1. Project description

The “Support to Democratic Reforms in Jordan” (SDR) project is a programme funded by the European Union and implemented by Expertise France in Jordan since 1 January 2024. It aims to contribute to a more participatory, inclusive and accountable democratic process, in the context of the modernisation of Jordan’s political system following the work of the Royal Committee to Modernize the Political System.

The programme is therefore implemented within a context of institutional and political reform in Jordan, particularly in relation to strengthening civic and political participation, the evolving role of political parties, and strengthening the capacity of representative institutions.

The project has three main objectives:

• to promote the effective participation of young people and women in political and democratic life, notably by strengthening their capacity to participate in decision-making processes and to raise issues affecting their communities;
• to support political parties and political institutions in developing more professional, inclusive and representative organisations capable of responding to the expectations of their members and society;
• to strengthen the capacity of the House of Representatives to exercise its parliamentary functions with greater professionalism, effectiveness, inclusiveness and accountability. 

The interventions cover, in particular, capacity-building and participation of young people and women, dialogue between citizens, political representatives and public institutions, support to political and electoral institutions, strengthening of political parties and inter-party dialogue, as well as strengthening the functions of the House of Representatives, including legislative functions, budgetary oversight and oversight of government action. A cross-cutting component also focuses on communication, outreach and media engagement, with the aim of strengthening citizens’ access to information and participation.

A multi-partner implementation framework

The SDR programme is implemented through a multi-partner framework, bringing together Expertise France, several implementing partners and a wide range of Jordanian stakeholders. The programme is implemented in close coordination with key Jordanian institutions, including the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation (MoPIC), the Ministry of Political and Parliamentary Affairs (MoPPA), the Independent Election Commission (IEC) and the House of Representatives (HoR). It also involves political parties, civil society organisations, young people and women engaged in civic and political life, as well as the media.

Expertise France works in particular with three implementing partners:

• Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD), mainly involved in areas relating to youth political participation, strengthening political parties, inter-party dialogue and support to political institutions;
• Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), mainly involved in strengthening the capacities of the House of Representatives, its committees and services, as well as parliamentary and legislative oversight functions;
• Canal France International (CFI), involved in areas relating to media, civic and political participation, and the role of the media in the democratic process. 

The EU also supports a related programme implemented with UN Women, alongside other partners and stakeholders depending on the activities concerned.

Given the diversity of actors involved, Expertise France plays a central role in the coordination and overall management of the programme. The Project Lead ensures the overall coherence of interventions, facilitates synergies between the different partners, maintains dialogue with Jordanian authorities and ensures their information and involvement in programme implementation, as well as their participation in validation processes where necessary. The Project Lead also manages the relationship with the European Union, oversees implementation and results, and represents the programme vis-à-vis key stakeholders.

The project is now entering its final implementation phase, with a No-Cost Extension currently under negotiation with the European Union, with the objective of extending implementation until mid-2027. In parallel, the prospects for a potential second phase are currently being explored with the donor. This period requires close management to secure the implementation of remaining activities, monitor partners, achieve the expected results and ensure the effective use of available resources.

Against this background, Expertise France is recruiting a Project Lead to ensure the overall management of the project, its strategic and operational coherence, and coordination with partners, Jordanian institutions and the European Union.

2.  Position description

Reporting to the Jordan Portfolio Manager, the Project Lead is responsible for the strategic, operational and administrative management of the SDR project.

The Project Lead ensures effective project implementation, monitors the achievement of results and indicators, coordinates partners and stakeholders, and ensures compliance with the contractual commitments towards the donor. He/she works closely with implementing partners, Jordanian institutions, the European Union Delegation, Expertise France teams and other relevant stakeholders within the ecosystem. In this capacity, he/she plays a central interfacing and coordination role between these different actors.

The position requires strong project management expertise as well as solid knowledge of democratic governance and institutional reform, together with a good understanding of Jordan’s political and institutional context. 

2.1 Project management and contractual relations with the European Union

The Project Lead:

• oversees the overall management of the project, its work plan and implementation schedule, and ensures coherence across its different components;
• monitors implementation progress, results, logical framework indicators and key risks, and proposes appropriate corrective measures;
• identifies challenges, delays, risks and potential deviations from project objectives and proposes corrective measures;
• analyses developments in the political and institutional context and their implications for project implementation;
• ensures, in coordination with support teams, financial and budget monitoring and consistency between activities, budget and forecasts;
• prepares and follows up on project governance bodies, including Steering and Technical Committees;
• ensures the relationship with the European Union Delegation in Jordan in relation to the project and is responsible for project reports and deliverables;
• organises and facilitates regular monitoring meetings with the partners;
• ensures the follow-up of any No-Cost Extensions and other contractual adjustments;
• ensures compliance with Expertise France procedures and donor rules. 

2.2 Coordination of partners and the Jordanian ecosystem

The Project Lead coordinates the different actors involved in the project and ensures the coherence of their interventions. In this capacity, he/she:

• monitors the implementation of activities by implementing partners, including their work plans, schedules, deliverables and contractual commitments;
• ensures regular administrative and financial monitoring of partnership agreements, in coordination with Expertise France support functions;
• analyses partners’ disbursement and budget execution levels against activity progress, forecasts and contractual timelines;
• identifies discrepancies between forecasts and actual implementation, including activity delays, delayed disbursements and risks of underspending or overspending, and proposes appropriate corrective measures;
• organizes regular follow-up meetings with partners to review progress, challenges and corrective actions;
• ensures complementarity and synergies between the interventions of different partners;
• maintains regular dialogue with relevant Jordanian institutions, ensuring their information, involvement and ownership of activities and, where necessary, their participation in validation processes;
• develops and maintains working relationships with key actors in the democratic governance ecosystem in Jordan and ensure appropriate coordination with other relevant initiatives;
• represents Expertise France and the project vis-à-vis authorities, partners and other stakeholders, including in high-level settings;
• draws on his/her knowledge of Jordan’s political and institutional context to facilitate dialogue between different stakeholders and inform project orientations;
• monitors political and institutional developments that may affect project implementation and analyse their implications. 

2.3 Capitalisation and support to project development

• organises and contributes to capitalisation and lessons-learned exercises on project results and experiences;
• contributes to the dissemination and promotion of project results and compliance with donor visibility requirements;
• participates in cross-cutting activities of the Jordan Office and contributes to knowledge-sharing within Expertise France;
• contributes, in coordination with the Portfolio Manager and Headquarters teams, to identifying development opportunities for Expertise France in Jordan, in particular the potential second phase of the project. 

2.4 Project team management

The Project Lead:

• manages and supports the project team based in Amman, composed of a Project Officer and a Project Assistant;
• sets priorities, allocates responsibilities and monitors deadlines and promotes effective information sharing and structuring within the team;
• contributes, in coordination with support functions, to mobilising the resources and expertise required by the project.