PCAsia is seeking an active and motivated candidate to fill the position of Executive Director with a high profile and dynamic organisation.
PARLIAMENTARY CENTRE OF ASIA
The Parliamentary Centre of Asia (PCAsia), established in early 2021 in Phnom Penh, is the successor of the Parliamentary Institute of Cambodia (PIC) founded in 2011, a transition that reflects an expansion of activities with Parliaments across Southeast Asia. The mandate of PCAsia is therefore to contribute to the strengthening of Southeast Asian Parliaments through capacity building of their staff and Members, based on the demands or requests of each Parliament within a framework of south-south and north-south cooperation. It draws on the expertise of national, regional, and international partners (Parliaments and research centres).
POSITION DESCRIPTION
The Executive Director is the most senior position in PCAsia, directly responsible to the Board of Directors and its Executive Commission for the effective functioning of the Centre.
Working with the Board and staff, the Executive Director promotes a shared vision for the future of the organisation, builds understanding around the current mission, and develops appropriate goals and strategies to advance that mission. He/she holds the leadership role, managing and motivating staff to achieve all targeted results, efficiently and effectively utilising the resources available to strategically support the parliaments of the region.
The Executive Director represents PCAsia with tact and diplomacy, in a non-biased and politically neutral way suitable to the sensitive political environment of parliaments in target countries. With a comprehensive understanding of the current and potential roles of parliaments in the ever-maturing governance of the countries, the Executive Director promotes the role of PCAsia in relationships with external stakeholders.
MAIN TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES / SCOPE OF WORK
Representation
The Executive Director represents PCAsia to the parliaments and all other external stakeholders. Together with the Board, the Executive Director will:
- Lead relationships with the AIPA Member Parliaments and the AIPA Secretariat, including the organisation of the Stakeholder and Advisory Council to determine PCAsia’s overall programming
- Develop and build relationships and, where helpful, partnerships with a broad range of stakeholders to further the aims of the PCAsia.
- Develop PCAsia as a model of institutional governance to serve parliaments
- Oversee the development and implementation of a Communications Strategy that informs all stakeholders about PCAsia to attract and maintain their support.
Programme delivery
The Executive Director has overall responsibility for programme planning, delivery and results, to ensure efficient and effective programme implementation. Key responsibilities include:
- Delivery of high-quality parliamentary research in response to requests from parliaments
- Delivery of capacity development services to the parliamentary secretariats
- Support and facilitation of outreach activities and related communications
- Planning, monitoring and evaluation, and reporting to donors
- Communications and publications
In addition, the Executive Director is involved, as and when required, in:
- Provision of support services for regional outreach consultations and presentations co-organised by PCAsia and Parliaments
- Generation of special research and development projects.
- Identification and contracting of short-term specialist/consultants for research, development and capacity development support to PCAsia.
- Contributing to the delivery of training and events with parliamentarians.
Board Functions, Policy Development and Advice.
The Executive Director reports to the Board and its Executive Commission and is responsible for ensuring strong working relationships and effective information sharing. In this capacity, he/she will:
- Serve as secretary to the Board and the Executive Committee, and sit ex-officio on both bodies, as well as the Stakeholder and Advisory Council
- Ensure that all Board meetings are properly organised and have appropriate logistic support
- Ensure that all required documentation and reports for Board meetings, and the minutes of meetings, are prepared and delivered in a timely way
- Provide recommendations and advice to the Board and the Executive Commission on policy improvements for better implementation of PCAsia’s present mandate, and for ensuring that the Centre’s mandate remains responsive to emerging changes in AIPA’s political and parliamentary environment.
Finance and Administration
The Executive Director is responsible for ensuring that human and financial resources provided to PCAsia are managed in the best interest of the Centre and accounted for according to internationally recognised procedures. The Executive Director will ensure that the organisation is capable of delivering its programme and meeting all the requirements of donor contracts.
Institutional development
Working with senior staff, and where necessary in consultation with the Board, the Executive Director will:
- Develop and lead implementation of PCAsia’s Resource Mobilisation Strategy
- Ensure that the organisational structure and related staffing plan is up to date and best formulated to support programme delivery
- Ensure that PCAsia is a learning organisation that continually improves, through processes such as programme and management evaluations, staff training, self-critical quality assessment, and reflection and learning processes.
- Develop and implement, after approval from the Board, PCAsia’s strategic plan that reflects its future vision.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, AND EXPERIENCE
The Executive Director will be a senior and highly qualified professional, with proven ability to work in an advisory capacity with high-level parliamentary, government and state officials. He/she will have a proven ability to engage parliamentarians from all political parties, parliamentary leaders and secretariats, in a neutral way and in politically sensitive environments. Specifically, the Executive Director must have:
Essential
- Master’s Degree or higher from a recognised university in law, public administration, economics, public finance, political science or related fields
- Knowledge of leadership and management principles related to an independent research centre or public institute
- Excellent knowledge of the political, social and economic situation in the beneficiary/target countries and the related opportunities and challenges for achieving PCAsia’s mission.
- Working experience in an ASEAN Member State
- Proven track record based on long-term work experience with legislative and public policy research and development
- Good legal and policy skills, and conceptual and analytical capabilities in order to provide expert opinions on legal and substantive issues and technical reports
- Knowledge of laws and regulations related to a non-governmental organisation
- Proven financial, operational and human resource management skills and fundraising experience
- Excellent oral and written communication skills in English
Desirable
- Experience working with AIPA Member Parliaments.
- Khmer and/or Lao language is an asset
APPLICATION INFORMATION
Interested applicants should send a cover letter and CV to [email protected] and indicates a salary expectation in the email. The application deadline is 19 January 2024. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.