Here is the official USAID Digital Development Advisor job description. Please use this position announcement to guide you in developing the experience, skills, and competencies you’ll need to be a successful candidate.

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General statement of purpose of the contract

In line with USAID’s Digital Strategy, the USAID Development Program Specialist – Digital Development Advisor (DDA) – will enable USAID to better harness the local digital ecosystem for more effective and efficient development and humanitarian assistance programming.

The DDA will be responsible for implementing the Agency’s Digital Strategy in support of the Mission by applying their skills and expertise to:

• Guide Mission programming in the responsible use of digital tools and approaches and
• Support the growth of an open, inclusive, and secure local digital ecosystem.

This requires considering the Mission’s portfolio as a whole and providing broad and strategic support as well as detailed, technical support in response to Mission needs.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)’s Digital Strategy helps ensure that digital investments are integrated into the host-country’s broader digital ecosystem and contributes to the country’s sustainable development. It also outlines new tools and resources that empower staff and streamline processes to accelerate development impact.

The Digital Development Advisor will facilitate the Mission’s implementation of the Digital Strategy and serve as the Missions’ technical expert in digital development. Digital Development Advisors must be able to provide technical guidance to implement Digital Strategy initiatives within the Mission, provide technical guidance and support to all Mission’s technical and support offices, and work closely with Mission colleagues and leadership as well as in-country counterparts on critical digital initiatives taking place in the partner country (ex: 5G spectrum allocation, Digital ID, Digital Payments).

In addition, the Digital Development Advisor will be expected to act as the interlocutor with headquarters. The Digital Development Advisor will support all Mission offices, with responsibilities that include:

• conduct a Digital Ecosystem Country Assessment (DECA) and regularly update the content;
• provide recommendations to technical offices on areas of opportunity for the integration of digital tools and approaches for programming and areas of risk that programming will need to mitigate;
• inform USAID engagement on host nation digital policy and regulation;
• establish partnerships with the host nation, other donors, private sector, and civil society on digital development;
• support the Mission in inventorying and leveraging existing platforms to achieve Mission digital priorities and goals; help the Mission implement digital best practices as outlined in the Principles for Digital Development;
• facilitate coordination between Mission staff and digital experts in headquarters and Agency communities of practice, and strategically craft programming in conjunction with technical offices so as to fully benefit from the increased potential for impact and additional insights that digital development can offer.

The Digital Development Advisor will work alongside other Missions’ Digital Development Advisors across geographies, other Mission staff managing digital programs across technical offices (including activity managers and COR/AORs), and fellow Mission Digital Development Advisors across the globe.

Statement of Duties to be Performed

Digital Strategy Implementation

• Lead the Digital Ecosystem Country Assessment (DECA) process, develop plans to implement recommendations, with support from headquarters and update the assessment annually.
• Lead the development of a Digital Development Mission Order that provides guidance to the Mission on what required steps they must take to integrate the Agency’s Digital Strategy in their work including project and activity designs, and performance management.
• Consult with Mission colleagues to offer needs-based suggestions and demonstrations of utility of the Digital Strategy initiatives for improving outcomes.
• Participate in and/or lead conferences, trainings, and other means of promoting, creating knowledge, and building capacity related to the responsible use of digital technology in Agency development and humanitarian assistance activities.
• Develop partnerships and network with local innovators, youth organizations, NGOs, cultural and religious organizations, the private sector, local media and academia to build and provide a space to nurture and share innovative ideas, develop the next generation of thought leaders, and build local capacity.
• Work with headquarters to provide basic training to Mission staff on Digital Development broadly and digital approaches specifically tailored to Mission needs.
• Facilitate technical support between headquarters and the Mission to support the initiatives of the four-track implementation plan for the Digital Strategy (adopt an ecosystem approach, help partners navigate risk and rewards, shift to digital by default, and build the USAID of tomorrow).

Technical Support and Project/Program Management

• Provide technical and organizational advice to Mission staff in integrating digital development tools and approaches to better meet strategic objectives.
• Engage a wide set of stakeholders throughout the Mission as well as from private sector, multilateral agencies, and foreign organizations, with respect to coordinating on integration of digital approaches and best practices.
• Convene and participate in technical meetings, consultations and working groups with key stakeholders to address issues such as data privacy, cybersecurity, digital payments, and digital inclusion, both internally and within the wider international development and technology communities.
• Contribute to the development of digital innovations and adaptations of digital innovations to advance Mission goals.
• Introduce and advise on digital tools for development (e.g., crowdsourcing platforms or mobile data collection tools).
• Collaborate with and support related Mission projects to ensure they are reaping the benefits of digital tools and services. Provide technical support for specific digital interventions (e.g., mobile phone-based systems for real-time data collection and digital financial services, including negotiations with mobile network companies and other service providers).
• Identify and facilitate the use of appropriate implementing mechanisms that best meet program needs, facilitating expert guidance during the design of activities employing digital tools.
• Perform and/or evaluate data-driven analyses of project success in achieving stated goals. Identify opportunities for further improvement and take steps to make appropriate changes.
• Perform AOR/COR duties for digital development mechanisms as needed.

Strategic Planning and Support

• Provide a technical perspective to ongoing Mission programming, introducing and supporting policies and processes that enable incorporation of digital tools and analytical capacity in the Mission’s portfolio.
• Work closely with Mission staff across teams and across sectors to review and identify optimal entry points for digital tools and analytical support. Build digital technology into requests for proposals (RFPs) and contracting language. Proactively scout for new ideas and opportunities within the local technology community, among USAID partners and externally, and include them in strategic planning for the Mission. In particular look at approaches or technologies that can be implemented in an integrated fashion across sectors or across offices.
• Manage processes intended to identify and act upon opportunities to further define and address pressing development challenges through digital and analytical means.
• Build collaborative relationships within the Mission, the Agency, and with implementing partners, to identify and incorporate digital solutions with relevance in the local context. Keep partners appraised of progress and critical issues. As appropriate, identify additional entities capable of adding value to the project, and seek support.
• Identify opportunities for new external partnerships with the private sector, local partners and others on digital global goods, common architectures, interoperability and public use (e.g., shared short codes) and lead proposal and partnership development efforts in close collaboration with the Mission, and with support from the Innovation, Technology, and Research (ITR) Hub where applicable.
• Prepare and present concept papers, background analyses, and briefings to build support for the use of digital tools throughout the Mission.

Competencies & Capabilities

This Digital Development Advisor will demonstrate strong capabilities in the following technical areas of expertise:

• Advising organizations on how to incorporate digital solutions into their programming to support the achievement of development objectives including working with mobile devices, internet connectivity, digital financial services, and solutions for data collection, analysis, and sharing, preferably in international development, including a comprehensive understanding of solutions for Short Message Service (SMS), Interactive Voice Response (IVR), smartphones, tablets, social media, websites, and messaging apps.
• Experience managing projects in line with the internationally recognized Principles for Digital Development and U.S. policies related to open data and internet freedom.
• Supporting, using, or working with Digital Payment providers and/or applications with a particular focus on improving financial inclusion
• Supporting, using, or working with GIS software to include providing data analysis and data visualization products.
• Working with Internet Service Providers (ISP), local governments, and communities to support digital inclusion and reduce the digital divide.
• Building, facilitating, coordinating, and maintaining large-scale collaborative efforts between numerous donors, NGOs, private industry partners, and other stakeholders.
• Working in start-up companies/organizations. Entrepreneurial failures are considered as valuable learning experience.

Minimum Qualifications for the Position

All candidates must meet the Minimum Qualifications. Applications will be screened accordingly, and only those who meet the below, required criteria, will be moved forward in the recruitment process.

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in public policy or administration, international relations, political science, information and communication technology, computer science, or other related degree supported by significant training in information and communication technology or digital development.

Prior Work Experience

At least five years of progressive experience providing support and technical expertise around a variety of digital development initiatives for stakeholders in International Development, Donor Agency or Private Sector Organization.

Experience working alongside government counterparts and other key stakeholders such as private sector and non-profit sector on designing and implementing digital development initiatives or developing policy to support open, secure, and interoperable digital infrastructure.

To advance to the evaluation stage, applicants must meet the minimum qualifications above. Applicants who do not meet all the education and experience requirements are considered not qualified and will not receive further consideration .