Project Coordinator – Peaceful & Resilient Borderlands

DCA is seeking to recruit a competent, experienced and motivated Kenyan National for the position of Project Coordinator – Peaceful & Resilient Borderlands. The position is based in Lodwar – with travel within Turkana County as needed – and reports to the Area Programme Manager – Turkana.

ROLE PURPOSE:

The post-holder will be responsible for oversight of DCA and local partner’s implementation of the EU-funded project titled ‘Strengthening integrated Peace, Resilience and Disaster Risk Reduction for cross-border communities in the Karamoja Cluster’ in Kenya. The Project Coordinator – Peaceful & Resilient Borderlands (PC) will ensure that the program is implemented on scope, time and budget. S/he will play a key role in actualization of DCA’s strategic goals related to Saving Lives, Building Resilience and Fighting Extreme Inequality. The PC will line manage the Project Officer, Project Assistant, and collaborate closely with Turkana-based MEAL, ProLog and Finance Officers, as well as the Nairobi-based MEAL Coordinator, Programme Development, Grants & Partnerships Coordinator and Head of Programme. The PC will also work closely with local partner, SAPCONE, to ensure delivery of agreed project deliverables.

Key responsibilities

Project Management

• Oversee the overall implementation of the project, in consultation with the relevant Area Programme Manager and in accordance with the project proposal, ensuring objectives are met within the required time frame and budget. Where necessary ensure preventative and corrective action is taken.
• Plan and lead implementation of DCA-led resilience components of the project, in collaboration with technical leads, focused on improving targeted value chains, strengthening financial inclusion and facilitating cross-border trade and market linkages.
• Manage a comprehensive activity plan for the project, including resource needs analysis, covering the time frame of the project proposal. Support Project Officer and Project Assistant in day-to-day decision making as required.
• Coordinate with MEAL staff to ensure that regular monitoring and evaluation assessments against project objectives are conducted and reports made to the relevant staff in DCA.
• Ensure complete and timely reporting of activities and beneficiary numbers to DCA, donors, line managers and any other relevant bodies, while ensuring documents are produced according to guidelines.
• Engage with different stakeholders, consortium members and DCA cross-border Country Offices (Ethiopia and South Sudan) to strengthen coordination and harmonised actions.
• Proactively monitor the security situation in the operating areas. Lead in the identification of project risks and proactively work with partners to mitigate risk factors against partnership and project delivery plan.

Quality Management

• Promote and use the DCA results framework and PPD and other operating procedures, ensuring that all standardized formats are used, and guidelines are followed.
• Ensure the project is implemented in line with donor proposals and requirements and in accordance with DCA, donor, country, and international standards e.g., Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS).
• Follow the direction of the relevant technical staff regarding quality, strategy, and technical guidelines.
• Regularly assess and provide feedback and recommendations on the quality of the programmes and interventions during field visits and at other relevant times.

Financial Management

• Under the guidance of the line manager and working with project staff, ensure that budgets are spent according to donor proposals and regulations and within the appropriate timeframe, making any budget adjustment recommendations to the APM, HoP and Head of Finance & Support Services.
• Monitor project spending to ensure operation in line with DCA and donor guidelines for financial accounting and reporting practices, sign off on expenditures.

Representation

• Develop and maintain relationships with relevant stakeholders (e.g. programme participants, community leaders, local and national government officials, donors, UN agencies and other NGOs) and represent DCA at relevant meetings to facilitate and ensure cooperation and partnerships as may be designated by the line manager.
• Seek out and actively participate in relevant local networks or task groups on specific triple nexus issues.
• In conjunction with APM, take lead in preparation of donor & HQ staff field trips and ensure programme details are shared in a professional manner.

Staff Management

• Ensure all personnel related processes for project staff are carried out in accordance with DCA guidelines. This includes recruitment, appraisal, objective setting, development and training, disciplinary action, etc.
• Ensure that staff receive appropriate and adequate training by providing mentoring and coaching and through the promotion of capacity building.
• Hold regular team meetings and, through a consultative leadership style and a transparent, honest, and supportive communication structure, develop and build an effective team.
• Promote the health and security of project staff by ensuring the application of security guidelines, health and safety in the workplace and healthy living conditions and practices.

Other

• Maintain an overview of the programme area context with a view to the strategic development of new projects and partnerships, both in current sites and in surrounding regions. This may include baseline needs assessments.
• Support the Head of Programme (HoP), APM and Programme Development, Grants & Partnerships Coordinator in the development and production of new concepts and proposals.

Person Specification

Essential

• Minimum Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics, or related field.
• A formal qualification and/or Master’s Degree in Agribusiness/Agricultural Economics, Strategic/Project Management, Development Studies, or other relevant fields will be an added advantage.
• At least 8 years of progressive working experience in the implementation of resilience focused projects using Value Chain development and market systems approach.
• Experience in managing multi-year donor-funded programmes and working with private sector partners.
• Mature understanding of humanitarian & development nexus, in particular challenges at the intersection of climate change, conflict, and gender.
• A minimum of 5 years’ experience working with NGOs, with at least three years in Programme Management and capacity building programmes.
• Practical experience in resilience building programming. In the context of this project, resilience encompasses environmental and climate, social and economic dimensions and emphasizes communities’ leadership and involvement, market-based approaches, gender sensitive and transformative action, human rights-based and conflict sensitive approaches.
• Experience with agro-pastoral and pastoral food and livelihoods systems, integrated natural resources management (and conflict resolution related to natural resources), resilience design, agroecology and ecosystem-based adaptation approaches or similar is an advantage.
• Experience managing substantive donor grants with responsibilities for budgeting, financial accountability and reporting. Familiarity with management and reporting of EU-funded projects an advantage.
• Ability to document and disseminate good practice and/or lesson learning.
• Ability to work in a multi-sector team and build relationships.

Knowledge and Skills

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English
• Ability to write narrative reports of a high standard and within the reporting deadlines.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work as part of a team.
• Ability and willingness to live – and work – in the programme area (Lodwar / Turkana County).

The position is for ­­­­36 months (renewable subject to satisfactory performance and availability of funds), with a three-month probation period. DCA offers a competitive salary package (salary, insurance, and benefits) in accordance to experience and DCA Kenya Employee Handbook.

About DCA

DanChurchAid (DCA) is working in Turkana, West Pokot, Baringo, Elgeyo Marakwet, Nyandarua, Nakuru, and Nairobi counties with refugees and local communities to enhance peace, livelihoods, and resilience. DCA implements projects directly as well as through local partner organizations. For more information on DCA, please visit https://www.danchurchaid.org/