TECHNICAL ASSISTANT TO PROJECT MANAGERS/COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVE TAJIKISTAN (M/F) At Groupe Energies Renouvelables, Environnement et Solidarités

Context & the organisation

Set up in 1976, Geres is a French based international development NGO which works to improve the living conditions of the poorest and tackle climate change and its impacts. As a grassroots actor, Geres considers the energy transition as a major lever in all its actions. In order to drive societal change, Geres promotes the development and dissemination of innovative and local solutions, supports climate-energy policies and actions and encourages everyone to commit to Climate Solidarity by taking action and supporting vulnerable populations.

In Central Asia, Geres has been working mainly in the sphere of energy poverty and access thereof, energy efficiency in building, bioclimatic solutions in the agricultural sector & overall better (natural) resource management, following as much as possible inclusive market-based approaches and access to finance.

In Tajikistan, Geres has a permanent representation office since 2011 and been working in bioclimatic solutions (solar passive greenhouses and cellars) for the small-scale agriculture sector and in building energy efficiency (thermal retrofitting and Low Energy Consumption Houses) mainly with the support of various donors.

As of 2021 onwards, Geres will manage grants and implement projects related to sustainable housing retrofitting systems, the scale-up and a labelling scheme for an energy efficient house programme nationally and the mainstreaming of energy/resource efficiency amongst youth in the education sector (secondary and TVET). Those workstreams include strong components related to access to finance, the promotion of green jobs and the support to Tajik CSOs. Current donors encompass the EU, AFD, SDC and Fondation Abbé Pierre.

Mission

Under the hierarchical management and with the support of the Central Asia Regional Director, the TA/Country Representative will be in charge of declining and unfolding Geres regional strategy at national level with the programme team. She/he will represent Geres in the country, lead fundraising efforts and oversee all projects/programmes in cooperation with managers and Finance and Admin department. She/he will ensure compliance, quality of implementation, monitoring and reporting.

Additionally, she/he will specifically support and coach the Energy Programme Manager and an EU funded CSO Project Coordinator in overseeing PCM and ensuring the quality & impact of the respective programmes.

She/He will work in close coordination with Financial Controller and key subject matters experts based in HQ.

She/he will liaise with donors, partners, the NGO and IO networks and coordinate Geres communication and advocacy towards national and local authorities.

Activities

As Technical Assistant to Project Managers:

1. Oversee Projects Cycle Management

· Support PMs & partners in planning, coordinating, and monitoring activities

· Support the monitoring and evaluation process, in particular by developing methodologies M&E tools to measure the results and impacts of the projects

· Assist PMs in tackling implementation constraints and putting in place the necessary corrective measures in consultation with stakeholders (including authorities, partners and beneficiaries)

· Supervise and ensure compliance in the use of external service providers, internal support missions and other suppliers

· Ensure quality and timely preparation of internal and external reports by PMs

· Ensure and maintain a knowledge management system, incl. archival and sharing

· Ensure ownership and capacity building of the team across the entire project cycle management

2. Manage projects partnerships

· Monitor, assess and facilitate project partnerships (MFIs, Tajik CSOs)

· Ensuring commitments of Geres towards its partners are dully filled and reciprocally, that project partners abide by their respective commitments towards Geres

· Prevent and, if need be, solve issues and disputes with partners

· Facilitate the identification and the implementation of partnerships at country level

3. Supervise administrative, logistical, and financial management of the projects

· Develop and/or guarantee a framework of operations and responsibilities between the stakeholders in accordance with the rules of the financial partners

· Supervise the planning and delivery of financial expenditures and accounting flows in collaboration with the Administrative and Finance Officer

· Communicate to teams and ensure compliance with logistical, administrative and financial procedures

· Actively participate in co-funding research efforts

· Ensure that project managers reports to the HQ Admin/Finance department in timely manner

As Tajikistan Country Representative:

4. Leading and animating the country strategy in coherence with Geres Regional Strategy

· Analyse the country context, strengths/weaknesses/challenges/opportunities

· Develop networks and identify strategic partnerships with donors, international NGOs, national CSOs, national and local authorities, private sector.

· Implement the country strategy; evaluate and update if deemed necessary

· Be active part to the regional strategy development

5. Fundraising & project/programme portfolio development in coherence with the country strategy

· Perform prospective work and develop field understanding of the country, also beyond current zones/topics of interventions

· Prospectively identify funding opportunities

· Identify partnership opportunities in order to prepare swiftly concepts and consortium ahead of calls for proposals

· Organise the development of funding proposals (narrative and budget) in country, following the existing procedure in close collaboration with the Regional Director and HQ

6. Representation of Geres amongst key stakeholders in-country and with the support of the Regional Director

· Ensure proactive and regular communication with institutional partners and development stakeholders

· Manage the external communication of Geres in- country, with the support of Comms officer and HQ Comms Department

· Relay key relevant information to Regional Director and HQ

· Integrate and maintain relation with relevant networks in-country

7. Supervision of human resources, administration & finance

· Ensure the good management of the office(s) related to Human Resources, logistics, administration, and finance/accounting. Make sure that the national legislation is duly respected.

· Organise and regularly check the quality/consistency of the budget planning, disbursement plans, financial and accounting reporting.

· Ensure that all practices and processes are in line with the rules and procedures developed by the Finance and Admin Direction of Geres.

· In line with Geres HR policy and for national colleagues, supervise the elaboration of the Country-level HR policy, submit it to Regional Direction/HR at HQ for validation**

8. Management and animation of the team

· Ensure hierarchical management of the Mongolia team (recruitment, integration, training, appraisal, workload, work planning and prioritisation)

· Develop skills and competencies, support and include members of the Tajikistan team

· Maintain a team atmosphere and ensure information flows amongst the members of the team

· Ensure of the well-being and proper work conditions for the team**

9. Management of partnerships

· Monitor, assess, and facilitate project partnerships

· Facilitate the identification and formalisation of partnerships at country level

10. Management of in-country Security

· Continuously assess and analyse context, key actors, and incidents

· Follow-up on these contextual analyses and liaise with Regional Director

· Keep up to date the required security documents/processes, ensure proper diffusion to members of the team after Regional Director’s validation

· Ensure security and internal rules are respected in-country and by everyone

· Manage incidents (in line with the Executive Director for critical incidents), relay key relevant information to Regional Director and HQ

· Integrate relevant national networks

PROFILE

Education

• A Master’s Degree, preferably in Economics, Development, Engineering, Energy or Environmental studies or equivalent experience required

Experience

• 3 year-minimum experience as a project manager with progressive inclusion of management responsibilities in the international development sector is required
• Previous experience as a project manager in initiatives in support to local entrepreneurship is appreciated
• Previous experience in project portfolio development is required
• Previous experience in Tajikistan/Central Asia is an asset
• Experience managing medium sized grants for a recognised international donor (EU, AFD, SDC, USAid, etc.) is required

Skills

· Required skills:

• Commitment, dynamism, and strong enthusiasm for international development work
• Proficiency in Project Cycle Management, Logical Framework Development, M&E systems
• Excellent project writing/formulation and reporting skills (proven track record is an asset)
• Comfortable with high-level governmental/institutional relationships
• Excellent interpersonal skills, ability to establish contact with people from different background and cultures
• Organisation and attention to detail especially meeting deadlines
• Team player with capacity to work in a multicultural environment
• Fluency in English both written and spoken is a must
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite

· Appreciated skills:

• Conversant with energy and/or CSO strengthening, climate change, value chain & entrepreneurship support related projects in developing countries
• Working knowledge of gender principles and main applied tools in the development sector
• Advanced knowledge of French both written and spoken

· Skills that would be an asset:

• Proven knowledge of energy-climate nexus in developing countries, in particular related to energy efficiency/access to energy/renewable energies
• Working Knowledge of Russian and/or Tajik languages

CONDITIONS

12 months contract (renewable, pending funding)

Full time with days off in lieu (18 days in 2021)

Starting date: as soon as possible

Position based in based in Dushanbe, with travels to project sites

Salary based upon profile & experience as per Geres salary grid (monthly gross salary between 2 550€ and 3 120 €)

26 paid leaves per year

387€ expatriation allowance, luggage indemnity (240€/adult – 120€/child), move allowance (500€ for single or couple – 800€ for family)

annual leaves bonus, health insurance (50% covered by Geres), retirement (if not eligible for French retirement system of monthly pension fund of around 330-350€ will be guaranteed), unemployment, repatriation insurance

1 air ticket/year (beginning and end of contract) between country of residence & country of work

Family policy (school fees, expatriation allowance, luggage indemnity, move allowance, air ticket, health and repatriation insurance)