Governance Associate

Job Introduction

TBI has been supporting the President’s Office in The Gambia since 2017. This followed the unprecedented removal of former president Yaya Jammeh through democratic means after 22 years in power.

The administration of President Barrow has been looking to strengthen the capacity of the government to implement his vision for development, and to rebuild institutions weakened over a number of years.

TBI has been a key partner to the Presidency helping to strengthen its delivery and implementation mechanisms, primarily through the establishment of the Department of Strategic Policy and Delivery (DSPD) but also in supporting reforms in other areas such as private office, communications, cabinet, and more recently support to the Vice President in her role as chair of the COVID-19 ministerial taskforce.

In addition to strengthening delivery in the Presidency, our work seeks to strengthen the connections with other key ministries and agencies, both in the centre (the Vice President’s Office and the Ministry of Finance Economic Affairs) as well as key sector Ministries, such as the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Trade, the Gambia Investment and Export Promotion Agency (GIEPA) and others.

There will be elections in The Gambia in December 2021, and TBI is looking forward to continuing to support the incoming administration with implementing an ambitious development agenda.

The Governance Associate is an important role in the team, and will work closely with the Country Head, the Delivery Advisor and key counterparts at the Office of the President.

This is a fixed term role for two years.

Key Responsibilities

The Governance Associate will work alongside the Country Head, key counterparts and other stakeholders to strengthen TBIs centre of government support to the government of The Gambia.

The Governance Associate will also be expected to support the wider work of TBI Gambia, including targeted interventions into key departments to support delivery of the National Development Plan, as required. Specific duties include:

• Support TBI’s work to strengthen State House, the office of the Secretary General and the office of the Vice President through strategy development and coordination
• Support to strengthening the Cabinet Office, including through supporting better processes and procedures
• Support the Country Head with preparing briefings on key issues for the attention of H.E. the President, the Secretary General and/or the Vice President
• Compile analysis and intelligence on key topics and emerging trends of importance for the development outlook for The Gambia
• Engage with and build relationships with external stakeholders
• Support senior government counterparts in mapping, engaging and managing relevant key stakeholders, including foreign and domestic investors, development partners and various government institutions
• Apply TBI frameworks, expertise and resources to capacity challenges at the centre of government 
• Work with the Country Head to support the strengthening of the Presidency as a whole, where opportunities arise, including in areas such as strategic communications, policy and international relations
• Undertake institutional and capacity assessments with a view to support government counterparts put in place effective and sustainable structures, systems and skills to improve policy- and decision-making
• Support the Country Head and other team members on various strategic and management issues, including contributing to skills development of local counterparts
• Contribute to the wider Centre of Government and Delivery (COGD) Practice, sharing expertise and learning from other TBI projects, contributing to thought leadership and external events etc.
• Other tasks as may be agreed with the Country Head

Person Specification

We are looking for a Governance Associate:

• With 2-3 years’ of relevant experience on government advisory, relations or management consulting
• With outstanding management skills and the proven ability to build and inspire teams to achieve ambitious objectives;
• Who is strategic and can challenge the status-quo and develop plans for successful delivery of challenging objectives;
• With a bachelor’s or postgraduate degree or equivalent practical experience;
• Who can provide delivery and centre of government strengthening expertise to the Government of The Gambia.
• Who can provide some depth in key sectors of importance to the Presidency: job creation, investment, agriculture, or digitalisation.
• Who commits to business objectives and pulls out the stops to make sure they are always met;
• Who has worked in developing and emerging economies and is sensitive to a diverse range of cultural and regional norms, and will foster a positive spirit of collaboration between our countries of operation and our global TBI tech transformation offer

About The Institute

The Tony Blair Institute (TBI) is a mission-driven not for profit organisation. We exist to equip political leaders and governments to build open, inclusive and prosperous societies. We work hard, every day, to make a difference. When governments work well they are able to create economic and social change in a way that promotes fairness, social justice and opportunity. We work relentlessly to support leader and governments with the challenges they face. Giving them practical solutions and actionable insights, that once implemented, can be transformative for their people  

We do this within two connected divisions: 

 Government Advisory 

Our Advisory Practice works directly with political leaders and governments around the world to implement reforms that improve the lives of their citizens. It has both non-profit partners and a client base and its outputs cover a range of disciplines and projects across countries in Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and South Asia. We are currently in a rapid expansion phase from c. 18 countries at present, to 30 by December 2022.

 Policy Futures 

Our Policy Futures work encompasses three broad areas: 

• Renewing the Centre: developing a bold and innovative domestic policy programme to help renew the centre ground of British politics; 
• Tech and Public Policy: exploring the policy challenges and opportunities presented by the technological revolution; and 
• Extremism Policy Unit: creating solutions designed to tackle the threat of extremist ideologies in the UK and around the world. 

As an organisation, the core beliefs we all embrace are: 

• Open and Progressive: you’ll believe in the value of teamwork 
• Bold and Pragmatic: you’ll approach everything you do with integrity and authenticity 
• Optimistic Changemaker: you’ll be focused on results 

TBI believes embracing diversity and inclusion make us a better place to work.  It’s our goal to reflect everyone in society and we actively welcome applications from individuals and groups who are under-represented in the workplace. We celebrate difference be it ethnicity, religion, age, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation or disability. We will only ever assess you on your abilities and fit for a role. We’re happy to discuss any adjustments you need to ensure a level playing field during recruitment and, if you\'re successful, discuss any adjustments you might need to thrive in your role.