Deputy Country Director Program Development and Quality

Deputy Country Director Program Development and Quality (DCDPDQ)

ROLE PURPOSE:

As a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT) in Country, the Deputy Country Director Program Development and Quality (DCDPDQ) is responsible for driving the country office strategic plan and Theory of Change. S/He is responsible for ensuring strategic development of high quality, evidence based, high impact, innovative full spectrum programs that deliver immediate and lasting change for children and contribute to Save the Children’s global breakthroughs: Learn, Survive, Be Protected. One of the key aspects of the role is ensuring capacity building, mentoring and coaching of technical advisors in order to build a strong PDQ department.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Strategy and Planning

• Provide leadership, strategic vision, coherence and direction to the country program as a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT)
• Take overall leadership on designing multi-sector response and recovery strategies, programme plans including sectoral log frames and programme master budgets, ensuring the highest technical expertise is represented across these, and ensuring linkages with existing programmes and strategies.
• Takes overall leadership in prioritising response sectors, in line with SCI Global Humanitarian Strategy, ensuring maximum integration between sectors where relevant and possible.
• Lead on the SMT to drive forward the Country Strategic Plans (CSP) by coordinating input for the development and review of CSP’s across departments
• Facilitate the development and pursuit of thematic, cross-cutting strategic priorities and Gender Equality Policy to guide current and future SC programming.
• Position SC as the leading organization for children’s issues in the country, with child rights at the core of all programming and advocacy work.

Ensuring evidence based programme and project design

• Ensure that the country office has high quality, cost-effective and evidence based multi-sector programs reflecting SC’s global initiatives and theory of change
• Support fundraising, ensuring the development of high quality concept notes and proposals linked to the response strategy/ CSP, and engage effectively with donors and relevant stakeholders
• Ensure programmes in the design process have a strong evidence base resulting from learning via needs assessments and situational analyses
• Ensure all thematic strategies include key global indicators to guide programme development, holistic needs of children and communities are considered and safe programming principles are integrated across program and project designs.

Research, Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, Learning (REALM) and Knowledge management

• Ensure the implementation of MEAL strategies, frameworks and systems and ensure roll out of core SCI MEAL tools, in line with Save the Children’s MEAL in Emergencies (MiE) System Quality Benchmarks and SC MiE Procedure, and broader SCI policies
• Oversee the development of a monitoring system that provides timely and accurate project results by embedding MEAL across programme implementation
• Ensure the development and implementation of quality Research, Evidence and Learning plans, ensuring outcomes and impacts are captured, documented, reported and inform decision making
• Ensure plans to promote accountability to affected populations (AAP) and child participation are high quality and inform programming
• Ensure regular data collection and meaningful analyses, establishment of accountability and learning mechanisms, with regular dissemination of strategic information to SMT and other relevant staff to drive learning and improve program quality
• Ensure effective collaboration between MEAL staff, Technical advisors and Thematic specialists in the development of sector log frames, indicators, implementation plans, and monitoring and evaluation frameworks and related tools.

Thematic Expertise, capacity building and quality assurance

• Monitor and advance technical and operational quality of field programmes across all themes and accountable for results and sustainability of programme outcomes
• Ensure effective working relationships with SC global and regional technical advisors, procuring technical support as needed to support program and advocacy efforts
• Ensure the development of regular thematic working groups, and facilitate cross-thematic learning
• Support capacity development of technical experts, maximizing their role as technical support providers to field teams and local project partners
• Ensure that Technical Specialists engage in larger communities of practice to link with the most relevant and evidence-based approaches and conduct timely and useful review of project reports to support quality reporting for Members and donors
• Integrate and mainstream SC programmes from different country offices to develop a holistic approach in achieving SC breakthroughs

Advocacy and Communications

• Represent Save the Children and network with government authorities, donors, partners and other stakeholders to promote SC objectives and build relationships to facilitate success of our projects
• Lead on advocacy initiatives that promote to national government, civil society and political leaders, child rights and governance and work to influence policy and legislation in the best interests of children
• Ensure that learning from the field contributes to development and implementation of national programs and advocacy initiatives and programs scaled-up by the government to widen reach

Senior leadership function

• Support the development of an organisational culture that reflects SC’s full spectrum mandate and values, promotes accountability and high performance, encourages a cross -team culture of learning, creativity and innovation in a productive work environment, and frees up people to deliver outstanding results for children and excellent service for our members and donors
• Ensure Country Office complies with the SC Quality Framework Essential Standards and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPS)
• Interface with Members to effectively execute strategy and build effective donor relationships

Strategic partnership development

• Support the Operations Department in the proper analysis of potential partners using documented selection methods, to ensure compliance with Save the Children standards and donor requirements and regulations

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Post graduate qualifications in relevant social science, human rights, development studies, NGO management or equivalent field
• A minimum of ten years of progressive senior management and/ or humanitarian and development experience, including experience designing and implementing programs for children.
• Experience in more than one of Save the Children’s thematic sectors: education, child protection, child rights governance, health and nutrition, child poverty, emergencies
• Knowledge of New Business Development, members and donors and their environments and a basic understanding of advocacy, policy, and reform in the host country
• Experience of lobbying, influencing and representing an organisation at all levels and across diverse sectors
• Experience working with high level government agencies and academics on issues related to children
• Strong skills and proven experience in new program development, project design, and donor proposal design with corporates, foundations and institutional donors
• Strong skills and proven experience in leading strategic planning, change management and program management processes; also, from the knowledge and learning perspective
• Developing and managing monitoring, evaluation and learning systems
• Excellent listening, inter-personal, communication and networking skills; and the ability to work with diversified populations
• Experience of conducting research, drafting and presenting reports to varied audiences.

We offer a competitive package in the context of the sector. This Role is offered on the basis of International terms and conditions. Also, interviews will be held on ongoing basis, adverts will be closed once a person is identified.

For non- EU citizens; Visa is to be obtained.