IT Officer- Local Position 
Vacancy No. PT /03/2019

Proposed position IT Officer

Background of VNG International

VNG International is the International Cooperation Agency of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities. We support decentralization processes and facilitate decentralized cooperation. The organization strengthens local governments to support decentralization processes. We strengthen local governments and their associations, training institutes and decentralization task forces both in developing countries and in countries in transition.

Project Summary

VNG International is implementing decentralization of property tax in the Palestinian Territories. This pilot project is funded by the Dutch Government through the Netherlands Representative Office in Ramallah and aims at investigating how decentralization of property tax can contribute to enhance (property) tax revenues to enable municipalities in the Palestinian Territories to deliver improved basic services to citizens.
The Palestinian Authority has identified land sector reform as a main priority in the National Policy Agenda. In January 2017, the Prime Minister’s Office presented a Road Map for reforming the Palestinian land sector. The Road Map addresses six pillars, including property tax reform. Domestic revenue mobilization is key to the development of Palestinian municipalities, not least because of the municipalities’ role in reaching the Sustainable Development Goals. Property tax is to be at the heart of municipal revenue mobilization and one of the six pillars under the newly adopted Road Map for Reforming the Palestinian Land Sector. For the implementation of the Road Map a National Committee has been established under the leadership of the Prime Minister.

These recent steps provide a strong cadre for the reform of property tax collection. It also fits within the National Policy Agenda 2017-2022 ‘Putting Citizens First’, which aims ‘to expand LGU taxation, revenue-raising and resource management mandates’. A program to strengthen property tax collection is therefore not an isolated activity, but forms an integral part of the NPA, the land sector reform and wider reform plans including strengthening public finance management at the municipal level.

Municipalities have an important role to play in the development of Palestine, as they are close to the citizens and better equipped to provide better services, once their revenue base has been strengthened. For the PA, property tax is a key to successful decentralization.
A weak revenue basis for them is a key constraint for the municipalities to provide better services to their citizens, but also the strongest constraint to LGU performance. 
Moreover, The Cabinet agreed to a limited pilot to transfer the responsibility to municipalities for the collection and management of property tax. Where the municipalities are certain that they are ready to take over the responsibility to levy and collect property tax. As an outcome they all expect revenues to increase significantly.

Aim of this assignment

The IT Officer, based in Ramallah, will have to ensure that the Project Office in Ramallah implements the project in line with the rules and procedures of VNGi, the Projects’ Terms of Reference and the Inception Report.  

The IT Officer’s primary role is to provide technical direction for the Municipalities in the project with regards to software used in this project and to support Process & IT Officer team with focus on activities that need to be executed locally and will contribute in ensuring that quality standards are adhered to in all aspects of delivery, including reporting.

Furthermore, the Officer will support the Local Project Manager in the coordination of the project, by preparation and monitoring of capacity building activities, networking and outreach to the beneficiary institutions, and expert follow-up. The Officer will be under the direct supervision of Local Project Manager.

Activities to be performed

The key duties and responsibilities of the IT Officer are:

• To gather data and information related to the topics that are the Processes and IT team’s responsibility
• Provide direct on-the-job assistance and advisory services to the Municipalities currently implementing project activities with regards to IT software and change management;
• Will install VNG supplied software in the Municipalities;
• Will train the staff of the Municipalities in using the VNG supplied software;
• Will function as a first line support for all problems related to the VNG supplied Software
• Plan and organize field visits and training to/for the Municipalities and other relevant participants;
• Maintaining contact with the selected Municipalities (incl. site visits) supported under the project mentioned above to keep track of progress and results achieved, needs and challenges encountered with the software used, expertise and follow-up needed, continuous endorsement of the project and safeguard political willingness and support;
• Identifying needs and challenges encountered related to the IT used by the Municipalities in their endeavors to improve local taxes and decrease the local tax gap in relation with citizen engagement;
• Reporting on at least a weekly basis (and in writing on a monthly basis) to the Local Project Manager and Process & IT Expert Team Lead with regards to activity progress within the project, preparation and completion of activities, and necessary follow-up;
• Documenting results achieved and progress made by the Municipalities in the area of IT development;
• Preparing and joining of expert missions, consisting of Palestinian and/or Dutch experts providing expertise and transfer their experiences with the relevant counterparts and local project teams in the Municipalities (together with support staff: including preparation of letters, memoranda, faxes and reports, and scheduling and logistics of events such as trainings, workshops, seminars, conferences, site visits);
• Follow-up on expert missions, including checking if follow-up action by the Municipalities is undertaken, what progress is being achieved in the Municipalities, what follow-up support is necessary with regards to IT services and provide this feedback to the Local Project Manager, Process & IT Expert Team Lead and other experts involved in the project;
• Assisting in writing progress reports and preparation of documents;
• Conduct any other task deemed necessary by the Local Project Manager and Process & IT Expert Team Lead.

Outputs (expected deliverables)

• Contribution to the Overall Work & Action Plans
• At least a monthly progress report on the progress of the work executed locally to be submitted to the Process & IT Expert Team Lead;
• Contribute to other narrative and written reports;
• Deliverables can include PPT-presentations, handouts, attendance lists, evaluation templates, minutes of meetings and everything the Local Project Manager and Process & IT Expert Team Lead deems fit.  

Reporting requirements

Routing of the reporting occurs according to the following guidelines:

• The IT Officer will systematically report to the Local Project Manager and Process & IT Expert Team Lead on a regular basis on findings and progress of the areas he/she will be responsible for. He/she will ensure that a proper level of information prior to, during and after the activity is provided to the Local Project Manager;
• The IT Officer will contribute to any information material, especially if it regards to the software, that is produced by team within the project;
• The IT Officer will work in close collaboration with the local team, the Local Project Manager, the (international) Taxation Experts and VNG International Project managers to ensure alignment of the activities;
• The IT Officer will report directly to the Local Project Manager with a dotted line into the Process & IT Expert Team Lead