PNDS - Financial Management Training Specialist - Cardno - Dili, Timor Leste

Job Reference Number: EMR/PNDS/FMTS/T24

Job Type: International Development Assistance/Emerging Markets

Schedule: Contract

Job Location: Asia; Timor Leste; Dili

Job Summary

Cardno Emerging Markets is seeking energetic and enthusiastic candidates to assist the Government of Timor-Leste with the National Program for Suco Development (Programa Nasional Dezenvolvimentu Suku – PNDS). PNDS is an initiative of the Government of Timor-Leste, jointly managed by the Ministry of State Administration and Ministry of Finance, which aims to work with communities at the village level to help eliminate poverty by investing in community-driven infrastructure projects.

 

AusAID is assisting the government to develop the PNDS through the provision of support services managed by Cardno Emerging Markets.

 

PNDS will be rolled out nationally beginning in September 2013. The Government of Timor Leste, assisted by AusAID through Cardno Emerging Markets will undertake preparations for program implementation during 2013. These include finalisation of the PNDS Operational Manual and development of a training system to prepare PNDS field staff for program implementation in 2013/14. Small teams of technical experts in the fields of civil engineering, financial management and community mobilisation are being engaged to begin work on curriculum development for the three streams of PNDS facilitators to be trained.

 

We currently have a vacancy for the position of Financial Management Training Specialist. This position will lead the development and delivery of training to 90 trainees.

 

Trainees will likely be a mix of civil servants and non-civil servants of varying ages, skills and levels of financial management and community facilitation experience. The training will provide all participants with a solid grounding in basic budget preparation and execution, book keeping, financial reporting and PNDS procurement and audit rules, as well as skills in participatory planning techniques and problem-solving.

 

Once the training is completed, 78 PNDS Sub-District Financial Facilitators will be selected from the pool of 90 trainees. These facilitators will be placed in each sub-district to support village communities to develop and implement project proposals to address their priority development needs.

 

Sub-district facilitators will also be responsible for training and mentoring village community teams in basic financial management. Facilitators will therefore require training to help prepare and deliver this community training.

 

Training materials should be competency based and sufficiently practically-oriented to produce graduates ready to undertake field work.

 

A Vocational Training Specialist has been engaged to assist the team by providing advice on pedagogy. Support and advice regarding the PNDS financial delivery system will also be provided by a Public Financial Management Adviser.

 

The objectives of this role are to develop course materials in collaboration with a national training partner institution, train a team of four trainers, oversee the delivery of the training, and undertake a final evaluation of its effectiveness.

This position forms part of the PNDS Support Services Program. The successful applicant will be part of the Training Unit, a multi-disciplinary team that provides support to the Government of Timor-Leste, AusAID and Cardno in the planning and implementation of PNDS.

 

Reports to: Training Manager Number of direct reports: four national financial management trainers

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Key Responsibilities

1. Lead a small team comprising four experienced national trainers, to develop, in consultation with the GoTL Ministry of Finance, a financial management training program (duration approximately three months) for 90 trainees.
2. Prepare course material based on a modular structure that includes: 
• Foundational mathematics and financial literacy.
• General budget development, budget management and book-keeping skills.
• PNDS-specific mechanisms and processes including:
• grant disbursement mechanism
• community contracting
• procurement rules
• cash management systems
• accountability and reporting requirements. 
• Community mobilisation techniques and participatory planning.
• Training and mentoring skills - to prepare sub-district financial facilitators to train community teams.
3. Develop, with assistance from a Vocational Training Specialist, a framework and tools for continuous assessment of the trainees during the three-month course.
4. Finalise, in cooperation with other program specialists, training materials for community planning, management and maintenance teams, and oversee the delivery of train the trainer workshops.
5. Lead the team in undertaking pilot testing of key modules to test that they are pitched at an appropriate level and are easily digested by participants.
6. Orient, supervise and mentor the four national trainers in the delivery of the course and, assisted by the Vocational Training Specialist, provide ongoing advice and coaching to the training team and make any necessary adjustments to the training materials.
7. Oversee the process of final assessment of trainees and selection of those who will transition to positions as Sub-district Financial Facilitators.
8. Participate in a series of evaluation workshops to assess the overall effectiveness of the course, and assist in revising the teaching materials to incorporate improvements and lessons learned.

Deliverables :

1. Proposed course outline for the training course, briefly describing for each module the key competencies targeted and the number of hours/days required for delivery, for discussion and approval by relevant government counterparts, including the national training accreditation body, INDIMO.
2. Detailed teaching and assessment guides for each agreed module, developed in consultation with the Vocational Training Specialist, government counterparts and national trainers (translation of training materials will be supported by national trainers).
3. Simplified training material and guidance for trainees (future program facilitators) to deliver to community implementation teams, covering:
• financial literacy
• budget preparation and management
• basic book keeping
• PNDS procurement rules
• financial reporting.
4. A training timetable and resourcing schedule developed jointly with the training partner institution describing personnel and materials required to deliver the trainings.
5. A trained team of four national trainers to deliver the materials.
6. Design and delivery of a pilot test of key elements of the modules for sub-district facilitators and community teams.
7. Brief reports on the pilot test process, outcomes and recommendations, including explanation of any adjustments made.
8. Design and implementation of a simple monitoring and evaluation framework to assess the effectiveness of the training, developed in consultation with the M&E and Vocational Training Specialists.
9. A final evaluation report on the delivery of the training course to the 90 trainees with recommendations for future improvements.

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Other Requirements

Adviser Remuneration Framework :  Discipline Group B Job Level 3 Long Term Adviser (LTA)

1. Tertiary qualifications in accounting or finance.
2. Minimum of ten years work experience in financial management– ideally in developing countries and/or community development programs
3. Minimum of five years work experience in the design and delivery of financial training – ideally in developing countries and/or community development programs.
4. Ability to contextualise key financial principles and training material to the requirements of different countries, organisations, and cultures.
5. Ability to develop and maintain positive working relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders, from senior government officials and international development partners to community leaders.
   Ability to contribute to team goals and objectives, give and receive feedback and achieve agreed performance standards.
6. Tertiary qualification in teaching or training.
7. Experience working in Timor-Leste.
8. Tetun and/or Indonesian language skills.

Duration :
Subject to final approval from AusAID, to be contracted for the period February – September 2013.
Funding :
AusAID Governance for Development Program

How to apply for this position
Applications must include:

1. Response against each of the essential and desirable selection criteria.
2. Curriculum vitae/resume.
3. Name and contact details (phone and email) of three referees.

Applications that do not address all the requirements stated above will not be considered.
Submitting applications
Email your application with the reference “PNDS – T24 Financial Management Training Specialist” in the subject line to recruitment@gfd.tl.
Closing date: 5.00pm 3 February 2013.
Late applications will not be considered.

Employee Benefits

Contact

For further information about this position:
Email recruitment@gfd.tl with the reference “PNDS - T24 Financial Management Training Specialist” in the subject line. ​