Program Quality & Accountability Advisor 96 views0 applications

Role & Responsibilities

Support and drive forward the work of program staff to meaningfully use systems that assure quality and accountability within Medair DRC projects. Review, reinforce, and recommend beneficiary accountability mechanisms, ensuring robust systems are in place for quality and equal aid delivery to the most vulnerable. Analyse, assess, and support M&E data and programme documentation, reporting, and filing processes, especially in the area of fraud and PSEA which are major issues in the sector and require proactive mitigation. Enhance capacity of Medair DRC to comply with donor and CHS, Sphere and other humanitarian standards.

Project Overview

Emergency health projects, including the Ebola and COVID-19 responses, targeting displaced, war-affected and vulnerable populations in regions that are in crisis in DRC. WASH interventions in communities and support of health centres are part of our health emergency responses.

Workplace & Conditions

Field based position is based in Goma, with frequent travel to the field locations. Take a look at Medair’s work in D.R. Congo.

Starting Date / Initial Contract Details

As soon as possible. Full time, 1 to 6 months.

Key Activity Areas

Program Quality & Accountability

• Work closely with the M&E Manager and Quality Director, provide advice and make evidence-based, actionable recommendations ensure the application of controls and compliance with policies and procedures.
• Through critical review of M&E and anti-fraud systems, ensuring learning is disseminated for future programme design, and see that creative cross-cutting issues including gender and protection, are systematically included.
• Gather and map all current methods for flagging, reporting, investigating, and tracking potential fraud, identify gaps in current reporting mechanisms and flag weaknesses.
• Analyse trends in known fraud and usage of reporting systems, incorporating reported perceptions.
• Structural analysis of where current systems fails to prevent fraud, though appear sound.
• Discuss best practices for report writing, reporting findings, sharing and implementing lessons learned, etc.
• Ensure beneficiary communications & feedback mechanisms are reported, and reviewed regularly for learning.
• Support managers in implementing more robust systems for reporting fraud based on learning and data.
• Ensure the Program Quality & Accountability role is structured to carry forward as a more permanent position.
• Promote accountability across functional units, prepare comprehensive reports summarising the status of compliance of internal controls, key oversight themes, and using risk information to highlight areas out of risk appetite and formulate sound recommendations on required actions in areas of risk & compliance vulnerability.
• For each investigation, maintain and update records, protocols and incidents’ database.
• Prepare thorough and well-written investigation reports that are of a consistently high quality with soundly based findings and appropriate recommendations and present them to relevant managers, as appropriate.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning

• Advise and support M&E Manager in prioritizing M&E needs in conjunction with project coordinators & managers to ensure monitoring systems are in place, including gathering data for case studies and lessons learned.
• Improve and help establish robust M&E systems which provide ‘red flags’ in project implementation and compliance, specifically those linked to fraud and PSEA.
• Gather and map out all existing data collection methods and indicators against donor requirements.
• Identify and analyse current beneficiary accountability measures against international standards.
• Identify gaps in baseline data, flag where data is not clean or reliable. Plan out data cleaning and syncing for program, include milestones that match funding cycles, responsibilities, and integrate into work plans.

Staff Management

• Line managed by HCP and working closely with Quality Director and M&E Manager.
• Support the development of an organisational culture that reflects Medair values, promotes accountability and high performance and frees up our teams to deliver outstanding results for recipients of aid.

Quality Management

• Advise on issues that are time-sensitive and highly confidential, and pose significant financial, legal and reputational risk to the organization. Understand that holding people to account can hold significant security risk factors in the Congo context and must be managed with sensitivity and wisdom.
• Use the Medair operating procedures, ensuring that guidelines are followed in particular fraud, PSEA, and M&E.
• Encourage and enable projects to be implemented in line with donor requirements and in accordance with Medair, country and international standards (e.g. CHS, Sphere, WHO recommendations, etc.).
• Assist Medair DR Congo learn from previous CHS annual review and prepare for audit process in the current year.

Team Spiritual Life

• Reflect the values of Medair with team members, local staff, beneficiaries, and external contacts.
• Work, live, and pray together in our Christian faith-based team settings. Fully contribute to the rich spiritual life of your team, including team devotions, prayers, and words of encouragement.
• Encouraged to join and contribute to Medair’s international prayer network.

This job description covers the main tasks that are anticipated. Other tasks may be assigned as necessary.

Qualifications

• University degree in a relevant subject such as Management / Development / Business Administration
• Strong working knowledge of English and French (spoken and written).

Experience / Competencies

• 5 years post-qualification experience in a logistics and senior management position, in a relief environment.
• Experience in assessing and recommending effective internal controls and mitigation actions.
• Experience leading monitoring and reporting activities, demonstrating knowledge of results hierarchy, performance metrics and measurement.
• Advanced planning, assessment and analytical skills. Leadership and project management skills.
• Knowledge of Humanitarian Essentials, Sphere and HAP Standards and other international humanitarian guidelines and protocols.

Ability to see the bigger picture, to recognise emerging trends, including both challenges and opportunities.

Ability to prioritise tasks, including through the creation and constant revision of an annual work plan.

Solution-focussed; facilitates program and program support departments to address challenges.

Ability to remain focused and maintain exacting standards of performance, despite intense pressure of work.