Advisor: Planning & IDP at South African Local Government Association (SALGA)

THE CANDIDATE PROFILE 

• Sound understanding of policy and legislative frameworks in Built Environment and Planning
• Knowledge of the SALGA business and sustainability requirements
• Understanding of project management principles
• Understanding of expense management principles and regulations
• Knowledge of the province and institutional knowledge of municipalities in the respective province
• Sector Knowledge and a sound understanding of the policy, legislative and regulatory frameworks governing the sector; and in particular those applying to the LG Sector and SALGA
• Staying abreast of new developments in the area or responsibility
• Working Knowledge of the LG Sector and the relevance of SALGA in the space
• Working Knowledge of SALGA Mandate, value chain, business model; and core business objectives
• Culture fit: SALGA desires an individual who will share and buy-in, in our core values, mission and vision, demonstrating a commitment to our ethos beyond just doing the job.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE 

• An undergraduate Degree (NQF Level 7) / National Diploma in Development Planning, Town and Regional Planning, or a related field.
• A minimum of 5 years' relevant experience of which at least 1 year has been at an equivalent level within a medium to large sized organisation;
• Valid Driver’s License & Travelling Required
• Demonstrates a sound understanding of the Local Government Sector

KEY PORTFOLIO AND PERFORMANCE FOCUS AREAS 

Research and Benchmarking: 

• Collects, categorizes and tracks relevant information required for specific tasks and projects.
• Perform support activities to benchmarking exercises under guidance from Senior Advisors and Specialists. 
• Under leadership and guidance from Senior Advisors and Specialists, perform desktop research on issues related to municipal challenges within the sector/ professional discipline (Collect data, examine relevance and synthesize). 
• Support the gathering and channelling of information to build and update municipal profiles 
• 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. 

Representation at IGR & Other Fora (Lobbying and Advocacy): 

• Support the participation in Development Planning related forums 
• Support the participation in all IDP processes 
• Liaise with stakeholders in ensuring the credibility of the municipal IDPs and be the voice of municipalities on all IDP matters 
• Represent municipalities at relevant forums/ meetings/ committees within the sector/ professional discipline 
• Attend policy conferences in topics related to area of accountability 
• Support the Senior advisors to develop content on a number of complex issues relevant to a SALGA position for mandating. 
• Support the development of reports to the working groups 
• 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. 
• Represent SALGA and the Municipalities at relevant external fora. 
• Support Advice and capacity building 
• Guide, support and provide advice to municipalities in the implementation of the IDP framework and processes in accordance with the programme plan. 
• Provide hands-on support to strengthen municipal capacity/ improve programme implementation 
• 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 up loaded 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

Stakeholder Management: 

• Within the scope of area of accountability build and maintain relevant stakeholder relationships/ partnerships in the area of responsibility 
• Ensure appropriate and timely communications with all stakeholders 
• Build partnerships with relevant stakeholders to ensure programme success and to increase SALGA’s capacity to make an impact 
• Support the creation of reports to communicate about the programme and provide updates for website 
• Governance, Compliance and Risk Management 
• Uphold sound corporate governance principles in the day-to-day operation of the area of responsibility/ professional discipline 
• Ensure compliance with organizational policies and procedures 
• Support the identification and mitigation of organizational and operational risks identified in the area of responsibility/ professional discipline 

Teamwork:

• Work as a multi-disciplinary and integrated team to find possible solutions to complex challenges in municipalities 
• Support organizational priorities and the implementation of resource mobilization systems and processes. 
• In line with the SALGA organizational culture, align personal and organizational values for improved performance. 
• Support the Executive and Senior Management Team in building a high-performance culture in SALGA. 
• Implement the performance management and development processes in SALGA to drive high performance on an ongoing basis.