Project Officer-Nilinde Project (Kwale) 288 views0 applications

Plan International is an independent child rights and humanitarian organisation committed to children living a life free of poverty, violence and injustice.  We actively unite children, communities and other people who share our mission to make positive lasting changes in children’s and young people’s lives.  We support children to gain the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to claim their rights to a fulfilling life, today and in the future. We place a specific focus on girls and women, who are most often left behind.  We have been building powerful partnerships for children for more than 75 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries.

ROLE PROFILE

Title	Project Officer – Kwale	Grade
Functional Area & Location	Programs-USAID/Nilinde Project – Coast	Date	November 2018
Reports to	Regional Coordinator
Duration	Upto 30th September 2019 with an option to renew

ROLE PURPOSE

Support for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) for Nairobi and Coast Counties of Kenya, is a USAID-funded $41 million five year Co-operative Agreement (ending August 2020) awarded to a consortium led by Plan International.  Known locally as the Nilinde Project, this five-year initiative aims to improve the welfare and protection of the most vulnerable households affected by HIV/AIDS by reducing economic vulnerability and empowering households to make investments that will improve the health and well-being of OVC.  The Project operates in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale and Taita Taveta counties.

Dimensions of the Role

The Post holder will be primarily responsible for leading a portfolio of 1 to 3 implementing partners- hereinafter referred to as Service Delivery Partners (SDPs)-at the designated sub-national level and supporting the work of these SDPs to ensure successful implementation of the Nilinde Project. The role supervises, mentors and supports SDPs to ensure optimal implementation in line with project design, signed award, approved annual work plans, SDP assigned targets and agreed upon work priorities. Working closely with the line manager and across both technical and operational teams, the role will monitor, supervise and trouble shoot all issues related to SDP management with a focus on implementation oversight across all the core-service areas for OVC in line with the project’s results framework.

To deliver on this role, the Project Officer will supervise the work of assigned SDPs working in designated counties and will ensure that designated SDPs and their staff develop, plan and implement activities aimed at improving the well-being of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) and their households.  Working with various staff in other key departments within Plan Kenya Nilinde, the Project Officer will provide regular support to the SDP’s OVC manager and her/his team to ensure optimal care and support to OVC and results are achieved, including identifying and availing capacity building and on the job training and mentorship of SDPs and select community workforce as may be needed.  The role will collaborate with the M & E team to ensure accuracy and timeliness of data collected and reported, OVC files maintained at site level, optimal reporting rates and support related data quality assurance processes.  The role is also expected to work across teams and drive Nilinde’s renewed focus on leveraging and optimising KCO projects to achieve improved outcomes for OVC while ensuring related reporting rates for OVC is optimised and related cost share is captured.

The success of this position will be measured through ability to achieve the project’s results at the assigned sub-national level, achieve integration and leveraging of Plan Kenya Country Office projects and support both Nilinde funded SDPs and sites to register optimal Site Improvement Monitoring System (SIMS) ratings.  The incumbent will uphold Plan values, and program principals (transparency, gender equity and diversity) to enhance program impact, as well as ensure modelling of Plan values among all project staff and Global policy on safeguarding children and young people.

Accountabilities

With guidance and direction from his/her supervisor and supervising 1-3 SDP’s the position will Oversee and Coordinate Project Implementation at the sub-national county level including:

Service delivery partners (SDP) portfolio management

• Ensure all implementing partners develop and operationalize Scopes of Work (SoWs) and related work plans that are aligned to the approved Nilinde Annual Work plan;
• Monitor expenditure on a monthly basis to ensure spending is on track, and ensure forecasts are updated based on activities and in compliance with donor regulations;
• Facilitate review of monthly/quarterly work plans and ensure adjustments are made based on outcomes of planning and reflection meetings, site visits, and review of activity reports to identify successful approaches and quality gaps;
• Make recommendations for SOW re-alignment based on implementation realities and shift in programming priorities as envisaged by SDP management;
• Operationalize case management, putting in place a plan to build capacity of SDP staff and to cascade the same to LIPS and the community workforce;
• Support SDPs to implement/strengthen state of the art OVC strategies with a special focus on comprehensive support to strengthening of bi-directional referrals, resilience building and support to under-5s, Children living with HIV/AIDs (CLHIV), & Adolescent girls; as well as other emerging programming priorities as will have been identified during annual Country Operation Planning and/or work plan development;
• Support project leadership in holding partner review meetings for purposes of performance review, enhancing implementation coordination and sharing among implementing partners;
• Conduct periodic reviews of SDP performance with a focus on the PEPFAR reportable indicators, and Nilinde project reportable indicators, assigned SDP targets, project burn rate and SIMS dashboard;
• Assist the project leadership in quarterly reporting, annual reporting and development of work plans as will be assigned;

Data use for Decision and information use (DDIU)

• Provide reports of all SDP level feedback meetings attended, findings synthesized and ensure programmatic issues are escalated in a timely manner;
• In collaboration with the M & E team, strengthen the culture of using data to inform service delivery at all levels (SDP, LIP, CHVs and Caregiver);
• Under the supervision of the Regional Coordinator and Project Management team, participate in monthly and quarterly data reviews, portfolio reviews and escalate implementation issues/challenges to supervisors for guidance and to inform program priorities/ technical guidance and/or redirection.

Site Improvement Monitoring System

• Ensure each SDP has a plan to have all sites undergo SIMs by respective SDPs as per USAID guidelines, whilst also ensuring that each CC conducts SIMs on a sampling basis;
• Provide oversight to assigned SDPs to ensure institutionalization of SIMs at all appropriate levels (both Plan led and SDP led SIMS exercises);
• Initiate Plan driven SIMS at the LIP level, including supporting SDPs to effectively address areas of identified weaknesses and working closely with the M & E team and Capacity Building officer to effect, review and analyse SIMS dashboards to determine trends and requisite response plan;
• Working with the OD Specialist, keep a running tracker on all sites that have undergone SIMs, all Core Essential Elements (CEEs) needing remediation, all sites that fail and attendant response plans;
• Keep an updated tracker of all response plans to ensure effective oversight of field staff and SDP for timely remediation;
• Ensure all SIMS dashboards and documentation is filed and organized for accountability purposes.

Collaboration and linkages

• Under the direction of the supervisor, Identify County specific stakeholders and guide county Coordinator engagement; including keeping an updated directory of stakeholders in respective regions;
• Provide oversight support to SDPs to ensure meaningful engagement and participation in stakeholder forums;
• Optimise Plan Kenya projects by leveraging KCO’s existing projects to support OVC.

Reporting

• Provide oversight to SDPs to ensure that they submit high quality reports that feed into the quarterly report to USAID and to aid internal reflections that inform identification of emerging priorities, risks and for course re-direction;
• Collate and synthesize information and provide timely feedback to line manager;
• Regularly check quality of data generated from the SDPs;

Synergy, Communication and Coordination

• Foster and maintain effective and professional relationships with and between all project staff, partners and stakeholders;

• Effectively coordinate SDPs in liaison with grants officers and other program team members to ensure task distribution among staff is efficient and that team work is maintained at all times;

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.

Key relationships

External: – S/he will work closely with Nilinde’s key stakeholders at county and Sub County level that range from Government to Non state agencies such as and not limited to: Department of Children’s Service, County Education office, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST), Ministry of health, Ministry of agriculture Livestock and fisheries, Ministry of Youth Sports and Gender, among others.  The non-state agencies include and not limited to the USAID funded Afya Jijini, Afya Pwani projects, etc.

Internally: The incumbent is expected to work with Nilinde’s M&E department; Health & HIV advisor, House hold economic strengthening team as well as Grants & finance team’s procurement team.  As part of Nilinde design the incumbent will directly work with SDPs and will ensure optimal leveraging and integration with Plan Kenya’s other projects for enhanced programming and in the promotion of One Plan Kenya.

Technical expertise, skills and knowledge

Education, Knowledge & Experience

• Minimum degree qualifications in social science, education, community development or equivalent.
• Master’s degree is an added advantage.
• 3 – 5 years’ experience managing community development programs with emphasis on OVC programming or HIV and health programming.
• Two years’ experience in working with USAID-funded programmes.
• Demonstrated experience managing work plans and budgets.
• Good community mobilization skills.
• Ability to prioritize work according to importance and deadline while meeting conflicting work demands.
• Possesses initiative, patience, tact, and able to work with minimum supervision and under pressure.
• Demonstrates adaptability and flexibility in all aspects of working.
• Strong organizational, interpersonal and communication skills.
• Understanding of rights based approaches and participatory concepts and practical experience in similar context.
• Sensitive to issues affecting children and committed to Plan Kenya’s Child Protection Policy.
• Strong documentation and report writing skills.
• Experience of and commitment to working through systems of community participation and accountability.

Skills:

• Transfers knowledge and skills; Trainer who supports, guides and mentors staff and implementing partners to deliver excellence;
• Strong analytical skills; Ability to recognise trends, emerging risks and gaps and context specific trends and realities to inform
• Strong report writing skills; ability to identify the key elements and criteria of writing quality reports. Capacity to produce accurate, consistent, high standard reports for the project in compliance with donor standards.
• Communicates with Influence: Demonstrated effective interpersonal communication skills, including conflict resolution and negotiation skills community consultation skills and an ability to prepare accurate and detailed documentation
• Building effective teams and partnerships:  Collegiate – acting as a team player, even if this results in adjustment of own priorities; develops mutually trusting relationships with complex partnerships to deliver excellent business outcomes.
• Proficient in computer skills: including a proficiency in Microsoft Office and working knowledge with different computer programs, both computer and web-based.

Behaviors

• Striving for high performance: plans and commits to deliver quality outputs in each aspect of their work.
• Decision making and risk management: Sound judgment and decision-making in complex situations; alerts others to risks inside and outside the program.
• Self-awareness and resilience: Remains calm and positive under pressure and in difficult situations; plans own learning and development; aware of impact on others and adjusts own behaviour accordingly; has a positive impact on those around them.

Competencies:

• Believe in the potential of all people to succeed if given the right support and willingness to multi-task.  Ability to perform under stress,  innovative, build relationships,  coach and mentor, facilitate change, develop teams, initiate action, strategic decision making, planning and organizing.
• Lead through vision and mission and a personal commitment to children’s development and protection.

Plan International’s Values in Practice

We are open and accountable

1. Promotes a culture of openness and transparency, including with sponsors and donors.

1. Holds self and others accountable to achieve the highest standards of integrity.

1. Consistent and fair in the treatment of people.

1. Open about mistakes and keen to learn from them.

1. Accountable for ensuring we are a safe organisation for all children, girls & young people

We strive for lasting impact

1. Articulates a clear purpose for staff and sets high expectations.

1. Creates a climate of continuous improvement, open to challenge and new ideas.

1. Focuses resources to drive change and maximise long-term impact, responsive to changed priorities or crises.

1. Evidence-based and evaluates effectiveness.

We work well together

1. Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.

1. Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.

1. Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.

1. Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.

We are inclusive and empowering

1. Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.

1. Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.

1. Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.

1. Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.

Physical Environment

Ability to travel up to 75% of the time.

Level of contact with children

Mid contact: Occasional interaction with children.

Please note that only applications and CVs written in English will be accepted.

References will be taken and background and Anti-terrorism checks will be carried out in conformity with Plan International’s child protection standards including appropriate background checks and adherence to our Global Policy on Safeguarding Children and Young People.

Plan International operates an equal opportunities policy and actively encourages diversity, welcoming applications from all persons meeting the skills and experience required.

Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.