The Organisation
Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls.
We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it’s girls who are most affected.
Working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children.
We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. And we enable children to prepare for – and respond to – crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.
We have been building powerful partnerships for children for over 80 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries.
JOB ROLE
Title: Programme Impact and Influencing Area Manager (PIIAM)
Functional Area: Programme Influencing
Reports to: Head of Programmes and Influencing
Location: Southern Programme & Influencing Area
Travel required: High
Effective Date: July 2021
Grade: E
ROLE PURPOSE
[A concise statement, capturing the primary reasons that this role exists and a clear articulation of the context of the role. How will this role contribute to creating lasting change for children?]
Impact of this role is significant internally and externally to Plan International Ghana. To represent Plan International Ghana, provide operational oversight for and co-ordinate the implementation of all programmes, projects, and Sponsorship activities in the Programme Impact and Influencing Area (PIIA) in accordance with Plan International’s corporate policy, Strategic priorities and accountability standards; ensuring that such activities are of the highest quality, and of relevance to the local and national context. The role supervises and manages gender transformative activities in programmes and sponsorship at the PIIA to contribute to Plan International Ghana’s ambition of becoming a recognized voice for child rights, young people’s safeguarding and equality for girls.
DIMENSIONS OF THE ROLE
[This section provides a summary of the size and authority of the post. It covers the size of the budget held, the numbers of direct reports, other key stakeholders who may depend on it, the type of communication required, the external representation involved and the reach of the role.]
Typical Responsibilities
1. Leadership:
*Member of Extended Country Leadership Team (CLT)
*Demonstrates leadership that firmly drives Plan International’s Core values and behaviours among staff and partners
*Leads and provides oversight support to formulate, implement, monitor and evaluate gender transformative country programmes and projects and influencing initiatives that fully align with key global purpose, the Theory of change, the Country strategy, country context, and other agreed standards paying keen attention to Plan International’s Core Values.
*Ensures that adequate technical inputs is proactively gathered internally and externally to support project delivery and reporting to donors and that essential policies including the children and youth safeguarding policy is mainstreamed and invested throughout the project lifecycle
*Coordinates team’s efforts to ensuring that Plan International Ghana meets critical project delivery KPIs including quarterly and yearly spending as well as cost recovery targets;
*Supervises and co-ordinates Programme Co-ordinators , Child Sponsorship Co-ordinators and other PIIA staff as direct reports who are leading and managing the implementation of specific projects or supporting operations in the field
*Manages and supervises grants project managers who’s projects fall within the PIIA;
*Maintains horizontal working links with Project Managers, Thematic or Technical specialist, , other support functional heads/leads and partners
*Works with and maintains sound and credible (win-win) partnerships that promote girl- and youth friendly policy and practice in the PIIA.
2. Manages and facilitates the design of high quality gender transformative programmes and Sponsorship activities
*All Programme Impact and Influencing Area Staff, partners, and beneficiaries fully understand the short and long-term objectives and the desired impact of Country strategy, programmes, projects and Sponsorship.
*Corporate indicators for the long-term and short-term objectives are regularly monitored and analyzed and the results incorporated into program and project plans.
*Program, project, and sponsorship interventions show that gender, age, disability are duly considered and rationally integrated.
*All child Sponsorship commitments are fully met within the year
*Programs and sponsorship innovations and improvements (including new sponsorship products) are regularly implemented and documented.
*The results of projects, sponsorship and other interventions are consolidated and fed into country performance assessment framework; and incorporated into future program and projects plans
*The PIIA meets the key performance indicators of program, sponsorship and finance and same are timely reported as required
*Child protection, DRR and gender are fully mainstreamed into all program, and sponsorship activities and duly implemented in the PIIA;
*Supports innovation and integration of projects and sponsorship within the PIIA;
*Excellent working relationship exists with grants project staff in the Programme Impact and influencing Area
*All ongoing grants projects being implemented in the PIAA (in and outside Sponsorship communities) are fully recognized and collated as part of the overall PIIA contribution to the Country Programmes and strategy;
*Actively pursues and maintains fruitful working relationships with Plan staff, regional/District government and LNGO institutions; and traditional leaders to achieve common objectives;
*The post-holder is active participant at the Regional/District and other relevant local development fora; with the aim of influencing issues that border on the rights of children especially equality for girls.
*Plan has ready access to all relevant senior government officers and is fully and effectively represented at the Regional and/or District levels
*Officers of the relevant traditional authorities and Local Government are aware of, support and understand Plan’s operations in their area.
*Relevant Government authorities and/or other locally available technical resources contribute to program design and implementation,
3. Manages all Plan operations (including assets and property) in the Programme Impact and Influencing Area
*Value for money audits/reviews indicate high cost effectiveness in project and sponsorship activity delivery.
*The recommendations of audit in the PIIA are fully and timely implemented
*Risks related to fraud and any other form of losses are proactively escalated and/or prevented
*Budgets and spending projections are properly prepared, are accurate, on time and approved without major changes.
*Program/project budgets are spent according to the annual plan.
*Program progress and sponsorship status reports are submitted as per in-country guidelines.
*Accurate, detailed, up-to-date and relevant information and files on programs, projects, and sponsorship are maintained
*Vehicles allocated to the Programme Impact and influencing Area are properly and efficiently managed and maintained in accordance with established procedures.
*Computers and corporate software in the Programme Impact and influencing Area are properly managed and put to full use.
*Other equipment, assets and supplies are properly managed, used, secured and accounted for as per organizational requirements.
*The PIIAM is a competent user of all corporate software used for sponsorship, grants and program management.
4. Manages and develops Programme Impact and influencing Area staff
*All Programme Implementation and influencing Area staff actively participate in the annual performance management processes, including planning, coaching, monitoring and assessment.
*Coordinates the identification of Professional development needs and address to Head of Policy and HROD.
*Programme Impact and influencing Area staff possess the requisite knowledge and skills to perform all assigned job responsibilities.
*The management of Programme Impact and influencing Area staff promote organizational values such as teamwork, transparency, trust, accountability, empowerment, reasonable risk-taking, customer responsiveness and communications.
*Programme Implementation and influencing Area staff fully understand and comply with internal operating policies and procedures.
*Staff develop timely comprehensive Individual Accountability Plans (IAPs) with clear, achievable and measurable objectives.
*Programme Impact and influencing Area staff go through fair and supportive appraisal processes twice a year.
*Contributes to Extended Country Leadership Team (ECLT) meetings
*Participation is transparent, cooperative, pro-active and productive.
*Contributions to discussions and decisions/choices made reflect an understanding and appreciation for the needs and direction of the larger organization.
*Provides coaching/counselling sessions for relevant staff on regular basis.
*Supports actions that contribute to the effective use of organizational funds/resources.
*Identifies professional development needs for the direct reports and assist HR in arranging appropriate staff development events for Project Managers.
*Develops a pool of credible staff who are able to take leadership roles and deliver successfully against Plan’s PQIP standards in the PIIA;
KEY RELATIONSHIPS
[This section refers to people inside and/or outside of the organisation that the post-holder needs to have contact with, and why. This should include virtual presence.]
*Works closely with and reports to the Head of Programmes and Influencing
*Liaises with the Thematic/Technical Specialists, Programme Implementation and Influencing Manager, Business Development Manager, Sponsorship Manager, Country Finance Manager and Supply Chain Manager with regards to grants projects and SPAD design/execution, budgets and sponsorship activities.
*Influences Government and the Development Actors in the field and develops effective working relationships with them and communities
TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE
[This section details the skills, knowledge and expertise the potholder will be required to demonstrate in doing the job well.
This should include clear levels of technical expertise and skills that support our work at national, international, and global level.]
Essential:
– Functional Area Experience: Good knowledge and experience in rights-based and gender transformative programming, influencing, MS programmes (Word, Excel, Power Point etc.)
– Experience working and collaborating with diverse sets of stakeholders in the field and communities, such as local INGOs, NGOs, government officials, communities, partners, children, local and international staff.
– Striving for high performance: Strongly drives performance forward in programming; involves others in setting and achieving goals; creates a strong sense of purpose within own team and with stakeholders.
– Decision making and risk management: Sound judgement and decision-making in complex situations; alerts others to risks inside and outside the organisation; willing to make judgements about managing risks and ready to take responsibility for such judgements
– Influencing and Communications: Effective communicator using clear messages drawn from Plan’s work; cross-culturally adept; ready to work to influence leaders in governments, partners and communities; can reach out and influence large groups of people; effective communicator with children and young people.
– Building effective teams and partnerships: Acting as a team player, even if this results in adjustment of own priorities; develops mutually trusting relationships with complex partnerships to deliver excellent programme/project outcomes.
– Developing people: Supports learning and a sense of mutual purpose in diverse teams; sets a strong learning culture; effective coach, adaptable to high performers and those in difficulty; uses opportunities across Plan to develop others, particularly project managers.
– Self-awareness and resilience: Remains calm and positive under pressure and in difficult situations; aware of impact on others and adjusts own behaviour accordingly; has a positive impact on those around them; leads major change while keeping staff and partners on board
– Language: English and relevant local languages/dialects
Qualification and Technical Competencies
* At least Bachelor’s degree in Development Studies, Social Sciences, Project Management or any related area
* A minimum of 7 years of relevant professional experience in leading complex development projects/programmes that delivered high quality programming and gender transformative results.
* Progressive experience working for INGOs in increasingly senior level management positions.
* Proven experience in directly managing a diverse team including technical, Admin and finance staff ensuring high levels of motivation, commitment, capacity and teamwork.
* Understands Plan’s work and Core Values and implements processes and practices that support achievement of organisational objectives
* Knowledge of local dialects (E.g. Akan, Ewe, etc.)
* Proven experience in building the capacity of partner institutions; supporting partners to manage knowledge and measure progress.
* Demonstrated experience in project management including budget managements, proposal development and monitoring and evaluation.
* Knowledge of the processes, procedures and systems in project planning, management, monitoring and evaluation.
* Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite, including Word, PPT, Excel and Outlook.
1. Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Child Protection (CPP) and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI) are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.
PLAN INTERNATIONAL’S VALUES IN PRACTICE
We are open and accountable
1. Promotes a culture of openness and transparency, including with sponsors and donors.
2. Holds self and others accountable to achieve the highest standards of integrity.
3. Consistent and fair in the treatment of people.
4. Open about mistakes and keen to learn from them.
5. Accountable for ensuring we are a safe organisation for all children, girls & young people
We strive for lasting impact
6. Articulates a clear purpose for staff and sets high expectations.
7. Creates a climate of continuous improvement, open to challenge and new ideas.
8. Focuses resources to drive change and maximise long-term impact, responsive to changed priorities or crises.
9. Evidence-based and evaluates effectiveness.
We work well together
10. Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
11. Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
12. Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.
13. Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.
We are inclusive and empowering
14. We empower our staff to give their best and develop their potential
15. We respect all people, appreciate differences and challenge equality in our programs and our workplace
16. We support children, girls and young people to increase their confidence and to change their own lives.
PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
[In this section, state “typical office environment”, or conditions such as “must work outside in an extremely hot and humid climate”. Also note if any protective equipment is required.]
Typical office environment but may be expected to work temporarily in other environments such as visiting partner organisations, and/or locations where staff are working with beneficiaries
LEVEL OF CONTACT WITH CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE
[Please delete as applicable]
The job responsibilities of this position requires occasional/mid contact with children and it is expected that children and young people shall be protected at all times.
Name of Employee:
Signature:
Name of Supervisor:
Signature:
Location: Ho
Type of Role: Programe Management
Reports to: Head of Programs and Influencing
Grade: E
Closing Date:4th August 2021
Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the very heart of everything that Plan International stands for.
We want Plan International to reflect the diversity of the communities we work with, offering equal opportunities to everyone regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.
Plan International is based on a culture of inclusivity and we strive to create a workplace environment that ensures every team, in every office, in every country, is rich in diverse people, thoughts, and ideas.
We foster an organisational culture that embraces our commitment to racial justice, gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion.
Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. This means that we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with and we must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.
A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International’s Safeguarding Children and Young People policy. Plan International also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this scheme we will request information from applicants previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.
More Information
- Job City Accra, Ghana
