PACS Partnerhip Coordinator

BACKGROUND

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster.  The IRC has been present in Liberia since 1996 and is a leader in the health sector. The IRC Liberia supports hospitals and primary health care facilities across three counties. It ensures access to vital medicines and quality medical care at all facilities in accordance to the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOHSW) national standards. 

In recent years, IRC Liberia has deepened its commitment to supporting both local civil society organizations and community groups in their recovery efforts- first from the devastating civil war and now from the Ebola crisis.  The PACS Project presents an opportunity to bring these two critical elements together by strengthening civil society engagement in the delivery of health services and the rebuilding of health systems in Liberia.

SCOPE OF WORK

The IRC has entered into a cooperative agreement with USAID to implement the Partnerships for Advancing Community-based Services (PACS) project in Liberia.  The PACS project-a consortium consisting of IRC, Population Services International and Global Communities-will support sustainable country ownership of community-based health, social welfare, and WASH services through techncial assistance and capacity building of relevant ministries. PACS will also work directly with local civil society organizations (CSOs) at the county and community level, providing them with funding opportunities and building their technical and operational capacity to play a key role in service delivery.

PACS Implementation Overview :

PACs will work in USAID’s three priority counties, Lofa, Bong, and Nimba, to assist in the decentralization process and ensure that county and community-level systems are equipped to deliver high quality community-based services in line with key MoH strategies[1]. PACS staff will work alongside county officials, building their capacity to effectively supervise and coordinate community-based health, social welfare, and WASH services.

PACS will also establish a two-tiered approach to working with local CSOs: differentiating between more experienced local NGOs which already have experience implementing community services at a significant scale, and smaller non-governmental organizations, community-based organizations, and faith-based organizations, with a smaller geographic focus and limited to no experience managing restricted funding, but that still have an important role to play in delivering community services.  PACS will also offer “first tier” local community organizations funding opportunities through sub-award mechanisms, complemented by technical training and a comprehensive capacity building program that will see local organizations graduate to direct USAID management over the course of the 5 year period.  The “second tier” organizations will not be expected to graduate during the project period, but will be supported to extend their role, for example through strengthening systems for community accountability of the health care system. 

The IRC is seeking a Partnership Coordinator to oversee PACs three-pronged approach for supporting local civil society groups:  1) providing techncial assistance in the health sector for local civil society groups 2) working closely with these partners to strengthen organizational capacities and expertise and 3) issuing and managing sub-grants to partners.  .  The Partnership Coordinator, under the direction of the Deputy Chief of Party will lead the PACS Partnership team, to undertake initial participatory organizational capacity assessments, develop capacity building plans, and mentor partners to make progress against indicators in those plans.  In addition, staff in each county will provide techncial advice and assistance designed to health sector expertise and ensure program quality for partners receiving PAC sub-grants.  Lastly, s/he will oversee a Sub-Grants Manager who will, in close coordination with the Grants and Finance teams, to ensure that partners are equipped to successfully graduate to direct donor funding.  This position is anticipated to be phased out in Year 3 of the project.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategy and Vision

• Facilitate national-level workshop to define the role of the local CSOs vis-à-vis MOH leadership in the delivery of community services;
• Utilize and integrate this input into further program design and planning;
• Coordinate with IRC sector and department heads to ensure partner-friendly practices and processes throughout PACS; and
• Contribute to PACs strategic direction and project action planning by serving as a key member of the management team.

Partner Support and Capacity Strengthening

• Coordinate and support Planned Parenthood Association of Liberia (PPAL) and Young Men’s Christian Association of Liberia (YMCA) in conducting county-level mapping of local CSOs engaged in health, social welfare, and WASH in target counties;
• Oversee the management of partnership agreements between IRC and participating CSOs from each tier, outlining each organization’s commitment to the capacity building process and its broad objectives.
• Coordinate with Partnership Team specific technical trainings and mentoring services for CSO staff designed to assist them in delivering services;
• Coordinate trainings for CSO staff on any newly introduced service packages ensuring CSO staff are fully trained to successfully implement their activities in compliance with emerging MOHSW standards and resources.
• Facilitate and lead Partnership Team, in supporting local partners in conducting an internal self-assessment process, using the tools adapted to the Liberian context;
• Lead Partnership Team in guiding the Partner CSO’s in developing their performance improvement plans, which will consist of a concrete set of organizational development goals, specific indicators or milestones, and proposed interventions/actions aimed at strengthening organizational weaknesses, filling priority capacity gaps, and gender mainstreaming;
• Coordinate the Partnership Team in formalizing mentoring, coaching and support to partners to meet self-identified goals and priorities as outlined in capacity strengthening plans, in job descriptions and partnership agreements;
• Supervise and monitor on-the-job coaching by Partnership Team to the partners, and oversee the introduction of peer support activities through coordination mechanisms.
• Coordinate the development and adaptation of various simple-to-use and practical resource materials to will directly enhance local CSO staff’s project management skill set

Team Management

• Lead the PACS Partnership Team to serve as a consistently available point of contact for local CSOs, walking them through a series of self-driven steps for performance improvement and eventual graduation to direct USAID management.

Sub-Grant and Compliance Management

• Design sub-award mechanisms in collaboration with USAID; including selection criteria that will be focused on financial management systems, management practices, human resources management, procurement standards, property standards, and organizational governance and sustainability;
• Work with program teams to develop program descriptions that outline the type of activities to be funded under each sub award mechanism;
• Oversee the Partnership Team to conduct the initial pre-award assessments and compliance checks of local CSOs in accordance with Executive Order 13224.
• Lead the Partnership Team in defining performance criteria and benchmarks for all partners in reference to minimum standards and targeted improvements in order to promote performance and accountability;

Requirements :

• Advanced degree in International Development, Project Management, Organizational Development, or other relevant field;
• Three to five years of organizational development or relevant capacity building experience, ideally in West Africa;
• Strong commitment to staff professional development; at least two years’ experience in supervising and  mentoring national staff across different field sites;
• Experience designing and overseeing partner mapping processes, ideally focused on civil society’s role in service delivery;
• Proven capacity building expertise in organizational development, including the ability to tailor and target support for different levels/ sizes of civil society groups;
• Extensive knowledge of with participatory organizational capacity assessments and methodologies; experience working with  partners to identify prioritize organizational growth and development goals based on results of assessments;
• Ability to design and deliver trainings, provide on-the-job coaching or mentoring support, and facilitate workshops to support partners’ capacity development priorities;
• Demonstrated ability to train and support staff in the use of capacity assessment tools and delivery of relevant trainings to partners; 
• Extensive Familiarity with knowledge of USAID rules and regulations as they pertain to sub-grantees; familiarity with USAID Forward preferred a must;
• Experience with developing and managing sub-grants mechanisms and processes, including issuing requests for applications, overseeing reviews and approvals of applications, and negotiating and finalizing sub-agreements;
• Ability to coordinate across departments and units to ensure timely review of sub-grantees’ financial reports and disbursement of funds;
• Strong communication and inter-personal skills; must be a strong team player with a participatory and inclusive management style;
• Highly capable in staff management, problem-solving, multi-tasking, and time management, particularly in a multi-cultural environment;
• Able to respond rapidly to changing environments, yet remain productive, focused, and inclusive of staff and partners’ input;
• Experience with project start-up, especially in rural environments, a plus;
• Excellent written and verbal skills in the English language; and
• Willingness to travel frequently to remote program locations, often for an extended period of time.