Program Cycle and Budget Specialist (USAID Learns – Social Impact)

Program Cycle and Budget Specialist

USAID Learns Contract

Hanoi, Vietnam

Social Impact (SI) is a global development management consulting firm. We provide monitoring, evaluation, strategic planning, and capacity building services to advance development effectiveness. We work across all development sectors including democracy and governance, health and education, the environment, and economic growth. Since 1997 we have worked in over 100 countries for clients such as US government agencies, bilateral donors, multilateral development banks, foundations, and nonprofits. 

Project Objectives

SI is implementing the USAID Learns Contract. The scope of the five-year project is to support USAID/Vietnam staff and its implementing partners to implement more efficient, effective, and sustainable programs by (1) improving staff and IP knowledge and skills in Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) and Collaborating, Learning & Adapting (CLA); (2) advancing evidence-informed decision-making; (3) strengthening strategic collaboration between staff and local stakeholders.

Position Description

The Specialist will independently develop and implement capacity-building and mentoring activities that empower and prepare new and current USAID/Vietnam staff to incorporate budget and resource data into strategic decision-making and planning processes across the USAID Program Cycle. S/he will need to build the capacity of technical team and support staff to ensure that program designs, investments in monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) and collaborating, learning and adapting (CLA), strategy development, and performance goals are informed by and responsive to budget levels, congressional earmarks, agency control levels, and evolving USG foreign policy priorities.

The Specialist will provide advisory services, as requested, on aligning USAID budgetary resources and requirements with the implementation of USAID’s strategy and the achievement of USG policy priorities. The Specialist supports staff to produce high quality, accurate documentation, and trains staff to ensure conformity to USAID rules, procedures and all relevant statutory and pre-obligation requirements. The Specialist will be responsible for transferring knowledge to USAID staff that allows them to adapt their programs, and develop or refine reporting products for the US Government related to project performance, strategic planning, program budgeting, resource leveraging, results tracking and systems management.

**Please Note: This is a local position. Only Vietnamese citizens will be eligible to apply.**

Responsibilities

• Training USAID staff to coordinate reporting and budget processes that affect congressionally appropriated program activities in Vietnam, including those managed by the Department of State.
• Strengthening a culture of adaptive management within the Mission that intentionally makes decisions and adjustments in response to new budget information and changes in the policy context.
• Training USAID staff to complete Mission Resource Requests, Operational Plans, Performance Plan and Reports, Congressional Notifications, and other official and ad-hoc budget and program-related correspondence with the Government of Vietnam, development partners, U.S. Government (USG) operating units, and external stakeholders, as appropriate.
• Developing staff capacity to provide a wide range of back-stopping functions for USAID technical offices related to aligning budget resources with strategy development, activity oversight and planning, resource leveraging, and results tracking.
• To develop staff capacity to ensure that budget requests are aligned with the strategic priorities of the U.S. Mission while reflecting the budgetary parameters of the USG.
• To develop and lead learning sessions with USAID/Vietnam staff that help teams incorporate lessons learned and evolving technical and policy priorities into budget planning.
• To advise USAID/Vietnam staff on improving the efficiency of internal processes that incorporate up-to-date budget data into strategy design, accurate and timely reporting, and adaptive management decision-making.
• To provide a wide range of consultative, advisory, planning, design, implementation and monitoring services to USAID/Vietnam staff and management.
• The Specialist will train and mentor staff to conduct standard and ad-hoc program budget and operations functions in compliance with USAID and USG requirements, including:
• Developing annual program plans and budget documents that are responsive to current budget constraints and requirements.
  • Interpreting USG appropriation legislation and programming guidelines established by USAID/Washington.
  • Monitoring implementation and obligation of program funds to achieve Mission Strategic Objectives.
  • Developing and institutionalizing best practices and internal processes for responding to ad-hoc program budget and operations related taskers from USAID/Washington, Office of Management and Budget, Department of State and Mission technical/support officers.
  • Training Mission staff to understand and comply with U.S. legislation pertaining to USAID programs, and GVN policies and priorities.

Desired deliverables

• Specific deliverables/tasks as assigned by USAID/Vietnam
• Monthly timesheets including hours worked and brief description of assignments worked on.

Level of effort

Up to 32 hours per week for up to 52 weeks

Expected timeline: October 1, 2022 - September 30, 2023

Qualifications 

• Technical knowledge and skills related to implementing USAID/Vietnam’s assistance budget and programming efforts with over 15 years of USAID/Vietnam experience
• Demonstrated strong communication skills, interpersonal skills, leadership skills
• Demonstrated ability to transfer knowledge to and build the capacity of USAID staff
• English and Vietnamese Language Proficiency required, including writing and editing skills

The closing date for application: August 28, 2022. Selection and interview will be performed constantly and interested candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

To apply, please merge both your CV and cover letter into one pdf file and submit it through the online portal.  

To learn more about Social Impact, please visit our website: http://www.socialimpact.com

SI is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. 

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