The Ugandan Jobline

Job Title:   Project Consortium Unit Manager

Organisation: Save the Children International

Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda

About the Company:

Save the Children International is an international relief organization that was established in the United Kingdom in 1919 to improve the lives of children through better education, health care, and economic opportunities, as well as providing emergency aid in natural disasters, war, and other conflicts.

Job Summary:   Save the Children is seeking a Project Consortium Unit Manager for 4.5-year URRI project funded by the Royal Danish Embassy. The project will be implemented in the districts of Adjumani, Lamwo and Kyegegwa targeting host communities and refugees with a ratio of 65:35 respectively. The project will be implemented in a Consortium led by Save the Children with World Vision Uganda (WVU), AVSI Foundation, Youth Social Advocacy Team (YSAT), Kabarole Research Centre (KRC), Uganda Network on Law Ethics and HIV/AIDS (UGANET) and Response Innovation Lab (U-RIL).

The Project Consortium Unit Manager will be responsible for effective and high-quality planning, implementation, coordination, monitoring and reporting of the URRI Award. Under the guidance of the Consortium Steering Committee, the Project Consortium Unit Manager will be responsible for managing the Project Consortium Unit, support and manage the performance of consortium partners and relations with donors

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Programme Development and Planning

• Review, refine and finalise strategies, methodologies and inputs in Consortium managed grant proposals
• Review partner plans on an annual basis for operational and technical quality and provide feedback, ensuring that the programme moves as one consolidated programme, avoiding duplication and overlap.
• Provide strategic guidance and report to Consortium’s implementing partners in particular in planning and implementing a coherent, quality and innovative programme.
• Institute a practice of joint project planning and reviewing with consortium partners.
• Ensure that the programme adapts, documents and facilitates the dissemination of findings, good practices and knowledge gained through implementation of innovative approaches
• Support the Consortium partners in identifying opportunities for improving the quality and scope of the programme.
• Advise the Consortium partners on effective ways of coordinating the different thematic areas on the basis of thorough analysis of the current practices, challenges and opportunities.

Programme Implementation

• Overall oversight of programme implementation; indirectly responsible for a budget of >8 M USD through partners
• Identify challenges and delays faced by partners and work collaboratively and supportively with partners and other stakeholders to identify and implement solutions
• Ensure synergy among the different thematic areas across the project.
• Ensure the development and application of harmonised approaches for implementing the programme including the development of standards and frameworks for monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL)
• Ensure that technical support areas of implementing consortium partners are identified and addressed to ensure quality programme delivery by the team designated for consortium management
• Coordinate the process of developing joint action plans with the involvement of all partners of the consortium
• Ensure that the Action is implemented by all partners of the consortium as per jointly developed and agreed plans, approaches and principles and intended targets met.
• Provide support to implementing partners of the consortium and ensure that they apply appropriate project implementation strategies and approaches as indicated in the project documents
• Ensure that implementation of the programme across all consortium partners is regularly monitored; and that evidence, results and lessons are documented and communicated; challenges are tracked and addressed in a timely manner
• Travel to project sites in Uganda and conduct regular monitoring together with project team to ensure the set quality is met across consortium partners.
• Organise (bi-)annual joint review meeting involving all key stakeholders and ensure that planning/implementation of projects are informed by the outcomes of the reviews

Reporting

• Oversee review of reports submitted by partners for consistency and quality; provide feedback to ensure high quality reports and capacity building of partners
• Institute a practice of producing a harmonised quality programme report by consortium partners (develop relevant tools and training of staff where needed)
• Ensure the production and timely submission of evidence based and high quality technical/narrative and financial reports to be submitted to the donor and shared back to consortium partners
• Keep the donor up to date with any potential irregularities, and/or obstacles which may hamper the implementation of the Action in a timely manner.
• Ensure that all programmes implemented by the Consortium meet donor compliance, expectations and regulations, including visibility and procurement regulations
• Facilitate the organisation of regular Consortium Steering Committee meetings. Provide updates/reports by synthesizing key progress and challenges; present issues that require decision making by the Steering Committee and propose actions.

Coordination & Representation

• Chair the project Consortium Technical working group and the Steering Committee to be held on a regular basis
• Ensure that all consortium partners both at field and Kampala levels coordinate and regularly represent the Consortium at the coordination and technical working group meetings, and other relevant fora.
• Strengthen and maintain links among the thematic areas in areas of operation
• Representation of the Consortium and the programme to internal and external stakeholders when relevant/opportune, including donors, partners, relevant line ministries, Save the Children member offices etc.

Advocacy

• Ensure that evidence is adequately produced and use learning to advocate for good practices with key stakeholders (international agencies, local government, civil society and communities).
• Ensure that the team is disseminating effective interventions at a wider scale.

Risk Management

• Where challenges or risks cannot be managed at field-level and require high-level, national attention, escalate risks to the Senior Management
• Identify any risk of, or suspected incident of child safeguarding, sexual exploitation and abuse, fraud etc. and report.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:  To be a strong supporter and advocate for children in this role you will need to have:

• Master’s degree in development, other social sciences with a minimum of 10years experience working within a complex NGO and matrix structure on project cycle management.
• A post graduate qualification in project management, monitoring and evaluation, information systems management will be an added advantage.
• Knowledge of current global and regional debates on quality and employment-oriented program policies and models
• Strong leadership, management and coordination skills, including experience leading a large programme and team
• Experience in working with partners in a consortium
• Recommended a minimum of ten years of relevant experience including at senior level
• Proven experience of developing and managing high quality, innovative and cost-effective technical projects in complex environments, preferably in Uganda and with International NGOs
• Proven experience and skills in research and advocacy and influencing institutional, private and/or corporate donors and writing up high quality donor reports
• Experience of working with local/national governments and capacity building of systems, partners and staff
• Ability to extensively travel for project monitoring and provide on-site technical support to field teams
• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation, steering and coaching
• Experience in management of finance and budget monitoring and risk management.
• Experience of solving complex issues through analysis, definition of a clear way forward and ensuring buy-in
• Highly numerically articulated with a track record of data manipulation and reporting systems.
• Highly diplomatic with strong oral and written communication skills (English)
• Commitment to Save the Children values.

How to Apply:
All candidates who wish to join Save the Children should apply online at the link below.

Click Here

Deadline: 15th August 2024

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