Inactive

USAID programs in the legislative strengthening area focus on improving the core law-making, representation, budget formulation, and oversight functions of legislative bodies at both the national and ... USAID programs in the legislative strengthening area focus on improving the core law-making, representation, budget formulation, and oversight functions of legislative bodies at both the national and local (including urban) levels. This includes enhancing internal public planning, administration and budgeting processes. These programs also enhance the overall independence of the legislature, and strengthen their unique role in providing both a check on executive overreach and oversight in the use of executive powers (including, e.g., their ability to question and confirm ministers and justices, hold hearings, sanction malfeasance, request audit and investigation, and appropriate public funds). Finally, they support separation of powers principles while building a holistic approach to effective democratic governance. Working as part of the GOV/ENI Team, the primary focus of the Legislative Strengthening Advisor will be to serve as a senior technical expert and resource for the DRG Center, USAID Missions, the Agency, and the interagency in the area of legislative strengthening. The Advisor will lead or contribute to the design of USAID legislative strengthening programming; contribute to Agency and Mission strategic documents; lead the development of legislative strengthening-related performance indicators and participate in evaluations; participate in DRG and other assessments; support cross-sectoral programming; deliver training; and lead the development of technical materials related to legislative strengthening. The incumbent is expected to carry out work assignments using independent professional judgment to ensure effective technical leadership and technical support for USAID’s DRG sector in Washington and overseas Missions. On assignment and in Washington D.C., s/he will work closely with USAID and interagency colleagues to: identify opportunities to advance USAID and DRG priorities; design activities responding to those opportunities; support Agency-wide learning to increase legislative strengthening evidence base; oversee implementation of Washington-managed mechanisms; and other associated technical and managerial assistance. Under the direction of the GOV/ENI Team Lead, the Legislative Strengthening Advisor will work closely with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders, including other DRG and DDI colleagues, USAID staff in other bureaus and operating units, interagency colleagues, and implementing partners. The incumbent’s responsibilities will be geographically world-wide, varied, and dynamic to reflect changing circumstances facing USAID and the DRG Center. Duties and responsibilities of the position: Serves as a technical authority on issues related to the legislative branch of government, and develops USAID designs, plans, and strategies related to strengthening the overall functionality, representation, budget formulation, and oversight capacities of legislative bodies at the national and local levels. This includes but is not limited to: internal legislative functioning and representation, public administration and lawmaking, legislative input into budget planning and oversight, management of national audit institutions (where relevant), and oversight of executive actions. Maintains expertise in legislative strengthening indicators, technical approaches, and evaluation to effectively influence the implementation of USAID DRG programming and contribute to learning. Responsible for drafting guidance documents, toolkits, training modules, and other products to disseminate effective approaches to legislative strengthening, and to inform the planning, design, and monitoring of legislative strengthening activities. Collaborates closely with colleagues across the DRG Center to enhance USAID programming involving the legislative branch, including with the DRG/DEPP team on the connections with political party development and elections; the GOV/EG subteam on enhancing legislative public financial management and budgeting capacity; and with the GOV/TAAC subteam on approaches to enhance legislatures’ role in preventing and combating corruption. Responds to USAID Missions’ requests for parliamentary or legislative strengthening-related technical assistance in all phases of the USAID Program Cycle. This includes assisting Missions with assessments during various planning phases to determine needs, opportunities and entry points for assistance efforts. It also entails providing technical input and guidance to Missions on the design of legislative strengthening-related programs and activities and helping Missions identify and apply evidence-based approaches that are responsive to contextual factors (e.g. political economy) that increase or decrease the likelihood of success. Technical assistance may also involve helping Missions with the monitoring and evaluation of field programs and helping Missions adapt their programs and activities to changing circumstances and to further expand the DRG sector’s evidence base and learning. Provides policy recommendations and technical advice to high level (DRG Center leadership and DAA) officials within USAID, on both technical, country, regional and Agency-wide policy priorities related to legislative strengthening and oversight. Coordinates stated DRG activities with the Bureau for Policy, Planning and Learning, the Office for Budget Resources Management, and the Office of General Counsel, relevant cross-Agency Policy Task Teams, and other Bureaus as appropriate. Comments on relevant sections of proposed legislation and prepares or reviews position papers, reports and other documents when requested. Participates in and serves as a subject matter expert in intra and inter-agency meetings on legislative strengthening. Maintains and expands technical expertise on the effective use of assistance programs to strengthen legislatures. Engages with the broader DRG community of practice (including other DRG teams, implementing partners and other practitioners) and works with DRG’s Learning Division to expand USAID’s evidence base through original research and literature reviews. Translates technical expertise into tools and guidance that can be easily applied by USAID field officers, including developing or improving resources that help field officers diagnose legislative strengthening challenges and identify entry points for programming, assess the political economy factors that may contribute to or detract from the effectiveness of various approaches, and apply evidence that DRG’s Learning Team has identified, among other purposes. This may include offline or online toolkits, the development and delivery of in-person or distance learning training modules, and technical contributions to public platforms such as USAID’s Learning Lab, among others. Maintains a continuous interchange with other technical officers in USAID for information-sharing, identification of opportunities and constraints to cross-cutting programs, best practices, joint field support and training, as well as research platforms and monitoring and evaluation systems. Enhances and coordinates effective working relationships across sectoral lines, identifying opportunities for interaction and impact between program areas and ensuring that programs are managed to gain the greatest possible benefit from such interactions. The Legislative Strengthening Advisor will be required to become certified as a Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR)/Agreement Officer’s Representative (AOR) for DRG legislative strengthening projects and take on COR/AOR/Activity Manager duties as assigned. This will include performing the full range of project management functions: prepares planning, authorization and implementation documents (e.g., their timely clearance and execution); monitors grantee and contractor performance and project progress to identify substantive or administrative problems, taking corrective action with respect to modifications in projects, initiates and reviews interim and final evaluations. The Advisor will also provide technical input on the use of flagship GOV Team field support resources, including global programming mechanisms. Further, the Legislative Strengthening Advisor will, as necessary: Conduct multiple-week visits to USAID partner countries, including critical restricted environment countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, South Sudan, and others to perform various legislative strengthening assessments and assist with Mission strategy and activity design, activity procurement, and activity implementation tasks. Fill critical staffing needs in Washington D.C. including the provision of support to new country start-ups and on-call technical assistance on legislative strengthening activities; Manage, review, and monitor the plans and activities of DRG implementing partners and ensure coordination of partner programs with USAID missions and other donors and international organizations; Provide technical assistance to ongoing evaluations of DRG programs in the field; Participate in DRG assessments in individual countries; Within the guidelines provided by the relevant DRG leadership and GOV/ENI Team Lead, negotiate program and project agreements with governmental and NGO counterparts; Develop relationships with NGOs, international donors, USG agencies, academic institutions, and others interested in the DRG country program; Participate in selecting contractors and grantees to work under DRG programs; Create assessments, monitoring, and evaluation targets and measurement goals that measure legislative strengthening program impact. Monitor and evaluate country programs, individual projects, and contractor and grantee performance.