Governance Officer

Strengthen Inclusive, Accountable and Participatory Local Governance Systems in Amhara and Sidama Regions:

• Provide technical support on decentralization, local governance, citizen participation, social accountability and good governance approaches.
• Support the institutionalization and application of Integrated Community-Based Participatory Planning (ICBPP) across project areas.
• Facilitate the establishment and strengthening of citizen engagement platforms, interface dialogues and grievance redress mechanisms.
• Support councils and public service providers to promote accountability, transparency and responsiveness to citizen priorities.
• Ensure governance interventions incorporate gender equality, youth participation, disability inclusion and conflict sensitivity.

Enhance the Capacity and Performance of Councils, Sub-Grantees and Local Governance Actors to Effectively Fulfill their Mandates:

• Conduct governance-related capacity assessments and identify institutional strengthening needs.
• Design, facilitate and support training on council oversight, accountability, ICBPP, Financial Transparency and Accountability (FTA), Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB), governance and citizen participation.
• Provide technical coaching and mentoring to councils, women councilors, sub-grantees, CSOs and CBOs.
• Support sub-grantees in planning, implementation and quality assurance of governance-related interventions.
• Collaborate with Partnership and Capacity Development Officers to strengthen local partner capacities and promote sustainability.

Ensure evidence-based implementation, learning and institutionalization of governance approaches under ELGP.

• Support project planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting of governance-related activities and results.
• Conduct governance, political economy and conflict analyses to inform adaptive project management.
• Monitor progress against project targets, identify risks and recommend corrective actions.
• Document lessons learned, best practices, success stories and governance innovations for knowledge management and advocacy.
• Contribute to the endorsement, scaling and institutionalization of governance and civic engagement tools, guidelines and accountability mechanisms within government systems.

Education, Studies and Further Training:

• Bachelor’s degree in governance and development studies, civics and ethics, political science, public administration, development studies, law, sociology, social work, community development, or related social science fields.
• Master’s degree in a relevant field is an advantage, Additional training in decentralisation, local governance, civic engagement, accountability, public sector management, participatory planning, or capacity development is an asset.
• Training in Gender and Social Equity (GSE), Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB), safeguarding, or human rights-based approaches is desirable.
• Professional certification or training in project management, monitoring and evaluation, or facilitation is an added advantage.

Professional Experience:

• A minimum 5 years of relevant professional experience in governance, decentralisation, local government strengthening, citizen engagement, social accountability, or democratic governance programs.
• Experience working with regional, zonal, woreda, and kebele government structures in Ethiopia.
• Experience with social accountability initiatives (e.g., Ethiopia Social Accountability Project) is desirable.
• Knowledge and experience of Integrated Community-Based Participatory Planning (ICBPP) and/or similar participatory governance approaches is an added value.
• Experience applying gender and social equity (GSE) and conflict-sensitive project management (CSPM) or do no harm (DNH) principles is required.
• Demonstrated experience in capacity building, facilitation, coaching, and institutional strengthening of public institutions, CSOs, and CBOs.
• Experience managing or supporting donor-funded development projects, preferably through partnership and sub-grant management approaches.
• Experience working on participatory planning, accountability mechanisms, council strengthening, or public service delivery improvement initiatives.
• Experience working in politically sensitive, conflict-affected, or fragile contexts is an advantage.

Organizational and Methodological Competencies:

• Strong planning, coordination, implementation, and reporting skills.
• Ability to conduct governance assessments, political economy analysis, stakeholder mapping, and capacity needs assessments.
• Strong facilitation and training skills for diverse audiences.
• Ability to monitor project performance, analyze data, and generate evidence-based recommendations.
• Excellent documentation, knowledge management, and report-writing skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines with minimal supervision.
• Strong partnership management and stakeholder engagement skills

Leadership Competencies:

• Ability to provide technical leadership and guidance on governance and accountability interventions.
• Demonstrated capacity to mentor, coach, and support project staff, partners, and government counterparts.
• Ability to influence and engage diverse stakeholders through dialogue and consensus building.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Ability to take initiative, anticipate challenges, and propose practical solutions.

Social and Personal Competencies:

• Strong interpersonal and relationship-management skills.
• High level of integrity, professionalism, and accountability.
• Demonstrated commitment to inclusion, gender equality, and respect for diversity.
• Ability to work effectively in multicultural and multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong communication and negotiation skills.
• Flexibility and willingness to travel frequently to project locations.
• Ability to work under pressure and adapt to changing operational contexts.
• Excellent command of spoken and written English.
• Fluency in Amharic is required.
• Knowledge of Sidaminya is a strong asset.
• Strong report-writing and presentation skills in English.

IT Skills:

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams).
• Experience using digital solutions in strengthening good governance and civic engagement is an advantage.
• Ability to analyze and present data using Excel and other reporting tools.
• Experience with online collaboration, virtual facilitation, and document management platforms.
• Familiarity with KoBo, Power BI or other data collection and visualization tools is an advantage.