ROLE PURPOSE:
As a member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) in Zimbabwe, the Head of Program Development and Quality (PDQ) is responsible for driving cross-functional engagement in the development and delivery of Country Strategy Plans (CSPs), developing annual plans and reporting on results. S/he is responsible for ensuring development and delivery of high quality, evidence-based, innovative programs for children, in all contexts, that contribute to Save the Children’s global Breakthroughs: Learn, Survive, Be Protected. The Head of PDQ ensures that a robust monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL) system is in place, that the country office engages in the collection and use of evidence and that this is shared across the global organization, and that reliable data is used for decision-making. One of key aspect of the role is ensuring capability building, mentoring and coaching of technical specialists in order to support program quality in line with global standards and key performance indicators. As a senior leader in the country office s/he plays a representational role with the government, donors, partners, peer agencies, SC Members and others. The Head of PDQ supports strategic positioning with donors and partners and leads on project design to ensure that the country office strategy can be delivered. In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, the role holder will be expected to work outside the normal role profile and be able to vary working hours accordingly.
SCOPE OF ROLE:
Reports to: Country Director
Staff reporting to this post: Technical Specialists (may include education, health and nutrition, child protection, child rights governance and cross-cutting areas such as gender equality, migration and displacement, etc.) MEAL Coordinator, Business Development Manager and Communications & Advocacy Advisor
Role Dimensions: As one of the most senior staff in the Country Office, the Head of Program Development and Quality (PDQ) must demonstrate the qualities of agile leadership. S/he plays a key role in defining and pursuing the strategic direction for Save the Children’s programs in Zimbabwe, ensuring the relevance, coherence, safety and impact of our programs for children in all contexts. This is a challenging role requiring an individual who can work with complexity and multiple tasks at one time. It demands dedication to demonstrating outcomes for children, experience in integrated child rights programming and a highly motivated leader. S/he has specific oversight for ensuring that programs demonstrate thematic excellence in contributing to Save the Children’s three priority Breakthroughs for children, especially for the most deprived and marginalized: no child dies from preventable causes before their fifth birthday; all children learn from a quality basic education; and violence against children is no longer tolerated.
KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY :
Strategy, Planning and Reporting
- Lead the development/updating of the Child Rights Situation Analysis, including analysis of country context and taking into account child rights principles, ensuring participation and buy-in from all relevant staff, partners and other stakeholders as necessary
- Lead the SLT to develop/update and drive forward the Country Strategy Plan (CSP) that is in line with the global strategy, Ambition 2030, with child rights at the core of all programming and advocacy work. Provide leadership on development of the Country Annual Plan, monitoring of progress against the plan, and completion of accurate, on-time Country Annual Report of outcomes and impact for children, aligned with the Global Results Framework.
- Facilitate the development and pursuit of thematic and cross-cutting strategic priorities in line with the CSP, including gender equality, to guide current and future SC programming and Humanitarian Strategies
- Support ownership and commitment to the Country Office strategy by all staff and departments through clear communication, regular feedback on progress and engagement of all functions in updates
Program Design & Development
- In close coordination and with support from the Awards Management team and members, track and position for opportunities that will drive the CSP.
- In consultation with the Country Director and members, ensure technical engagement with donors to pre-position and prepare for these opportunities, and engage in strategic positioning work directly as appropriate.
- Play a leading role in designing proposals, including:
v Engaging with technical experts as needed to ensure high quality, evidence-based designs that draw on needs assessments and learning from past programs;
v Ensuring partners are identified and appropriately engaged program design, linking with operations and awards teams as need be for assessments;
v Ensuring proposal designs and their budgets include robust MEAL plans that are aligned with the Global Results Framework (and therefore advance towards our breakthroughs), incorporate common approaches as relevant, build in critical learning questions.
v Ensuring the budget as designed will enable to project to be delivered as designed.
Program Quality and Program Technical Excellence
- Ensure the country program delivers high quality, multi-sectoral programming in both development and humanitarian contexts (as appropriate).
v Monitor and advance technical and operational quality of field programmes, including conducting regular field visits to provide feedback on quality benchmarks, soliciting inputs for design of new programs and collecting ideas for innovation.
v Monitor program Key Performance Indicators and, in partnership with other functions, take steps to improve the quality programming platform to meet agreed upon standards
v Work closely with the Director of Operations to ensure Country Office Standards under the ‘Program’ pillar standards are met and procedures are followed throughout the project cycle and across the portfolio.
v Ensure technical experts proactively and regularly communicate planned requirements for program design, learning and implementation to relevant CO departments/functions.
- Build and lead team of program technical experts needed to successfully deliver against the CSP. Ensure effective working relationships with SC global, member and regional technical advisors, procuring technical support as needed to support program and advocacy efforts, including during emergencies.
v Ensure that program technical experts engage in larger communities of practice within and external to Save the Children, to link with the most relevant and evidence-based approaches and conduct timely and useful review of project reports to support quality reporting for Members and donors
v Ensure that the different technical sectors of the Country Office are coordinated, integrated and support each other to optimize programs and projects
v Ensure that all sectors apply a risk lens to program design and implementation in line with the Save the Children policy on Child Safeguarding
- Manage the needs/requests of SC members, donors and external partners to ensure quality results in programming
- Oversee the development of a monitoring system that provides timely and accurate project results by embedding MEAL across programme implementation
- Ensure on-going, accurate data collection and meaningful analyses with regular dissemination of strategic information to SLT and other relevant staff to drive learning and improve program quality
- Ensure effective collaboration between MEAL staff, Technical Specialists, Technical Advisors and program implementation teams to develop log frames, indicators, implementation plans, quality benchmarks, monitoring and evaluation frameworks and related tools
- Ensure the research, evaluation and policy work of the country office contributes to generation of evidence for development and improvement of Common Approaches, for sound decision making and policy influencing within and outside the Country Office and development and implementation of impactful and innovative programmes for children
- Establish effective program learning and knowledge management systems for the country office
Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, Learning (MEAL) and Knowledge management
Advocacy
- Represent Save the Children and network with government authorities, donors, partners and other stakeholders to promote SC objectives and build relationships to facilitate success of our projects
- Play a leading role in identifying and implementing advocacy initiatives that engage national government, civil society and political leaders, child rights networks and peer agencies with the goal of influencing policy and legislation in alignment with the CSP
- Ensure that learning from the field contributes to development and implementation of national programs and advocacy initiatives scaled-up by the government to widen reach
Partnership
- Play a leading role in identifying nurturing and strengthening strategic partnerships with local and international civil society organizations, NGOs, governments etc., in advancing the country and global strategy to inspire our three breakthroughs for the most deprived and marginalised children.
- As appropriate to the country context, provide technical support and capability building to implementing and strategic partners.
Staff Management, Mentorship, and Development
- Ensure appropriate staffing within Program Development and Quality
- Ensure that all staff understand and are able to perform their role in full spectrum programming
- Lead the Program Development and Quality team; define expectations, provide technical support as needed, and evaluate direct reports regularly
- Ensure the recruitment, training, and promotion of staff as appropriate and ensure availability of appropriate professional development opportunities for staff
- Oversee that all technical sector staff proactively build and maintain technical skills and competencies required for leading and/or advising first class programs – both development and emergency programs
- Manage the performance of all staff in the Program Development and Quality work area through:
- Effective use of the Performance Management System including the establishment of clear, measureable objectives, ongoing feedback, periodic reviews and fair and unbiased evaluations;
- Coaching, mentoring and other developmental opportunities;
- Recognition and rewards for outstanding performance;
- Documentation of performance that is less than satisfactory, with appropriate performance improvements/ workplans.
- Support capacity development of thematic advisors, maximizing their role as technical support providers to field teams and local project partners
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
- Masters Degree in relevant social science, human rights, development studies, NGO management or equivalent fields
- A minimum of ten years of progressive senior management and/ or development experience in a corporate or an NGO environment, including experience directing and implementing programs for children
- Experience in more than one of Save the Children’s thematic sectors: education, child protection, child rights governance, health and nutrition, child poverty, emergencies
- Basic understanding of advocacy, policy, and government systems in the host country
- Strong skills and proven experience in leading strategic planning, change management and program management processes; also from the knowledge and learning perspective
EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS
Essential
- Experience managing teams for resource mobilisation and submitting proposals in excess of US$10 million
- Credibility to lobby, influence and represent Save the Children at all levels
- Experience working with high level government agencies and academics on issues related to children
- Strong skills and proven experience in new program development, project design, and donor proposal design with corporate, foundations and institutional donors
Desirable
- Developing and managing monitoring, evaluation and learning systems
- Excellent listening, inter-personal, communication and networking skills; and an ability to work with diversified populations
- Skills such as training, capacity building, coaching, mentorship, problem solving, and understanding of project cycle management and coordination
- High level of self-awareness and willingness to take criticism as an opportunity for growth and self-development Ability to research, write and represent well, manage time, multi-task and delegate tasks
A detailed Job Description will be given to shortlisted applicants before the interview. If you are experienced, qualified and wish to be considered for any of the above positions please submit your written application letter with the position applied for clearly marked at the top of the envelop or subject line of the e-mail. Your application letter must be supported by your CV and certified copies of educational and professional qualifications as well as relevant personal identity documents by not later than end of day Sunday, 21 October 2018 to:
The Country Representative, Save the Children, 221 Fife Avenue, Harare, or email to: [email protected]
Candidates will be subject to Save the Children’s Child Safeguarding recruitment procedures and checks.
More Information
- Job City Harare