GRADE: 2

TEAM/PROGRAMME: Program Operations

LOCATION: Surkhet, Mid and Far Western Field Office

CONTRACT LENGTH: Fixed-term until December 2019 with possible extension

CHILD SAFEGUARDING: Level 2: Either the post holder will have access to personal data about children and/or young people as part of their work; or the post holder will be working in a ‘regulated’ position (accountant, barrister, solicitor, legal executive); therefore a police check will be required (at ‘standard’ level in the UK or equivalent in other countries).

ROLE PURPOSE: 

Save the Children is the leading independent organization for children. We save children’s lives; we fight for their rights; we help them fulfil their potential. We work together, with our partners from civil societies and government, to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives. We reach approximately two million population and invest over 30 million US dollars annually to reach more children than ever before, through programmes in Health and Nutrition, Education, Child Rights and Governance and Child Protection, Child Poverty, HIV and AIDS, and Humanitarian.

The Project Manager, Sahayatra II will be responsible for providing strategic, technical and managerial leadership for integrated project and theme specific programs funded by Save the Children Norway (with an annual portfolio of over US$2.5million) and ensure multi-thematic integration of programs and multiple partnership (Government and PNGOs) under Karnali State. In close coordination with the Associate Director-Field program operations, Thematic staff and various departments (including Finance, Logistic and MEAL) in the field office. The incumbent will ensure high quality and results oriented program plans and innovations including strong monitoring systems are developed and applied at all levels. The position requires ensuring compliance on project management at various stages of implementation as guided by the donor policy and as advised by Save the Children Norway counterpart. The Manager will be responsible to submit high quality program plan, progress reports as well as quality review reports and associated action plans to SC Norway and other stakeholders as required. S/he will be the contact person with SC Norway in consultation with Award department at CO. S/he will also extend support and work closely with all stakeholders, backstopping support to SC staff and partners on monitoring and MEAL action response including evaluations and associated action plan. Partnership management for the SCN funded project is one of the key roles for this position.

In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, s/he will be expected to work outside the normal role profile and be able to vary working hours accordingly.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY : 

Planning & Budgeting

• Leads the planning processes and ensures partners have annual detailed implementation plan including realistic phased budget outlining major activities and timeline for the funds allocated in required planning templates provided by the organization.
• Ensures appropriate fund allocation and expenditure on a monthly basis and take corrective measures by revisiting plans and communicating timely with Thematic Coordinators/Managers/ project team, finance and Award department. 
• Reviews the project’s BVAs and report on any glitches identified in comparison to the Finance sent Program BVA monthly basis.
• Coordinates with Field office and district teams including thematic focal person to design a robust field visit plan, self-assessments and monitoring systems including follow up on recommendations with relevant department and impact areas. 
• Leads the revision of budgets during budget forecast and on exchange rate fluctuations as per organizational procedures. 
• Coordinates with Thematic Specialists of CO for technical assistance as required and with the technical managers and Project Managers working for Kadam Karnali for day to day function of the contact office.

Programme Quality

• Supervises and provides guidance to the focal persons in different themes in the planning, implementation and monitoring of programs and project plan as per the given guidelines.
• Ensures that the programs have minimum quality benchmarks/standards in place and is exclusively followed at all levels. 
• Ensures the M & E plans, log-frame of the project and themes is well familiar and understood by staff and partner staff of related themes, is exclusively used and reported.
• Ensures that all action plans developed after project reviews, monitoring visits, evaluations and assessments are followed up and completed by respective themes on time. 
• Identifies strengths and improvement areas of staff members and partners for quality delivery of the projects and comes up with plans to improve such gaps via coaching, mentoring, on the spot support etc.
• Ensures that OPMIS is well understood, optimized for all themes at all levels - by partners, project team in the clusters and regular update is done
• Is responsible to coordinate with MEAL for analyzing data from OPMIS, identifying concerns or leanings and scaling up to Field thematic coordinators/Managers/MEAL or to partners as relevant that data from including development of Quality Benchmarks.

Programme Operations & Management

• Ensures programmatic and financial accountability including tracking of program progress and budget expense in the use of funds and achievement of all related projects in alignment with Annual Plan and CSP.
• Ensure the POM- program operations manual and its components are prepared, understood by relevant staff, and kept in place for monitoring. 
• Ensure and collect the information about project progress from field staff, analyse the expenses Vs activity delivery and submit to Supervisor in a monthly basis. 
• Ensures that programs meet KPIs and /or excels Minimum Operating Standards of key programmatic interventions including Gender and Social Inclusion principles. 

Innovation and Scale

• Identifies best practices, problems and issues around program implementation and works toward finding solutions for improvements, documenting, disseminating and in consultation with relevant departments and themes.
• Coordinates with Thematic coordinators/ managers/Specialists, TA providers to promote and pilot innovations in program areas as relevant.
• Works with individuals and teams at all levels to encourage and facilitate operational research and materialize findings of all research and evaluations including OPMIS information during program design/planning.
• Engages with government line agencies and profile programs for influencing future scale up, including advocacy for children related policy and procedures at local level/provincial level.
• Contributes towards developing and implementation of new ideas/innovations and its documentation of processes and its results, based on learning from Nepal’s experience. 
• Ensures effective monitoring and evaluations are carried out for deriving lessons learned, best practices and that monitoring is effective in terms of deriving quick analysis of progresses for immediate corrective actions and measurement of results. 

Documentation & Reporting

• Is responsible for timely and quality reports preparation and submission to Save the Children international and SC Norway.
• Coordinates with Thematic coordinators/Managers and project focal points including MEAL, and Documentation Officer to ensure effective monitoring, evaluation and documentation of program activities and best practices.
• Develops a sharing and learning culture within organization for promoting best practices from related programs to other programs.
• In close consultation with Technical Managers, take initiatives in generating information that are required to add values in on-going programmes or for the programmes visualized for future 
• Ensure proper documentation of the project including and not limited to learning, lessons learned, best practices, case studies. In this context coordinate with Media and Communication, Program Planning and Documentation unit to develop the documentation plan and dissemination at various levels.

Partner’s management

• Supports and is responsible for the partnership in terms of compliance, zero tolerance, audits and management response, identification of capacity gaps and recommends for improvements.
• Ensures strong linkages and coordination among provincial Network Partnerships including those with line government agencies and offices
• Ensure the partners have understood, fulfilled all the clauses mentioned in the agreement and aware about SC partnership essence and policies for better implementation of the projects.
• Identify the capacity in terms of technical excellency, management and networking, develop plan of action and intervene capacity development interventions.

Representation and Networking

• Collaboration and coordination with government counterparts, external development partners and donors at field and provincial level
• Is part of relevant state networks and coalitions and ensures state/district/local level networks is well represented as necessary
• Supports program areas to build strong networks with other NGOs, CSOs, UN agencies and Government line agencies working on children’s issues to promote coordination and resource sharing at the local level. 

Other

• Supports Save the Children’s dual mandate of development programmes as well as being the leader in emergency preparedness and response for children.
• Comply with Save the Children policies and practice with respect to child protection, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures.
• Represent Save the Children in number of meetings, seminars conducted under Karnali State and Municipalities in coordination with Save the Children Education team. 
• Support field office on the tasks/ responsibility given by Supervisor in ad-hoc/need basis as and when required. 

BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)

Accountability:

• Holds self accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same
• Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• Future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters
• Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• Willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity

QUALIFICATIONS 

• Master’s Degree in Management/Education/Social Science or equivalent

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• At least 7 years of experience in related field especially in a managerial role including grants management 
• Demonstrated significant experience in managing projects funded by multiple donors including networks. 
• Prior experience in working with NGOs/civil societies and government counterparts
• Proven sound strategic thinking and planning skills, including ability to think creatively and be innovative, set priorities, manage work plans and evaluate progress. 
• Good report writing skill.
• Good interpersonal skills including verbal and written communication skills.