Resilience and Grants Officer - APA-Obs

Background

The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC) is an independent civil society organization, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, with offices in Austria, South Africa, Colombia and Malta, and a globally dispersed Secretariat working in around 40 countries.

GI-TOC comprises a network of more than 708 independent global and regional experts working on human rights, democracy, governance, and development issues where organized crime has become increasingly pertinent. GI-TOC provides a platform to promote greater debate and innovative approaches as the building blocks to an inclusive global strategy against organized crime. GI-TOC commissions and shares research globally; curates a robust resource library of 2,000 reports and tools specific to organized crime; and uses its convening power to unite both the private and public sectors against organized crime.

The Observatory of Illicit Economies in Asia-Pacific (APA – Obs) was launched in Bangkok in 2020 and has a strong focus on the Mekong subregion that includes Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. The APA-Obs is a platform that monitors organized crime trends across the Asia-Pacific region and that aims to connect and empower civil society actors who are working on issues related to organized crime and corruption.

APA-Obs seeks to identify, analyse and map criminal trends and their impact on illicit flows, governance, development, inter-ethnic relations, security and the rule of law.  APA-Obs supports local stakeholders and actors in their monitoring of national dynamics and wider regional and international organized crime trends.  It also promotes information sharing and cooperation across stakeholders and countries and works to bring South East Asian perspectives to the multilateral level.

APA-Obs is based in Bangkok, Thailand. It coordinates a network of civil society experts which are based across the Mekong, in ASEAN and beyond.

Job Summary

APA-Obs is currently implementing the Mekong Network to Counter Transnational Crime (MNET-CTC) program. This program is funded by Australian Government through the Mekong-Australia Partnership.

APA-Obs is looking to recruit for the role of Resilience & Grant Officer based in the Mekong region under the supervision of the Head of the Mekong Network to Counter Transnational Crime (MNET-CTC) programme.

Main Responsibilities and Specific Tasks

Stakeholder Identification and Engagement

 

• Identify and support relevant community activists and civil society actors working to strengthen resilience to organized crime in the Mekong. Focus in particular on those actors active outside the capitals and that conduct research on organized crime and corruption.
• Map and assess civil society capacity and needs in responding to organized crime in the Mekong.
  
• Support civil society capacity building, coordination and stakeholder engagement activities across the Mekong and broader ASEAN region in coordination with the MNET-CTC team.
  
  

Analysis, Safety & Security

 

• Monitor relevant developments in the region (including legislative, policy and administrative developments relevant to civil society work) and provide regular updates and analyses.
• Develop and implement a civil society engagement strategy that leverages GI-TOC best practice and is adapted and targeted towards the Mekong region’s needs and specificities. 
• Develop and maintain robust safety and security strategies and protocols, ensuring due diligence processes are applied for all partners.

Grant Management

 

• Manage grants process for grants in the Mekong utilizing the tools and procedures of the Resilience Fund (with regional adaptation as needed).
• In partnership with the Programme Manager, ensure that all grants awarded are compliant (and remain compliant) with donor contracts and agreements.
• Serve as a liaison between the Resilience Fund and the grantee. This includes activities such as verifying potential grantees, conducting security risk assessments, supporting potential grantees in project development according to GI-TOC and Resilience Fund mandates, serving as the primary point of contact for grantees, monitoring and evaluating grantee projects, payments, security status, and achievements, as well as assisting in organizing regional and local dialogue activities.
• Coordinate with Resilience Fund and APA-Obs team to harmonize priorities and approaches.
• Contribute to Resilience Fund and APA-Obs research, donor project reports and communication outputs as required.
  

Other

• Identify case studies from community engagement activities and grant activities that can be showcased and work in coordination with the APA-Obs and the Communications team to create a range of media outputs, such as videos, podcasts and written briefs.
• Take part in regular internal meetings of the APA-Obs and the Resilence Fund.
• Travel to and participate in meetings/conferences (and other gatherings) to present and discuss the work of GI-TOC in the Mekong and broader ASEAN region.
• Organize meetings and events, support with logistics and administrative tasks as needed.
• Participate and observe on behalf of GI-TOC relevant meetings and publicly organized events by government bodies, civil society and the local donor community.
• Advise and support on communication activities and provide local language support where needed.
• Establish and maintain contacts with the donor community. Monitor other ongoing projects in the area of organized crime and corruption and/or opportunities for possible new initiatives. 

 

The tasks described are an indicative and non-exhaustive list of activities. Depending on the needs/ obligations of GI-TOC in general and APA-Obs as well as the Resilience Fund in particular, these tasks might change.

Requisite Skills & Experience

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate the following experience and skills (E-Essential, D-Desirable) :

• Language proficiency: fluent in English (reading, writing and speaking) (E);
  
• Knowledge or proficiency of a regional Mekong language is strongly preferred (D);
  
• Relevant university degree (e.g. Business Administration/ Project Management/Human Rights/International Development) (D);
• Minimum 3 years of relevant work experience (ie in administration or project management, community programming). Experience in managing DFAT grants is an advantage) (D);
• Knowledge and interest in organized crime, politics and civil society in the Mekong (E);
• IT skills to work independently (E);
• Attention to rigor and quality control (E);
• Experience and interest in generating, analysing and producing research and visual presentations (D);
  
• Strong experience of external relations and partnership building across multiple organizational and disciplinary boundaries (D);
• Excellent communicator and strong presentation skills (E);
• Strong organizational skills with a problem-solving attitude (E);
• Proactive and ability to think ahead (E);
• Motivated and enthusiastic to work in a fast-paced environment (E);
  

Contract duration

Two years with a six-month probation period and the possibility of extension. 

 

The field coordinator will be based in the Mekong. He/she will coordinate his/her work with the Bangkok office through the Head of the Mekong Network to Counter Transnational Crime (MNET-CTC) and at the same time work as a member of the broader GI-TOC Resilience Fund team.

 

As a core member of the GI-TOC team, he/she will endeavour to bring his/her experience, expertise and networks to bear in the best interests of GI-TOC. He/she will actively engage in organisation wide initiatives and work proactively to foster teamwork, collaboration, coordination and learning across the organisation. He/she will do his/her best to promote a positive image of the GI-TOC and its work in internal and external forums.

GI-TOC operates a flexible working environment and encourages staff to achieve a suitable work life balance and supports professional development and learning. 

The GI-TOC makes use of BambooHR's ATS system to receive and review your application.  All correspondence related to your application will be sent via our domain globalinitiative.bamboohr.com.