01 - Position Description.pdf

MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION

POSITION DESCRIPTION

PERSONAL SERVICES CONTRACTOR

Classification: Director (3A)

Organizational Title: Innovation and Entrepreneurship Specialist

Position Number: PS-301-3A

Introduction:

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is a federal agency spurring economic growth and poverty reduction in developing countries with a demonstrated commitment to just and democratic governance, to economic freedom, and to investing in their citizens. MCC’s partner countries compete to enter into five-year grant agreements (Compacts) with MCC. MCC’s model is defined by the agency’s core principles of competitive selection, country ownership, transparency, and a focus on results.

The Digital Revolution is changing the development landscape: A robust digital and data ecosystem underpins resilient, country-led and inclusive development. A country’s potential to thrive in the digital economy depends on the quality of its information – and its ability to leverage data assets, through digital tools, to optimize policy, program, and resource allocation decisions; to provide more efficient services to citizens; and to enable inclusive growth and youth-led and gender-balanced innovation from the ground

up. Civic engagement through access to information and digital tools can result in more empowered local stakeholders better prepared to leverage opportunities derived from investments of MCC, broader USG and other funders.

This position is in the Department of Compact Operations (DCO), Sector Operations Division, Digital Collaboratives for Local Impact (DCLI) team of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). DCO is responsible for developing and implementing MCC’s compact programs. The DCLI team supports MCC country teams in the design and implementation of investments, including local policies, skills and systems needed to support a thriving local digital ecosystem and a secure, interoperable, inclusive and open Internet. The innovation specialist serves as a member of the DCLI team and will be responsible for technical and administrative matters.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

The PSC will work with the Managing Director on key technical and administrative components of the work. Specifically, she/he will focus on technical knowledge and project development, while supporting day-to-day coordination, sequencing, planning and follow through on the objectives of the MCC DCLI team, DCLI implementation partners, and contracted support and consultants.

• Contribute to achieving the objectives of MCC and the DCLI team.

• Responsible for understanding country‐specific innovation opportunities and needs and, by building and sustaining relations, for advancing the interest, participation and commitment of relevant country, regional and global stakeholders (government, NGO, private sector, and other) in the design and implementation of activities that strengthen country digital innovation ecosystems.

• Coordinates evolving thinking about how to develop country innovation and entrepreneurship, working to ensure country buy‐in and program / platform sustainability, and regularly validates these assumptions through stakeholder engagement.

• Assists in drafting scopes of work for consultants, preparation of budgets, issuance of technical directives, and review and acceptance of consultant deliverables.

• Leads, supports, and/or coordinates with other DCLI team members and implementing partners to develop terms of reference (TORs) or scope for contracts, cooperative agreements and federal assistance awards.

• Work with the Managing Director and other DCLI team members as well as the Contracts and Grants Management (CGM) division in selecting project implementation partners by assessing different options for satisfying the best value for the Government based on technical proposals, outcomes expected and timeline constraints.

• Support onboarding, development of work plans, and management of contractors, consultants, and/or implementing partners.

• Provide implementation partners technical direction (related to data science and data-for-development); and actively track the progress toward agreed-upon deliverables, schedules, and budget.

• Provide timely technical review of draft deliverables and coordinate with COR and CGM when issues/challenges arise.

• Identify, track, and manage key risks and opportunities.

• Coordinate activity with DCLI team management, other MCC colleagues, country and external partners.

• Transfer relevant lessons learned from the DCLI and MCC programs to other MCC countries and to the international community, with a specific focus on innovation and entrepreneurship for economic growth and development.

• Plans and participates in meetings, work sessions, and workshops with the DCLI team and country teams, implementation partners, and internal and external stakeholders.

• Undertake research and inquiry and provide analytical support to produce a variety of reports, briefing materials, presentations, blogs, charts, data, visualizations, infographics and statistical materials to communicate with internal and external stakeholders.

• Identifies potential problems and risks associated with existing country digital policies, local skills and systems - and proposes potential solutions.

• Performs a variety of assignments associated with the design, development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of investments to strengthen local digital ecosystems.

• Performs related duties as assigned.

Supervisory Controls

Assignments are given in terms of desired objectives, and the supervisor confers with the employee on major aspects of the assignment such as scope and deadlines. Incumbent independently develops plans and methods for accomplishing the objectives, apprises supervisor of work status and discusses major controversies. Completed work is reviewed for attainment of objectives. Findings and recommendations are normally accepted without significant change.

Guidelines

Guidelines include MCC administrative directives, DCO policies and procedures. Guidelines are not always directly applicable, requiring modification, adaptation, or extensions which are recommended and approved at a higher level. The employee must use initiative and resourcefulness to adapt policies and precedents to unique situations that arise as a result of past and present work activities. Review and analysis of information may require refinement in order to resolve differences in information provided by supporting organizations.

Complexity Level

The work requires detailed planning to gather information, interpret related guidance, identify and integrate new requirements, and coordinate with MCC management, team members, and country partners to identify viable solutions. The employee plans, organizes, and manages MCC support.

Complexity arises in separating the substantive nature of the programs or issues into their administrative, technical, political, economic, fiscal, and other components, determining the nature and magnitude of the interactions, discerning the intent of partner country and agency policies, and determining how to translate the intent into recommended program actions. The work involves efforts to develop and implement programs based upon new or revised methodologies requiring consideration of the immediate sequential and long-range effects, both direct and indirect, of proposed actions on the programs.

Scope and Effect

The purpose of the work is to provide administrative and programmatic support to the DCLI team MD and Senior Director. The work contributes to the improvement of administrative practices, productivity, and effectiveness, directly impacting the success of the team in developing and implementing an MCC digital strategy – and DCO in fulfilling its mission.

Personal Contacts and Purpose of Contacts

Personal contacts include MCC senior leadership, managers, staff, as well as MCC country partners such as representatives of foreign countries. The purpose of the contacts is to be able to effectively provide administrative and programmatic support. Resistance may be encountered due to competing objectives or resource problems.

Physical Demands

The work is primarily sedentary, although some walking, bending, or carrying of light items may be involved. Frequent travel is required, including to less-developed countries; travel locations may include rugged rural areas with rudimentary accommodations.

Work Environment

The work is performed in an office setting and generally in urban areas. However, field visits to rugged rural areas are possible.

Security Level

SECRET (NON-CRITICAL SENSITIVE)