Central African Republic: Project Development Manager, Bangui At ACTED

CDD | 12 months | October 2023

Acted

For thirty years, the international NGO Acted has been working on the last kilometer of humanitarian action to save lives. Acted currently supports 20 million people in 43 countries to meet their needs in hard-to-reach areas, and pursues a triple humanitarian, environmental and development role. Acted relies on a detailed knowledge of local territories and contexts to develop and implement long-term actions, with a wide range of local and international partners, in order to build together a world “ 3ZERO ”: Zero Exclusion, Zero Carbon, Zero Poverty

Acted Central African Republic

Since 2013, the Central African Republic has faced regular episodes of violence due to clashes between many armed groups that pit communities against each other.

The Central African Republic is currently oscillating between emergency and development needs. Even if certain regions and some of the main cities, notably Bangui, the capital, are today engaged in a stabilization process, new cycles of violence have forced many people to move: more than one in five was displaced or refugees in the Central African Republic in late 2017. These mass displacements have weakened the resilience of populations and generated very significant needs in terms of access to essential services, such as water, sanitation, education, food and health, as well as in terms of access to employment. Otherwise,the administrative and institutional capacities of the government to intervene or even establish a presence throughout the territory have been undermined by the many years of conflict and its repercussions.

Positioning / Acted strategy in the country

Since its establishment in the country in 2007, Acted has been one of the major players in supporting the Central African population and constitutes one of the most important NGOs in the country by its financial volume, its geographic coverage, and its central role within the humanitarian coordination system. The organization thus implements nearly 25 projects annually thanks to the work of a team of nearly 400 people including more than 30 expatriates, distributed in 12 bases covering the majority of the territory. Acted is one of 10 NGOs elected to the Executive Committee of the coordinating body of international NGOs ( CCO ) and participates in this capacity in the Country Humanitarian Team.

Acted in CAR covers the entire humanitarian spectrum, ranging from mobile emergency response as part of the Rapid Response Mechanism to ambitious development projects through economic recovery or support for civil society and governance. Despite a context of reduced funding, the mission of Acted en CAR is currently growing rapidly thanks to its ability to provide innovative and ambitious solutions to humanitarian needs and the crisis current. In particular, Acted RCA activities cover the following sectors :

• Support to communities by building infrastructure ( markets, bridges, community spaces … )
• Professional training for ex-combatants to ensure their reintegration
• Water and Sanitation support, following the « Wash and Nut » ( approach consisting in coupling nutritional support to WASH assistance: construction and rehabilitation of wells, rehabilitation of Nutritional Therapeutic Units, hygiene training, training of nursing staff )
• Rapid Emergency Response Program ( RRM ) for support following a shock in Essential Household Articles ( NFI ), Water and Sanitation and Food Safety
• Emergency education for displaced children
• Cross-border responses to population movements
• Support for vulnerable populations through monetary approaches
• Reconstruction of housing to allow displaced people to return to their area of origin
• Economic recovery and support to the private sector
• Reconstruction of road infrastructure ( bridges and roads )

Main roles and responsibilities

The project development manager ensures the production of regular reports for donors and is responsible for the development of an internal and external ( communication strategy at country level. He / she is also in charge of developing the tools for evaluating, monitoring and monitoring Acted’s mission in the country of assignment.

1.Ensure the production of regular, precise and analytical reports for the Reporting Manager

• Understand and transmit donor directives ;
• Establish a regular link with the area coordinators, project managers and technical staff to ensure the production of quality reports on all areas and all donors ;
• Recruit and train Reporting Officers ( expatriate trainees and/or national staff ) to create a productive and efficient team in accordance with the principle of Acted cost efficiency and skills development ;
• Supervise the work, learning and evolution carried out by Reporting staff in the field to ensure the quality and punctuality of the reports ;
• Review the database system to simplify and clarify the reporting requirements ;
• Develop and incorporate solid monitoring and evaluation elements in the reports ;
• Work in close contact with the Finance department to ensure greater consistency between financial and narrative relationships, and ensure a regular cash flow based on the regularity and quality of the reports submitted ;

2.Develop internal coordination and communication mechanisms

• Ensure the smooth running of all meetings and their documentation ( coordination meetings in the capital, area coordination meetings, weekly base meetings, monthly planning meetings, quarterly country coordination meetings ) ;
• Ensure in particular that Reporting models, formats, the philosophy and deadlines of each project and each donor are clearly communicated and adopted throughout the country for all new projects as well as for projects in Classes ;
• Monitor meetings in the field and / or in the capital, between bases and between Country Directors ;
• Write the agendas and minutes of the country meetings ;

3.Develop a strategy for relations with external donors

• Update the « external relations » database weekly and monthly, which summarizes recent negotiations and proposal possibilities as well as key donors ;
• Mobilize area coordinators, project managers and technical staff to ensure that proposals are developed in a cohesive and professional manner, in accordance with the country strategy of Acted and the requirements of donors ;
• Act as a reference contact for communication with donors, in particular the organization of the reception of a lessor visiting the field ;

4.Develop an external communication strategy

• Define the activities, resources, partnerships and target groups that Acted needs, in particular by maintaining a high level of information and by understanding the donor strategy and possible partnerships ;
• Ensure the continuity of public relations, update the regional and specific sheets for each project and document the publications on Acted in the media ;
• Identify sources of funding for a more cohesive public information strategy in the country ;

Assist the Country Director in the development of project proposals, responding adequately to donor requests or by initiating actions on specific projects or project components.

Qualifications and skills required

• Master level training in a relevant field such as international relations, development or political science ;
• Prior experience in the humanitarian field, the preparation of proposals, the management of grants and relations with donors are necessary ;
• Knowledge of the humanitarian aid system and ability to understand donor systems ;
• Competences in matters of external representation ;
• Ability to coordinate and manage a team ;
• Suitability for teamwork and team building, ability to build capacity ;
• Ability to work independently and creatively in a multicultural context ;
• Strong powers in oral and written communication, analytical skills ;
• Ability to work effectively under pressure ;
• Prior experience abroad is required ;

Conditions

• Salary defined by the salary scale Acted according to the level of education, expertise, level of security and level of experience : between 3400 and 3600 € monthly net ( before income taxes )
• Monthly cost of living allowance 300 $
• Guesthouse accommodation and food supported by Acted
• Social security, mutual ( MSH ) and repatriation assistance ( SOS International ) supported by Acted
• Transport to the mission and return ticket fully supported every 6 months ( to the address specified on the employment contract )
• Visa fees covered by Acted
• R&R every 3 months ( plane ticket supported up to 500 $ + additional compensation of 200 $ )
• A week of departure preparation including 4 days of safety training in immersion
• Possibility of having a 30-minute call with a consultant in taxation
• Psychological support ( date with a professional.the )