The National Office Legislative Strengthening Specialist

Job Description
National Office Legislative Strengthening Specialist Local Governance Support Program

Duration of Project: 1 March 2005- 30 September 2009
Position: LEGISLATIVE STRENGTHENING SPECIALIST Duty Station: Jakarta
Person Proposed or Assigned:
Duration of Assignment (in work months): 12 months renewable
Contact person:
Dicky Dooradi (ddooradi@lgsp.or.id)
Lucy Sompie (lsompie@lgsp.or.id)

The National Office Legislative Strengthening Specialist (NO-LSS) is a member of the technical assistance team of LGSP under direct supervision of the Governance Advisor. The NO-LSS works together with other LSS members in the regional offices, and in close cooperation with the NO Media Strengthening Specialist and Civil Society Specialist.

The LSS is responsible for designing and coordinating a capacity-building program to support local legislatures (DPRD) in the four core functions:
policy formulation and legal drafting, development planning and budgeting, transparency and constituent representation, and local government performance oversight. In policy formulation, LGSP provides assistance and training on legal drafting methodology, evaluating existing local regulations, and regional legislation plan development, and negotiation and conflict resolution, with strong emphasis on a local regulatory framework supporting reform and public service improvement. In development planning and budgeting, LGSP strengthens the role and technical competence of local legislatures and staff in development planning and budgeting. LGSP provides assistance on performance based budgeting, prioritization techniques, and pro-poor and gender sensitive planning and budgeting for service improvement planning and budget allocation. In transparency and representation, LGSP targets capacity building in managing effective public hearings and town hall meetings for informed policy decision making, and working more effectively with the media and local citizen interest groups and advisory bodies, such as education and health committees, on service improvements.
In performance oversight, LGSP trains DPRD members and committees on performance indicators, service standards, analyzing the annual accountability report and budget, working with government units, and civil society organizations to monitor development and local government performance. The program also assists the local legislative associations to serve as more effective resources for information dissemination, networking, and advocacy, as well as providing support program for free, fair and transparent local elections (PILKADA).

The LSS will coordinate a national capacity-building program for DPRDs on governance issues. Working with regional legislative specialists, he/she will identify and assess potential service providers for capacity-building, design training and technical assistance, evaluate the capacity-building program, and maintain good relations with the main players in legislative strengthening field. The LSS should also support the DPRD empowerment and capacity building program of the central government and strategic partners.
A particular focus of the DPRD strengthening program is to work with DPRD members to demand better services, poverty reduction and anti corruption systems and programs to be adopted and implemented by the local government.

The LSS is the coordinator of a team of Regional Office (RO) Legislative Strengthening Specialists. He/she will work closely with the regional team to prepare annual workplans and ensure quality in delivering capacity-building to different LGSP stakeholders. As task manager for national office supported activities, the LSS is in charge of coordinating the contracting procedure of service providers and for overseeing service providers related to legislative strengthening and empowerment activities developed by the regional LSS specialist for implementation in the region.

The LSS is required to maintain close coordination with other specialists and staff in the NO, as well as other technical team Advisors in the National Office. Specific assignments might change from time to time, as required to anticipate possible changes in program implementation.

Main Tasks and Responsiblities:

1. Provide assistance to strengthen the capacity of DPRD and DPRD members working to promote better services for their constituents:
a. Identify and assess potential service providers; b. In collaboration with service providers, design training programs and technical assistance c. Provide technical assistance, supervision, coordination as well as management assistance to service providers in conducting their services; d. Assist in preparing, coordinating and evaluating regular training events (including Training of Trainers) for key legislative stakeholders; including the Secretariat, the Commissions, and political parties e. Promote and maintain the quality of legislative strengthening-related services provided by service providers; f. Contribute to the documentation of best practices of legislative strengthening programs; g. Provide support to developing the service provider staff capacity to use the LGSP procedures, tools and techniques, along with facilitating and mentoring their further services; h. Provides technical professional inputs on legislative development, democratic governance and governance competencies for the development of LGSP's Technical Assistance implementation;

2. Coordinate the development of yearly LSS Strengthening workplans in each of the LGSP target jurisdiction a. Implement diagnostic tools and assessment in each new local jurisdiction b. Coordinate the design of workplans, in collaboration with local media stakeholders and other LGSP technical teams c. Develop and maintain Program Activity Reports (based on LGSP templates) d. Prepare summary reports of field activities for the legislative strengthening program

3. Maintain good relations with main legislative strengthening national level stakeholders, including government agencies, non-government organizations and strategic partners a. Provide support on developing, utilizing and building the Strategic Partners staff and institutions by facilitating and mentoring their further services.
b. Contribute to the development and maintenance of the LG data bank

4. Provide guidance and coordination to LSS staff as well as other LGSP staff on how to improve the capabilities of the local legislatures; a. Develop techniques and strategies to strengthen capacities of DPRD in working with citizens and local government officials to promote better services, poverty reduction and anti corruption systems and programs; b. Provide support to developing the service provider staff capacity to use the LGSP procedures, tools and techniques, along with facilitating and mentoring their further services; c. Reviewing and customizing (and if necessary develop) training modules; d. Maintains a good communication with Regional LSS at LGSP RO for concept development and implementation strategy, including maintain good communication with other regional teams.
e. Provide assistance to the LGs in the development of local government regulations related to participation, poverty reduction and anti-corruption;

4. Provides technical assistance, advice and action related to the LGSP dissemination, including:
a. Keep abreast, and share with others, knowledge about DPRD development and democratization; b. Support marketing program of the LGSP approach and methodology to strategic partners (universities, provincial, associations) as well as to local governments and DPRDs; c. Support institutionalization program, including mechanism, performance budgeting process and forums; d. Improve technical understanding about LGSP objective among DPRDS, help promote substantive dialogue between local DPRDS, CSOs and local government on LGSP e. Support and contribute in preparing publishing materials (interesting stories, good/best practices) as a part of developing capacity building and marketing tools f. Improve the capacity of the DPRDs to understand the LGSP tools and modules;

5. As Task Manager for the media activities funded at the national level and implemented by service providers, develop and maintain a good working relationship with each service provider prior to, during, and after the implementation of the work to ensure the best possible quality of work produced by Service Provider. Task manager duties include:

a. Preparing the task to be provided by the Service Provider; b. Preparing the budget for the activity; c. Recruitment of service providers; d. Supervision/monitoring of the implementation of the task; and e. Evaluation and reporting of the results of the services provided by the Service Provider

Deliverables

1. Report on legislative strengthening activities carried out by the regional and national office to the Governance Advisor on a weekly basis - in the prescribed weekly report format.

2. Input to the development of modules, guidelines, and training materials for the civil society capacity building program, as needed.

3. Input for materials to be published as best/good practices, etc. to the Governance Advisor.

4. Completed assignment report at the end of the contract assignment.


Annual Performance Review

The performance of the LSS will be reviewed on an annual basis. This will be carried out by the PC and reviewed by the Governance Advisor and COP. This review will determine eligibility for any merit increase in salary, in addition to other changes in allowances or cost of living increase.
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Kind regards,
David Dewata