GIZ
Job Advertisement –technical Advisor-grievance And Redress Mechanism And E-payment Specialist
A. Background
The Malawi National Social Support Programme (MNSSP II) adopted in 2018 reflects the Government of Malawi’s resolute commitment towards reducing poverty and vulnerability through social protection. The Poverty Reduction and Social Protection (PRSP) Division under the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs is responsible for the overall coordination and monitoring of the MNSSP II. The German Development Cooperation through Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is committed to support the Malawian Government through the project
“Support to the implementation of social protection for the ultra-poor people”. The project started in April 2022 and builds on previous GIZ projects supporting the PRSP. From 2022 till 2025 the main areas of support will be a) Building capacities of PRSP; b) Supporting the institutionalization of the Unified Beneficiary Registry (UBR); and c) Enhancing district administration through decentralization including the UBR management at district level.
In addition to this, EU co-financing was secured until July 2023. This is the funding source for the advertised position.
The EU co-financed component of the project focusses on delivery systems for social protection. The main areas of support will be: (1) anchoring of the UBR at district level, (2) the implementation of e-payments in at least one more district and (3) the application of a harmonized Grievance- and Redress Mechanism in 4 districts.
The GIZ project team consists of ~ 12 colleagues, including as of now 4 technical advisors (2 international, 2 national) working on the different outputs.
B. Tasks and Responsibilities
The national technical professional is a key member of the GIZ Social Protection Programme (SPP) providing technical input to the implementation of grievance and redress mechanisms (GRM). In addition, the technical professional will also support the roll-out of e-payment within the social protection sector. For this, he or she will be working closely together with the 4 technical experts of the team and report directly to the team leader.
Responsibilities
The national technical professional will support the development and operationalization of core systems that are building the foundation of an integrated social protection system. Hence the technical professional is expected to support the building of core systems of the MNSSP II in two ways: i) by supporting the roll-out of the Harmonized Grievance- and Redress Handbook; and ii) the roll-out of e-payment.
i) Grievance and Redress Mechanism
A harmonized grievance and redress mechanism is recognized as a key component of an integrated social protection system. An important milestone has been reached by the Government of Malawi in the drafting of the harmonised GRM handbook. The areas of responsibility under GRM are to accompany the roll out of the harmonised GRM handbook at district level and to draw lessons of experience and obstacles encountered.
ii) E-payment
With respect to e-payment successful piloting of e-payment for the SCTP in selected districts took place and is being followed by the expansion to other districts in Malawi. The areas of responsibility of the technical professional are to draw lessons and/or attend to the challenges associated with e-payment before rolling out to further districts and to support the expansion of e-payment to other districts.
Tasks
The national technical professional is expected to work on the following tasks:
Under GRM:
- Supporting the dialogue among key stakeholders working on the implementation of a harmonized GRM
- Proactively provide technical expertise to the Government counterparts
- Support the development of questionnaires to assess beneficiary awareness before the roll-out of the GRM handbook and after that;
- Develop a comprehensive community training manual and training material for the roll-out of the harmonized GRM Handbook, if the need arises
- Support the roll-out in a minimum of four districts in close cooperation with Government
- Support the implementation of a lessons learned assessment at the end of each training.
- Evaluate the district supervision reports and support self-assessments the verify the level of awareness of grievance and redress mechanisms among social cash transfer beneficiaries.
Under E-payment:
- Proactively provide technical expertise and support for the roll-out of the harmonized GRM Handbook under the MNSSPII;
- Provide technical support to the government to the procurement of a financial service provider (FSP)
- Support the evaluation of payment data in the management information systems (MIS) of the social transfer programs;
- Proactively support surveys of benefiting recipient households regarding the user-friendliness and reliability of the payment system.
- Liaise with other stakeholders working on e-payment in the social protection sector and related sectors
- Support the procurement and coordination of short-term experts
- Coordinate the procurement of communication material if the need arises;
- Support the capacity development to the roll-out of e-payment, such as financial literacy training; the development of step-by-step guides for central, district and community level, if the need arises;
- Liaise closely with other development partners working on the implementation of e-payment
Other Duties/Additional Tasks
The national technical professional is generally expected to support the technical team of the GIZ Social Protection Programme in ensuring that activities are well in line with the commissions and to perform towards the achievement of Outputs and Outcomes. In this role, the expert is expected to closely coordinate with the technical team members of GIZ SPP
Required qualifications, competences and experience (essential vs. desirable)
- Master´s degree in relevant fields, e.g. development economics, social sciences or related fields
- At least 5 years of professional experience in working in social protection, preferably with a focus on e-payment and GRM
- At least 5 years of working experience in international cooperation
- Very good knowledge and advanced skills in MS Office applications (e.g. WORD, EXCEL, POWERPOINT) such as formatting and working with formulas are essential
- Experience in reporting to international donors is essential
- Excellent communication skills to transfer knowledge and strong communication skills in English and Chichewa
- Structured, goal-oriented and detailed style of work
- Ability to work independently as well as in a team.
More information about Malawi’s Social Registry is available by using the following links:
- Providing social protection for ultra-poor people in Malawi (giz.de)
- Method of Application
- Interested candidates meeting the above requirements should submit their applications, with a one-page cover letter demonstrating how they meet the above requirements, along with a detailed CV (max. 5 pages) by 9th October, 2022 to:
The Head of HR
GIZ
P.O. Box 31131
Lilongwe 3
Or email to: giz-malawi-hr@giz.de
The following reference code of the call for application is strictly to be indicated in the
subject line of the applicant’s e-mail:SPP/2022/10/TA/GRM/Name of applicant.
Clearly Indicate in subject line the position being applied for.
GIZ is an equal opportunity employer. Women and people with disabilities who qualify are encouraged to apply!
Within its activities, GIZ is promoting and protecting human rights, health and wellbeing, and wishes to contribute to
a world free from harm, exploitation and abuse. Prospective candidates should be willing to adhere to GIZ’ s Child
Protection Principles, and Prevent Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment Policy.