Job Description

Call for Experts for Zambia Poverty Reduction Programme (ZPRP)

The Poverty and Social Protection Team (PSP) at Oxford Policy Management is currently seeking candidates to form part of a Pool of Experts on a fixed-term basis for both short- and long-term roles. The Pool will be involved in work both remotely and in Zambia.

Please note that this position is contingent upon the successful award of this program to Oxford Policy Management (OPM). If awarded, the program is anticipated to commence at the start of 2025. In preparation, we are seeking to establish a pool of experienced experts who will collaborate with and complement our existing in-house OPM staff assigned to this project, ensuring the successful delivery of our ambitious agenda.

Background to the role

Zambia currently faces a number of challenges, with weak transmission of economic growth into living standards and poverty reduction. Climate change is reducing agricultural production and, along with rising inflation, exacerbating persistently high levels of poverty (60% in 2022) and food insecurity: while debt burden and currency depreciation limits the Government’s policy space.

The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s (FCDO) Zambia programme supports the Government’s ambition to reduce extreme poverty, helping it to deliver the objectives of the eighth National Development Plan. FCDO works directly to improve the services that reach the most vulnerable communities through nutrition, social protection, health, and education; tackles gender inequality; and supports measures to improve economic development and public revenues to deliver broad based growth and poverty reduction.

As part of its development programme in Zambia, the FCDO is looking to launch a new, flagship Zambia Poverty Reduction Programme (ZPRP). Key elements of this programme are likely to include:

• Strengthening social protection delivery systems

• Building resilience to shocks and preparing shock-responsive Government systems and services

• especially nutrition, education, and sexual and reproductive health

• Transformation of local service delivery systems through local governance strengthening and linkages to economic development opportunities

• Improving the use of evidence for policy and implementation effectiveness

Position Summary

The Pool of Experts will be involved in a range of activities on a demand-driven basis, delivering a mix of short- and long-term assignments. Responsibilities might include supporting the Team Leader in steering the strategic direction of the programme; developing, implementing and learning from pilots of innovations in social programmes and delivery systems; research, monitoring and evaluation to support evidence-based policy-making; and embedded technical assistance to support Government Ministries and help build institutional capacities.

Key qualifications and experience

We are particularly interested in international development specialists with experience in the following technical areas

• Social protection and economic inclusion policies, programmes and systems, with a strong focus on building shock-responsive delivery capacities and supporting livelihood adaptations to climate change

• Pro-poor delivery in education, health and nutrition sectors, focusing on

coordination and coherence which deliver effective, efficient and accountable services

• Programming and policy for gender equality, with a focus on adolescent girls, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and women’s economic empowerment.

Application

If you share our vision for fair public policy that benefits both people and planet, we would love to hear from you. Please submit your application through our careers site by the closing date. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide visa sponsorship for this role and candidates must have a pre-existing right to work in the country in which they will be operating for their application to be considered. Oxford Policy Management is committed to promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion at every level of the business. Should you require adjustments to make the application process more accessible, please contact us via: recruitment@opml.co.uk