Programme Grants and Reporting Manager – Afghanistan

About the role: This is a one-year, unaccompanied role based in Taloqan, Afghanistan. This is a grade 3 with a pro rata salary from €39 911 to €44 346 euro and benefits.

You will report to the Programme Director, and coordinate closely with the Country Director to support proposal development and grant reporting efforts for the country portfolio. You will work closely with the EC-AWARE Chief of Party, Senior Program Coordinator, MEAL team, Programme Managers and other team members as required.

We would like you to start on the 1st July 2022.

Your purpose: This role contributes to ensuring quality programming through effective grant management including programme development, proposal writing and grant management processes, ensuring compliance to internal and donor requirements and supporting and building team capacity on the same. This role supports the continued growth of the country programme grants portfolio and effective management of the overall grant cycle. You will be responsible for maintaining up-to-date records for each grant both in the in-country grant filing system and online Grant Management System (GMS), and will work in close collaboration with the MEAL team and Programme Managers (PMs) to produce high quality donor reporting and ensure strong compliance with donor requirements.

This role will work in collaboration with the Program Director, the Senior Program Coordinator, Program Managers, MEAL Unit, Finance Unit and the Desk Officer to produce high quality donor reports and proposals. You will support the development of funding proposals, verifying that they are in line with donor and call guidelines. You will represent Concern in proposal development meetings with partners under the Programme Director’s instruction.

You will be responsible for:

Reporting and Grants compliance (40%)

• Ensure quality external and donor reporting and internal monthly and annual reports, including coordinating, editing, formatting and writing as needed.
• Ensure timely submission of reports and that financial and narrative reports are accurate, coherent and meet donor guidelines and requirements
• Oversee Concern Afghanistan’s grants portfolio, keeping respective managers and colleagues informed and updated on donor policies and compliance requirements.
• Review reports and proposals to ensure high quality of content and formatting, liaise with the DO and Technical Advisors for inputs and ensure comments taken on board. Support with drafting of sections as required.
• Maintain the country grants matrix: update and share regularly with the Country Management Team (CMT), respective PM and Desk Officer (DO), and lead on ensuring timely, accurate and quality reporting to donors.
• Liaising with the PMs, Systems Director, Finance team, assist in ensuring strict compliance with donor and internal program and finance/logistics guidelines. Actively support managers on this, including coordination training/orientation sessions as necessary to the project team and partners.
• Keep up to date with relevant donor regulations and provide proposal development teams and PMs with correct proposal and reporting templates, and guidance on donor policies and compliance requirements.
• Liaising with the CD and PD contribute to the Country Programme Annual Report and/or compile internal/external updates/reports as requested.
• Participate in project review meetings to keep abreast of progress against contractual deliverables including outputs, outcomes and deliverables.
• Organize grant review meetings with the CMT, involving program and program support teams, to review progress against each grant and agree on follow up action

Program Development and Funding (30%)

• In collaboration with the CD and PD, research in country donor intelligence in order to understand their mission, policies, strategies, procedures and priorities, and actively identify and keep abreast of funding opportunities, key donor priorities, funding trends, and approaches to support programme growth in line with Concern Afghanistan’s Strategic Plan.
• Work with the programme and finance teams to develop cohesive, quality concept notes and proposals, ensuring internal and external deadlines are met and technical expertise/knowledge is incorporated.
• Support communication with the donors on any anticipated or unanticipated changes during the lifetime of a project.
• Support the update of donor and partner due diligence and agreements documents.
• Coordinate with PMs to complete documents for donors and clusters (4Ws, monitoring tables, etc.)
• Support the organization of kick off, close out meetings for all grants, and support the drafting of all related documents (minutes, best practices, etc).
• Update the current donor and stakeholder profile in country: their priorities for investment, potential calls.

Knowledge and information management (30%)

• Maintain folders, on GMS, Shared Drive and Sharepoint, of key organisational information required for proposals, and of all prior proposals submitted, for staff induction, learning, and future reference purposes (in coordination with HQ Desk Officer)
• Support version control of documents and filing of final reports and proposals, learning documents, survey reports and data, using the shared data space in country
• Participate in cluster meetings and dissemination of key points, attending where appropriate, and coordinate responses to cluster requests, in partnership with the stakeholder liaison officer
• Help promote a culture of shared learning across all programme locations and with colleagues in the region including participating in organising quarterly programme meetings.
• In coordination with the PD and PMs, ensure the collection and proactive use of project participant case studies, photos, field reports and other information to demonstrate effectively to different audiences the achievements (and challenges) of programmes implemented.
• In coordination with the CD and PD, ensure production of Programme Updates, Briefing Papers and information packs for distributions to donors, working groups and external stakeholders
• With support of relevant project teams, review materials to ensure quality and adherence to the Concern Code of Conduct and other guidelines, and liaise with CD, PD, Managers and DO for correct level sign off.

Other

• In coordination with the CD and PD, represent Concern at donor, consortia and other meetings as required/requested. Document and share information arising with CD, PD, PMs and relevant colleagues.
• Adhere fully to the commitments and rules of Concern’s Programme Participant Protection Policy and Code of Conduct (P4 and CofC), and ensure that any abuses or suspected abuses are reported and or dealt with as appropriate.
• In liaison with the PD, respective PMs and the Partnership and Protection Technical Advisor provide report writing and grant management support and training to local partners.
• Any other tasks agreed with the Line Manager.

Your skills and experience will include:

ESSENTIAL

Education, Qualifications & Experience Required:

• Fluent in English, including strong written and oral communication skills
• Ability to interact productively with partners and stakeholders (donors, technical departments, etc)
• Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in international development, international politics, or related discipline
• At least four years of overseas experience with an NGO, UN agency or donor
• At least two years of experience working on grant proposals and report or grant compliance
• Experience working with UN donors, BHA/USAID, ECHO/EU and/or Irish Aid
• Demonstrated ability to write high quality reports and proposals
• Significant experience of proposal development and familiarity with proposal and reporting formats, including budget management and participatory planning, monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning methods
• Strong understanding of budget development and financial reporting
• Good team player and able to adapt to different cultures
• Demonstrated ability to meet strict deadlines and manage a heavy work flow
• Experience working in a high pressured, results focused and dynamic environment
• Good self-awareness and stress management skills
• Good organisational, planning, and time management skills
• Strong computer skills, particularly Microsoft office and internet

DESIRABLE

• Attended training courses in quality standards such as SPHERE, HAP, Red Cross Code of Conduct, CHS etc.
• Experience working in an insecure and volatile environment.
• Knowledge and familiarity with food security, agriculture, WASH, and nutrition programming
• Previous experience working in Afghanistan
• Proven knowledge of gender and equality issues

Special Skills, Aptitude or Personality Requirements:

• Confident with strong communication, networking and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work in an insecure environment
• Very high attention to detail and excellent writing skills
• Cultural and political sensitivity
• Must be flexible and willing to adapt to a fluid situation
• Willingness to learn
• Able to take initiative and work independently.
• Willing to travel frequently.