Vacancy Announcement

VNG International is seeking a qualified and committed person for the position of: International Community Driven Development Specialist - Myanmar

Location: Myanmar (Chaungzon, Bilin and Paung Townships in Mon State and Tanintharyi Township in Tanintharyi Region)

Contract duration: 7 months intermittent input in 2017 (extension up to 2 years part-time foreseen subject to satisfactory performance).

About VNG International: VNG International is the International Cooperation Agency of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG), which provides expertise in the area of decentralization and local governance (see www.vng-international.nl).

Background and aim of the project: In Myanmar, VNG International currently implements the project Township Level Technical Assistance in four townships in Mon State and Tanintharyi Region, as part of the National Community Driven Development Project (NCDDP). The objective of NCDDP is to enable poor rural communities to benefit from improved access to and use of basic infrastructure and services through a people-centered approach (http://cdd.drdmyanmar.org/). The NCDDP is implemented in 47 townships in Myanmar and managed by the Department of Rural Development of the Myanmar Ministry Of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation, with support of the World Bank.

Aim of this consultancy is to coordinate and guide the effective implementation of the National Community Driven Development Project in Tanintharyi Township, Bilin Township, Chaungzon Township and Paung Township on behalf of VNG International.

Roles and responsibilities of the Community Driven Development Specialist  Promote actively and on a continuous basis a sound and professional working relationship between the Department of Rural Development (DRD), Township Technical Assistance (TTA) and all other stakeholders in the assigned township cluster.  Enhance the capacity of all the experts including the Community Facilitators (CFs) and Technical Facilitators (TFs) working in the project implementation team and the counterparts through tailor-made advice and specific workshops.  Share his/her knowledge about state-of-the-art best practices and international standards in project implementation enabling all experts including the CF and TF working in the project to improve the quality of their respective outputs.  Guide the Township Technical Assistance team (TTA) on providing broad-based capacity-building to DRD, the designated Township(s) and communities.

 Assist and advise TTA and/or the Project Implementation team in case of management problems and recommend solutions.  Streamline and give guidance in the preparation of township TA implementation plan  Provide the township DRD and TTA with a report at the end of each mission, summarizing the recommendations made, the timelines agreed and the follow-up to be done.  Supervising, guiding and ensuring the timely achievement of deliverables.  Preparing any English language external report that is required in a timely manner.  Quality assurance of the assignment.  Ensure effective collaboration with VNG International’s partner organisation Loka Ahlinn Social Development Network in the implementation of the project.

Competencies / qualifications  Advanced university degree  At least 10 years of international working experience in community driven development and at least 5 years in managing projects in a complex environment  At least 2 years of working experience in Asia. Working experience in South-East Asia or South Asia, in particular in Myanmar, is an advantage  Proven track record in capacity building, including development of tools and training plans  Proven planning and organizational skills and able to work independently  Proven ability to work under pressure and deliver in a timely manner  Strong interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with people in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity  Willingness to travel frequently to the project sites in Myanmar (Paung, Bilin, Chaungzon and Tanintharyi townships) including the capital Naypyitaw  Excellent verbal and written skills in English  Proficient computer skills including Microsoft Word, Powerpoint and Excel

Application Deadline To apply for this position, please send a cover letter including CV to [email protected], no later than 24 January 2017.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for a personal interview.