Temporary Grants and Monitoring & Evaluation Coordinator (GMEC)

POSITION TITLE:  Grants and Monitoring & Evaluation Coordinator (GMEC)
COUNTRY PROGRAM:  South Sudan
RESPONSIBLE TO:  Country Director
STATUS:  Full time, Temporary (3 months)
SUPERVISORY CAPACITY:  None
DATE: May 2016

To apply:

COUNTRY PROGRAM MISSION

The overall objective of the ARC South Sudan program is to facilitate the successful repatriation and reintegration of Sudanese refugees and IDPs to their original homes in South Sudan and support vulnerable host population in the process.  To achieve this objective, ARC implements a multi-sectoral program that includes water and sanitation, primary health care, HIV/AIDS and gender based violence prevention and response, and activities geared towards creating economic opportunities for returning populations.  ARC has program activities in Central and Eastern Equatoria, and Northern Bahr el Ghazal.

PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THE POSITION

The Grants and Monitoring & Evaluation Coordinator (GMEC) is responsible for providing efficient and effective management of the program’s overall grant portfolio. S/he is member of the country program core Senior Management Team. S/he is responsible for ensuring quality grant management, including measuring burn rate, assessing needs and developing quality grant management capacity of field teams, ensuring compliance with donor and internal organization requirements, and overseeing information management related to grant and program implementation, ensuring on time and quality reporting. S/he is the technical lead to set standards and indicators for monitoring, evaluation and reporting on interventions that address the immediate emergency and recovery needs of the ARC target populations in South Sudan.  The GMEM is the key donor contact for the country program and coordinates the information about the donors’ relationships. S/he functions as a key liaison and support point for the Program and Operations staff and key budget holders and assists the teams to ensure quality proposal development.

MAJOR AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY

PRIMARY DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES  

Grant Management systems and donor compliance – 40%

• Ensure full compliance with ARCs minimum operating standards for grant management and work with implementing partners when required
• Implement and manage ARC process for grant management, equitable cost recovery, grants close out and sub-grant management in South Sudan
• Ensure and monitor appropriate burn rate for all grants. In line with finance, assist program and operations teams as necessary in developing proper tools for burn rate management
• Ensure the grant management database is updated regularly and management is informed using appropriate monthly reports

• compile grant management monthly and quarterly tools (PIP, Donor mapping and Funding tracker)

• Coordinate grant management between field-based program staff, Juba, and headquarters.

• Work with Budget Holders (county or project coordinators) and Finance Team to monitor all grant budgets to ensure compliance with donor requirements; review budget realignment and grant C/NCE request; and monitor expenditures to ensure compliance with budgets. 

• Organize and lead grant opening, mid-term review and closure meetings and develop, with support of the Country Director and Finance Controller, a mechanism to hold Budget Holders accountable for deviations from the grant contracts
• Act as a central point of organizational expertise on donor compliance requirements, ensuring that relevant staffs of all departments are informed of donor requirements; work closely with all departments to ensure compliance.
• Provide technical support to assess donor eligibility/allow ability of planned expenditures and identify related compliance requirements.

• Maintain and manage the grant electronic and paper filing and retrieval system to ensure that it provides easy and immediate access to information on these grants at country office level.

• Maintain a reporting tracking system to ensure that responsible staff are aware of upcoming deadlines
• Verify that financial and narrative reports are coherent and adhere to donor and ARC standards before submission
• Contribute to ensure strong relationship with donors. Attend donor meetings as required.
• Contribute to the country strategic and operational planning and reporting

Grant Proposals (Design and Writing) – 20%

• Relay funding opportunities to relevant staff in a timely manner
• Lead along with the SPC, in the proposal development process for all proposals
• Lead or significantly contribute into the design and implementation of all program surveys, assessments, and other baseline information generation processes
• Disseminate donor and ARC standards and indicators to relevant personnel at the beginning of the process
• Ensure that information is provided in a timely fashion and relevant staff are involved in the proposal development process (schedule)
• Ensure that a system is in place to analyze overhead and shared program cost so that all aspects have been taken into account (checklist)
• Verify that proposals adhere to donor and ARC standards and that narrative is coherent with budget proposals
• Act as focal point for the submission and retrieval of final proposal documents to donors and organization wide

Grant Monitoring & Evaluation – 30%

• Establish and manage a comprehensive database system that captures, analyzes and makes available to staff and other authorized persons or groups basic statistical information on the target communities and South Sudan at large
• In conjunction with the Head of Program, work with the County Coordinator to set sector goals, objectives, achievement indicators and logical frameworks where necessary.
• In conjunction with the Head of Program and sector heads, develop and implement a comprehensive and integrated, but simple sustainable program monitoring system and tools to track/measure program implementation processes and accomplishments.
• Ensure programs are periodically evaluated focusing on program implementation processes and performance towards achievement of stated objectives and recommend measures to improve program output and cost effectiveness.
• Train ARC staff and, where necessary, community groups in the use of program monitoring tools.
• In conjunction with the Head of Program and sector heads, ensure the submission of annual sector objectives and activities into operational plans.
• In conjunction with the Head of Program, support the Country Director to develop and periodically review the Country Strategic Plan.
• Conduct regular visits to field offices and project sites and provide reports to the Country Director with recommendations to improve operational excellence and project implementation
• Conduct internal checks of grants processes and protocols to advise budget holders on compliance levels in the field bases
• In conjunction with the Head of Program and County Coordinator produce progress reports and updates as required by donors, governments, and ARC.
• In conjunction with the Head of Program and County Coordinator, carry out program reviews and evaluations as may be required by donors and Head of Field Mission/Country Director

Others – 10%

• Ensure budget holders, finance teams, and field staff are provided with the information and training they require in order to understand donor guidelines, compliance issues and the ARC grant management procedures.
• Ensure key donors compliance checklists are available, provide orientation to budget holders, new staff members and other stakeholders and follow up the implementation.
• Undertake other duties as may be assigned by the Country Director

EDUCATION, TECHNICAL SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED

• MA degree in related field and three or more years of experience in grant development or any equivalent combination of education and experience that provides the necessary level of skill, knowledge, and ability.
• Must have a minimum of 5 years of experience working with multi-donor, multi-site grants.
• Must have experience in a similar position: grant management, project design, proposal development (program narratives and budgets) in complex emergency or post-conflict settings, preferably with NGOs.
• High level skills in teaching, mentoring, capacity building, team development, around management of accountabilities and compliance in relation to donor funding and grant management
• Excellent organizational skills, ability to determine priorities and attention to detail a must.

• Knowledge of institutional donors (United Nations, USAID/OFDA, BPRM, DFID, etc.) regulations, procedures and requirements a plus.
• Ability to and experience of establishing partnership management and monitoring protocols with local NGO partners
• Ability to present, discuss and supervise compliance with grants monitoring protocols with team members of varying levels
• High-level computer literacy; Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook required. Access or other database software an advantage

• Must be fluent in English.

KEY BEHAVIORS & ABILITIES

• Proven ability to coordinate, manage and delegate work appropriately.
• Ability to work under stress and with tight deadlines.
• Ability to work in a multicultural context as a respectful team player.
• Willingness to travel to the field on an ad hoc basis.

To apply:

American Refugee Committee is an Equal Opportunity Employer offering employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, citizenship, physical or mental disability, or protected veteran status.  American Refugee Committee complies with all applicable laws governing nondiscrimination in employment.