canadian High Commission in Pretoria, South Africa on development issues. Canada and Zimbabwe collaborate on a wide range of issues, including environmental protection, peacekeeping, trade and investment promotion, and cooperation within multilateral organizations. Canada’s International Assistance to Zimbabwe is implemented mostly through long-term institutional support to multilateral organizations with activities in Zimbabwe and Canadian civil society organisations working in partnership with local organizations, to support Zimbabwe’s development priorities in areas such as education, health, sexual and reproductive health rights, gender equality, as well as growth that works for everyone.

SUMMARY OF THE POSITION
The Canadian High Commission in Pretoria requires the services of a Development Liaison Officer (DLO) in Zimbabwe to support its programming over a term of one (1) year with an option to renew. The DLO will support and strengthen the delivery of Canada’s international assistance in Zimbabwe through field level advice, technical support, and policy input on matters relevant to Canada’s engagement in the country.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Liaison Officer will:
-Develop and maintain a good knowledge of ongoing local development activities, including those of government and non-governmental agencies and institutional cooperation activities.
-Provide analyses on political, economic, and security developments in country and advise on actions that could be undertaken to take advantage of rising opportunities and challenges for development programming.
-Report on local policy issues that may be relevant interests and mandate in the region.
-Liaise, maintain dialogue, develop linkages, and follow up on programming in country.
-Maintain regular contact and network with relevant contacts in the government, donor agencies, and civil society.
-Attend relevant meetings and events.

Qualifications and Experience

Education:
-An undergraduate university degree from a recognized university in development studies, project management, international relations, or any other relative degree.

Minimum Experience
-The ideal candidate shall meet the following minimum requirements:
-Minimum 5 years of professional experience at senior level advisory or progressive experience in development programming.

QUALIFICATIONS
-Thorough understanding of the socioeconomic, security, and political context of Zimbabwe and knowledge of local development initiatives.
-Significant experience designing and monitoring country-level projects rooted in sustainable development.
-Proven experience analyzing development-specific strategies and conducting needs assessments in Zimbabwe.
-Highly developed communication and facilitation skills.
-Outstanding analytical skills.
-Demonstrated experience in working with social media tools.
-Knowledge of gender equality is an added advantage.

Language Requirements: Excellent English language skills, as most of the reporting will be written in English.

Working arrangements:
The Development Liaison Officer will attend meetings virtually and in-person. All travel expenses will be subject to prior approval by FSSP manager.
The Liaison Officer will report to the Project Manager, Field Support Services Project (FSSP) and work closely with the development team at the Canadian High Commission in Pretoria and/or Embassy in Harare.

Ownership of Intellectual Property:
Documentation produced by the Specialist in the performance of the work under the contract shall remain the property of the Government of Canada.

How to Apply

APPLICATION PROCESS
Interested applicants must include the following documents:
CV indicating past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references.
Cover Letter indicating why the Candidate considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment.
Financial Proposal The financial proposal should specify an all-inclusive daily rate (including taxes, time-off benefits, all statutory contributions, social contributions, and insurance). The daily rate should consider a maximum working day of 7.5 hours.
Applications must be submitted by 24th May 2024 by 5:00 p.m. to [email protected] with the subject: Development Liaison Officer-Zimbabwe Any applications received after this time will not be considered.

Evaluation of Applications
The proposals that achieve a minimum of 70% in the technical desk review shall be further considered for interviews and written tests. The award of the contract shall be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:
a) responsive/compliant/acceptable; and
b) having received the highest score out of set of weighted technical criteria (70% – Comprising of 15% scores of desk review, 25% written test, and 30% scores of interviews) and financial criteria (30%).

The Financial score shall be computed as a ratio of the proposal being evaluated and the lowest priced proposal received by FSSP for the assignment.
Technical Score (70%)
Financial Score (30%)
1. Based on Qualification (desk review) (15%)
2. Written test (25%)
3. Interview (30%)

NB: Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70 points (70% of the desk technical review) will be considered for the Financial Evaluation.