View Vacancy - Digital Access Programme Manager & Advisor C4 (12/19 NR)
Background
The Prosperity Fund
Many developing countries, including middle-income countries - where around 60% of the world’s poor live - still face considerable challenges such as rapid urbanisation, climate change and high and persistent inequality (including gender inequality) which can lower long-term growth prospects. Launched in April 2016 to help promote economic growth in developing countries, the UK Government’s Prosperity Fund supports the broad-based and inclusive growth needed for poverty reduction. The Fund’s priorities include improving the business climate, competitiveness and operation of markets, energy and financial sector reform, and tackling corruption. These reforms will drive sustainable development in partner countries - and in the process it will also create opportunities for international business, including UK companies.
The Digital Access Programme
The Digital Access Programme will be resourced by the Prosperity Fund to facilitate wider and more affordable, safer and more secure access to the internet for excluded populations, harnessing the power of digital inclusion to tackle poverty, build prosperity and enable millions of people - especially socio-economically disadvantaged populations -to benefit from digital services and opportunities in Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Indonesia and Brazil. Access to the internet is a powerful catalyst to prosperity, reducing poverty and building inclusion: a 10% increase in internet access linked to 3% growth in GDP, and a range of social and economic benefits. The objective of this programme is to support development and prosperity outcomes. The Digital Access Programme aims to address the fundamental constraints to digital inclusion through three pillars, harnessing the role and expertise of various UK government departments:
● Department for International Development (DFID) ‘Models & Enablers’: Test and validate innovative business models that take emerging technologies to market, in order to facilitate the sustainable expansion of affordable internet access for the poor and excluded. This will be complemented by enablers such as regulatory reform and support to locally-relevant content for development.
● Foreign & Commonwealth Officer (FCO) ‘Trust & Resilience’: Build partner countries’ capacity to prevent and respond to cyber-security risks affecting governments, businesses and citizens (including vulnerable groups at risk of online abuse or exploitation).
● Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) ‘Sustainable Digital Ecosystems’: Stimulate local digital economies, and forge partnerships between local tech sectors and international businesses (including UK firms) through a Tech Hub network.
Main purpose of the job
1. To set up the Prosperity Fund Digital Access Programme in Kenya working closely with relevant UK government teams, implementing partners, the Government of Kenya, private sector and civil society; subsequently, to provide oversight of project activities.
2. Stakeholder engagement in the public and private sectors to promote and facilitate digital access and cyber security in Kenya.
The role presents unique opportunities to advance the UK-Kenya relationship on digital access and cyber security for economic growth at a time when these issues are of increasing importance on the international agenda.
For the first 12 months, the programme the role will focus on research, analysis, stakeholder engagement (across private sector, civil society, and UK/local government) and programme coordination. This will involve analysis of the digital economy and of the cyber security situation, including by gathering relevant information and collaborating with others to promote more inclusive, more sustainable and safer digital access for development in Kenya.
Conditional on a successful set-up phase the subsequent 24 months of the role would have two key focuses – (1) programme coordination, management and monitoring, and (2) contributing to the research, analysis and influencing work required to deliver policy dialogue and reform in the relevant sectors in Kenya. The post holder will work closely with the in-country DCMS-led UK Tech Hub team.
Roles and responsibilities
This is a hybrid programme administration / implementation role, with a particular focus on Pillar 1 (Models and Enablers) and Pillar 2 (Trust and Resilience) of the Prosperity Fund Digital Access Programme. It will be split between (1) contributing to the implementation of programme activities which promote policy change for safe and secure digital access (40%) and contributing to delivery of the programme’s prosperity (“secondary benefits”) objectives (15%) ; and (2) programme management (40%), with some corporate responsibilities (5% - expected of all staff within the High Commission).
A more detailed time allocation is shown below.
40%
Programme implementation
- Monitor the cyber security, internet governance and telecoms regulatory environment in Kenya. Monitor the emerging technological innovations and new business models that drive affordable and inclusive digital access for the most disadvantaged populations in Kenya.
- Contribute to delivering policy change by influencing key decision-makers in the government of Kenya, and in civil society and private sector in support of the programmes objectives in these areas. During the set-up of the programme this will involve building constructive relationships with key stakeholders to secure support for the programme. Following successful set-up, the jobholder will be involved in building and maintaining relationships that help to drive forward UK policy priorities in the digital/cyber policy area in Kenya, securing regulatory and policy shifts through diplomatic engagement and leveraging the programme and senior engagement to enhance progress. Provide reporting on analysis and meetings. Coordinate own work with others in the British High Commission and relevant government departments in London. It is expected that the jobholder will deliver quality service in a matrix management environment.
15%
Secondary benefits
- Identify commercial opportunities to expand the digital/cyber market in Kenya. Work closely with Department for International Trade to assist companies wanting to trade with and/or invest in Kenya.
- Act as the key point of coordination with the UK Tech Hub in Kenya to ensure that it is fully aligned with the other parts of the programme and relevant British High Commission work.
40%
Programme coordination and management
- Oversee the set up activities of the Digital Access Programme in Kenya. This will require an ability to apply project oversight, coordination, monitoring, risk management and stakeholder engagement skills. The jobholder will build relationships with the implementing partners and local supply chain to ensure set-up and subsequent delivery is monitored in coordination with the Prosperity team in-country and with the central Programme Management Committee.
- The jobholder will lead on visits from the UK by HMG, and implementing partners to help establish the Programme. This will include arranging meetings with relevant private sector, civil society, and government partners
- The jobholder will lead on communications, delivering visibility for the Kenya Programme and proper recognition for UK government efforts. The post holder will support implementation of the Programme’s communications strategy as approved by the Programme’s governance structure.
- The jobholder will regularly join key meetings, remotely where required, and provide regular updates on the progress of the Digital Access Programme in Kenya.
5%
Corporate
- As all other staff at post, the job holder is expected to participate in wider British High Commission activities. These may include being active on various committees and in other corporate roles, as well as play a role in crisis management activities on an ad hoc basis.
The jobholder will need a combination of digital access and/or cyber security subject knowledge (with an ability to use self-directed study to learn about both in the role), project management and coordination experience and the skills to work in a team and influence others. It is important that the post holder has good knowledge of Kenya, including experience of working with the Government, civil society, business and other stakeholders, including in relevant digital access and/or cyber security sectors.
The jobholder will need good communication and coordination skills in collaborating across UK government departments as well as with the Kenyan Government.
Essential on arrival:
- Experience of managing large and/or complex programmes
- Policy experience in at least one of the following will be essential, and awareness of / interest in a second area will be highly desirable: digital access (innovative models for inclusive connectivity, use of digital for development), telecoms, digital/ICT, and cyber security.
- Experience at policy, regulatory as well as field level will be considered relevant.
- Experience of working in an international development context, including managing/working with development programmes, including in Kenya
- Experience of working in or with government in Kenya
- Experience of working in the private sector or organised civil society in relevant fields (e.g. use of digital for affordable connectivity, use of digital for development)
- The jobholder will also need to ensure Gender Equality Act compliance and support PF ambitions on women’s economic opportunities, inclusive growth and poverty reduction through your department / team.
- There will be some possibilities for travel in Kenya and to the UK.
Resources managed (staff and expenditure):
No direct line management is envisaged, at least initially. However team management and leadership experience, particularly across different geographies is preferred given the jobholder will need to work closely with the UK Tech Hub team and Head of UK Tech Hub to coordinate programme activity and ensure the work of the UK Tech Hub fits into the strategic direction of the programme as a whole.
Learning and development opportunities : The job provides an excellent opportunity to acquire and/or deepen skills in programme management/coordination, in technical advice, and in policy influencing, including through exposure to senior levels of host government and within the relevant private sector. We place a strong emphasis on learning and development. You will have access to existing and new Project & Programme Management L&D as well as wider job-relevant L&D and support for your own personal development. You may have the opportunity to participate in annual reviews to assess the performance of PF and other programmes. If you only have digital policy experience in one of the areas relevant to the Programme, then you will be expected to undertake a combination of self-study and organised training as soon as possible after starting in order to gain awareness of a second policy area to the extent needed to effectively engage with programme stakeholders and provide credible activity oversight at local level.
Leave:
Members of staff are entitled to paid annual leave, which is earned, from the day they commence employment. Entitlements are as follows:
Grades C4(L) 30 days
In addition to annual leave, the BHC normally observes no fewer than 9 and no more than 14 Kenyan and British public and religious holidays in a year. These vary from year to year and are at the discretion of the High Commissioner. A list of holidays is published each year.
Working Patterns:
Subject to the Flexible Working Scheme (see below) normal office hours are Monday to Thursday: 0730 - 1530 Friday: 0730 - 1230
- Please complete the application form in full as the information provided is used during screening.
- Please check your application carefully before you submit, as no changes can be made once submitted.
- The British High Commission will never request any payment or fees to apply for a position.
- Employees recruited locally by the British High Commission in Nairobi are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local employment law in Kenya.
- It is essential that the applicants already have the right to live and work in Kenya without the need to apply for a work permit
- Employees who are not eligible to pay local income tax: e.g. certain third-country nationals and spouses/partners of UK diplomats will have their salaries abated by an equivalent amount.
- Information about the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Competency Framework can be found on this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-competency-framework Please note: Job grade AA=A1, AO=A2, EO=B3, HEO=C4, SEO=C5
- Reference checking and security clearances will be conducted on successful candidates.
- Please log into your profile on the application system on a regular basis to review the status of your application.
This opportunity is closed to applications.
