Government Engagement Advisor

Focus of the Role

This role contributes technical expertise to the Institute’s flagship education programme, Generation Global. The role will help to shape our education programme’s business plan for 2020-21 and its underpinning regional strategies.  You will identify key partnerships and entry points to embed and scale up the programmatic approach in priority countries, and develop the capacity of our Country Coordinators to cultivate these opportunities.

Job Introduction

The role will also help shape the Institute’s education policy position and contribute to the Generation Global Commitment advocacy campaign, with the aim of influencing global policy on the role of education in promoting global citizenship eduation and preventing extremism.

Key Responsibilities

Know-How:

• Provide technical advice to the Generation Global Project Board on government engagement to scale and implement the programme
• Contribute technical advice on education to the TBI Government Advisory Practice
• Provide technical advice to the education team on working with governmental structures and policymakers to implement global citizenship and competency education programming, in line with international best practice and reform agendas.

Accountability:

• Reporting to the Head of Generation Global, and through close collaboration with the Senior Policy Advisor leading the ‘Global Commitment to Promote Global Citizenship and Prevent Violent Extremism’, drive the programme’s engagement with governments to support implementation of the Commitment and the programme roll-out in priority partner countries.
• Collaborate with the Policy, Advisory and External Relations teams to identify and pursue  relevant fundraising and business development opportunities to further policy and project objectives.
• Assess and build the capacity and capability of Generation Global’s Education Advisors, Project Managers and In-Country Coordinators.  Arranging training, where necessary, to deliver our strategies, manage our government engagement and partnerships, support revenue generating activities, and build our business plan objectives. 

Responsibility:

• Lead the programme’s engagement with national, state and local government, working closely with the Director of Programmes, the Head of Generation Global, Project Managers and Education Advisors to foster new partnerships whilst ensuring proactive and sustainable engagement with existing governments.
• Provide technical advice and inputs as the Generation Global programme iterates regional strategies and its overarching business plan, including its commercialisation strategy.
• Identify and build other external relationships and partnerships to help advance Generation Global’s impact as part of each region’s stakeholder engagement.
• Represent the Institute and its work effectively at technical level at external events and meetings.
• Support the development and implementation of MEL plans for Generation Global projects and the global programme through provision of contextual education policy analysis in intervention countries.

Judgement:

• Provide technical advice to support the team to design pilots that test delivery models and contribute towards evidence building on what works in different contexts.
• Working closely with the Senior Education Advisor/ Head of Education and Training, the Advisory Practice and External Relations team, collaborate across the Institute on developing a shared global citizenship education policy agenda, ensuring effective feedback processes are established and duplication reduced.

Ambition:

• Support the Policy and Advisory teams to refine the Institute’s education policy position and associated policy recommendations.
• Develop and build external relationships and partnerships that advance the Institute’s work.
• Develop and create an implementation plan for the Global Commitment roll out in Generation Global countries, working closely with the Senior Poilcy Advisor.

Person Specification

This role sits in a fast-paced and busy team and you should demonstrate the following core skills:

• A proven track record in engaging governments (local and national) on social sector reform, including education, and senior level stakeholder management.
• Demonstrable understanding of the current challenges in education sector reform in our priority regions, especially relating to global citizenship and global competencies.
• Significant experience in government advisory work, including political economy analysis, conflict analysis and social and gender inclusion analysis.
• Experience of working in insecure and fragile contexts.
• Ability to work flexibly and be adaptable, open to changing approaches in response to changing situations on the ground.
• Proven understanding of relevant policy contexts and how to infuence policy with evidence of effective programming and practical solutions.
• Strong ability to communicate verbally and in writing to a high standard, and to network with high level stakeholders in order to develop partnerships that advance the Institute’s work.
• Evidence of building the capacity of other team members to deliver policy related objectives.
• Excellent understanding of the need to work across the Institute to maximise synergies, influence and impact.
• Ability to be take initiative and use sound judgement to make difficult decisions.
• Passion for tackling complex social challenges, and dedication to affecting meaningful change.
• Applicants will only be accepted if a covering letter is included with their CV

How to apply

To apply, please send your CV and a bespoke covering letter today setting out how you meet the person specification for this role   

About The Institute

The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change is dedicated to making globalisation work for the many, not the few. We do this by helping countries, their people and their governments, address some of the most difficult challenges in the world today – beginning with those where we think we can break new ground, offering leaders new thinking and new approaches. Our staff – over 200 of them, based all over the world – are working on some of the most intractable problems around issues of co-existence, governance, the peace process in the Middle East and renewing the centre.