TEAM/PROGRAMME: International Programs

LOCATION: Ethiopia

CHILD SAFEGUARDING:

Level 3.  The responsibilities of this post may require the post holder to have regular contact with children and young people. In the overseas context all posts are considered to be level 3.

As part of these responsibilities the post holder will support the establishment of child safeguarding systems, promote a culture of keeping children safe, and ensure that potential harm to children (by our own staff and/or as a result of how we do our work) is identified and addressed on an ongoing basis.  The post holder should report and respond to interventions as determined by position related responsibilities identified in the Child Safeguarding Policy.

ROLE PURPOSE:

The Award Management and Partnership Director will provide the primary award and partnership management inputs for both development and humanitarian programmes, and on-going support to develop best practice relating to award management and partnership procedures and processes. The role has three main aspects to it: lead the Country Office award management and Partnership teams; capacity building of staff in their award management professional development and contributing to the development and advancement of award and partnership management processes and systems. If an international staff member is appointed, the intention is that s/he will recruit, train and hand over to a national staff member.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

 Reports to: Country Director

Staff reporting to this post:  Award Management and Partnership teams

Role Dimensions

A.KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY: 

Award Management

• Provide strategic support within the SMT on all aspects of award and partnership management including all stages of Award Management Cycle.
• Lead on the development and implementation of the Country Office funding strategy, making recommendations and flagging issues to the SMT and Save the Children members as appropriate by supporting to PDQ team.
• Ensure accurate and up to date information on the award portfolio is readily available to SMT and members.
• Working with the Finance Director, ensure the CO has a clear framework for master budget development, cost allocation, monitoring of award budgets, phasing and forecasting, in particular ensuring alignment between the master budget and funding tracker.
• Ensure that necessary risks are taken knowingly with appropriate mitigating actions both on award partnership management related.
• Identify, assess, input, recommend on the existing and desired reconciliation process (reporting assurance mechanism) between PDQ, Finance, Procurement, Logistics, Distribution, and M&E to ensure accountable reporting to donors.
• Ensure that the Award Management System (AMS) is effectively manage and maintained, up to date and accurately records the audit trail (data and process) for all awards and sub-awards/partnerships.
• Recruit, train and manage award and partner management staff.
• Build and maintain relationships with relevant networks and award and partnership management staff of similar organisations in the country.

Donor Compliance

• Ensure all donor requirements are met and there is a complete audit trail of the implementation and reporting for all awards and partners.
• Ensure that key contributing staff has a clear understanding of donor requirements and expectations at the agreement, kick off, implementation, amendment, reporting, close out and audit stage of awards.
• Ensure that key processes are in place so that formats, eligibility, compliance, reporting, receive optimum attention at the various stages of the award life cycle with a view of securing donor satisfaction.
• Work with the finance team and provide technical advice to strategic donor costs allocation with a view to minimise compliance requirements where possible (timesheets, co-financing etc.).
• Ensure potential issues and amendment requests are flagged promptly to donors via the relevant Save the Children member. This may include developing business cases where donor waiver/derogation requests need to be more thoroughly articulated or negotiated with donors.
• Ensure that all new staff receive an orientation to SCI award management processes, systems, tools, and donor compliance requirements that are relevant to the role.
• Work with internal and external auditors as necessary.

Donor Reporting

·       Support the reporting process to ensure that Ethiopia staff better able to capture relevant information in the process of implementation to aid quality report writing (information management).

·       Ethiopia office able to submit quality reports to members and donors on time supporting the achievement of the global KPIs.

·       Support better coordination between members, donors and field teams in terms of the reporting process, responsiveness and information flow with adherence to donor reporting and submission flow chart

·       Support capacity building efforts across the Ethiopia country office through trainings, learning materials such as training manuals.

·       Support the review of high-risk award donor reports periodically

Program Development/Strategic Portfolio Planning

• Support the coordination of proposals, working with PDQ, Finance and Operations to produce high quality, fully costed proposals
• Support to support in the development of a Country Office funding strategy that enables proactive engagement across Save the Children globally and with donors to secure funding opportunities in a timely manner, making recommendations and flagging issues to Senior Management
• To engage with Save the Children globally and provide information to support in the building of professional relationships with donors to identify strategic fundraising opportunities

Partnerships Management

• Work with relevant program staff to ensure all implementing partners undergo legal vetting and a capacity assessment prior to commencing work with Save the Children, are engaged with appropriate agreements and effective monitoring systems are in place so that partner delivery meets donor expectations and requirements.
• Work with program staff to ensure relevant donor requirements are effectively communicated and understood by implementing partners.
• Lead on partnership strategy development and adherence, roll out of global partnerships policies and procedures, and development of contextualized tools.
• Ensure partnership led project are properly managing and reach expected results by reaching projects goal.
• Ensure partner management and necessary tools are in place to avoid any financial/audit risk to the country program.
• Ensure effective partner coordination and partner consultations are properly managing to inputs for organisational strategic directions.

Coordination and Networking

• Ensure member, centre and RO communication is effectively leading and managing both the issues on award management and partnership related in transparent process.
• Ensure, cross functional teams (PDQ, Finance, Operations) are properly engage and informed on Award and Partner Management process and decision-making process.

Capacity Building

·       Led the award and partnership management team to strengthen the knowledge and capacity of staff across all functions to manage awards and comply with donor requirements as relevant to their role by providing, induction, training and coaching consistent with their various roles and responsibilities.

·       Lead the training needs are fulfilled to keep KPI performance on top line and sustain for the country program by having necessary discussion with other SLT members.

·       Ensure cross cutting issues such as gender and non-discrimination, inclusion of children with disabilities, conflict sensitivity, environment and climate change, child participation, and social accountability are integrated in the implementation and reporting of the project.

·       Review and provide inputs on quarterly, annual and completion reports to ensure high quality reports, and recommendation on how the reports can be improved.

·       Together with Senior Program Specialist and MEAL team, conduct monitoring visits to projects to ensure quality implementation of project activities.

·       Together with MEAL team, document and disseminate learning and knowledge from project baselines, reviews and evaluations, and community of practices for internal reflections and use as well as partners.

·       Document evidences and impact case stories from projects and support the development of bi-annual Child Rights Governance, Advocacy and Campaign newsletter, and disseminate best practices through learning and knowledge management system to the public.

·       Work closely with the senior advocacy and campaign technical specialists to ensure synergy between CRG, advocacy and campaign and integration with thematic sectors; and support in advocacy and influencing on the implementing of policies and programs related to the most deprived groups of children

          Partnership Development and Capacity Building

·       Together with the partnership unit, undertake assessment and analysis of the capacity of partners to implement the project and contribute to the achievement of Save the Children’s breakthroughs.

·       Together with partnership unit and other relevant thematic sectors, organize experience sharing forums among partner organizations to promote learning on good practices and innovative approaches.

·       Support partner organizations in the course of planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation and preparation of periodic and completion reports.

·       Identify and recommend possible supports to partners to build their capacity and to facilitate project implementation.

Provide technical supports to partners as neededSKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS (our Values in Practice)

·     Translates complex contextual information into planning and achieving results effectively

·     Ability to take a range of potentially complex and conflicting information and make decisions

·     Designs and reviews large and complex operations to ensure maximum impact

·     Ensures measures and metrics are in place to track performance in large and complex programmes

Maintaining and developing collaborative relationships

·     Puts mechanisms in place to ensure effective collaborative working across boundaries

·     Develops high performing teams

Operating safely and securely

·     Helps team members to practise stress management through prioritisation of workloads and modelling of appropriate self-care

·     Monitors security risks and ensures organisational protocols are consistently followed by staff

·     Reduces vulnerability by complying with safety and security protocols set by the organisation

Managing yourself in a pressured and changing environment

·     Facilitates others to carry out their roles and responsibilities in difficult circumstances

·     Able to remain positive and effective in the face of multiple challenges

·     Inspires others by clearly articulating and demonstrating the values, core purpose and principles that underpin humanitarian work

·     Maintains simultaneously a broad strategic perspective and awareness of the detail of a situation

Leadership and Developing Others

·     Delivers needs-based results in complex and fast-changing contexts

·     Evaluates the opportunities and risks of each idea and solution to make informed strategic decisions.

·     Demonstrates managerial courage by willingness to confront difficult situations and take potentially unpopular decisions

·     Actively encourages a team environment where team members feel able to contribute, champion or challenge decisions.

·     Conveys complex strategic issues with clarity, brevity and confidence.

·     Develops and implements processes to ensure that the workplace is inclusive and the talents of individuals are harnessed to achieve individual and organizational success

QUALIFICATION AND EXPERIENCE

Experience and Skills:

·     A minimum of 10 years’ experience in   senior management role out of which 5 years INGO experience with excellent grasp of operational issues.

·     Master’s degree in relevant field or have CIMA or ACCA

·     Sound knowledge of the requirements of major institutional donors including budgeting, eligibility issues, compliance management, and reporting.

·     Proven track record of active contribution to a senior management team, and providing strategic support across multiple sectors and/or regions.

·     Proven experience of establishing and running the award management function in the field.

·     Ability to present complex information in a succinct and compelling manner

·     Action-oriented analytical skills; demonstrated experience in setting up and maintaining quality assurance /compliance systems

·     Excellent planning, management and coordination skills, with the ability to organise a demanding workload comprised of diverse and challenging tasks and responsibilities.

·     Experience of engaging with donors at country strategy levels.

·     Experience of and well-developed skills in staff management and supervision with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures. Proven strong coaching and capacity building skills.

·     Strong communication (written and spoken), and interpersonal skills in English, with experience in managing multicultural teams

·     Computer literate (i.e. WORD, advanced Excel, Outlook, Internet Explorer, financial systems).

Patient, adaptable, flexible, culturally aware and able to improvise and remain responsive and

·     communicate clearly and effectively under pressure

·     Commitment to Save the Children values

Desirable

·     Experience with Save the Children Award Management Policies, procedures and systems (AMS)

·     Able to use Agresso accounting software

·     Experience of Project Management, M&E Management or Funding Coordination

  Skills and Experience:

KEY COMPETENCIES

Technical competencies:

·      Ensures linkages across portfolio ensuring quality and coherence of MEAL systems and evidence gathering

·      Manages resources and capacities to develop and maintain quality MEAL systems

·      Facilitates strategic alignment of data to global priorities

Generic Competencies

·      Child Rights: Promotes an enabling environment for participation, and accountability to children

·      Be the Innovator: Promotes innovation to find new and better approaches to driving progress for children

Deliver Results at Scale: Promotes a clear focus on impact in a project and programme design, management, and oversight 

Generic Competencies

• Being the Voice of Children: Promotes evidence-based policy and public engagement that includes the voices of children and their communities

• Advancing Equality & Inclusion: Displays a commitment to ensuring everything we do considers the most deprived and marginalised children and adolescent
• Building & Strengthening Partnerships: Promotes working with diverse partners as critical to delivery

Child Rights: Promotes the rights of children in own work and in work with colleagues and peerS,

Additional job responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.

Equal Opportunities

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI’s global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Gender Equality Policies, supported by relevant procedures.

Child Safeguarding:

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Safeguarding our Staff:

The post holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI anti-harassment policy.

Health and Safety

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SC Health and Safety policies and procedures.

We offer a competitive package in the context of the sector. The duty station of the position holder will be in Addis Ababa This role is offered on the basis of national terms and conditions only.

The Organization
We employ approximately 25,000 people across the globe and work on the ground in over 100 countries to help children affected by crises, or those that need better healthcare, education and child protection. We also campaign and advocate at the highest levels to realize the right of children and to ensure their voices are heard.

We are working towards three breakthroughs in how the world treats children by 2030:
• No child dies from preventable causes before their 5th birthday
• All children learn from a quality basic education and that,
• Violence against children is no longer tolerated

We know that great people make a great organization, and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children. We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive environment where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.