Job Title
Project (Consortium) Manager: Strengthening locally-led solutions to intersecting peace, gender and climate change challenges in the borderlands of Kenya, South Sudan, and Uganda
Location
Either Juba, Kampala or Nairobi
Reporting to
Country Director/Manager of Recruiting Country (Kenya, South Sudan, or Uganda)
Management responsibility
No direct line management responsibilities but task management of key project staff, budget holders and finance/grant managers in relation to achieving project deliverables.
Type of position
National
Grade and Salary
Grade F0 as per Uganda/South Sudan/Kenya local pay structure
Contract terms and hours
18 months contract with possible extension, contingent upon final approval of the project by the donor. Start date September/October 2023.
The standard working week is 37.5 hours.
Background:
Saferworld is an independent international organisation working to prevent violent conflict and build safer lives. We work with people affected by conflict to improve their safety and sense of security, and conduct wider research and analysis. We use this evidence and learning to improve local, national and international policies and practices that can help build lasting peace. Our priority is people – we believe in a world where everyone can lead peaceful, fulfilling lives, free from fear and insecurity. We are a not-for-profit organisation operational in 10 countries across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.Saferworld is committed to providing a safe and trusted environment that safeguards our staff, partners and communities. Our organisational integrity is derived from the values and principles that underpin and guide our work.
Climate, conflict and the environment is one of Saferworld’s five strategic objectives. Within our new global strategy, we have committed to providing conflict and peacebuilding expertise to support urgent solutions to the combined threats of the climate crisis, conflict and environmental degradation. We will build on work Saferworld has done on the complex ways that the climate crisis and conflict dynamics can reinforce one another, and the important role that people – communities, civil society organisations and decisionmakers – can play in finding innovative responses. We work with communities and build partnerships with civil society organisations to address the specific ways environmental degradation creates greater insecurity, poverty and marginalisation in each place.
From September 2023, Saferworld will lead a Consortium consisting of six civil society organisations from Kenya, South Sudan and Uganda as part of a project “Strengthening locally-led solutions to intersecting peace, gender and climate change challenges in the borderlands of Kenya, South Sudan, and Uganda”. Across Kenya, South Sudan and Uganda, there are intersecting challenges of: violent conflict which leads to insecurity and loss of life; patriarchal structures which increase women’s risk of gender-based violence and exclude them from decision-making; and climate change which has reduced access to arable land and to water, created biodiversity loss, and heightened food insecurity. The aim of this project is to enhance human security and gender equality by addressing transboundary conflict and the effects of climate change through strengthening locally-led solutions to intersecting peace, gender, and climate challenges across the three countries.
Job purpose:
The Project Consortium Manager will be responsible for the successful delivery of the “Strengthening locally-led solutions to intersecting peace, gender and climate change challenges in the borderlands of Kenya, South Sudan, and Uganda”project. The Project Consortium Manager will hold overall responsibility for the implementation of the project, oversee grant management, provide technical expertise, and lead on coordination of the overall programme.
The Project Consortium Manager will work closely with partners to ensure delivery of agreed project deliverables. They will be responsible for establishing and maintaining good working relations with civil society organisations and networks; linking with other teams and related projects across Saferworld and partners, and among the donor community (in particular the Austrian Development Agency) to share best practices and lessons learnt.
The job holder will have a key role in the development and implementation of the new Knowledge and Learning strategy, particularly how communities, their authorities, and other actors have increased understanding of and can respond to how climate, conflict, pastoral/agriculturalist conflict and other factors impact communities, particularly, management of pasture, and GBV, designed to maximise our and others understanding of this set of challenges, and how to respond to them
Roles and responsibilities:
Consortium, programme management, quality, and impact
- Provide leadership for the effective and efficient management of the project, in accordance with Saferworld organisational and donor requirements.
- Oversee implementation and achievement of project objectives by the project team and partners.
- Ensure that joint planning, budgeting, and reporting are conducted promptly and to quality.
- Identify areas where additional inputs are needed to ensure high quality programming, ensuring that relevant technical expertise and capacity strengthening support is available to staff and partners.
- Ensure an overall monitoring and evaluation plan is in place for the programme and implemented.
- Explore and build opportunities for programme growth and follow-on funding in the course of implementing the project through quality programme delivery processes.
- Be responsible for nurturing and maintaining a robust, honest, and transparent relationship with project partners, ensuring the project’s partnerships are managed in line with Saferworld’s partnership approach.
- Lead in the identification of project risks and proactively work with partners to mitigate risk factors against partnership and project delivery plans.
- Chair the meetings of the project steering committee and ensure that action points agreed during the meetings are followed through.
Financial management and financial and narrative reporting
- Have overall responsibility for financial management of the project. This includes working with budget holders and finance staff in Uganda, South Sudan and Kenya, and ensure that all activities and expenditures are conducted within budget allocations.
- Facilitate monthly consortium level grant management meetings to monitor programme expenditure, prepare budget revisions and forecasts, review monthly financial data and ensure timely financial reporting to the donor, in coordination with the budget holders and grant managers.
- Coordinate the collation of narrative reporting to donors, including coordinating reporting by staff and partners and consolidating overall reports.
Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning
- Play a lead role in the Saferworld’s new Knowledge and Learning strategy, particularly in relation to the node focused on climate, conflict, and environmental degradation. This includes setting up adequate MEL systems to gather programmatic evidence and learning, designed to maximise Saferworld’s and partners understanding of this set of challenges, and how to respond to them.
- Work with MEL Advisors and Consortium members and on the analysis of data, reporting, learning and sharing.
- Review relevant reports, including evaluation reports, partner narrative reports, and other internal and external resources as necessary to inform project delivery.
- Support bi-annual outcome harvesting workshops, and ensure critical MEL and research-grounded project reflection and reviews take place on regular bases to inform decision making, and that learning informs wider Saferworld community of practice, including within and between Saferworld’s country teams, and the global programme support, policy and advocacy teams
- Support Saferworld’s organisational objectives on gender equality, climate change, partnerships and solidarity and contribute to learning and development around these.
Networking and Representation
- Represent Saferworld as in external meetings and provide feedback on issues that need further attention.
- Develop and maintain collaborative and strategic relationships with civil society partners and other stakeholders.
- Represent Saferworld in donor meetings.
Key working relationships
- Consortium partner colleagues in HQ (technical leads, grant managers) and in country teams (Kenya, Uganda and South Sudan)
- Saferworld Uganda, South Sudan and Kenya programme teams– coordinating staff input to ensure projects implementation, technical support and MEL
- Project Steering committee– for guidance and accountability, especially on issues around peace, gender and climate change
- Colleagues in the finance team both in country and at HQ– working collaboratively on budgeting, compliance and financial reporting
- Line manager and other Advisors (MEL, Policy, Advocacy, Partnerships) in Programme Support and Learning team, Policy team and in country – regularly engaging with for advice and support
- External stakeholders – regularlyattending relevant working group meetings on WPS, climate change and partnerships, identify common goals and work together on collective influencing (i.e. with relevant national and sub-national NGO networks and women-led civil society organisations and with the international donor community). Develop good working relationships with national and regional government departments and agencies as relevant. Head of Strategy and Organisational Development – for work on the Saferworld Knowledge and Learning Hub.
Scope and accountability
Decision making and limits of authority
The project manager is responsible for leading and motivating the Consortium & project team. Will take lead on project design, implementation and MEL and ensure continuing relevance to partner’s strategic priorities.
Financial resources
Fully accountable for a programme budget.
Other resources
Responsible for cross-regional and organisational information sharing and lesson learning resources on gender, peace and security and partnerships.
People management
N/A; potentially some consultancies as agreed with line manager.
Legal, regulatory and compliance responsibility
Ensure compliance with national legislation. Where there is contradiction, seek guidance.
Ensure compliance with Saferworld’s and donor financial processes and procedures.
Person specification
Knowledge, qualifications and experience
- Have over five years of professional work experience in different capacities with local and international NGOs
- Proven experience of programming in Women Peace, GBV prevention and Security, Climate change/environment and conflict, and/or women’s rights programming at a community, national and international levels – preferably in contexts of conflict prevention, security and justice and/or peacebuilding.
- Sound experience in progressive management in consortium and project management, community security, humanitarian, peace building and/or justice sector.
- Experience in providing mentoring and support to a range of actors,
- Demonstrable experience in managing complex projects.
- Understanding of financial management procedures, budget monitoring, and donor reporting.
- Sound knowledge of civil society dynamics and their role in addressing peace, gender and climate change challenges peace.
- Demonstrable experience in working with partners in sustainable ways that reflect power-sharing, accompaniment, mutual respect, and so forth.
- Familiarity with or experience in working on the nexus between conflicts and climate change and/or natural resource management.
- Master’s Degree in gender, peace and conflict studies, natural resources management, development studies or other relevant field, or training from recognised institutions.
Skills and abilities
- Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Excellent report writing, presentation, and facilitation skills in English.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills in complex project settings.
- Ability to link programme work to policy and advocacy processes at various levels.
- Ability to think critically, strategically, and innovatively to improve project delivery.
- Ability to drive for solutions and to suggest ways to achieve better results.
- Ability to take intelligent risks to drive thought leadership, individual and/or organizational performance.
- Commitment to adaptive programming and working in partnership based on mutual values and respect.
Personal qualities
- Ability to develop and maintain positive relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including civil society organisations, government bodies and officials, and international donors.
- Commitment to and compliance with Saferworld’s safeguarding principles.
- Commitment to respect and value equality and diversity, and understanding of how this applies to own area of work.
- Commitment to own continuing personal and professional development.
- Commitment to the vision, mission, and values of Saferworld.
Other requirements
- The position will be based either in Juba, Kampala or Nairobi and may occasionally require travel to project sites or other locations (locations where all partners can travel to/meet).
How to apply
Application process
Send your CV and a cover letter addressing the person specification and why you feel your experience matches the requirements of the role to jobs@saferworld.org.uk with job ref (PM_KUS.S)
Deadline for applications: 23rd August 2023, shortlisting and interviews on a rolling basis