Advisor: Economic Development and Investments at South African Local Government Association

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE 

• A relevant tertiary Degree in (Economic Development/ Development Management/Economics) an Hons level qualification will be an advantage
• Valid Driver’s License and frequent travelling
• At least 3 years’ relevant experience of which at least 1 years have been at an equivalent level within a medium to large sized organisation
• Demonstrates a sound understanding of the Local Government Sector and issues relating to area of speciality

KEY PORTFOLIO AND PERFORMANCE FOCUS AREAS 

• Economic Development Focus areas: Facilitate the positive disruption of the system to better enable municipalities to connect communities through community services such as economic development; Facilitate the establishment of economic development coordination and participation structures within Local, District and Metropolitan Municipalities e.g. Disaster Management Forums; Assessing existing small scale economic development projects funded by external stakeholders; Submit reports to the Economic Development and Environment Working Group; Deal with any other matter delegated 
• Research and Benchmarking: Collects, categorises and tracks relevant information required for specific tasks and projects; Perform support activities to benchmarking exercises under guidance from senior and Specialists; Provide administrative support with the arrangements of knowledge sharing / peer learning sessions/ presentations to SALGA staff and external stakeholders. May include providing inputs to content and packaging of information for the sessions; Support the gathering and channelling of information to build and update municipal profiles; Under leadership and guidance from Senior Advisor perform desktop research on issues related to municipal challenges within the sector/ professional discipline (Collect data, examine relevance and synthesise).
• Representation & Other Lobbying and Advocacy: Attend policy conferences in topics related to area of accountability; Represent municipalities at relevant forums/ meetings/ committees within the sector/ professional discipline; Support the development of reports to the working groups; Support the Senior Advisor to develop content on a number of complex issues relevant to a SALGA position for mandating; Understand the national and provincial governance structures of SALGA and the institutional structures of the Sector/Professional discipline and key role players in the area of specialization.
• Support Advice and Capacity Building: Guide, support and provide advice to municipalities in the areas of focus/ professional discipline in accordance with the programme plan; Provide hands-on support to strengthen municipal capacity/ improve programme implementation; Implement the capacity building strategy and associated programmes in municipalities; Coordinate the logistical arrangements for training programmes/ peer learning sessions in the areas of focus/ professional discipline. 
• Programme Monitoring and Evaluation and Reporting: Implement project management methodologies and disciplines; and support the management of the full project cycle on assigned projects including M&E; Ensure that projects are conducted against contract specification and payments are based on agreed milestone; Maintain records as per SALGA policy and ensure that all project records are uploaded into the company knowledge management system; Support the reporting on progress against milestones; Support the preparation of audit files for each project prior to audit; Monitor the impact and the role that municipalities play BBBEE.
• Stakeholder Management: Build partnerships with relevant stakeholders to ensure programme success and to increase SALGA’s capacity to make an impact; Ensure appropriate and timely communications with all stakeholders; Support the creation of reports to communicate about the programme and provide updates for website; Within the scope of area of accountability build and maintain relevant stakeholder relationships/ partnerships in the area of responsibility. 
• Governance, Compliance and Risk Management: Ensure compliance with organisational policies and procedures. Support the identification and mitigation of organisational and operational risks identified in the area of responsibility/ professional discipline; Uphold sound corporate governance principles in the day-to-day operation of the area of responsibility/ professional discipline. 
• Teamwork: Implement the performance management and development processes in SALGA to drive high performance on an ongoing basis; In line with the SALGA organisational culture, align personal and organisational values for improved performance; Support organisational priorities and the implementation of resource mobilisation systems and processes; Support the Executive and Senior Management Team in building a high-performance culture in SALGA; Work as a multi-disciplinary and integrated team to find possible solutions to complex challenges in municipalities.