Summary
Date Posted: Monday, October 24, 2022 , Base Salary: Not Disclosed

JOB DETAILS:

The Organisation
Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation 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 it’s 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 support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. And we enable children to prepare for – and respond to – crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.
We have been building powerful partnerships for children for over 85 years, and are now active in more than 75 countries.


ORGANISATION OVERVIEW & ROLE PURPOSE
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. However, this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination, and it is girls who are most affected.
Working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners in more than 70 countries across Africa, Asia and the Americas, Plan International’s purpose is to strive for a just world that advances children’s rights and equality of girls. We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. We enable children to prepare for – and respond to – crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.
The Programme Area Coordinator (PAC) plays a critical role for supporting operations within the PA. He/she directly supervises the community development facilitators, and as a result, has a key oversight role for sponsorship KPIs being met, as well as coordination with and support to the various different projects being implemented to leverage these for sponsorship communities, The PAC should ensure that all projects in the Programme Area (PA) are leveraged to benefit sponsorship communities, and support PMs to ensure that these are implemented with the highest standards and quality for impact on the lives of children as defined in the Plan International Uganda (PIU) country strategy.

ROLE DIMENSIONS:
The PAC is a member of the Program Area Leadership Team (PALT) and is expected to contribute to the development of Programme Area Plans, aiming to optimise beneficial impact for vulnerable children and youth, especially girls. The job holder plays a critical role in liaising with District and Community leadership to influence change, coordinating with project Coordinators/Managers to leverage the impact of their programs in sponsorship areas, and mobilising CDFs as needed to ensure the achievement of project targets.
The role has influence over the development of the strategies through which the organisation will achieve her purpose, in particular ensuring that sponsorship and grant projects in the Programme Area (PA) are coordinated in a manner that optimises impact for sponsorship communities (so that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts).
This position is responsible for overseeing the management of a budget of around Euro 40,000 annually and can approve financial transactions of up to Euro 5,000.
The major challenge of the role is to achieve Quality sponsorship programme, adaptively managing frontline staff to optimise PIU’s beneficial impact on vulnerable children and youth, especially girls. This requires the job holder to:
• Have accountability for the full implementation of the sponsorship communication activities on scope, time and budget; responding to changes in context and evidence from interventions to make decisions which ensure sponsorship KPIs are met.
• Lead programme sponsorship alignment initiatives within the programme area.
• Hold team of CDFs accountable to tasks and on track in their activities, in a dynamic and changing environments with multiple stakeholders.
• Have strong communication and negotiation skills to deal with various stakeholders at local levels.
• Have excellent communication and coordination skills – to work closely with project managers to mobilise to support implementation of their activities within sponsorship communities, in order to achieve real and lasting impact.

Level of contact with children
• This position has been classified as “high contact”: Significant interaction with children.

Key result areas:
KRA 1: Project Planning & Initiation
• Participate in the design, planning and initiation of new projects in the Programme Area (PA), with a particular focus on ensuring that projects are leveraged to create impact in sponsorship communities in the PA.:
• Participate in situational analysis, for instance by conducting social mapping, wealth ranking and gender to identify and include the most marginalised and vulnerable segments of communities.
• Play an active role in reviewing and contributing to development of project proposals; aiming to optimise the impact that is achieved and ensure good coordination between project and sponsorship activities in the PA.
• Promote and facilitate community leadership and active participation of stakeholders in project design and planning, in particular the participation of women, children, youth and other marginalised groups; guide CDFs on mobilisation for activity implementation initiatives.
• Work closely with CDFs to identify priorities in sponsorship communities and ensure this understanding is used to inform annual planning and budgeting for sponsorship projects through the quarterly dialogue meetings at community levels.
• Ensure that the PA team is fully aware of the 9 commitments of sponsorship; provide leadership so that KPIs continue to be met (@ 95% or higher).

KRA 2: Sponsorship Management
• Lead the Programme Area Sponsorship programme, ensuring that targets are achieved and Plan International’s policies and procedures are followed:
• In line with Plan International’s standardized procedures and tools, develop vulnerability assessment tools and Sponsored Child enrolment forms.
• Recruit and onboard sufficient numbers of adequately competent CDFs to properly manage the target caseload for the Programme Area.
• Oversee the enrolment process, conducting spot-checks as necessary to ensure only eligible families are enrolled and that staff follow the correct procedures, especially child data protection protocols.
• Ensure at least one family support group is formed per parish and is supporting the management of quality sponsorship communication work at parish level.
• Ensure that sponsored children and their caregivers are fully informed of the full range of PIU’s activities in the community, and encouraged to participate (at a minimum through annual visits) through dialogues and sensitization events at community level.
• Work with the PA Sponsorship Coordinator to ensure that all data entry, documentation, reporting, and other requirements of PIU’s sponsorship system are fully implemented, on time and to standard.

KRA 3: Communicating for Influence
• Actively participate in the development and implementation of an innovative influencing & communication plan for the PA; ensure that plans will result in key sponsorship stakeholders being influenced effectively:
• Work collaboratively with the Programme Area Manager (PAM) and other colleagues in the programme area to develop and implement a cost-effective and impactful community engagement strategy, ensure an accurate representation of sponsorship benefits is communicated, and carefully manage expectations.
• Contribute to the implementation of the Influencing Strategy in the PA, for instance by:

• Build relationships with key actors (e.g. community and district leadership), and implement influencing interventions that drive change.
• Coordinate with local government to ensure Plan International Uganda’s targets and annual budgets are taken into account by the sub-county / district development plans.
• Participate in 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.
• Coordinate quarterly community awareness meetings about Plan programs and approaches across all Communities; in particular ensuring that sponsored families and communities are updated on Plan’s interventions and the graduation process.
• Work with implementation teams to ensure internal PIU’s Principles of Communication are embraced and are being applied as per PIU policy.

KRA 4: Ensuring Impactful Implementation
• Manage and coordinate the implementation of the PA’s sponsorship projects, so that results are achieved and quality outputs are delivered in line with the Strategic Plan; ensuring that learning is fully utilised to maximise impact and innovation:
• Ensure that all staff, sponsored children, their families and community members are properly trained and equipped to take care of all of sponsorship activities.
• Work closely with project managers/coordinators to mobilise CDFs and local stakeholders according to their project plans, ensuring that all activities are carried out on time, scope and budget and with full adherence to sponsorship SOPs; provide timely justification for any changes or modifications required.
• Provide basic technical support to teams on SAP / YODA as needed, and assist PAM to analyse project performance across all POs in the project area for input into monthly and quarterly meetings and reports.

Ensure that all visits and data collection required for effective Monitoring & Evaluation of the sponsorship programme are conducted on time and to standard:
• Undertake periodic Monitoring and Evaluation activities at community level including field visits and activity monitoring.
• Support with monitoring project implementation through observation on regular trips and flag any issues with project managers and PAM.
• Follow up on children who have been reported as not healthy and/or not attending school and take appropriate action.
• Participate in periodic audits, follow-ups and spot-checks; including visiting sponsored communities and troubleshooting any reported problems or concerns.

Liaise with the PA Sponsorship Coordinator to conduct a quarterly review of sponsorship M&E reports and analysis:
• If desired results have been achieved, document success stories (including media) and forward to the respective National Office.
• If desired results have not been achieved, support the CDF team to adapt their approach or take appropriate action.
• Share learning and opportunities for improvement with the PAM and other members of the PALT.
• Ensure that risk assessments are conducted & risk management strategies developed prior to separation.

KRA 5: Risk & Resource Management
• Support the PAM in the management of programme finances, giving due care and attention before authorising payments and ensuring funds are managed in line with PIU’s policies and procedures:
• Review and approve payments and funds transfers in line with authorisation limits; carefully ensuring that the expenditure is in line with budget and all supporting documentation is present and correct.
• Review and authorise vehicle approvals and fuel authorisations for CDFs; query any unexpected amounts or lack of proper receipts
• Work closely in coordination with PAM to review and authorise Project Outline modifications and Project Completion Reports as requested and appropriate within financial limits, in accordance with PIU procedures.
• Manage all sponsorship 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.

KRA 6: Leadership & Staff Management
• Lead the team of CDFs in a manner that empowers them to contribute effectively towards achievement of PIU’s strategy and sponsorship project goals:
• Ensure that community outreach for sponsorship communications 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.


KRA 7: Safeguarding, Gender Equality & Inclusion
Ensure that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People 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.

ROLE REQUIREMENTS:
Qualifications
• A Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences, Development Studies or other Humanities.
• Certification in Sponsorship is a requirement, PGD in either PPM,M&E or Public Administration is an added advantage.
• At least 3 years working experience in development work and supervisory role with a good awareness of current issues in the field of development and the local context.

Leadership Competencies
Myself as a Leader
• Leads through influence rather than position, and role models our values, accelerating gender equality inside and outside PIU; leads change by developing new ideas and strategies.

Lasting Impact
• Sets and communicates ambitious but realistic work goals and priorities, explaining how these contribute to Plan International’s purpose.

Open & Accountable
• Ensures effective delivery by leading through others, working closely with our support functions, keeping abreast of what is going on in own business unit or function and responding quickly if problems arise.

Work Well Together
• Builds positive relationships outside their own work area, communicates clearly and persuasively with large and diverse groups of people; willing to compromise own preferences to achieve our broader purpose and longer-term impact.
Inclusive & Empowering
• Delegates tasks and decisions, trusting and stretching others but ensuring they have the resources and support they need; adopts a coaching approach with the people they manage or advice.

Skills & Knowledge
• Creates space for reflection and uses external evidence and internal evaluation to identify what and how we need to improve; creates a safe environment for others to challenge self or raise concerns; leads the team to implement changes as a result of what has been learned.

Critical Business Management Competencies
• Broad and deep understanding of the political, social, financial and cultural drivers of inequality; with practical experience of developing and implementing strategies for change.
• Demonstrated expertise in designing and leading the impactful implementation of significant projects; utilising good practice in MERL to set targets and adaptively managing to ensure achievement of results.
• Good grasp of financial management including understanding relevant funding sources, ability to budget and accurately estimate costs, experience with reading financial reports and taking appropriate action based on the results.
• Strong ability to analyse and interpret an appropriate range of data and evidence, both internal and external, using sound judgement to make balanced decisions, based on insights gained, or projection of trends.
• Strong written and spoken communication skills, including in relevant local languages, with an ability to effectively adjust content and presentation to suit varied audiences internally and externally, to get key messages across.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills with an ability to relate effectively to a wide range of people from diverse backgrounds; proven track record of leading collaborative working relationships and resolving conflicts between parties with differing interests.

Critical Technical Competencies
• Experience of leading others with a track record of delegating work effectively, supporting good performance of others and promoting staff wellbeing and motivation.
• Good understanding of development issues, trends, challenges and opportunities and implication to community (child) development.
• Excellent practical knowledge in child rights programming.
• Experience of the project management cycle, especially on the participatory approach, and a track record of successful delivery of impactful projects.
• Desirable: Experience in networking with poor children and their families, local and international NGOs, local government partners, and local community-based organizations.

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: 36

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

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