Assistant Program Officer

SUMMARY OF JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

The Assistant Program Officer (APO) shall provide support in the Fostering Advancement of Inclusive and Rights-Based (FAIR) Justice Program, an 18-month programimplemented by The Asia Foundation (TAF).

Project Background:

Access to justice is an avowed priority of the Supreme Court, as enunciated in the Court’s Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovation (SPJI) 2022-2027. Pursuant to this, the Court has lined up activities to be implemented within the 5-year period of the SPJI.

The Asia Foundation, through the FAIR Justice Program, will implement activities and initiatives that align with the objective of the Court to assure equal access to justice in real-time. This will involve providing technical and logistical assistance to regional consultations on key reform initiatives and the finalization of related rules and policies until their full implementation.

The APO shall help manage the activities of the FAIR Justice Program under The Asia Foundation. They will report to the project’s Program Officers for project implementation and monitoring and various tasks related to the project budget, administration, and logistics.

Internal

• Interaction with the Senior Legal Advisor, Program Officers, the Law and Human Rights team, and all The Asia Foundation (TAF) staff
• Coordinate closely with The Foundation’s enabling services units (finance, sub-awards, audit, procurement) for administrative matters and concerns related to the implementation of the FAIR Justice Program.

External

• Regular contact with the Foundation’s partners for project implementation and monitoring purposes

REQUIREMENTS

Experience

At least one year of relevant experience in project management.

Background in law or related fields, as well as familiarity with the Judiciary, is an advantage.

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Background in law or legal studies is an advantage.

Other Requirements and Qualifications

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in both English and Filipino
• Computer proficient in word processing, spreadsheets, and database management
• Strong management skills and professional organizational abilities
• With initiative, strong attention to detail, and the ability to multi-task
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Able to take direction and work independently under general supervision
• Knowledge of USAID, Australia-DFAT, or other international donor agency requirements and regulations is an advantage
• Must comply with the organization’s Child Protection Policy, Code of Conduct, and Other Policies

Nature of Work:

• The APO shall be directly supervised by the project’s program officers.
• The work shall involve in-depth knowledge and understanding of procurement processes, including letter of contract and grant preparation. It shall also require external interaction with partners, consultants, funders, etc., at a limited and administrative capacity.
• Involves some partner management responsibilities
• No responsibility for budget, revenues, and expenditures

Job Functions

The APO, under the supervision of the Program Officer, the Senior Program Officer, and the Senior Legal Advisor, shall undertake the following duties and responsibilities:

General:

• Perform administrative, programmatic, and financial requirements of the project.
• Assist in preparing and conducting project activities such as, but not limited to, project-related meetings and briefings, training, and consultations.
• Assist in monitoring the status of implementation of the project activities and project-related communication and information dissemination plans

Internal within the team and the Foundation:

• Assist in the preparation of contracts and sub-grants
• Draft letters of invites, activity briefers, and activity reports
• Coordinate closely with finance and grants staff of The Foundation for administrative matters and concerns related to the implementation of the FAIR Justice Project
  • Assist in tracking the flow of grants and proposals for the Law and Human Rights Team; monitor reporting due dates and follow up on delinquent reports
  • Establish a monitoring system for tracking deliverables of sub-grantees and consultants
  • Maintain a running tab of budget line items for each component in coordination with the program budget
• Schedule meetings within the team and with project partners while maintaining the calendar for the FAIR Justice Project
• Attend online and face-to-face meetings with partners and grantees as required by the Program Officers, draft meeting notes, and perform the necessary meeting documentation
• Generate and manage online meeting rooms
• Assist in the preparation of narrative reports and success stories for funding partners, as well as inputs to the Foundation’s annual report for the San Francisco office

In relation to external partners:

• Liaise with project partners and other key stakeholders throughout project implementation
• Coordinate with project partners in arranging seminars and conferences

Other Responsibilities

The APO shall perform other functions as may be required by the Program Officer, the Senior Program Officer, and the Senior Legal Advisor of the FAIR Justice Project as implemented by The Asia Foundation.

Work Arrangement

The APO must be based in Manila, with occasional travel as may be required by the program activities.