Turkey: Governance Adviser

View Vacancy - Governance Adviser (TUR885)

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Job Category

Other British Government Departments (Partners across Government, including UK Visas)

Job Subcategory

DFID (Department for International Development), Syria Office

Job Description (Roles and Responsibilities)

The British Consulate General in Istanbul is part of a world-wide network representing British political, economic and consular interests overseas.

The UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) Syria Team is seeking a Governance Adviser to work as part of the team based in Istanbul. The DFID team based in Istanbul is part of the wider UK government’s Syria Overseas Network based in Istanbul, Amman and Beirut. The network includes political and programme staff from three UK government departments – DFID; the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Ministry of Defence (MoD). Programme staff manage the delivery of the Conflict, Security and Stability Fund (CSSF) of approximately £60 million annually inside Syria on a range of programmes including on security and justice, stabilisation, governance, livelihoods, education and support for political negotiations. This is in addition to the UK’s contribution to humanitarian efforts inside Syria, to which the UK is the second largest donor. This role will be based in Istanbul but would require frequent travel to Gaziantep.

This is a challenging and stimulating opportunity working at the heart of the UK government’s Syria strategy. It offers the opportunity for an individual with a strong track record and evidence of delivery in at least two of the following areas: empowerment and accountability, political analysis, social analysis, public financial management and public sector reform. The postholder will be expected to provide governance related advice across programmes, in particular on a DFID programme on local governance.

Main Duties / Responsibilities:

The selected candidate will be one of two governance advisers working on the UK government’s Syria programmes, the other adviser is London based. The exact division of responsibilities will be agreed on appointment to the job. Key areas of involvement will include the following:

1. Providing technical advice on local governance programmes, including the Tamkeen programme and its successor. These programmes aim to increase the capacity of local councils and provincial councils in moderate opposition areas of Syria to provide services which meet community needs and are provided in line with governance best practice;

2. Providing technical advice on the Governance through Education programme, which is seeking to build capacity of provincial education directorates inside Syria to increase the number of children in school and the quality of education they receive;

3. Providing technical advice on working with and through governance structures in relation to the UK’s support to the Syria Recovery Trust Fund and livelihoods based support;

4. Using a broad based source of Syrian contacts to build the team’s knowledge on the position of local governance structures to ensure programmes are taking an informed approach to risk management and conflict sensitivity;

5. Playing an active and effective role in relation to the UK’s Syria portfolio development and strategic planning, working with colleagues from DFID and the FCO across Beirut, Amman and Istanbul.

Essential qualifications and experience

• Willingness to undergo a mandatory security check;

• Fluency in written and spoken English and Arabic;

• Thorough understanding of the governance situation in both areas controlled by the moderate opposition and regime-controlled parts of Syria;

• Excellent political awareness;

• Strong interpersonal and networking skills, with the ability to confidently engage in policy and strategy discussions;

• Ability to work effectively in teams;

• Technical skills expected for this role are some knowledge of and experience in applied governance and political-economy analysis. This includes an understanding of governance evidence, policy and practice in a range of settings; knowledge of political systems and core governance concepts; ability to apply political and institutional analysis and use this to influence strategic planning and programming decisions. For more information on DFID’s governance advisory cadre please access the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/236512/governance1.pdf

Required competencies

Seeing the Big Picture, Making Effective Decisions, Leading and Communicating, Collaborating and Partnering

Application deadline Application deadline - day Application deadline - month Application deadline - year

11 September 2016

Grade

C5 (L)

Type of Position

Fixed Term, Full-time, Flexible working

Working hours per week

36.25

Region

Europe, Eastern Europe & Central Asia

Country/Territory

Turkey

Location (City)

Istanbul

Type of Post

British Consulate General

Number of vacancies

1

Starting yearly salary (TRY)

156,836.80 TL gross

Start Date Start Date - day Start Date - month Start Date - year

3 October 2016

End Date End Date - day End Date - month End Date - year

2 October 2018

Other benefits and conditions of employment

1. Location, team working and travel:

The job holder will report to the head of the DFID CSSF team in Istanbul. This post is funded by the CSSF and is offered on a two year term with the option to extend for a further year, subject to funding confirmation for the third year and agreement from the Line Manager.

The post-holder will be based in the Syria Office in Istanbul (housed in the British Consulate) and will be required to undertake frequent travel to Gaziantep.

UK travel advice currently recommends against all but essential travel to Gaziantep and there are security measures in place for staff that travel with the UK government. These procedures are kept under constant review. In general, Gaziantep is a pleasant city, with a good number of restaurants and hotels; but it is also relatively close to the Syrian border.

HMG is working to establish a sustainable platform in Gaziantep where many of our partners are based. In due course and dependent on security conditions, we expect this post to be based in Gaziantep. If the option to relocate presents itself during this posting, we will discuss options with the post-holder depending on their circumstances at the time.

2. Conditions of employment:

All applicants should have the right to live in Turkey. As the final appointment will depend on acquisition of a valid work permit, third party nationals (all non-Turkish or non-British citizens) will have to obtain and submit a criminal record, as well as deliver their residence card.

The successful candidate will be subject to professional background check, security clearance and a probation period of 2 months.

This is a full-time two-years temporary contract, with option to extend for a third year depending on agreement of line manager and confirmation of funding, for 5 working days per week.

The annual salary for this position is 156,836.80 TLgross, C5 level. Please note that staff members are responsible for paying any income tax required by local law.

Staff recruited locally by the British Consulate General in Istanbul are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local Turkish employment law.

British Diplomatic Missions are equal opportunities employers, dedicated to inclusivity, a diverse workforce and valuing difference. We are committed to developing a learning organisation that enhances business performance, maximises our staff’s potential and encourages staff innovation and development.

Additional information

We kindly advise you to allow enough time to complete and submit your full application before the deadline.

Only applications submitted until the closing date at 23:55 (local time) will be considered

For further details on this vacancy and to apply, please follow the link on the New Recruitment Software*:https://fco.tal.net/vx/lang-en-GB/mobile-0/appcentre-1/brand-2/xf-6448213878cb/candidate/so/pm/4/pl/1/opp/1262-Governance-Adviser-TUR885/en-GB