The Ugandan Jobline

Job Title:  Project Manager – DGD

Organisation: Plan International

Duty Station: Yumbe, Uganda

Reports to: Programme Area Manager

About US:

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organization that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And its girls who are most affected. Working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children. We have been building powerful partnerships for children for more than 80 years, and are now active in more than 75 countries.

Job Summary:   The Project Manager is directly responsible for the project implementation and is accountable for project results delivered in line with project proposal, PIU West Nile emergency response strategy and Direction générale de la Coopération au Développement – DGD requirements. He/she is responsible for overall coordination and management of all programmatic and financial aspects of the project in accordance with the proposal. He/she is accountable for all project deliverables in relation to key principal project objectives, specific objectives and the four (4) result areas of this project. He/she is responsible for effective budget utilisation and project performance. He/she will propose modifications to plans as necessary but seek necessary approval for implementation and may contribute to development of additional donor proposals. The Project Manager provides PIU’s DGD project with the high-level technical expertise in project management; overseeing project design to implementation, partnership management, donor management and reporting ensuring impact of the project with excellent influence in the Programme Area

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Project Planning & Initiation

• Lead the transition from project design to project implementation, ensuring that detailed plans, resourcing strategies, and monitoring frameworks are in place to ensure project targets are achieved on time and to standard:
• Review the results of situational analysis and baseline studies and ensure full understanding of the project scope, targets and intended impact
• Ensure a good understanding of other projects (both grant and sponsorship) that are being implemented in the Programme Area (PA); explore opportunities to optimise the PA team’s impact and cost-effectiveness by working together
• Liaise with members of the Programme Development & Quality team to understand &/or further develop the frameworks for monitoring, evaluation and quality control of the project:
  • Ensure Standard Operating Procedures are in place and fully understood
  • Ensure the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning framework is in place, along with relevant and user-friendly data collection tools
  • Ensure that an effective knowledge management / record-keeping structure is in place
• Develop a detailed implementation schedule (identifying and sequencing the activities needed to complete the project) and ensure it is uploaded into a project planner / results tracker
• Define/review the project governance structure as well as the donor reporting requirement; clarify what information will be needed, by whom, to provide effective oversight and accountability

Communicating for Influence 

• Actively participate in the development and implementation of an innovative influencing & communication plan for the name project; ensure that plans will result in key programme stakeholders being influenced effectively:
• Work with the CPiE specialist, Technical Advisor – Protection & safeguarding, Technical Advisor influencing and communication and the Program Area manager (PAM) to implement an influencing & communications plan that will support the achievement of PIU’s outcome and impact targets and raise PIU’s profile with important stakeholders.
• Contribute to the implementation of the Influencing Strategy in the target programme area:
  • Build relationships with key actors, and implement influencing interventions that drive change
  • Build strategic partnerships, networks, coalitions and alliances relevant to the project and link with national level strategic engagements
  • Spearhead, coordinate and promote project-specific advocacy, lobbying and influencing initiatives
  • Represent Plan International, at all times behaving in line with Plan’s values and Code of Conduct (CoC) to give a faithful representation of the organisation
• Work with implementation teams to ensure internal PIU’s Principles of Communication are embraced.
• Work collaboratively with Programme Area Managers (PAM), CPiE Specialist and other colleagues to develop and implement a cost-effective and impactful community engagement strategy, ensure an accurate representation of the project benefits is communicated, and carefully manage expectations
• Ensure that regular community awareness meetings about Plan programs and approaches are done across all Communities, in particular ensuring that sponsored families and communities are updated on Plan’s interventions and the graduation process

Ensuring Impactful Implementation 

• Manage and coordinate the implementation of the Building Resilience for Protection of Refugees and Host community Children and Adolescents in West Nile Project, so that results are achieved and quality outputs are delivered in line with the Strategic Plan; ensuring that learning from interventions is fully utilised to maximise impact and innovation:
• Execute the project according to the project plan, ensuring that all activities are carried out on time, scope and budget; provide timely justification for any changes or modifications required
• Collaborate closely with the PD&Q and MERL team to ensure collection of data, analysis of results and identification of opportunities for improvement in a blame-free spirit of academic enquiry:
  • If desired results have been achieved, initiate strategies for widespread awareness-raising
  • If desired results have not been achieved, support the partner / implementation team to adapt their approach
  • Periodically review theories of change, revising as appropriate
• Ensure the project is implemented in line with project management minimum standards; including development and regular updating of workplans, procurement plans, budget analysis, sustainability plans
• Ensure gender considerations are mainstreamed into project implementation, to provide gender aware and gender transformative outcomes across project interventions.
• Review the quality of the work completed with the project team on a regular basis to ensure that it meets the project standards; ensure that Programme Quality Policy and Procedures are followed
• Implement all the transition activities to ensure proper closure of the project (lessons learned, financial and contractual closure activities, etc.); aim to ensure the impact of the project is sustained post-funding

Risk, Compliance & Accountability

• Ensure that all project activities comply with global, country and statutory policies and guidelines; lead the effective identification and management of risks, in particular those associated with procurement, finances, safeguarding, and staff health, safety and security:
• In collaboration with the Risk Assurance Manager, ensure that all risks and compliance-requirements relevant to the project are comprehensively mapped; ensure that the project risk management matrices is developed and rigorously implemented
• Lead the project team to understand and implement all relevant policies, procedures and guidelines (e.g. finance, procurement, security, IT, gender equality & inclusion, harassment, bullying & non-discrimination policy as well as Children and program participant Safeguarding policy etc.)
• Ensure that staff, volunteers, visitors and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures
• Manage all project funds according to established accounting policies and procedures, ensuring value for money and strong accountability; monitor all budgeted project expenditures and cash flow projections and report actual cash flow and variance to senior management on a regular basis
• Ensure compliance to donor requirements, especially through quality and timely project outputs and communications; work collaboratively with the assigned Grants Accountant if budget extensions are required.
• Support the Resource Mobilization Unit and the Technical Advisor and Specialists in developing proposals that may facilitate the continuity of the project.

Leadership & Staff Management

• Lead the Project Team in a manner that empowers them to contribute effectively towards achievement of PIU’s strategy:
• Ensure that the project is resourced with the expertise necessary for success through a combination of recruitment and management of staff, mobilization of community volunteers, and procurement of consultants
• Lead and manage the team towards high standards of performance through clear roles & responsibilities and provision of appropriate support; coordinate effectively with others to ensure high performance within PIU’s matrix operating structure
• Develop and encourage talent through on-going staff development, succession planning, career management; proactively address poor performance through timely constructive feedback, coaching and appropriate corrective action
• Foster an inclusive environment by implementation of policies and ways-of-working that provide for diversity and equal opportunities and utilisation of a leadership style that will drive employee engagement
• Ensure that staff are managed in accordance with good HR management practice and provided with a safe and conducive working environment; includes ensuring that all legal and statutory obligations are fulfilled

Safeguarding, Gender Equality & Inclusion

• Ensure that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and program participants and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. This includes but is not limited to ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• The applicant must hold a Bachelor’s degree in law, International Law, Social Sciences, Development Studies, Social Work and Social Administration, Education or a related field with good knowledge of International Refugee, Human Rights and Humanitarian Law
• Post graduate diploma in education, Certification in Project Planning and Management and/or M&E are added advantage
• At least 7 years’ experience in managing Child protection in Emergency programs preferably with an International Non-Governmental Organization
• At least 3 years’ experience in project management especially education related projects, experience in working with an International Non-Governmental Organization and/or private sector.
• Experience working with communities, families, parents, youth, adolescents, and children, including child survivors of GBV and unaccompanied and separated children in humanitarian contexts
• Good knowledge and understanding of DO NO HARM principles and established international child protection standards, particularly related to case management, alternative care, child friendly spaces, psychosocial support, and community-based child protection mechanisms
• Knowledge of Plan International Uganda policies and procedures, Sphere Standards, Red Cross/ NGO code of conduct, and Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action
• Integrity: Works with trustworthiness and integrity and has a clear commitment to Plan International Uganda’s core values and humanitarian principles.
• Resilience/Adaptability and flexibility: Ability to operate effectively under extreme circumstances including stress, high security risks and harsh living conditions. Works and lives with a flexible, adaptable and resilient manner.
• Awareness and sensitivity of self and others: Demonstrates awareness and sensitivity to gender and diversity. Have experience and the ability to live and work in diverse cultural contexts in a culturally appropriate manner. Has a capacity to make accurate self – assessment particularly in high stress and high security contexts.
• Knowledge on gender transformative programming and Gender related policies and strategies
• Experience managing large, complex donor projects, such as USAID-funded contracts, ECHO, SIDA, MFA, EU Grants, NORAD etc. at senior technical management level
• Proven success collaborating with diverse stakeholders including local governments, community leaders, donor officials, NGOs, and UN agencies in emergencies.

How to Apply:

All qualified and interested candidates should apply online at the link below.

Click Here

Deadline: 2^nd January 2024

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