Communication and Taxpayer Affairs Adviser

KEY INFORMATION
Job Title: Communication and Taxpayer Affairs Advisor
Sector: Tax Reform – Public Financial Management
Position Type (full/part time): Part Time
Duration/Level of Effort (long/short term): 9 months, starting ASAP (up to a total of 120 days)
Position Location (e.g. city, country, remote): Based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in a hybrid context blending remote and in-office work
 
 
SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT
The Government of Ethiopia (GoE) has shown impressive economic growth and poverty reduction over the last decade. However, recent economic shocks caused by the global pandemic, international and domestic conflict threaten these gains, while Ethiopia’s fiscal situation restricts GoE’s capacity to act. Ethiopia’s tax revenue to GDP ratio is extremely low, possibly as low as 6.2% for FY22, which puts it amongst the lowest in Africa.  Its declining trend is more problematic.  Meanwhile, in its 2024 Medium Term Revenue Strategy, the GoE has set out 5.7% increment in the Tax/GDP ratio by the end of the 5th year (2027/28).  
 
In this context, the Tax Transformation Programme (TTP) is supporting GoE to self-finance its development through increased and sustainable revenue collection. Specifically, it is supporting increased voluntary compliance and creating a tax environment that encourages business and investment. Since 2019 TTP has been supporting the GoE on a number of tax reform related ambitions and was scheduled to close in 2024. However, recognising the critical contribution the programme is making to GoE and critical aspects of the Homegrown Economic Reform Agenda, FCDO has chosen to extend the programme to 2026. During this extension period, TTP shall continue to bring together technical tax expertise in the form of embedded and trusted advisers, UK HMRC, and other development partners to support GoE to raise revenues sustainably to meet the multiple demands on public finances.
 
 
SUMMARY OF THE POSITION
One of the priority areas incorporated to the Year 1 tax administration reform agenda is Communication and Taxpayer Affairs.  The Communication framework is already in place at the Ministry of Revenue (MoR) being led by a Director.  The Advisor is expected to investigate the effectiveness of the existing Communication Tools and make recommendations on potential improvements.  As a part of this effort, the Advisor is expected to identify needs for capacity building, with MoR Director for Communications and Taxpayer Affairs Director through the Tax Transformation Programme (TTP) and deliver and measure the effectiveness of the training.
 
 
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
The major responsibilities of the Advisor include:

• Review the Workplan of the Communication and Taxpayer Affairs initiative, amend the activities, outputs, milestones, and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and agree with the TTP Head.
• Diagnose the entire taxpayer communication system and evaluate its effectiveness on improving taxpayer compliance and building MoR’s image as an institution; make recommendations and support implementation. This review shall include the quality of the content of communication, and the communication tools currently in use(including the Call Centre). The review should also offer recommendations on improving content, and additional tools and/or strengthening the existing ones.
• Engage in extensive stakeholder consultations with key actors involved in the MoR to understand their communication needs, challenges, and expectations, and integrating their feedback into the development of communication strategies and initiatives.
• Analyse existing capacity levels of communication officers and service delivery, considering training received in the past, establish training needs, and agree with the Director.
• Design communication and service delivery training module(s), present the highlights to the Communications and Taxpayer Affairs Director and other stakeholders, also involving the Training Director to ensure future sustainability of communications capacity building.
• Draft training schedule for communication officers and agree with the Communication and the Training Directors.
• At the start of each training administer pre-training tests to assess the level of existing capacity.
• Deliver training for each group of trainees and administer post training tests by the end of each training.
• Evaluate the pre-training and post training tests and measure the level of skills changes because of the training delivered.
• Prepare a concise report on the training delivered and submit the training modules to the Training Directorate through the TTO.
• Work with communication offices on specific communication programmes and tools to enhance the skills and knowledge of MoR’s communications officers, ensuring sustainable knowledge transfer and fostering a culture of effective communication within the organization.
• Establish a robust monitoring and evaluation mechanism to track the implementation and impact of communication interventions, measuring effectiveness against predefined benchmarks, and making timely adjustments as needed to optimize outcomes.
• Design and execute taxpayer satisfaction surveys at the start of the project to establish a baseline and repeat the survey after executing reforms to measure the impact of TTP’s intervention in the various areas of tax administration.
• Input into monthly/quarterly reports to FCDO and the GoE
• Attend and input into check-ins with the TTP team
• Perform other related activities that may be assigned to her/him by the TTO management.

Key deliverables of this assignment will include:

• A diagnostic report on the existing MoR communication tools, including recommendations identifying the key areas of improvement needed.
• A concise report on stakeholder consultations with the key actors involved in the MoR and relevant partners.
• A half day workshop with the MoR management on the results of the pre-intervention survey, the proposed changes to transform the communications function and the planned capacity building to be delivered to the communication officers. This will provide visibility to the work the TTP is doing and obtain client buy in.
• Capacity building needs assessment report submitted, including data on:
  • Number of communication training modules developed and submitted.
  • Number of officers trained segregated by gender.
  • Number of officer hours of training delivered.
• Communication skills evaluation reports submitted for each training.
• Year-end taxpayer satisfaction survey to evaluate the impact of TTP’s intervention and MoR’s achievement with improving taxpayers’ opinion on the MoR.

 
 
JOB REQUIREMENTS

• A degree in Communications or another relevant field
• A minimum of 5-10 years of international experience on communications and opinion surveys.
• Ability to build effective relationships with clients from a wide range of professional and cultural backgrounds, and to work effectively in politically sensitive and challenging environments.
• Effective interpersonal skills and ability to work in a team environment.
• Good analytical and quantitative skills with ability to produce technical and analytical reports on taxpayer communication.
• Working knowledge and experience on Microsoft Office applications.
• Experience in developing the technical capacity of counterparts, including strong mentoring/coaching/training skills, where sustainable knowledge and skills transfer is prioritized.
• The consultant with have excellent English skills (both written and verbal), as well as a good level of Amharic (desirable)

 
 
APPLICATION PROCESS
Candidates are encouraged to apply by May 21st 2024.
 
For your application to be considered, please upload your documents as followed: Candidate Last Name, First Name, date, Title of the Position.
 
Cowater International is an equal opportunity employer, basing employment on merit and qualifications as they relate to professional experience and position expectations. Cowater does not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, religion, sex, gender identity, disability, age, or any other basis protected by law.
We thank all applicants, however only those shortlisted will be contacted.
 
 
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Founded in 1985, Cowater International is a leading global development consulting company. Headquartered in Ottawa and with corporate hubs in Auckland, Berlin, Brussels, Helsinki, London, Madrid, Manila, Nairobi, Singapore and Stockholm, Cowater International has successfully delivered a portfolio of over 2500 projects and assignments in more than 95 countries. We work with governments, private sector actors and communities implementing projects that support socio-economic development, institutional strengthening, environmental improvements and advance equal opportunities for all. We are a diverse and experienced team committed to building a better tomorrow for the people we serve. Our adaptive approach to management has led to our yearly award-winning work and recognition as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies since 2017.
 
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