USPSC Sahel Development Partnership Advisor Senegal / GS-15
USAID's Sahel Development Partnership for Burkina Faso and Niger (SDP) is USAID's integrated approach to countering violent extremism and building local communities' resilience in vulnerable areas of Niger and Burkina Faso. Through SDP, USAID seeks to halt the spread of violent extremist groups, avert costly humanitarian crises, and stem the flow of destabilizing migration. SDP activities develop government and community capacity to manage their own security, promote self-reliance, galvanize donor support, and reduce the need for long-term assistance. SDP complements both the United States' diplomatic engagements with these countries in the framework of the G5-Sahel and our ongoing national security interests in these countries. SDP is the optimization of various USAID and related other U.S. Government activities that will require a management structure designed to assure timely and quality coordination and collaboration across the U.S Government (USG) agencies involved, with a focus on USAID's implementing partners.
USAID's Sahel presence under SDP includes country offices in Burkina Faso and Niger. In addition, the USAID/Senegal's Sahel Regional Office (SRO), located in Dakar, Senegal, coordinates the efforts of the country offices and additional USAID and USG entities implicated in SDP. The USAID/Senegal Mission Director is the designated SDP Regional Coordinator.
The SDP Advisor-Senegal is based in Dakar with the Sahel Regional Office team. The incumbent will be one of three individuals tasked with ensuring that activities under SDP are aligned and delivering an impact that is greater than the sum of its parts. In order to do so, this position will serve as the resident advisor for SDP and provide the strategic vision and direction of implementation for SDP. This person is ultimately responsible for ensuring the success of the Partnership by providing implementation guidance and coordination under SDP. To do this, the incumbent is responsible for monitoring and reviewing the coordination work of the SDP advisors in Burkina Faso and Niger, who will work with USAID technical teams and leadership, Department of Defense (DoD) and State Department offices in the US embassies in Niger and Burkina Faso, and USAID implementing partners (IPs). The incumbent will be expected to spend periods of time in Burkina Faso and Niger directly monitoring the work and products of the in-country SDP advisors, and providing coverage if and when required during their periods of absence from their respective posts. In this capacity, the incumbent will represent USAID at various forums to present USG technical and policy positions. This will include regular meetings with senior and mid-level host government officials, representatives of various national and regional institutions and organizations, other donors, U.S. Embassy officials, and other USG agencies.
The incumbent will also be responsible for capturing the cumulative impact of the work and achievements of activities under SDP, including those managed by USAID, the Department of State (DoS), and the Department of Defense, in the identified targeted vulnerable zones. This report will cover the effects of these activities to improve local communities' ability to cope with the shocks and stresses to which their lives are exposed; including violent extremism, natural disasters, poor governance and lack of adequate social services. Given the desire to make SDP a "Three D" (3D) approach (Diplomacy, Defense, and Development), the incumbent will also be charged with monitoring and guiding the work of two the SDP advisors in Burkina Faso and Niger. The ideal candidate will, therefore, have a combination of strong managerial skills, excellent communication and inter-personal skills, and exhibit attention to detail.
Helene Lebel, Human Resources Specialist, Phone 221338794000, Email hlebel@usaid.gov
