Project Director: Rwanda Internet for All

Background

The Rwanda Internet for All (R-IFA) program is a joint partnership of the Smart Africa Secretariat, the Government of
Rwanda, and the World Economic Forum. Launched in 2016, the purpose of the programme is to develop and deploy
innovative new models of partnership between and among the public sector, private sector, civil society organizations,
and other stakeholders to bring more Rwandans onto the internet and to help them make more productive use of it.
The target for the programme is to create 5 million new internet users in Rwanda.

Rwanda Internet for All is a multi-stakeholder platform project. This means that the project develops a community from
among the 100-200 most relevant internet development stakeholders in Rwanda. It then creates and facilitates a
structure through which this community interacts to develop and deploy new collaborative activities. The principal
operating unit of this structure is the working group. Rwanda Internet for All has four working groups: Access,
Connectivity, and Devices; Digital Skills and Internet Awareness; Applications and Content; and Gender and the
Digital Divide.

Each working group meets regularly to brainstorm project ideas, share lessons learned, and hold each other
accountable for the work to which they’ve previously committed. When a new idea is developed and interested parties
decide to work on it, they form a “project team,” which operates within the working group. Each working group is
coordinated by a member of the community, and each project team also has a “champion” from the community.

Two to three times per year, the four working groups convene all together for an event called the “Rwanda Internet for
All Forum.” The purpose of this event is to promote the development of projects that cut across multiple working
groups, to identify any new working groups that need to be added, and to invite new stakeholders into the project. It
also should create momentum around the project activities, and demonstrate the commitment of key stakeholders to
the project.

Rwanda Internet for All is governed by a National Steering Committee. This committee is chaired by the Minister of
Information Technology and Communication (MITEC). It is charged with setting overall project goals and ensuring that
the project meets them, with effectively structuring the project, and with providing strategic direction and oversight.

In order for Rwanda Internet for All to be successful it must have a locally-based project coordination office, herein
after called the “secretariat”. The secretariat will maintain relationships with the many organizations whose active
participation will be required to create impact. The secretariat will co-organize and facilitate meetings and help drive
them towards action. They will track commitments, monitor progress against goals, undertake the logistical work that is
required to ensure successful meetings and teleconferences, and communicate to the public about the project’s goals,
actions, and successes.

The position is full time, and based in Kigali. The selected candidate will be an employee of RwandaOnline, and
seconded to the Ministry of Information Technology and Communications to direct the Rwanda Internet for All
secretariat. The Project Director will report directly to the National Steering Committee.

Roles and Responsibilities

Stakeholder Management
• Manage relationships with member organizations of the Rwanda Internet for All project. Through efficient, clear, and
regular communications, ensure that all stakeholders are aware of and understand the activities of Rwanda Internet for
All, and are given a chance to participate actively. Ensure that the community includes the most relevant internet
development stakeholders in Rwanda.
Event Planning (Content and Logistics)
• Working with Smart Africa and the Government of Rwanda, coordinate the planning and execution of a recurring
event called the “Rwanda Internet for All Forum”, where all stakeholders will come together to identify partnership and
investment opportunities, engage with the government on policy reform, report on progress, and set the project’s
strategic direction. Work of the event team (secretariat, government, Smart Africa) includes the development of
content for the meeting, recruitment of speakers, creating the agenda, managing the invitations, arranging logistics,
developing the report, and following up on key outcomes generated by the meeting.
• Support working group leads to schedule and hold regular meetings.

Project Management
• Track commitments made at working group meetings, and help working group members act upon those
commitments. Attend all working group meetings. Help the working groups hold each other accountable for progress.
• Track progress of the project as a whole against its overall goals.
• Make quarterly reports to the steering committee, to include progress against goals and any challenges or concerns
that require their attention.

Secretariat Operations
• Take a leadership role in interviews and hiring decisions for additional future staff for the Secretariat, as funding
allows. Manage any other employees hired into the Rwanda Internet for All secretariat in the future.

Qualifications
• At least ten years project management experience, with five years in a senior management position, preferably in the
ICT industry or a related public sector, civil society, or international organization.
• Proven track record for managing large-scale projects which have been successfully implemented on schedule.
Experience with multi-stakeholder projects preferred.
• Excellent relationship management skills, with proven experience in professional relationship management on behalf
of an organization.
• At least three years-experience working in Rwanda.
• Proven ability to establish rapport and close working relationships with senior stakeholders in government, private
sector, and civil society in Rwanda.
• Good knowledge of project management methodologies and evaluation tools.
• Excellent written and oral English-language communication skills.
• University degree in business, management, or a related field.

Please send CV and Cover Letter to Eniola.Mafe@weforum.org and josephine.nyiranzeyimana@risa.rw