Assistant Country Director Programmes - Somalia

Date requested: Sept 2014

Contract Grade: C

Contract Length: 2 years

Date Needed By: ASAP

New Post or Replacement: Replacement

Accompanied / Unaccompanied: Accompanied

Exact Job Location: Nairobi with frequent travel to Somalia/Somaliland

Reports To: Country Director, Somalia/Somaliland Programme

Responsible For: M&E Coordinator, Area Manager, Grants & Information Officer, Resilience PM, Nutrition PM, Irish-Aid funded Integrated ‘MODEL’ Program Managers, Resilience ‘BRCiS’ Consortium M&E Advisor

Liaises With: Country Financial Controller, Emergency Coordinator, PMs and field coordinators; relevant staff at head office, U.K. and U.S.A. offices; other NGOs, U.N. agencies, government representatives, etc.

Job Purpose:

As a member of the Concern Somalia/Somaliland Senior Management Team, the ACDP contributes to the management of the country programme with specific responsibility for

• Development of programmes as outlined in the country strategic plan;
• Overseeing the integration of sector programming and the link between emergency and development work in both Somaliland and South Central Somalia;
• Working with the Country Financial Controller to ensure accurate budgeting and financial management of all programmes;
• Responsible for ensuring quality of programme implementation;
• Management of programme staff.

Main Duties & Responsibilities:

Senior Management

• Assist the Country Director in the overall management, implementation and development of the country programme
• Through active participation in the Senior Management Team (SMT), be responsible for effective integration of programmes and programme development, including monitoring and evaluation
• Facilitate the implementation of the country strategic plan

Programme management

• Work      with the Country Financial Controller and the PMs to ensure management of      programme budgets and      expenditure

• Ensure that all reports are timely, accurate and to a high standard
• Guide and support program staff in design and preparation of project concept notes and proposals for new projects including initial assessments, baseline data collection, establishing targets and SMART indicators.
• Oversee effective financial management of expenditure in accordance with approved budget revisions and donor procedures by budget holders
• Ensure achievement of the results/outcomes outlined in the multi-annual integrated programme in line with the Results Framework (submitted to Irish Aid) and relevant proposals.

Programme Quality, Monitoring & Evaluation

• Support the development of a monitoring and evaluation framework for Concern’s programmes and manage its successful implementation
• Ensure that there is monitoring data collected, analysed and used for reporting, learning and results-based management
• Facilitate annual programme reviews and other internal learning events
• Ensure that cross-cutting issues are mainstreamed into programmes and that staff receive regular training
• Liaise with technical advisors in the Stragegy, Advocacy and Learning (SAL) unit and consultants to ensure correct technical expertise is available to the programme.
• Ensure, where possible, that the country programme’s emergency response work is linked with development programmes.
• Ensure that all relevant programmes are designed, managed and implemented in conformity with Concern’s policies and strategies.
• Promote and ensure accountability to all stakeholders.
• Be responsible for ensuring the country team are kept up to date on best practices in the fields of development and humanitarian work.

Human Resources

• Line manage staff and ensure their ongoing development, including the implementation of Performance Development Review systems and building the management capacity of programme/project managers.
• Ensure staff comply with the Programme Participants Protection Policy and Code of Conduct.
• Facilitate capacity building/training/coaching for staff, especially direct reports.

Nairobi Office Support

• In absence of the CD, act as the focal point for the Somalia/Somaliland country programme in the Nairobi support office
• In conjunction with the CD, network and build relations with donors, UN Agencies and other NGOs
• Represent Concern in relevant coordination meetings including clusters and the BRCiS and SNS consortia.

Advocacy & Representation

• Following CD’s approval, liaise with Concern’s London, Dublin and US offices on appropriate advocacy approaches and issues for Concern Somalia. Keep them regularly updated on the situation on the ground and key advocacy messages.
• As agreed with the CD – represent the Country Program with donors, UN and other actors working in Somalia
• Promote linkages and exchange information with donors, NGOs and UN to promote the profile of Concern
• Liaise with Alliance 2015 members and other strategic partners

PERSON SPECIFICATION

ESSENTIAL

Education, Qualifications & Experience Required:

• Masters level qualification in Development Studies, programme management or other relevant course of studies.
• At least 5 years overseas experience with significant programme management experience
• Experience of financial management and exposure to systems such as HR, logistics, administration
• Ability to represent an organisation at senior government, agency, etc. levels and engage in advocacy
• Experience of emergency preparedness and response work
• Ability to ensure accountability to all stakeholders, but particularly to the communities and people with whom we work
• Experience of designing and implementing M&E systems
• Knowledge of latest theories and best practice in the field of development and humanitarian work with a particular focus on resilience or disaster risk reduction (DRR)

DESIRABLE

Education, Qualifications & Experience Required:

Significant experience in an insecure environment.

Experience of managing multi-sectoral programmes.

Knowledge and experience of Results Based Management.

Essential Special Skills, Aptitude or Personality Requirements:

Flexibility and adaptability.

Ability to work with and engage with people from different cultures.

Ability to work on own initiative.

Capacity to manage pressure and work to conflicting deadlines.

Strong analytical ability and IT skills.

All applications should be submitted through our website at https://jobs.concern.net by closing date

CV’s should be no more than 4 pages in length.

Due to the urgency of this position, applications will be short listed on a regular basis and we may offer posts before the closing date.

Concern Worldwide is an Irish-based non-governmental, international, humanitarian organisation dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries.

Concern has a Staff Code of Conduct and a Programme Participant Protection Policy which have been developed to ensure the maximum protection of programme participants from exploitation and to clarify the responsibilities of Concern staff, consultants, visitors to the programme and partner organization, and the standards of behaviour expected of them. In this context staff have a responsibility to the organization to strive for, and maintain, the highest standards in the day-to-day conduct in their workplace in accordance with Concern’s core values and mission. Any candidate offered a job with Concern Worldwide will be expected to sign the Programme Participant Protection Policy and the Concern Staff Code of Conduct as an appendix to their contract of employment.   By signing the Programme Participant Protection Policy and the Concern Staff Code of Conduct candidates acknowledge that they have understood the contents of both the Concern Staff Code of Conduct and the Programme Participant Protection Policy and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these two documents.

Concern receives a substantial amount of funding from external donors each year. Increasingly donors are introducing requirements whereby future funding is conditional on Concern ensuring that the names of any new employee or volunteer do not appear on terrorism lists generated by the European Union (List of person, groups and entities to which Regulation (EC No. 2580/2001 applies), the US Government (Office of Foreign Assets Control list of specially designated Nationals and Blocked Persons) and the United Nations (Consolidated List). Any offer of employment (either paid or voluntary) with Concern Worldwide will not be made pending a clearance check being conducted on the applicant. For additional information please consult our web site or contact the Human Resource Division in our Head Office.

Concern Worldwide is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.