Senior Program and Grants Coordinator

Akwajobs   (Douala, Cameroon)

Posted : 26 October, 2021

Category : Donor Relations/Grants Management   Location : Douala, Cameroon

Job type : Full Time

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The IRC started operations in Cameroon in 2016 to respond to the increasing concerns for people affected by violence linked to Boko Haram, in the Far North of the country. Assistance to displaced populations extends across the Far North, notably Mayo Sava, Mayo Tsanaga and Logone & Chari, delivering lifesaving programming to increase access to water and improving hygiene practices in vulnerable displaced and host communities, cash programming to enable poor families to meet basic needs and improve food security, and protection programming, including meeting specific needs of women and girls. Following the increasing crisis in the North-West and South-West regions of Cameroon, the IRC expanded its operations into the South West region in August 2018, delivering lifesaving humanitarian assistance to internally displaced populations. The IRC’s field offices are located in Maroua and Kousseri in the Far North, Buea in the South-West, and a representation office in Yaoundé.

IRC Cameroon is committed in its Strategic Action Plan 100 to continue to provide essential humanitarian services, with a focus on safety in communities and ensuring affected populations can meet their basic needs, whilst also building the resilience of beneficiaries, especially women and girls. IRC Cameroon is funded by European and American donors.

Scope of Work

The Senior Program & Grants Coordinator will oversee sound management of grants, program development, M&E, and program support for delivery of high-quality programs with a focus on ensuring timely and effective program delivery, coordination and support for the IRC in Cameroon. S/he will ensure overall program implementation and support to program teams through all stages of the Project Cycle Management (PCM) process. The Sr. Program & Grants Coordinator will provide guidance to Technical Coordinators & Program Managers and collaborate with various departments, to ensure the timely and effective planning, implementation and follow up of program activities, budgets, procurement and staffing needs, but equally the effective use of M&E tools to inform decision making and quality programming, reporting and program development. The position reports to the Deputy Director for Programs (DDP) and supervises two Grants Managers, and the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) Coordinator. This position is based in Yaoundé with frequent trips to field sites. The Sr. Program & Grants Coordinator will work collaboratively with the IRC’s senior management team, the technical coordinators, finance, supply chain, HR, and field management.

Main Responsibilities:

1. Program & Business Development

• Lead coordination of proposal development process from Go/No-Go to final submission, gathering input from Technical Coordinators (TCs), M&E staff, Field Coordinators, Deputy Directors of Programs and Operations (DDP/DDO), Finance, Technical Advisors, and ensuring proper review at the Regional and HQ levels;

• Lead coordination of the strategic evaluation & drafting of go-no-go decisions.

• Ensure management of review process through IRC’s electronic grants database, OTIS;

• Work closely with the DDP in supporting facilitation of program design meetings, travelling to field sites & program activities in order to ensure high quality design processes;

• Lead in drafting of non-technical sections of proposals, budget narratives, editing of proposals and review against solicitation requirements and donor rules & guidelines in collaboration with the regional Program Development team;

• In liaison with the West Africa Regional Office and HQ, ensure proposals meet internal standards, including use of IRC’s Outcomes Evidence Framework (OEF) Theories of Change, in line with IRC Cameroon’s Strategic Action Plan (SAP), IMPACT Standards and donor compliance;

• Conduct review of proposal budgets for donor responsiveness and matching technical narrative;

• Act as focal point with donors in-country for the proposal development process;

• Working closely with the DDP, provide inputs to program development strategy through conducting donor mapping, analysis of upcoming opportunities, IRC’s competitive strategy, and updating the program development workplan;

2. Grants Management & Program Support

• Oversee the grants team in their coordination and management of the grant cycle, from kick-off to close-out, including working with the Field Coordinators and Project Leads for grant/project meetings and budget versus actual (BVA) meetings and ensure communication and follow-up with SMT on issues raised;

• Ensure sound management of reporting requirements, including timely and quality submission to donors;

• Ensure support is provided to field offices for management of project cycle and compliance requirements as per donor agreements;

• Oversee and support the use of spending management tools such as FM01 and BVA for the proper monitoring and the successful implementation of programs and early warning in case of obstacles or challenges;

• Oversee the identification and training of project managers/leads and departmental focal points for each project to ensure the effective and systematic use and implementation of all tools and steps of the Project Cycle Meetings (PCM), ensure updates and dissemination of key reporting, guidance and information tools related to PCM (i.e. project dashboards, updates on actions plans, updates on reporting plans, BVA etc.);

• Conduct regular spot checks and field visits to accessible project sites in order to work with and support Technical Coordinators (TCs) and Project Managers (PMs) in the effective implementation of PCM tools.

3. Program Quality & Implementation Support

• In consultation and collaboration with the PMs & TCs (who have budget management over their projects) ensure that the financial management of the project is adequately monitored and managed – support analysis of project spending trends, based on a careful review of BVAs and budgets, to inform the type of support needed for each project and introduce supportive or corrective measures accordingly

• Support, facilitate and coordinate the collaboration between PMs, TCs/budget holders and the logistics/supply chain department in the elaboration of procurement plans, and updating or of procurement plans to enable effective program delivery.

• Provide oversight of the MEAL department, ensuring: the use of indicators allowing for the effective monitoring of the effectiveness of implementation, as well as the capitalization of learning through the different projects to inform decision making; oversight of development of MEAL plans between the Technical Coordinators and the MEAL team in according with IRC’s technical requirements; monitoring data is communicated to relevant colleagues for program adaptions and clear management action.

• Oversee the MEAL Coordinator’s management of the client [beneficiary] feedback and accountability mechanism, liaising with SMT for support in action tracking and follow-up.

4. Communications & Representation

• Ensure implementation of in-country communication strategy, managing Grants & Communications Manager to produce external communications materials for use in in-country advocacy and business development efforts;

• Support in-country engagement with donors and key stakeholders;

• Support representation in sectoral, cluster working groups or thematic/ad hoc humanitarian coordination meetings as needed.

5. Donor Compliance

• Act as focal point with donors in-country on grants management issues for ongoing, past, and potential future projects;

• Review donor agreements and coordinate their review with the relevant IRC HQ office; liaise with the Cameroon Compliance Coordinator as necessary for adherence to donor regulations;

• Ensure that partnership and sub-grant related administrative processes and procedures are consistently implemented throughout the program, including pre-award compliance checks, agreements, and disbursements and reporting;

• Ensure comprehensive grant files are maintained up to date and are available for use by key staff.

6. Management and Capacity Building

• Supervise the two Grants Managers (noting that one is a Grants & Communications Manager) and the M&E Coordinator and provide on-the-job training, discuss job expectations, set objectives and provide appropriate and timely feedback regarding performance;

• Support the training and capacity building to all IRC and local partner staff on program reporting, donor compliance, and IRC program specific requirements;

• Work closely with the DDP in developing capacity building plans for the larger Program team.

Job Requirements

• Full written and spoken fluency in French and English

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in international affairs, development or related subject; Masters preferred.

• At least five years of experience working in project and/or grants management and proposal/business development/design in an INGO or similar environment

• International experience with preference in West or Central Africa

• Prior knowledge of donor regulations (UN, USAID (BHA), ECHO, FCDO, Irish Aid, SIDA, GFFO, SDC, etc.)

• Prior demonstrated success in developing projects and writing proposals for range of donors

• Good communicator with strong organizational, time management and analytical skills

• Excellent inter-personal, cultural and diplomatic skills

• Strong writing and editing skills with close attention to detail

• Flexibility to adapt to changing requirements

• Strong capacity to mentor and build capacity of staff

• Ability to juggle competing priorities, meet demanding deadlines and work under pressure in unstable security environment

• Strong skills in Microsoft Office Suite

• IRC experience is an asset

Working environment

Security: Yaoundé is currently security level yellow and has no curfew in place. Maroua and Kousseri are security level orange and the IRC has a curfew in place, while Buea is level red with a curfew in place. The situation is calm though there remains a risk of terrorist attack and kidnap.

This is an unaccompanied position.

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

IRC is equal opportunity employer, considered all the candidates on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran or disability.

Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

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