Programme Manager at Plan International

Programme Manager Job Opportunity at Plan International July 2020

Location: Kibondo, 08, TZ

Company: Plan International

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.

ROLE PURPOSE

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.

Plan International Tanzania is looking for a Programme Manager to provide strategic leadership in the implementation of a 5-year project- “Play Matters- Learning through Play Project funded by the LEGO Foundation. The project is aimed at supporting play-based learning for children aged 3-12 years in the 3 refugee camps and host communities in the Kigoma region. The project will focus on reaching out to nearly 1 million pre-primary and primary school aged refugee and host community children impacted by the humanitarian crises in East Africa and living in Ethiopia, Uganda and Tanzania. This project aims to build children’s social, emotional, cognitive, physical and creative skills through play in their homes, schools, and communities and will be implemented in partnership with War Child, International Rescue Committee, Ubongo, Behavioural Insights Team and Innovations for Poverty Action.

The Project Manager will be fully responsible for timely, efficient, and gender-responsive implementation of all project interventions in a bid to achieve the project outcomes aimed at ensuring that:

1) Principal caregivers and community play leaders apply Learning Through Play at home and in the community 2) Educators integrate high-quality, Learning Through Play in their classroom;

3) System Influencers, Humanitarian Actors & Policy Makers integrate Learning Through Play into their services and policies.

DIMENSIONS OF THE ROLE

The Programme Manager will be responsible and ultimately accountable for project implementation and team leadership, quality programming and delivery of results, financial management and compliance, coordination and collaboration and relations with project consortium members and stakeholders. In addition, the Programme Manager will be responsible for ensuring design and engages other key stakeholders required to achieve results such as government officials, the UN and other humanitarian coordination actors, as well as other implementing agencies outside of the consortium.

S/he will demonstrate excellent project management and problem-solving skills, a very high degree of maturity, flexibility, organization and communication skills, and strategic thinking to meet the demands of a dynamic and sometimes unpredictable operating environment while ensuring Plan International’s systems and policies and donor requirements are adhered to, especially gender transformative programming and child and youth safeguarding

RESPONSIBILITIES/ ACCOUNTABILITIES

1. Program delivery

• Oversee technical project direction and project delivery to ensure activities are in line with the project wide performance framework and work plan, and meet all standard operational policies and procedures;
• Works with DNO technical team to provide strategic and technical leadership and define country level activities to achieve the greatest impact toward project goals and objectives;
• Develop, review, and monitor, in coordination with DNO technical team and partners, annual work and performance plans to ensure long-term and short-term priorities are on track;
• Conduct project monitoring visits to provide technical assistance and ensure proper implementation and monitoring of project activities;
• Provide financial and operations support that optimizes resources through sound budgets, consistent financial tracking, and timely submission of reports to the donor;
• Support project staff to use project data to track progress and engage in meaningful course correction discussions at regular and frequent intervals; as well as ensure data is tailored to facilitate similar discussions at the country and regional senior management level.
• Responsible with monthly, quarterly and annual donor reports through both formal and informal debriefings and written inputs;
• Deal with project systematically reviews of risks and challenges to quality implementation and compliance and develop clear and timely mitigation strategies including resources required.
• Develops and implements a clear plan to strengthen programme quality and compliance in the project delivery.

• Work with MEAL Coordinator in Developing sound monitoring and evaluation framework with appropriate indicators for EiE & ECCD activities to facilitate assessment of progress and impact of interventions.
• Work with MEAL Coordinator to build the capacities of EiE Program Staffs on projects monitoring and evaluation, conducting assessments and reporting, and documentation of best practices and lesson learned.

2. Communication and Working Relationships 

• Maintain active and cooperative relationships with all key stakeholders, including government officials, UN agencies, project partners, other implementing agencies, and related institutions;
• Engages and effectively represent Plan International in strategic partnerships with relevant NGOs (local and international), National and district local government entities /stakeholders as appropriate, to ensure visibility of the emergency programme and to gain acceptance.
• Develops appropriate internal and external Working Relationships (and partnerships) to support quality project delivery and compliance.

3. Advocacy, Influencing, and Visibility

• Support advocacy initiatives through developing briefs, documentation of evidence and impact stories.
• Represent Plan International at district, regional and National level and work closely with the advocacy focal point to ensure relevant stakeholders are aware of Plan International Programming.

4. Staff Management

• Lead project staff by creating and maintaining a work environment that promotes teamwork, trust, mutual respect, and empowers staff to take responsibility.
• Conducts staff performance reviews, identifies key areas for staff development, and supporting staff capacity building as required.
• Ensures roles, responsibilities and expectations are clearly communicated and understood by the full project team and consortium partners and tasks are appropriately delegated.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

External – Close collaboration and strong working relationship with project consortium partners (War Child, International Rescue Committee, Ubongo, Behavioural Insights Team and Innovations for Poverty Action.). The Programme Manager will also maintain a relationship with local authorities, relevant Government institutions, and UN agencies to ensure Plan’s work is well linked to other initiatives.

Internally– The Programme Manager will report to the EiE who will be playing an advisory role for the project, EiE MEAL Coordinator as well as the EiE officers who will be supporting implementation at camp level. S/he will also work closely with finance officer, Procurement team, Communications and advocacy team and Human resources team. S/He will also work closely with the Child Protection team and ensure that protection is integrated in all Education activities. At the same time S/He will be working closely with Denmark National Office Technical and Regional Teams.

TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

• Hold a Bachelor’s degree in an interdisciplinary area such as Education Management, Development Studies, International Development, Strategic Planning, Program Management, etc. or equivalent.
• At least 5 years of demonstrated experience in managing Early Childhood Development and Primary Education programs in Emergency and Development contexts.
• Experience with Learning through Play approaches and content development will be considered a strong asset
• Proven leadership, inter-personal and cross-cultural skills, and ability to build and motivate multi-disciplinary teams
• Demonstrated experience working collaboratively managing consortium projects with skills in effective partnership management
• Strong understanding of gender responsive programming and meaningful child participation in programs

• Conversant with national and decentralized education service delivery systems, structures, operations, and networks

• Knowledge of effective participatory Monitoring, Evaluation and Research systems and processes

SKILLS

• Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to work in a matrix environment
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including presentation and public speaking
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent organizational skills and the ability to multitask while working on projects with varying activities, objectives, and deliverables
• Good negotiation and influencing skills
• Creates a strong sense of purpose within the portfolio and with stakeholders
• Sound judgment and decision-making in complex situations

PLAN INTERNATIONAL’S VALUES IN PRACTICE

We are open and accountable

• Promotes a culture of openness and transparency, including with sponsors and donors.
• Holds self and others accountable to achieve the highest standards of integrity.
• Consistent and fair in the treatment of people.
• Open about mistakes and keen to learn from them.
• Accountable for ensuring we are a safe organisation for all children, girls & young people

We strive for lasting impact

• Articulates a clear purpose for staff and sets high expectations.
• Creates a climate of continuous improvement, open to challenge and new ideas.
• Focuses resources to drive change and maximise long-term impact, responsive to changed priorities or crises.
• Evidence-based and evaluates effectiveness.

We work well together

• Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
• Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
• Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.
• Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.

We are inclusive and empowering

• Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
• Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
• Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.
• Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

The job holder requires 40 % field work in 3 camps and 60 % office-based environments.

LEVEL OF CONTACT WITH CHILDREN

High interaction with children  

Location: Kibondo Kigoma

Reports to: Education in Emergency Specialist – LEGO

Grade: D1

Closing Date: 31st July 2020