Senior Program Officer, Asia-Pacific

The Senior Program Officer for Asia Pacific is responsible for delivering on the ambition of OGP’s strategy, tailoring it to the region. This includes the strategy for strengthening the conditions for open government and supporting reformers at the regional level, and at the member level. They support members in the region, with particular focus on Indonesia, Philippines, Mongolia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Papua New Guinea and Timor Leste, in line with organizational prioritization of members and servicing approaches. They support governments, civil society and other key actors in using OGP to accelerate progress on transparency, public accountability and civic participation reforms and make progress on the Open Government Challenge, through the OGP action framework and beyond.

Additionally, they are responsible for identifying and encouraging peer exchange and learning between members (within the region and beyond), and supporting them in forging and leading coalitions and networks in advancing OGP’s priority themes. They build and maintain relationships with thematic and development partners, donors, regional and multilateral institutions in collectively promoting open government in the region and at the country level. They coordinate with other teams across the organization to ensure alignment in programmatic strategies and activities for the region.

Success in the role manifests itself at the country level through the adoption and implementation of open government reforms that are responding to country needs, global/regional trends, and political opportunities. The Senior Program Officer will report to the Director of Country Support (Regions) and will be part of the Country and Local Programs team of the OGP Support Unit.

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Responsibilities (% of time or frequency)

I. Member Support (60%)

• Provides advice and support to governments, civil society, and partners in select national and OGP Local members in using OGP to advance ambitious open government reforms through action plans, and beyond.
• Supports members in meeting OGP rules and requirements, and in engaging with regional and global activities of the Partnership. 
• Supports members in linking global-national-local commitments on open government and using OGP as an implementation mechanism. 
• Monitors major political, social and economic trends in the countries and identifies windows of opportunity for OGP to be leveraged as a platform for advancing ambitious reforms or preventing backsliding.
• In close coordination with country and local stakeholders, identifies and pursues opportunities to advance OGP’s strategic goals, in a subset of priority countries. This includes opportunities for: building and supporting reformers, mainstreaming open government at all levels and branches of government, fostering stronger national-local collaboration on reforms, advancing the Open Government Challenge, and gathering and disseminating the stories, evidence and data needed to promote open government. 
• Maintains and expands relationships with key actors who are or should be part of the open government ecosystem in member countries, including with funders and partners to help mobilize financial and technical resources for country stakeholders.

II. Regional Program Delivery (30%)

• Under the guidance of the Director, Country Support (Regions), develops and implements OGP’s overall approach to the Asia Pacific region, including prioritization, approach to servicing, positioning within regional fora, networks and trends, and developing an appropriate value proposition for the region. 
• Identifies opportunities for peer exchange and learning within the region, and across regions and supports members in leading or engaging in thematic coalitions or networks, in collaboration with OGP’s Policy and Partnerships team
• Manages and expands regional alliances and partnerships
• Leads on OGP Regional Meetings and supports Global Summits, in collaboration with OGP’s events team.
• Builds and maintains a strong regional community for open government, in collaboration with other OGP teams
• Represents OGP at external events and meetings.

III. Other Responsibilities (10%)

• Secures country contributions from OGP members
• Contributes to quarterly and annual reporting and learning and evaluation activities.
• Contributes to knowledge management and documentation activities
• May lead or assist in the procurement of contracts as part of team objectives
• Leads on other organizational projects from time to time.

REQUIREMENTS

• Strategic thinking, detail-oriented and precise, but with the ability to step back and see the big picture
• Proactive, self-driven and motivated, with strong portfolio management and time management skills, and an ability to work in a fully remote work environment. 
• Can manage a complex workload, set clear goals, and deliver outcomes, including in tight time frames.
• Can drive global-national-local action and deliver reforms at country level in numerous contexts.
• High emotional intelligence, able to develop trusting relationships with diverse stakeholders  from different backgrounds
• Ability to patiently and diplomatically forge consensus between diverse stakeholders on strategic governance issues
• Ability to advise and guide reformers toward meeting their goals
• Ability to facilitate multistakeholder processes
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• In-depth knowledge of political issues and trends in the region.
• Demonstrating core OGP values of honesty, humility, integrity, transparency, accountability and inclusiveness. 

Physical Demands

• This position involves regular office activities in both remote home working and office environments.

Travel Requirement

• Yes (30-40%)

Please submit your completed application by January 5, 2024. Please answer the screening questions along with your attached resume. Cover letter is welcome but optional. Questions or requests for accommodation can be directed to jobs@opengovpartnership.org.