Regional Programmes Development and Quality Manager

For a downloadable version of the Job Description, which includes a full Person Specification, please visit our website at www.healthpovertyaction.org/jobs/rpdqm

Context of the role

Health Poverty Action’s work has grown to include programmes in 14 countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America (with more currently in development). We always prioritise the poorest and the most marginalised – those neglected by governments and almost everyone else. This has led us to work in some very difficult environments, often providing the only external assistance. Health Poverty Action currently employs about 500 staff worldwide (with the vast majority located in our programme countries).

The main purpose of this post is to support Health Poverty Action’s country offices in Africa in the development and implementation of strategies for programmes development for programme continuation growth; diversification of funding sources; and development of capacity among regional and country teams to do so.

Key responsibilities/Result Areas:

To help Country Offices develop impactful and continuous programmes supported by diverse sources of funding:

• In coordination with the Head of Programmes Africa, country and regional teams, understand the funding priorities for the region and each country, develop multi-year regional, country and thematic strategies for programmes development and resource mobilisation with clear annual operating plans, and monitoring frameworks with targets and indicators to achieve annual program funding targets.
• Lead on actively researching and identifying proposal and partnerships opportunities with donors and partners including institutional donors, international and national NGOs, public and private agencies, corporates, humanitarian agencies, academic and research institutions.
• Review and/or draft expressions of interest, concept notes, and proposals to ensure quality and compliance with donor standards.
• Lead proposal development for complex and strategic public opportunities, supporting and coordinating with country offices in strategy development; partner identification and negotiations; writing; production; delegation of tasks; deadline and time management.
• Develop a Programme Quality Strategy for HPA Africa programme in line with HPA’s global Strategic Framework.
• Ensure regular monthly Programme Development and Innovation Hub meetings with all relevant teams and members. The Programme Development meeting reviews progress, quality, and immediate future plans for each programme country and flag-up challenges and gather agreed up on solutions.
• Liaise with donor representatives and coordinate donor meetings and visits with support from Country Directors (CDs) and the Head of Programmes (HoP).
• Coordinate and support on needs assessments, and programme analysis to support project/programme design and planning processes.
• Ensure lessons learned and analysis of data in coordination with country and regional MEAL officers to contribute to the development of high quality, innovative programs that are based on evidence.

Coordinate, lead and provide high-quality technical input on proposal development and submission to donors:

• Keep up-to-date with donor policies, trends, guidelines and regulations; train and mentor country and regional office staff using a reflective practice on sharing lessons and best practices in programme development and proposal writing processes and practices; using donors’ feedback on proposal appraisals where relevant.
• Work closely with other departments to ensure an efficient and timely response.
• Actively participate in other internal coordination meetings such as the weekly country update, the monthly Programme-Fundraising departmental check ins.
• Continuous search and identification of proposal submission and partnerships opportunities with donors and partners including institutional donors, international and national NGOs, public and private agencies, corporates, humanitarian agencies, academic and research institutions.
• Other responsibilities may include – training and capacity building of regional and country teams on proposal writing and project development; identifying and submitting bids to consultancy opportunities; developing internal databases, tools, systems and procedures for effective proposal development processes.

Details of responsibilities:

Develop, implement and update regional and country programme development and resource mobilisation strategies with clear annual operating plans, targets, indicators and monitoring framework (25%);

• In collaboration with regional and country teams develop a multi-year strategic regional and individual country programme development plan.
• Develop annual country programme development operational and technical plans with clear targets and indicators of success.
• Follow up and report on the implementation of the annual programmes development and operational plans as per agreed targets and indicators.
• Periodically engage country leads in reviewing and monitoring progress of plans and agree revised operating annual plans, tactics and strategies.

Help country offices design projects to achieve adequate and continuous programme implementation develop from a diverse source of funding (35%):

• Assist country offices in the search and identification of opportunities for funding and partnership opportunities.
• Lead in the planning and implementation of effective proposal development processes through engaging a range of field and HQ based staff in close teamwork supporting strategy development; partner identification and negotiations; writing; production; delegation of tasks; deadline and time management.
• Lead in the preparation and submission to donors of project narrative proposals and budgets in response to open bids, invitations and unsolicited proposal calls.
• Review and comment on in-country proposals for submission to local and international donors by country teams.
• Collaborate with country teams on the preparation of proposal budgets with inputs from, the finance and programmes team.

Support Country and Regional teams in continuous search for programmes development / partnerships opportunities with donors / partners including institutional donors, public and private agencies, humanitarian, academic and research institutions (30%);

• Actively review donor websites, grants and funding portals and share summaries of funding opportunities with country leads and programmes team.
• Build relationships with donors and potential partners (NGOs, bilateral and multilateral agencies, and corporates and trusts in the region and beyond), and undertake assessment/due diligence of partners;
• Travel to programme countries and meet with potential donors and partners, and as necessary undertake assessments of funding opportunities;
• Coordinate, lead and/or provide high-quality technical support on proposal development and submission to donors/partners.

Keep updated with donor policies, trends, donor guidelines and regulations; facilitate a reflective practice, share lessons and best practices and organise training in programmes development and proposal writing processes (5%)

• Receive, analyse and share donor feedback with staff members on proposals and concept notes.
• Research best practices and innovative approaches that could be considered within our programmes.
• Training and capacity building of country and regional teams on state-of-the-art proposal writing and project development knowledge and skills.

Other responsibilities (5%)

• Identify, develop and submit bids for consultancy services and undertake the consultancy work involving country and regional teams.
• Develop tools, systems and procedures that facilitates efficient completion and coordination of proposal development processes amongst teams and partners.

The role requires frequent travel to programme countries including areas that are less secure.