Local Coordinator 294 views1 applications

Organization: VWB/VSF Canada

Country: Meru or Katarina, Kenya (home based with travel between cities)

Level of Effort: Full time

Reports to: VETS Africa Program Officer

Veterinarians without Borders/ Vétérinaires sans frontières – Canada (VWB/VSF) is a charitable, humanitarian organization whose mission is to work for, and with, those in need to foster the health of animals, people, and the environments that sustain us. More information about the organization can be found at www.vetswithoutborders.ca.

VWB/VSF sends many Canadian volunteers overseas to work with partners help create integrated animal health systems. The Canadian volunteers include professors of veterinary medicine, veterinarians, animal nutritionists, rural development specialists, food safety specialists, horticulturalists, community health workers, and gender specialists. While universities, community organizations—even government agricultural extension workers benefit from this initiative, the primary focus is on improving the lives of small-scale livestock producers.

VWB/VSF is presently seeking a Local Coordinator to join our team. The successful candidate will lead volunteer management, planning, administration and logistics of VWB/VSF’s Kenya portfolio. In this fast-paced work environment, the individual will require exceptional time management and organizational skills, be self-sufficient, and able to think quickly on his/her feet. S/he must be able to consistently project an enthusiastic, positive approach that contributes to a collegial and closely-knit organizational culture. The ideal individual will have the ability to exercise good judgment in a variety of situations, with strong written and verbal communication, administrative, financial, monitoring and evaluation and organizational skills.

Responsibilities:

1. Partnership Development

· Work with VWB-HQ staff in the discussion and preparation of a Partnership Agreement/MOU between VWB, and MCDU/Wakulima

· Responsible for relationship building, coordination and communications with MCDU/Wakulima and target community/ies in relation to the VETS project and in coordination with the related MCDU/Wakulima activities

· Work with VWB-HQ staff and volunteers to build relationships with other potential partners and stakeholders as relevant to the project; particularly, women and women-led local organizations.

2. Volunteer Management

· Liaise with MCDU/Wakulima and target community/ies to develop and submit placement descriptions for Canadian volunteers to VWB for review and finalization based on local needs

· Provide professional support to the volunteer(s), including in-country orientation upon arrival, support workplan development and regular monitoring meetings to ensure volunteer workplan progress is on track and the volunteer is supported and content (monthly check-in)

· When necessary, provide (or arrange for) interpretation and translation (oral and written) for the volunteer(s) for project activities including training sessions, village meetings and other activities

· Coordinate logistics of volunteer placements, including arrival support, visa facilitation (including invitation letter), accommodation arrangements, workplan logistics, and transportation support (when required)

· Be available for on-call (24/7) phone support to the volunteers while in-country and ensure cover arrangements are in place for a suitable alternative if away from the project location or out of range.

3. Security and Safety

· Contribute to the health and security of the volunteers by providing information on local clinics/hospitals and safety advice and responding to emergency situations as/if needed

· Provide incident reports to VWB-HQ staff when incidents occur, even when they are considered minor

· Follow VWB-HQ led safety and security protocols at all times, and reinforce safety standard operation procedures (SOPS) with volunteers while they are in-country

· For serious incidents, contact VWB-HQ staff immediately while seeking medical attention for those impacted **

4. Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E)

· Contribute to the development of the Project Implementation Plan (PIP) in Year 1, and the Annual Work Plans (AWPs) in Years 1-7

· Coordinate and ensure the completion of Quarterly Placement Reports (QPRs) by volunteers

· Participate in quarterly status update and planning session with Program Officer

· Facilitate a participatory Annual Partnership Review (APR) meeting with MCDU/Wakulima, community(ies) beneficiaries and volunteer(s)

· Prepare an Annual Country Report which will contribute to VWB/VSF’s Annual Narrative Report (ARN)

· Conduct data collection/monitoring evaluation activities the end of March to evaluate community impact of program

· Cross-cutting themes: Analyse local context and advise VWB, volunteers and MCDU/Wakulima on gender equality, environmental sustainability and governance aspects of all project activities

· Keep a daily record of all project activities to contribute to program monitoring

· Take photos and videos of key community activities that involve the volunteers, to use in project communications and to supplement narrative reporting

5. Financial Management

· Prepare monthly expense claims to VWB-HQ using templates provided

· Ensuring the proper storing of all original receipts relating to project expenses (copies are required to be sent to VWB-HQ staff to accompany all expense claims)

· Coordinate booking and make payments for local travel, accommodation, meeting rooms and other resources as required for program activities

· Support the volunteer(s) and MCDU/Wakulima in complying with any financial management duties they are responsible for (will vary by project)

6. Communications

· Collect impact statements from beneficiaries, local partners, and volunteers regarding notable changes and benefits from program participation; send on a quarterly basis

· Collect photos and videos to submit to VWB HQ staff of local beneficiaries, livestock, volunteers, and local partner staff and share with VWB-HQ staff monthly**

· Submit one GAC Case Study per quarter to VWB-HQ staff

7. General / Administrative

· Prepare, sign and submit monthly timesheets using the template provided by VWB-HQ as per GAC requirements

· Coordinate time-tracking for the volunteer(s) which is required to be submitted quarterly

· Conduct general administrative duties to ensure that the project and its activities and processes align with local laws and regulations (e.g. operations permit, visas for volunteers, insurance, etc.)

· Coordinate, as/if required by the project, the identification of local resource people to participate in the project (i.e. trainers, gender advisors, etc.)

· Manage inventory: keep record of all project equipment, ensuring it is used appropriately and labelled as required

· Carry out other tasks as arising and as agreed as per discussions with the VCP manager, in collaboration with MCDU/Wakulima

Required:

• Bachelors degree in international development, social science or a related field
• Fluent in English (written and oral)
• Excellent cross-cultural communication skills
• Experience working with international development organizations
• Experience managing/working with international volunteers
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Powerpoint)
• 1 to 3 years experience in monitoring and evaluation

Desired:

· Knowledge of Kenya’s dairy sector

· Experience with participatory approaches

· Strong financial management knowledge