Quality Assurance Lead - REMIT programme

About the Programme 

The Revenue Mobilisation, Investment and Trade (REMIT) programme funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The programme provides technical assistance (TA) to Pakistan to implement reforms for strengthening macroeconomic stability and improving conditions for high and sustained growth, mutual prosperity, job creation and poverty reduction. The Programme works towards supporting the Government of Pakistan, its relevant ministries, institutions, and departments to strengthen revenue mobilisation reforms/initiatives; address investment environment challenges, facilitate trade and drive competitiveness by reducing trade barriers, and improve the macroeconomic policy and its management. ASI is one of the implementing partners on REMIT and is responsible for delivering technical assistance to output 1 “revenue mobilisation”; and output 2 “investment climate” with cross-cutting elements such as advocacy, communication, behavioural insights, gender, and climate change.

Key Responsibilities and Tasks

The Quality Assurance Lead will provide strategic direction and technical oversight of programme strategy and interventions. In doing so, the QA Lead will:  

·       Lead on quality assuring intervention design against the project’s components, including for Responsive Policy Function (RPF) interventions and PSW specialised TA.

·       Pursue long-term sustainability and transformative ambition of project interventions  

·       Bring intellectual rigour and strategic depth to consulting advice to government counterparts  

·       Empower and support team members to deliver sound technical outputs within their role, and enable quick and decisive decision making  

·       Drive increased efficiency to project’s team and operating model  

·       Take stock of lessons learnt with MEL adviser and put in place feedback loops to improve delivery and achievement of results.  

The Quality Assurance Lead along with the Team Leader is responsible for driving results of the programme. Specifically, the QA Lead is responsible for quality assuring programme results and deliverables:  

·       Quality Management: The Quality Assurance Lead is responsible for ensuring the programme is designed to deliver maximum impact.   

·       Strategic Direction: Works with Technical Leadership, to set the strategic direction of the programme, ensuring overall alignment of the workplan with strategic priorities throughout all planning and delivery.  

·       Alignment and Coordination: Works in coordination with the technical leadership, FCDO and other key stakeholders to establish aligned objectives, coordinate resources, and create commitment towards joint plans, ensuring that project resources are effectively and efficiently directed  

Quality Management  

·       Leads QA on overall direction, strategy and results framework for the programme. Ensures the programme is ambitious, with achievable targets that are aligned with GoPK’s needs.  

·       Provide quality assurance of Responsive Policy Function (RPF) concept notes and deliverables.

·       Oversee Pakistan Single Window (PSW) Outputs.

·       Sets the overall direction and oversees the work of international QA Leads across the workstreams  

·       Works in close partnership with the TL and PD to oversee the execution of the programme strategy and vision, with a focus on achieving results, and iterating staretegies to improve delivery.  

·       Provides guidance and constructive feedback to all members of the team, with the aim of building their capacity and technical effectiveness over time 

·       Takes leading role in regular Strategic Reviews along with Team Leader and PD.

·       Provide support to HMRC/PAG missions to ensure quality and coherence.

·       Reviews and approves MEL Framework design/redesign  

·       Provides final QA of results reported to the client  

·       Ensures programme adheres to all compliance procedures such as audits, required UK Aid branding, Duty of Care policies, expected VfM analysis, and GDPR/IATI protocols.

Strategic Direction  

·       Provide strategic oversight and technical and tactical support to delivery. 

·       Support to develop annual plans with the Leadership Team and PMU, to ensure appropriate sequencing and resourcing of work across the reform agenda 

·       Ensuring that the work plan is always aligned to the relevant log frame targets and that there is a clear plan for sustainability in the outcome.  

·       Quality Assuring terms of reference to enable high quality delivery from interventions.

·       Contribute to decisions on recruitment, in particular where quality is concerned 

Alignment and Coordination  
In close collaboration with the TL and PD: 

·       Provides ongoing strategic counselling and thought partnership to GoKP counterparts. This will include challenging and re-shaping ideas and plans where this is required for successful delivery. 

·       Provide solutions and de-bottle-neck issues with GoPK as need arises  

·       Takes stock of political economy developments in light of the challenges and opportunities they present for the project, helping adapt its positioning in response to these  

·       Co-leads on technical discussions with FCDO  

·       Work closely with the Leadership Team to structure coordination and implementation follow up for PAG missions.

·       Providing inputs as required to Programme Steering Committee (PSC) governance, as well as engagement with independent evaluation panels.

·       Provides support on engagement and coordination with other donors, including World Bank.  

·       Support the Team Leader and PD in assessing and revising the design of programme activities for alignment with external priorities, and coordination with external activities.  

·       Contributes to regular discussions to identify and assess risks/issues, to assign risk ownership and to follow up on implementation of mitigating actions (at least monthly)  

·       Understands the incentives of key stakeholders, and advises on how to respond to or influence and adapt to these to achieve project objectives 

Reporting  
The Quality Assurance Lead will report to the Programme Director and will work closely with the Team Leader.  

Application deadline - Monday 5th January at 11.59pm PKT.