Deputy Policy Advisor

Introduction
Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), is an international non-profit research organization. Based in New Haven, CT, with offices in Washington, D.C. and worldwide, IPA works with development partners and academic researchers to create and evaluate approaches to solving development problems, to communicate “what works” in development and to scale up successful projects in a variety of fields, including health, education, microfinance, governance and agriculture.

IPA-Kenya (IPAK) is IPA’s oldest and largest country office and the site of many of its most influential research projects. IPAK is also the site of IPA’s largest scale-up initiatives including Kenya’s National School-Based Deworming Programme and Safe Water Programme. The IPA-Kenya office was established in 2006 in Western Kenya and now employs over 300 people.

About the Deworm the World Initiative
The Deworm the World Initiative (DtWI), operated in partnership with IPA, actively supports the scale-up of the National School-Based Deworming Programme in Kenya to improve children’s health, education, and long-term development. School-based deworming is proven to be an extremely effective intervention with tangible health, education, labor productivity and earnings benefits, and is one of the most cost-effective methods of increasing overall school attendance and participation in endemic countries. In Kenya, DtWI provides technical assistance to the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation and aims to treat 5 million children each year for 5 years.

Job Purpose
The Deputy Policy Advisor will help build and maintain political will and support at the relevant national and county levels for school-based deworming as an effective strategy for improving health and educational outcomes for children. The Deputy Policy Advisor will engage with policymakers and technical personnel to strengthen institutionalization of the programme within government structures, and increase capacity for long-term sustainability of the school-based deworming programme. The job will also support detailed and insightful policy analysis aimed at informing and improving the programme’s ability to engage effectively and strategically with the Kenyan policy process. He/she will also help maintain current funding and identify mechanisms for additional long-term programme financing by the Government of Kenya (GoK), development partners and other major institutions.

Specific Responsibilities
Advocacy:
o Facilitate relationships that support smooth programme implementation.
o Support advocacy for long-term institutionalization of the programme. For long term sustainability the programme must be imbedded in government structures, engagement and planning for this long-term sustainability is a key responsibility of the Deputy Policy Advisor.
o Engage with Technical Officers of the relevant Ministries to implement decisions made by programme management in the government.
o Represent Deworm the World Initiative at Technical Working Group meetings.o Support engagement with high level policymakers including high level Minis
try personnel, School Health Inter-agency Coordinating Committee and the School Health Technical Committee.
Programme Governance:
o Organize and participate in meetings and conferences to ensure effective partnership with key Ministry officials.
o Follow up decisions of the Management Team with relevant actors.
o Support the Steering Committee and Management Team Secretariats.
Communication and Protocol:
o Liaise with the DtWI Programme team to ensure implementation of all governance decisions made by the government.
o Communicate with key government officials and partners to ensure strong understanding of programmatic plans, constraints and logistics.
o Support regular communication and consultations with Technical Officers at both national and county levels.
o Support the Programme team to convene meetings with government field officers and technical officers.
o Gather and ensure quick responses to any new information critical to programme implementation.
o Timely dispatch of communications to various stakeholders.
o Facilitate participation of government officers in execution and observation of the Programme.
o Draft and follow up on communication with technical government officers.
o Follow up on signatures and approvals for day to day Programme needs.

Qualifications
Education:
o Graduate degree or equivalent professional qualification in a relevant subject, preferably public health or education.
Experience:
o Substantial experience working in a management or representational role in Kenya.
o Substantial experience in policy influencing and/or advocacy.
o Experience in conducting policy analysis and review.
o Representational experience at the domestic policy level.
o Strategic and operational planning and partnership management.
o Exposure to project and programme management with financial and budget management experience.
Knowledge and Skills:
o Knowledge of GoK operations and decision-making processes at the national and county levels.
o Knowledge of the Ministries of Education and Public Health and Sanitation will be an added advantage.
o Strong communication, persuasion and diplomatic skills.
o Outstanding written and oral communication/presentation skills in English and Kiswahili.
o Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills.
o Strong organizational skills.
o Thorough knowledge of Microsoft Office software.o Intellectual flexibility and willingness to form and adjust opinions based on evidence.
o Experience developing project/programme proposals for fundraising.
o Ability to work effectively as a member of a multicultural team of IPA and non-IPA personnel.
o Strong critical thinking and judgment.
o Experience in project and programme management; proposal writing for resource mobilization and fundraising, financial planning and management including budgets, and monitoring and evaluation.
How to Apply
If interested, send an application by e-mail to the address below indicating on the subject line “Deputy Policy Advisor-DtWI 2013.01”. The application should be accompanied with the following:
 Cover letter explaining your interest in the position and why you qualify for the job.
 CV/Resume, including three references, daytime phone number(s), and email address. Your CV/Resume should include your scores or grades and other measures of academic achievement, and details about any relevant work experience.
 Current and expected monthly remunerations (monthly gross salary and cash benefits).
(Please do not attach certificates and testimonials at this point).
Executive Selection, Strategic Dimensions Limited
Management and Development Consultants
E-mail: recruitment@strategicdimensions.co.ke with a copy to
priscillaoyamo@strategicdimensions.co.ke
Applicants are encouraged to apply early, as applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and the position may be filled prior to the application deadline. The application deadline is Friday May 5, 2013.
(Only short listed candidates will be contacted)