Crown Agents
Role Background
Crown Agents (CA) has been appointed as the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s (FCDO) provider to deliver their programme entitled ‘Support to Civil Society Organisations (SCSO)’ in Ukraine. The project will be a flexible, adaptive and scalable tool to enable the FCDO to scale up its funding to Ukrainian civil society in order to ensure an enduring voice for the Ukrainian people and support the resilience of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) through what could be a protracted conflict. The overarching objective is to improve the capacity, capabilities and resilience of Ukrainian CSOs in the following thematic areas:
- Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI)-building the capacity of CSOs to support marginalised and underserved groups with a focus on women, girls, people with disabilities, the elderly, internally displaced people etc…
- Resilience- support to CSOs in filling their management, operational and technical gaps by provision of a variety of capacity-building trainings
- Support to survivors of war crimes – Support CSOs in providing legal services to support survivors and increase advocacy and awareness-raising on behalf of survivors of war crimes
- Reconstruction – support to CSOs advocating accountability and transparent reconstruction in Ukraine.
The project aims to enhance the resilience and capacity of Ukrainian CSOs to survive through to a post-war environment and later thrive to take part in the rebuilding of an independent and democratic Ukraine by programming £8.3 million in funds across the three workstreams between June 2022 and March 2024.
To operationalise the fund Crown Agents work through two grant windows:
1. Expanded Emergency Response grants: An open and continuous call for grants up to six months that meet critical support gaps essential for the operation of a CSO or commencement and continuity of life-saving activities as well as support CSO in capacity building in various areas.
2. Programme grants: A larger funding window opened at scheduled intervals in the first year to enable CSOs to apply for support for war crimes investigations, and support for marginalised and excluded groups. Where necessary, this could include resilience-related support as well
Summary of the Role
Reporting to the Project Director with a dotted line to the Ukraine Country Director, the Team Leader (TL) will provide technical leadership, ensuring high-quality, evidence-led programming that delivers meaningful and measurable results. They will adopt an inclusive leadership style and ensures that all consortium members and all project staff are meaningfully included in decision-making and delivery.
The TL will lead the consortium partner organisations and be the primary representative of the project to all key stakeholders, government officials, and donors at coordination fora and other related meetings. The Team Leader is expected to maintain strong relationships with British Embassy Kyiv and other networks in the sector as well as communicate effectively and distribute information about programme achievements and lessons learned to a range of different audiences.
The Team Leader will ensure the technical rigour or the programme, ensuring that the programme is effectively integrating gender, equity and social inclusion considerations as well as conflict sensitivity. Given the operating environment in Ukraine, they will also ensure the programme is flexible and adaptive and able to pivot to new or additional technical areas of focus informed by evidence of need.
The Team Leader will also provide overall operational, administrative, financial, and personnel management for SCSO, specific duties and responsibilities include:
Programme Leadership
- Lead the SCSO programme team to achieve high quality and successful delivery of a national scale grants programme aimed at strengthening civil society actors in a range of technical, management and operational areas.
- Responsible for strategic planning and project troubleshooting ensuring alignment with the approved programme strategy and Value for Money principles
- Demonstrable commitment to gender equality and social inclusion and safeguarding.
Quality Technical Delivery
- Working closely with Crown Agents Head Office team as well as the programme technical team and consortium partners, ensure technical quality and oversight of all programme activities and deliverables.
- Together with the Project Director, set and meet high quality standards for technical and other project deliverables.
- Oversee the commissioning and quality assurance of studies (from scope setting through to final analysis) to inform the strategic direction and targeting of the fund.
Programme Delivery
- Ensure all project deliverables are submitted on schedule and are of a high quality prior to submission.
- Keep project progress under continuous review, working closely with the Project Director and Project Manager and immediately esclate any major problems and opportunities to the project team and BE Kyiv as necessary.
- Have oversight of project finances to ensure the programme is delivered on time and to budget.
- Assume overall responsibility for operational issues (such as personnel security, cyber security, registrations, banking etc.) with support from broader project team.
Team Management
- Ensure quality of programme delivery through managing and mentoring the team and through active and continuous performance management.
- Lead, guide, mentor and manage the performance of direct reports; and develop and maintain a productive work environment and positive organisational culture for the SCSO team.
- Oversee the MREL Team and the delivery of its Framework/Plan to track performance and impact; ensuring data and learnings are used for technical decision making and adaptive programming.
- Identify technical gaps in the programme and source appropriate short term technical expertise to provide targeted support.
Fund Management and leadership
- Responsible for the programme’s national and local outreach, ensuring that a wide range of CSOs (particularly grassroots CSOs) are aware of and have access to the fund.
- In collaboration with the client, ensure the Fund is strategically well positioned, fit for purpose, and delivered in line with expectations.
- Oversee the grant management process to ensure compliance with CA policies and procedures, Ukrainian Law, and International Standards.
- Ensure coordination with key stakeholder, transparency of the grant making process and oversee MREL of the grants distributed.
Stakeholder Management
- Maintain excellent, responsive and collaborative relations with the British Embassy in Kyiv and other areas of FCDO; ensuring the keys ways of working agreed between FCDO and CA are followed to meet programme strategy.
- Develop and maintain close working relationships with senior government counterparts, playing a representational role where required
- Act as the primary representative for Crown Agents and the consortium on the CSCO programme in Ukraine, participating in governance arrangements for the programme.
- Ensure that CSCO staff and partners demonstrate professional and respectful partnership qualities with programme stakeholders
About you
Requirements
- Substantial experience in leading the management of large and/or complex donor funded programmes, and managing a diverse team of professionals and consortium partners
- Advanced degree or equivalent work experience in Social Development, Gender, Equity and Social Inclusion, CSO capacity building, or related field
- Strong understanding of complex programmes in conflict-affected countries, experience working in Ukraine or Eastern Europe an advantage
- Strong understanding and proven experience of working with different donors and familiarity with their policies and requirements, ideally through prior experience in managing FCDO and British Embassy programmes
- Demonstrated success across the whole range of project management responsibilities including strategic programme planning; work planning and budgeting; financial, administrative, contractual management and oversight
- Experience and ability to provide leadership and direction in harnessing the multi-disciplinary skills of the technical personnel and consortium partners
- Experience and ability to work with, and build effective partnerships between, a broad range of stakeholder groups including government, civil society, private sector, multilateral, and other donors
- Prior experience in operating effectively within complex and high-risk environments and managing the needs of multiple stakeholders
- Excellent interpersonal and intercultural skills with demonstrated ability to lead and work effectively in team situations, as well as mentor of national staff
- Demonstrable commitment to gender equality and social inclusion and safeguarding
- Ability to speak Ukrainian desirable
About us
You’ll be working with Crown Agents which is a high impact social enterprise passionate about transforming the future for millions of people. Since our creation in 1833 we have worked across the globe to improve public services and drive economic growth. Our expertise is finding new solutions to difficult problems for clients in the areas of health, governance, economic growth, humanitarian action and supply chain services. We work with and train leaders at local, national and international level to achieve lasting change drawing on our insight and experience.
Crown Agents is committed to diversity and will always promote diversity for all candidates as well as a business culture that reflects that belief. Crown Agents will treat everyone equally irrespective of race, religion, colour, sex, age, national origin, disability, or sexual orientation, and places an obligation upon all staff to respect and act in accordance with the policy. Crown Agents shall not discriminate unlawfully when deciding which candidates are selected for interview, or in any terms of employment, and will ensure that each candidate is assessed only in accordance with their merits, qualifications, and abilities to perform the role. Crown Agents is committed to being an organisation enhanced by diversity and encourages applications from anyone who shares our values and commitment to improving the lives of communities affected by poverty or conflict.
About what’s on offer
Crown Agents offers a competitive benefits package