Programme Lead- ACDC

Focus of the Role

TBI is supporting the Africa Centre for Diseases Control (Africa CDC) on a new project to respond more effectively to public health issues and pandemics. This is focused on improving the capacity of the institution and staff to deliver on their mandates and duties. Following the onset of the coronavirus crisis, the public health agenda has never been more important. The programme will begin with an initial assessment of the organisation’s previous strategies ahead of its new strategy round.

The duties of this post-holder are to:

• Provide overall leadership for the delivery of the programme
• Provide technical and strategic advice to the senior leadership of the Africa CDC
• Liaise with internal and external stakeholders to support the Africa CDC’s engagement with key stakeholders including those at Head of State level across the region

Key Responsibilities

The key responsibilities of the role include:

Delivery

• Lead the day to day execution of the programme; manage and coach other team members (as required) and stakeholders
• Lead delivery of an assessment excercise and lessons learned from pevious strategy rounds
• Lead development of case studies of global & local Institutional Capacity Strengthening (ICS) frameworks
• Lead work with counterparts in the development of the roadmaps (strategic vision and plan) for Africa CDC
• Develop relevant models/frameworks to support the delivery of the project
• Lead strategic planning and problem-solving support on the project
• Develop an ICS base framework for the Africa CDC
• Support the the development of systems and structutres to embed a delivery culture within the Africa CDC
• Explore the potential for innovative solutions including the use of technology in driving forward the public health agenda in the sub-region

Collaboration and Engagement with Stakeholders

• Engage with key internal and external stakeholders to implement agreed strategies and interventions
• Collaborate closely and regularly with relevant stakeholders to align on key decisions, iterate on solutions and find alternatives as required
• Support member state engagement through the provision of advice, research and analysis including on issues such as public communications

Planning and Development

• Lead the planning and facilitation of project related meetings with key stakeholders
• Develop case study of global and local Institutional Capacity Strengthening (ICS) frameworks
• Develop and manage programme parameters including budgets, workplan, evaluation and results/KPIs

Know-How:

• The ability to work and interact with senior government officials; being able to develop an understanding of thier needs; have strong political acumen;
• Excellent interpersonal, negotiation, networking and communication skills
• Excellent leadership, coordination and relationship building skills
• Ability to operate and succeed in a highly political environment;
• Ability to work independently, think strategically and translate strategies into concrete and implementable plans; an acute attention to detail with excellent organizational skill
• Strong analytical and management skills, including sound knowledge of strategic planning and programme management tools
• A decent understanding of how governments, businesses and international development organisations operate and how to succeed in them

Accountability:

• Lead the team on workplan development, tracking project targets and measuring success
• Lead the programme team and directly manage partner engagement
• Accountable for the budget and for monitoring general project goals and outcomes

Judgement:

• Quality assure and assess project processes and documentation
• Identify project risks and work with relevant colleagues across the institute and externally to mitigate these
• Lead the evaluation of strategies, frameworks and decisions to assess progress and effectiveness

Ambition:

• Successfully deliver on the project outcomes and deliverables
• Provide a platform for further engagement in the health sector

Person Specification

We are looking for individuals with high levels of enthusiasm, drive, resilience, a can-do attitude and ability to consistently achieve results in a fast-paced environment. The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change aims to equip political leaders and governments to build open, inclusive and prosperous societies in an interconnected world. We do this through developing policy and advising governments.

This is a role in a fast paced team, working within complex policy areas that are highly scrutinised. Therefore the successful candidate for the role should be able to display the majority of the following:

• A university degree, relevant degree at Master’s level may be an added advantage
• At least 10 years’ experience in roles that require strong management skills, political savvy, strong relationship management, business acumen, pro-activeness, going the extra mile and strong teamwork
• Knowledge and experience of living and working in Africawill be advantageous including the political and government systems of the region
• Experience in the health sector will be an added advantage
• Self-starter, motivated and proactive with solutions
• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent knowledge and application of Microsoft Office products Word, Excel and PPT and other relevant software and tools