Mali: Country Project Development Manager – Bamako At Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development

Fixed-term contract | 12 months | ASAP

Acted

For thirty years, the international NGO Acted has been working on the last mile 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 mandate. Acted relies on in-depth knowledge of territories and local contexts to develop and implement long-term actions, with a wide range of local and international partners, in order to build together a “3ZERO” world: Zero Exclusion, Zero Carbon, Zero Poverty

Acted Mali

Since 2012, Acted has been mobilized in Mali in response to the complex crisis and the structural and economic challenges facing the country, with interventions that combine emergency operations and development programs. Acted’s teams (today 11 international employees and 160 national employees) have supported more than 1 million people in 6 regions of Mali: Ségou, Mopti, Gao, Menaka, Timbuktu and Bamako.

Main role and responsibilities

The project development manager ensures the production of regular reports for donors and is responsible for the development of a communication strategy (internal and external) at the country level. He/she is also in charge of developing evaluation, monitoring and follow-up tools for 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 regular liaison with zone coordinators, project managers and technical staff to ensure the production of quality reports on all zones and all donors;
• Recruit and train Reporting Managers (expatriate interns and/or national staff) to create a productive and efficient team in accordance with Acted’s principle of cost efficiency and skills development;
• Supervise the work, learning and development carried out by reporting staff in the field to ensure the quality and timeliness of reports;
• Revise the database system to simplify and clarify reporting requirements;
• Develop and incorporate robust monitoring and evaluation elements into reporting;
• Work closely with the Finance department to ensure greater consistency between financial and narrative reporting, and ensure regular cash flow based on the regularity and quality of submitted reports;

2.Develop internal coordination and communication mechanisms

• Ensure the smooth running of all meetings and their documentation (capital coordination meetings, zone coordination meetings, weekly base meetings, monthly planning meetings, quarterly country coordination meetings);
• In particular, ensure that the reporting templates, formats, 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 ongoing projects ;
• Follow up on meetings in the field and/or in the capital, between bases and between Country Directors;
• Write agendas and minutes of country meetings;

3.Develop a relations strategy with external donors

• Update the “external relations” database on a weekly and monthly basis, which summarizes recent negotiations and proposal possibilities as well as key donors;
• Mobilize zone coordinators, project managers and technical staff to ensure that proposals are developed in a cohesive and professional manner, in accordance with Acted’s country strategy and donor requirements;
• Act as a reference contact for communication with donors, including organizing the reception of a donor visiting the field;

4.Develop an external communications strategy

• Define the activities, resources, partnerships and target groups that Acted needs, in particular by maintaining a high level of information and understanding the donor strategy and possible partnerships;
• Ensure the continuity of public relations, update regional and specific files for each project and document 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 initiating actions on specific projects or project components.

Qualifications and skills required

• Master’s level training in a relevant field such as international relations, development or political science;
• Prior experience in humanitarian work, proposal development, grant management and donor relations is required;
• Knowledge of the humanitarian aid system and ability to understand donor systems;
• External representation skills;
• Ability to coordinate and manage a team;
• Ability to work in a team and build a team, ability to build capacity;
• Ability to work independently and creatively in a multicultural context;
• Strong oral and written communication skills, analytical skills;
• Ability to work effectively under pressure;
• Prior experience abroad is required;

Terms

• Salary defined by the Acted salary scale according to the level of studies, expertise, level of security and level of experience: between €3,600 and €3,800 net monthly (before income taxes)
• Monthly living expenses allowance $300
• Guesthouse accommodation and food covered by Acted
• Social security, mutual (MSH) and repatriation assistance (SOS International) supported by Acted
• Transport to the mission and return ticket fully covered every 6 months (to the address specified on the employment contract)
• Visa fees covered by Acted
• R&R every 3 months (plane ticket covered up to $500 + additional compensation of $200)
• One week of preparation for departure including 4 days of immersion safety training
• Possibility of having a 30-minute call with a tax consultant
• Psychological support (meeting with a professional)