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| AJIRALEO |
Location Tanzania
Department Programs
Employment Type Volunteer
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SCOPE OF WORK
Expert volunteer: Local Government and Decentralization Specialist
Location of Assignment: Zanzibar
Proposed Level of Effort: Three Weeks
Anticipated start Date: 24th February 2018
Objectives of the Assignment:
The objective of the volunteer assignment is to support the Permanent Secretary to PO-RALGSD to conduct an LGA capability analysis to take over D by D responsibilities and identify specific support needs to the intersectoral steering committee.
The Program
The Tanzania Enabling Growth through Investment and Enterprise Program (ENGINE) is a four-year USAID-funded Feed the Future Tanzania activity awarded through the Volunteers for Economic Growth Alliance (VEGA) contractual mechanism that aims to streamline and enhance many of the regulatory, informational and financial channels that encourage domestic and foreign investment in the southern mainland agricultural regions of Mbeya, Morogoro, and Iringa, and in Zanzibar.
ENGINE works at the district Local Government Authority (LGA) level, using a broad-based approach to engage with district councils, private sector associations, business development service providers, financial institutions and small and medium enterprises. The program’s activities are divided into three main components.
Implement policies for growth. Build the capacity of the private sector to effectively dialogue with the government to set the policy agenda and improve the capacity of the public sector to implement policies.
Equip businesses for growth. Strengthen SME capacity and foster the growth and capacity of a sustainable market for business development services (BDS) in Tanzania.
Access to finance for growth. Broaden access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in all sectors, especially women and youth entrepreneurs and those working within agricultural value chains (excluding primary producers), to facilitate increased business viability, growth, and investment.
Background
In Zanzibar several initiatives to promote the profile of local governments have been undertaken and in the process the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar (RGOZ) decided to adopt the local government reforms as a strategy to strengthen the institutions and enhance the democratic process in planning for and monitoring local development.
Since the Revolution in 1964, the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar has undertaken a series of public sector reforms initiatives. The reforms have been aiming at strengthening key aspects of governance in coping with growing demands for improved public services over the years, resulting from rapid growth in the socio - economy, demographic trends and infrastructure. Zanzibar’s overall development framework and long term social and economic development goals are laid out in the Zanzibar Vision 2020. The thrust of the vision is to eradicate absolute poverty and attain sustainable development by 2020. To guide the implementation of Vision 2020 in the medium term, Zanzibar has implemented two successive medium-term initiatives which are Zanzibar Poverty Reduction Plan (ZPRP) launched in 2002 and The Zanzibar Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty (ZSGRP) popularly known as MKUZA.
In the framework of development objectives for Zanzibar, both MKUZA 1 and MKUZA II initiatives dedicate considerable attention to the promotion of participatory democratic governance. MKUZA II, emphasizes that building partnership with other stakeholders in implementing development activities and in-service delivery is of prime importance. The government, it asserts, “has been devoted to increasingly involve Zanzibaris of all walks in policy making, planning processes, implementation and monitoring of development and service delivery.” But, as the Strategy notes, “……. this important move by the government lacks a coherent framework to guide it.” At the bottom of all this lies the fact that broad-based and all-inclusive participation in the development process can only be effectively achieved through strengthened local governments that are responsive to local communities.
In recognition of the critical importance of putting in place a public service with a coherent and effective institutional framework, the RGOZ decided to prioritize the Zanzibar Public Service Reform Program (ZPSRP) from year 2009, to build up efficient systems, processes, competent public service staff, and vibrant, public institutions - including LGAs. In this context, the D-by-D process is adapted to assume the transference of functions, powers and resources from central to local levels.
Problem Statement
At the core of government is the obligation to deliver public services for peoples’ welfare. To this obligation devolution of functions offers government the privilege of ensuring services are delivered equitably, expectation while giving room for citizens to participate in; decision making and evaluating efficiency and effectiveness in services delivered. Views that national government should remain with fewer, but most sensitive functions continues to take hold. Other levels of government and agencies should be vested with more responsibilities in public services. Invariably, political, economic, social, technological, and regulatory factors also inspire the desire for, and the push for changes.
Implementation of D by D in Zanzibar will enable; effective use of local government in the development process. LGAs are situated closest to communities therefore best placed to deliver more efficiently public services, effective local development, and effective monitoring and supervision of local development plans, improved government accountability. D by D exerts stronger pressures on government performance both from below (the demand side) and from above (the supply side). Furthermore, the concentration of functions on central government develops trends towards heavy bureaucratization. Bottlenecks abound in expedient decision making, inadequate performance monitoring becomes common thus resulting in overall inefficiency in service provision, the impact of service delivery deserves to be realized at the level of operations in service delivery i.e. where people and communities are.
Assignment Activities
The expert volunteer will:
i.Develop criteria for selecting LGAs that would participate in the assessment and resources required.
ii.Work with inter-sectoral steering committee to develop assessment methodology/approach to be agreed with the PS PO-RALGSD.
iii.Design draft data collection guidelines, analysis approach, reporting and recommendations
iv.Facilitate creation of a work program with the Permanent Secretary PO-RALGSD.
v.Facilitate Steering Committee Review and analysis of the current D by D process
Deliverables
The Expert Volunteer will submit the following deliverables:
Inception report, highlighting approach/methodology of the assignment
Comprehensive report indicating agreed steps by PO-RALGSD and roles & responsibilities
D by D implementation action plan developed by a multi-sectoral team to be presented to all Permanent Secretaries, respective Directors and LGAs
The Expert Volunteer will provide exit debriefings to PO-RALGSD and ENGINE/USAID.
Expert Volunteer Qualifications
The ideal local Government and decentralization specialist will have the following skills and qualifications:
5+ years of experience working within developing country particularly at Local Government Authority Level
Track record of conducting Organizational Assessment/development in Government institutions preferable at local Government level.
Excellent qualitative research skills and data analysis
Understanding of the working environment and in multi-cultural setting
Self-motivated, proactive, detail-oriented, mature, professional team player, who is a strong people person and communicator, with good inter-personal skills;
Ability to address issues, challenges, questions, and concerns in a professional, respectful, logical, and timely manner;
Works well in a highly political situation
Well-developed writing skills in English and the ability to express yourself clearly and concisely;
Good computer skills in MS Office
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