Institutional Engagement Lead, BSEA Programme

Job Description

Title: Institutional Engagement Lead, BSEA Programme

Company Name: The Asia Foundation

Vacancy: --

Age: Na

Job Location: Dhaka

Salary: --

Experience:

• At least 7 years
• The applicants should have experience in the following business area(s): Development Agency

• Masters

• Master’s degree in international development, public administration, public policy, or related field.

• At least 7 years
• The applicants should have experience in the following business area(s): Development Agency

• Minimum of 7 years of relevant professional experience in a similar role with complex, multifaceted governance programmes. Direct experience of public sector reform/new institutional design and working on the governance dimensions of FCDO or other donor-funded programmes preferred.

• Strong background in programme/project management, team building, donor compliance, staff supervision, and external engagement with government officials and other stakeholders (think tanks, civil society, private sector) to design and deliver policy. Direct experience with institutional capacity building initiatives would be a strong advantage.

• Strong political understanding and judgement and ability to navigate complex institutional and relational environments with discretion and sensitivity.

• Deep working knowledge of Bangladesh’s governance systems, structures, and practices. Existing relationships within the Government of Bangladesh would be an added value.

• Skills :

• Strong analytical skills and commitment to adaptive management. Past experience applying adaptive management approaches to governance programming preferred.

• Professional curiosity and openness to learn and apply new approaches and ways of working.

• Demonstrated professional and personal integrity, including informed decision-making practices and respect for gender, safeguarding, diversity, and organizational values and culture.

• Proven ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.

• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English and Bangla.

Location : Dhaka, Bangladesh (with limited domestic travel)

Reports to : Team Leader, BSEA Programme

Reportees / Supervision : Programme Manager, Institutional Engagement

Working days / hours : 37.5 hours per week

The Asia Foundation (TAF)-Bangladesh seeks an Institutional Engagement Lead for its Building State Effectiveness and Accountability (BSEA) Programme, undertaken in partnership with the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).

BSEA will enhance the capacity of select public institutions and government officials to deliver public policy with greater efficiency and accountability and to help advance national development goals. The programme will be guided by a locally driven approach that seeks to empower government officials to lead and deliver reforms that they themselves prioritise. BSEA will facilitate enhanced cooperation among government officials working within individual public agencies and institutions; across multiple agencies and institutions that share responsibility for policy delivery in particular sectors; and between government officials and non-state actors, tapping their respective competencies and experience. The programme will also provide targeted technical support and capacity building for select government institutions and help generate an evidence base that informs policy decisions.

Position Summary: Reporting to the BSEA Team Leader, and working in close collaboration with the Senior Advisor, Government Liaison, the Institutional Engagement Lead will have day-to-day responsibility for implementing BSEA’s Institutional Support and Policy Engagement (ISPE) component, supporting select public institutions to strengthen organisational capability, leadership, and systems to advance priority governance and service delivery outcomes. The role requires knowledge of public sector reform; deep political understanding; credibility with government counterparts; experience in institutional reform, organisational development, or public sector capacity development; the ability to navigate complex environments with discretion, sensitivity, and sound judgment; and relevant programme/project and partner management experience,.

I. Main duties and responsibilities

1.Day-to-day leadership and management of BSEA’s Institutional Support and Policy Engagement (ISPE) component, involving frequent engagement with government officials from multiple agencies and non-state actors (including think tanks, the private sector, and civil society).

2.Build and sustain trust relationships with government officials, policy influencers, and non-state actors in the context of BSEA’s ISPE component.

3. Identify needs, opportunities, and entry points for BSEA engagement with government agencies and officials.

4. Work closely with government officials to:

Define priority challenges, build internal coalitions, and develop practical pathways for change;

Strengthen problem definition, decision-making processes, and the organisational and managerial capabilities required to sustain reform over time; and

Develop and test solutions, strengthen internal coordination, and address operational and behavioural constraints.

Ensure that BSEA’s investments in government institutions help to improve the machinery and efficiency of government i.e. improving mandates, organisational design, and the relationship between ministries and agencies.

5. Draft official correspondence with government counterparts and prepare briefing notes, background materials, and talking points, as required.

6. Organize meetings with counterparts in government institutions and accompany BSEA leadership in meetings.

7. Provide technical oversight of domestic and international partners, vendors/contractors, and consultants engaged under the programme’s IPSE component.

8. Lead the Institutional Engagement team, supervising and coaching team members, facilitating feedback loops within/among the team to capture opportunities, challenges, and learning, and ensuring on-time completion of tasks and deliverables and compliance with donor and organisational requirements.

9. Oversee data collection, analysis, and monitoring under the programme’s Institutional Support and Policy Engagement component.

10. Closely collaborate with colleagues across the BSEA programme and FCDO counterparts to contribute to the programme’s Monitoring, Evaluation, Adaptation and Learning (MEAL) agenda.

11. Contribute to regular donor reporting by drafting sections covering the programme’s IPSE component.

12. Oversight of component-level work planning and budget management.

13. Draft official correspondence with government counterparts and prepare briefing notes, background materials, and talking points, as required.