Program Advisor

Job Description

Title: Program Advisor

Company Name: The Freedom Fund

Vacancy: Not specific

Job Location: Dhaka

Employment Status: Full-time

Experience Requirements:
∎ 5 to 7 year(s)

Job Context:
∎ REPORTING TO: BANGLADESH COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVE
∎ START DATE: MAY 2023
∎ FULL TIME: 40 HOURS PER WEEK
∎ About the position: In 2019, the Freedom Fund and several civil society organisations took part in a scoping study into commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) in Dhaka. The study identified a high concentration of CSEC in brothels, hotels, and private residences, with children subjected to high levels of violence and coercion.
∎ Brothels are poorly regulated with over half of those selling or being sold believed to be minors. Daughters of sex workers are also particularly vulnerable to CSEC due to their proximity to the sex trade. At present it is estimated that more than 20,000 children live in the registered red-light areas of Bangladesh.1
∎ Preliminary findings showed that key drivers of CSEC in Bangladesh are: criminal impunity, poverty, gender-based violence, child marriage, bonded labour, cultural norms, and exclusion from education.
∎ The Freedom Fund began a two-year inception project in 2021 to provide direct support to those most vulnerable to CSEC while laying the foundation for a larger-scale program in the future. We recognise that others have come before us and some are currently working on this issue, and we will build on this, working in under-served areas and bringing additional resources and technical support.
∎ Our initial program aims to establish the structures and networks required to support a locally driven solution to ending CSEC in Dhaka. This will be achieved through three outcomes:
∎ • An evidence base is generated to inform the design of an effective and scalable program model.
∎ • A protective network is formed (including families, CSOs and government) to safeguard children from situations of CSEC.
∎ • The Freedom Fund`s presence is established and positioned to scale programs.
∎ We will work with locally based CSOs with a range of skills and experience to address CSEC and support this with technical capacity-building to ensure sustainability of partners and the impact of their interventions. Our work will also be informed by a prevalence study to provide accurate data on the scale of CSEC within our program areas with the potential to measure a reduction over time.
∎ The Freedom Fund is registering an INGO branch office in Bangladesh to both grow our presence and demonstrate our commitment to working on this issue and potentially others in the longer term.
∎ The Program Advisor will have a wide range of responsibilities including liaising with government, CSOs and at-risk communities, identifying prospective partners, managing grants to local partners, conducting site visits, supporting meetings among grant recipients, monitoring results, convening meetings and events for partners, government officials, and other stakeholders.

Job Responsibilities:
∎ The Program Advisor will help manage and implement the Freedom Fund's program in Bangladesh - which will include, but is not limited to, the following:
∎ Contribute to strategic planning and support the development of the Freedom Fund's program strategy to combat CSEC in Dhaka.
∎ Support the Bangladesh Country Representative in activities related to CSEC research.
∎ Provide advice to the Freedom Fund to support the development of the program, working closely with local officials, community-based organisations, and other key stakeholders.
∎ Support the Bangladesh Country Representative in activities related to registration including conducting meetings with government officials and other stakeholders necessary to complete the registration process.
∎ Support the Bangladesh Country Representative in fulfilling all compliance requirements of the donors, the NGO Affairs Bureau and other government stakeholders.
∎ Provide guidance and support to Freedom Fund partners in achieving goals and objectives.
∎ Conduct regular office and program site visits of grant recipients.
∎ Facilitate reviews of grant recipients' operations, processes, and policies.
∎ Manage processes to carry out due diligence, financial reviews, and partner assessments to ensure compliance with the Freedom Fund's mandatory standards.
∎ Provide assistance to grant recipients to ensure the completion of impact reports and narrative reports.
∎ Provide financial oversight of grant recipient budgets and ensure strong financial management and reporting of grant recipients.
∎ Coordinate work with technical assistance providers to support the program and its partners.
∎ Coordinate meetings for a diverse range of stakeholders, including grant recipients, government stakeholders, and CSO actors.
∎ Coordinate logistics and lead program site visits with Freedom Fund representatives and other donors.
∎ Support the Bangladesh Country Representative in reporting and other documentation, communicating progress, challenges, and lessons learned related to program deliverables with members of the Freedom Fund team on a regular basis.
∎ Collaborate with other members of the Freedom Fund in other countries and headquarters, as needed.
∎ Carry out other relevant assignments on behalf of the Freedom Fund, as directed.

Additional Requirements:
∎ Essential:
∎ Knowledge and experience working on anti-human trafficking / child protection initiatives; experience in other areas such as sex workers' rights, economic empowerment and mental and reproductive health would be an asset.
∎ 5-7 years of experience in project management/coordination and community development in Bangladesh.
∎ Grant making experience on behalf of international organisations to local civil society organisations.
∎ Experience in monitoring and evaluation of grants and programs, including data collection, data management, and financial monitoring.
∎ Fluent in Bangla and English.
∎ High proficiency with Microsoft Office tools (especially Word and Excel).
∎ Entitled to work in Bangladesh without work permit sponsorship from the Freedom Fund.
∎ Ability to work closely with a diverse range of stakeholders: government, CSOs, vulnerable communities in a highly sensitive environment.
∎ Detail oriented with the ability to manage and track data across multiple grant recipients.
∎ Strong problem-solving, analytical, and organisational skills
∎ Desirable:
∎ Experience supporting NGO registration and liaising with the NGO Affairs Bureau in Bangladesh.
∎ Experience liaising with and hosting donors essential.
∎ Personal attributes:
∎ Ability to manage multiple deadlines.
∎ A positive, team-centric attitude and willingness to support team members to meet short-term needs in a fast-paced environment.
∎ Ability to work independently within light administrative structure.
∎ Ability to work effectively in cross-cultural teams in different locations.

Salary:
∎ BDT 135,002 - BDT 138,555 per calendar month

Compensation & Other Benefits:
∎ Festival bonus
∎ 15 days of annual leave and 10 days of casual leave
∎ Health Insurance
∎ Additional benefits on top of salary.

Job Source: Bdjobs.com Online Job Posting.

Application Deadline: 17 Apr 2023

Company Information:
∎ 30 Mar 2023
∎ The Freedom Fund

Category: NGO/Development