Senior Head of Program Quality Job vacancy at  Plan International, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

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.

The Senior Head of Program Quality is an innovative position responsible for resourcefully planning, monitoring and supporting Plan International Tanzania’s quality programming, including through our local society partners. (S)he has supervisory responsibility for the thematic leads, including gender and inclusion, partnerships, monitoring, evaluation, learning and research, education, child protection and youth economic empowerment, and ensuring close coordination with SRHR and WASH. The Senior Head of Program Quality is responsible for the development and delivery of quality programming placing a high value on innovative design of new proposals/ grants and creative partnerships.

Dimensions of the Role

• Support the implementation of impactful, sustainable and evidence based projects and programs, aligned with Plan’s strategic priorities.
• Work in coordination with the Business Development team and National Organisations to ensure that new project designs meet program quality standards, including Plan’s commitments to gender equality and inclusion.
• Support planning of activities for particular projects to ensure integration of program interventions and efficiency in implementation.
• Effectively supervise a dynamic team of staff, provide coaching, strategically tailor individual development plans, and complete performance assessment.
• Ensure accountability, learning and knowledge management as part of the implementation of the MEAL policy.
• Coordinate the identification, assessment and strengthening of appropriate partnerships with local CSO, Private sectors and government.
• Organize and coordinate regular program reporting and conduct reviews of content, ensuring on-time submission of high quality reports.
• Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding children and young people 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.

Accountabilities

Key Result Area 1: Support in the design and implementation of high quality evidence-based Inclusive and gender transformative projects which are in line with Country Strategy Plan (CSP).

Indicators for success:

• Lead in the design of the programmes for Plan International Tanzania as prioritized in the Country Strategic Plan and aligned with government and donor priorities;
• Support the Identification of key implementing and strategic partners with whom Plan can work to leverage meeting its CSP objectives;
• Make sure that all project plans are complete with outcome level monitoring and evaluation plans;
• Develop programme strategies through participatory processes so that integrated quality programming can be achieved.
• Ensure the Integration of sustainable approaches, gender responsive and inclusion into all activities as appropriate
• Lead the application of Plan’s global programme quality policy and framework, global M&E standards and Plan International Tanzania’s M&E vision in all program plans and implementations;
• Ensure timely development of high quality both narrative and financial reporting to donors (monthly, quarterly annual and final)

Key Result Area 2: Coordinate sectoral (thematic) planning processes and ensure proper understanding of the sector (thematic) goals and objectives, and strategic engagement of key stakeholders;

Indicators for success:

• Oversee sectoral (thematic) programme management;
• Develop and oversee programme implementation strategies, including partnership frameworks, protocols and agreements, and capacity building of partners as potentially identified;
• Ensure that project teams have access to and are appropriately using routine monitoring and periodic assessment;
• Manage the preparation of scopes of work to hire and manage technical consultants, including review for technical capacities and contract budgets;
• Support and maintain systems to ensure effective and transparent use of financial resources and timely, accurate and informative reporting in compliance with donor regulations;
• Provide support to your immediate reports in effective budget management, including accurate spending forecasts and expense monitoring;
• Review activity plans or monthly spending projections, according to the project budgets and annual spending projections;
• Support and where possible, improve operational systems and structures to ensure effective administrative and logistics support for programmes;
• Ensure documentation of evidence based best practice, success stories and learning for advocacy and scaling up of proven and evidence based models.

Key Result Area 3: Contributes to a comprehensive funding strategy and support the fundraising initiatives of the TZCO thematic programmes

Indicators for success:

• Support business development team and National Organisations in the development of high quality concept notes and proposals as well as seeking of new opportunities
• Effective linkage and relationship established and maintained with National Organisations ;
• Maintain effective communication with internal and externals donors and development partners;
• Good relationship established with new/ existing proposed partners for upcoming resource mobilisation opportunities.

Key Result Area 4: Provide capacity building, training and technical support to the staff and implementing partners, to be able to deliver sustainable changes for the children and their communities.

Indicators for success:

• Work closely with the HR department to hire, orient and supervise new team members as necessary;
• Provide regular coaching and mentoring to the thematic staff;
• Develop capacity building plan for project staff (as well as partners, where needed) that strengthen work environment in which team members strive to achieve excellence;
• Contribute to country team-building and staff development efforts, and support the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes.
• Ensure thematic programme staff compliance with the Plan International Tanzania policies and related procedures.

Key relationships

Internal:

• This position works closely with the Operations department (Medium)
• This position works closely with the Business Development Unit (medium)

• This position works closely with the Program Area Manager/PUMs (Medium)
• This position works closely with the Communications, Influencing and Advocacy (low)

Technical expertise, skills and knowledge

Essential

• Master’s Degree in Social science, International Development, or any relevant field. A research based degree is an advantage.
• Minimum of 5 years work experience in a program management position with progressive responsibilities for an international NGO, with a strong focus on rights based approaches, gender equality and inclusion in programming.
• Demonstrated experience in project grants management, including project design, budget preparation, expenditure tracking, monitoring and evaluation, reporting, including institutional donors.
• Excellent English writing skills.
• Excellent understanding of the local civil society sector and experience engaging partners and strengthening partnerships.
• Demonstrated commitment to addressing gender equality and addressing the rights of girls and women in development programming.
• Staff management experience and abilities that are conducive to a learning environment.
• Some experience and abilities in capacity strengthening – developing curricula and facilitating trainings.
• Experience using MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, information and budget management systems, and knowledge sharing networks.

Desirable

• Experience working with children and understanding their special needs.

Personal Skills

• Strong process and time management skills and ability to motivate others to develop and practice these skills.
• Strong critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills with ability to make sound judgment and operationalize innovations.
• Strong relationship management skills and the ability to work effectively with culturally diverse, cross-disciplinary, and geographically disperse groups.
• Proactive, results-oriented, and service-oriented.
• Team leadership abilities
• Proactive, resourceful, solutions oriented and results-oriented

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

• Typical office environment with at least 20% of travel to programme locations.

Level of contact with children

• Low contact: No contact or very low frequency of interaction

Location: Dar Es Salaam

Reports to: Director of Programs

Closing Date: 17th June, 2020

E arly application is encouraged as we will review applications throughout the advertising period and reserve the right to close the advert early.

A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International’s Safeguarding Children and Young People policy.

As an international child centred community development organisation, Plan International is fully committed to promoting the realisation of children’s rights including their right to protection from violence and abuse. That means we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with.

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. We must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.

Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the very heart of everything that Plan International stands for. Our organisation 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 will provide equality of opportunity and will not tolerate discrimination on any grounds. We foster an organisational culture that embraces and exemplifies our commitment to gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion while supporting staff to adopt good practice, positive attitudes and principles of gender equality and inclusion.