Regional Program Manager DANIDA

ROLE PURPOSE:

Save the Children is recruiting for an experienced Regional Program Manager who will be responsible for leading a program (2022-2025) funded by the Danish Development Cooperation (Danida) and implemented in the Sahel region.

The proposed program aims to address the root cause – failing social contracts between young citizens and states – as well as to mitigate the effect of conflict on children and more particularly girls. The program overall objective is to: Promote Peaceful and inclusive societies that uphold and protect children and youth rights in Mali, Burkina and Niger in line with SDG 4, 5, 10, 13, and 16. The program specific objective is to Empower CSOs and youth networks in the Sahel to promote inclusive and youth/children sensitive governance and to protect children affected by conflict and girls at risk of child marriage.

This program will focus on increasing youth’s and children’s role and participation in governance initiatives and structures and address key issues, particularly on protection, they are directly confronted to. The program will do so through partnerships with local civil society organisations and youth networks. Civic space for civil society, including child rights organisations, is increasingly being challenged, but Save the Children believes that a strong civil society is crucial to promote, defend and demand accountability for children’s rights.

This is a strategic partnership with Danida in West Africa that will seek to build partnerships with CSOs and strengthen local civil society capacities in defending Child Protection and promoting Child Rights Governance through a regional integrated approach. The programme will also enable civic space allowing civil society to promote child rights.

The Regional Program Manager will be responsible for delivering, coordinating and overseeing the quality of implementation of the programme, thereof in a harmonized and peer-to-peer learning approach, providing overall strategic leadership and managerial oversight of the operational, programmatic, financial, technical, MEAL and administrative aspects.

S/he will be accountable for the overall implementation of the programme, in close collaboration with regional partners. S/he will be accountable for the overall timely and quality implementation of activities, compliance with donor rules and regulations and effective stakeholder relationship management. S/he will hold regional partners accountable for the delivery of program activities.

S/he will be also be responsible for developing and maintaining strong working relationships with all local partners at regional level, the Member and donor, acting as the primary liaison and program representative. S/he will contribute to developing and maintaining the same strong working relationships with authorities and partners at regional level, acting as the overall program representative.

S/he will also be responsible for the overall management of areas related to finance, budgetary management and oversight, and partner sub-contract management, as well as other operational and administrative duties required by the programme, ensuring that they are executed efficiently and effectively by the regional team. The nature of the programme will also include a paramount component of capacity strengthening of local partners, for which it will be necessary to steer and put in place a harmonized strategic design and approach at regional level, in accordance with the selected partners’ needs’ assessments to be carried out at onset of the project.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

General

• Design and put in place the relevant project governance bodies to reflect the nature of the programme, including strengthening capacities of regional partners ;
• Overall accountability for the day-to-day management, coordination and oversight of the program implementation and its successful delivery
• Ensure strategic directions and recommendations provided by the Steering Committee are incorporated into management of the program and program delivery
• Ensure that the program is delivered according to the highest quality standards
• Provide guidance, strong leadership and ensure rigorous decision-making processes
• Ensure that the program is appropriately staffed, including the appropriate combination of expertise across technical and operational areas, building capacity where needed
• Inspire, lead and motivate the program team to deliver program objectives, including technical advisors and consultants, managers, finance and admin staff working on the program
• Ensure constant support is provided to the program staff of SC COs and partners
• Ensure support functions staff is part of and fully participates in the capacity strengthening strategies to be developed and put in place with all partners, at regional level

Program delivery, management and quality assurance

• Ensure the development of all program management documents such as phased budget, detailed implementation plans, procurement plans, monitoring plans, grants filing, staff recruitment plans, etc. in line with project documents and technical guidance from relevant technical staff and partners
• Ensure program delivery happens in strict adherence to SCI and donor policy and procedures
• Develop external partnerships and in particular steer the identification of suitable implementers/suppliers and ensure adherence to SC partnership procedures.
• Input into the relevant partner strengthening and periodic monitoring mechanisms to ensure adherence to capacity strengthening strategies adopted with each of them at onset of the project
• Steer and put in place the relevant project implementation and delivery tools and management controls with each partner to ensure project delivery as per plan, budget and donor compliance regulations
• Ensure the provision of high quality technical assistance by technical advisers at regional, national and local level to the program staff
• Produce high quality narrative reports and provide budget narratives within agreed reporting schedules
• Ensure programming interventions are implemented and adjusted based on regular conflict analyses
• Ensure programming interventions are designed based on an analysis of gender relations and that the program seeks to support the different needs and opportunities of women, men, boys and girls
• Conduct regular field visits, including discussions with beneficiaries
• Ensure Save the Children’s Child Protection & Safeguarding Policy is understood by staff within the programme as well as partners and suppliers including stakeholders, and that it is integrated into all aspects of the team’s work

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning

• Oversee the process of learning, evaluation, capturing and disseminating lessons from the program for continuous improvement of program performance and overall outcome
• Ensure that an effective monitoring and learning framework system is in place for achieving agreed program targets
• Ensure monitoring and evaluation tools are systematically implemented and used by the teams, in collaboration with the technical staff and Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) staff
• Oversee the program’s dissemination of results and ensure that data collection and analysis informs advocacy
• Ensure documentation of programme learning, and incorporate analysis and lessons learned into new strategies/activities, communication and advocacy work
• Support spot checks and audit processes throughout the program lifecycle while ensuring the implementation of recommendations

Finance, reporting and donor compliance.

• Take full responsibility for the delegated budget holding function on the programmatic aspects of the program and participate actively in finance and program review meetings and contribute to financial decision making at regional level
• Ensure that a sound financial management system and controls are in place, as well as that value for money can be effectively demonstrated to the donor
• Ensure that quality narrative and financial reports and deliverables are developed and submitted on time, from all partners to Save the Children International, and from Save the Children International to Save the Children Denmark (contract holder) as per the agreed reporting schedules
• Steer and put in place sound reporting mechanisms and oversight, reflecting the nature of the programme and the multiple stakeholders (Regional Partners / Regional teams in Save the Children International / Regional Coordination teams in Save the Children International) with the capacity to project a periodic regional consolidated overview of the programme quality and delivery
• Ensure the development and implementation of Standard Operating Procedures for the project in relation to finance, reporting and donor compliance
• Ensure that a consolidated version of plans and budgets and deliverables are submitted on time to the contract holder (Save the Children Denmark), as and when required
• Ensure regular monitoring and reporting on all program management aspects: phased budget and actual expenses analysis, work-plans progresses and updating, procurement plans revision, data collection and analysis and monitoring of indicators
• Ensure compliance with donor requirements, and understanding of donor compliance across COs and partners, e.g. by translation of documents, etc.
• Focus on ensuring appropriate program closure and readjustment to potentially cover any gaps
• Ensure compliance with and adherence to Save the Children’s rules and regulations in all aspects

Staff management and capacity building

• Line manage the staff from the Regional Program Management Unit (RPMU)
• Lead and motivate the RPMU staff, ensuring they have clear objectives and responsibilities and support countries in setting objectives for key project staff
• Create and maintain a cooperative and positive working environment where staff participate in decision making and are supported in progressing towards their objectives and receive meaningful feedback on their performance regularly, in collaboration with the human resources departments of SCI and partners
• Identify capacity building requirements of program staff in collaboration with the human resources departments of SCI and partners
• Lead on design of capacity strengthening strategies and delivery of staff and partners through coaching, mentoring and training programs and approaches
• Steer and ensure the relevant support functions staff is associated to capacity strengthening strategy development and delivery

Representation

• Ensure representation of the program, building trust and influence with CSO partners, donor and other key stakeholders, highlighting where effective practise can positively influence policy
• Represent the program at donor meetings at the regional level and internationally as required and in consultation with SCI leadership

Internal and external coordination

• Regularly report to SC senior staff (including SCI WCA Regional Office and implementation offices leadership) and ensure they remain committed to the program success
• Clarify matrix reporting lines and collaboration modalities between the RPMU and the relevant Regional Office support functions
• Identify bottlenecks and find solutions to ensure program teams are adequately supported by the relevant staff in SCI country office
• Ensure consistent coordination among all stakeholders at local and regional level
• Communicate regularly across SCI WCARO to ensure strong communications internally and externally and contribute to a coordinated vision
• Participate proactively and regularly when required in senior management meetings in the areas of responsibility, making concrete contributions to strategic and operational orientations

QUALIFICATIONS

Relevant university degree (International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Child Rights, Political Science, Sociology or other Social Science, International Development, etc.)

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

Essential:

• A minimum of 5 years of demonstrated experience in program management and administration, including grants management, donor compliance.
• A minimum of 2 years proven experience in managing regional programs with a focus on youth demonstrating the ability to promote youth and child lead innovation and advocacy
• Knowledge of and proven experience of working in good governance, prevention of violent extremism and Conflict Sensitivity
• Proven experience of working on civil society partner capacity building and strengthening programmes in line with localization agenda and children rights promotion
• Solid experience in working collaboratively through equal partnerships
• Excellent written and spoken level of French and English
• Proven excellent skills in program performance and quality monitoring and reporting.
• Proven excellent skills in multistakeholder management, both internally and externally, with a strong ability to project strategic vision, adherence and buy-in.
• Strong analytical and conceptual skills and the ability to think and plan strategically.
• Ability to work with limited supervision.

Desirable:

• Solid experience in remote management and implementation in complex and insecure environments
• Strong skills in staff management, moderation, conflict resolution and capacity-building
• Prior experience working in emergency response contexts or fragile states.
• Capacity and willingness to be extremely flexible and accommodating in difficult working circumstances.
• Experience working on Nexus programming
• Familiar with accountability and feedback mechanisms including for children

Additional job responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.