Portfolio Head: Trading Services at South African Local Government Association

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE 

• A relevant postgraduate qualification at a Master’s level (NQF 9), Water and Sanitation or/ Energy, Municipal Finance or equivalent. An MBA is an added advantage 
• Valid Driver’s Licence; extensive travel 
• At least 10 years’ experience operating at a senior management level within a medium to large sized organisation; Previous management experience in a multidisciplinary unit is essential; 
• Proven track-record in successful Lobbying and Advocacy of critical issues 
• At least 10 years’ experience at an executive management level within a medium sized organization of which 5 years must have been in the Local Government Sector 
• Previous Executive Management experience in a multidisciplinary unit and in developing and implementing strategy 
• Sound track record in effectively managing complex and sensitive political and stakeholder engagements at all levels

KEY PORTFOLIO AND PERFORMANCE FOCUS AREAS 

• Research and Benchmarking: Strategically inform the SALGA research agenda for Trading services and basic service delivery. Provide ongoing analysis of the key challenges, needs and trends in Basic Service Delivery (locally and internationally), to ensure that local government strategies and programmes are appropriately designed (with regards to both policy response and effective models of service delivery). Conduct and interpret research in Trading Services and create a learning and sharing platform to improve municipal efficiency in area of specialisation. Be a key repository of knowledge and information on local government and matters relating to the sector/ area of specialisation. Conduct research on the best practice developments across the world utilising new and innovative technologies to improve service delivery. Conduct municipal audits to better understand the status quo of the municipal capacity to deliver trading services to its citizens and support the strengthening of municipal profiles to understand and differentiate based on unique municipal needs. Review and analyse statistics from the municipalities to determine backlogs, develop and gain buy in and approval for interventions to address these backlogs 
• Represent the interests of Local Government Sector: Provide high quality advice on the legislative and regulatory framework of local government in particular, and of the role and impact of the other spheres of government at the local level, on issues pertaining to basic service delivery. Lead the representation of SALGA and municipalities at various IGR and other Fora to protect the interests of municipalities/ Sector; and to disrupt structural form, policy or legislative frameworks in the sectors relevant to trading services, where it hinders municipal performance. Develops content on a number of complex issues relevant to a SALGA advocacy position for mandating. Understand and effectively manage relationships with the national and provincial governance structures of SALGA and the institutional structures of the relevant sectors and key role players in the area of specialisation 
• Support, Advice and Capacity Building of Municipalities: Guide, support and provide professional advice to municipalities in the areas of electricity distribution; sustainable energy; water supply and sanitation management; roll-out of broadband as a 5th utility. Provide hands-on support to strengthen municipal capacity/ improve programme implementation. Provide support towards the development and training in the respective areas of relevance. Facilitate the implementation of the capacity building strategy and associated programmes in municipalities. Facilitate training programmes/ peer learning sessions in the areas of focus/ professional discipline. Develop guidelines to assist municipalities in complying with applicable legislation and policies 
• Stakeholder Management and Sponsorships: Assist in development and maintenance of sound relationships with relevant stakeholder groups (including civil society organisations, locally and internationally). Identify and target potential donor organisations that could partner effectively with SALGA and develop and prepare fundraising proposals and assist in the management of local government/provincial/national government interface in relation to the sector/ area of specialisation. Develop and maintain relevant networks (internal and external) and build partnerships with relevant stakeholders to ensure programme success and to increase SALGA’s capacity to make an impact. Create reports to communicate about the programme and provide updates for website. Identify and target potential donor organisations that could partner effectively with SALGA and develop and prepare fundraising proposals and assist in the management of local government/provincial/national government interface in relation to the sector/ area of specialisation With the support of the sponsorship team, develop and present detailed project proposals and plans to funders for consideration (in alignment of the SALGA sponsorship Policy). Ensure that all contracts for funding are in place and that the contracts include payment terms 
• Business and Programme Planning: Coordinate and develop appropriate sections of the Cluster business planning process, including the development of key target, timelines, consultation processes, risk analysis and resourcing requirements. Coordinate all portfolio reporting requirements and ensure reports are delivered on time and are accurate. Undertakes review and evaluation as required for current work areas and any related projects/ programmes. Identify and develop innovation projects/ programmes that further the strategic intent of the area of specialisation and cluster 
• Monitoring and Evaluation: Develop and implement monitoring and evaluation process to track the progress on implementation of policies, legislative compliance and programmatic implementation in municipalities. Conduct impact assessments of municipal programmes. Monitor and review municipal compliance to Policy and legislative frameworks. Monitor and Review municipal performance. Monitor and report on performance progress against cluster business plan and take necessary action to ensure that the goals and targets of the directorate are met within time, quality and budget requirements 
• Financial and Expense Monitoring: Assist with the preparation of annual budgets and monitoring of the monthly expenditure in area of accountability. Assist in the identification of potential revenue sources in area of responsibility (where applicable) . Develop terms of reference for identified programmes and participate in procurement committees as required and adhere to procurement requirements and deadlines for identified programmes. Monitor sponsorship payments according to the contract and track programme implementation against the budget. Actively save costs in the area of responsibility.
• 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 organisational policies and procedures. Support the identification and mitigation of organisational and operational risks identified in the area of responsibility/ professional discipline. Identify project/ programme risks – organisational, economic, stakeholder, political and social. Develop and maintain programme risk register and ensure that mitigation steps are applied. Assign values to risks in order to understand financial implications of risk. 
• Multidisciplinary Teamwork: Work as a multi-disciplinary and integrated team to find possible solutions to complex challenges in municipalities. Uphold sound leadership practices and comply with policies and procedures. Support organisational priorities and the implementation of resource mobilisation systems and processes. In line with the SALGA organisational culture, role model and educate peers and seniors on the importance of alignment of personal and organisational 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.