Programme Manager At RET International

PROGRAMME MANAGER – ToRs

Reporting Line

The Programme Manager (PM) plays a leading role in ensuring overall program delivery, quality and impact. The PM also ensures that programs are evidence- and needs-driven, monitored closely and funded appropriately. Reporting to the Country/Area Director. The PM is a member of the Mauritania Senior Management Team, and supervises a team of technical, program and monitoring and evaluation coordinators.

Place of Work

S/he is based in Bassikounou Office, with frequent trips to the field.

Under the supervision of the Country Director, the Programme Manager is responsible to:

General Responsibilities

• Supervise and guide the full implementation, management, coordination and achievement of expected outcomes of RET’s projects in the country;
• Implement RET’s strategy in a timely, effective and efficient manner;
• Participate in the production of quality narrative, in coordination with the management staff and in compliance with RET’s and the donor’s expectations.

Specific Responsibilities

Project Implementation

• In coordination with the Country Director and the Project Coordinator(s), the PM develops effective and efficient Work-Plans, detailing each required steps to achieve RET’s objectives, in compliance with contract(s) signed with the donor(s);
• Closely follow up on the implementation of the Work-Plan, and, if necessary, take any corrective measure to ensure timely implementation of the activities and/or revision of the Work-Plan;
• Guide the Project Coordinator(s) in their day-to-day work, ensuring that the activities are planned efficiently and implemented in compliance with contract(s) signed with the donor(s);
• Undertake frequent field missions, ensuring that the project activities are effectively implemented in line with work plan requirements, and as described in the progress reports, in compliance with contract(s) signed with the donor(s);
• Manage her/his subordinates, ensuring that a proper team spirit prevails;
• Report to the Country Director, in a timely manner, any discrepancy, challenge, or difficulty met during the planning and implementation of the activities, especially when it could affect the achievement of RET’s objectives.

Finance, Administration and Logistics

• Closely coordinate with the different support departments, namely Finances, Administration, Human Resources (HR), and Logistics, to ensure the proper allocation of the necessary resources for an efficient and effective implementation of the project(s);
• In coordination with the Project Coordinator(s), supervise and validate the budget plans and budget / logistics / administrative documentation, necessary for the allocation of resources for the implementation of the planned activities;
• Ensure that her/his subordinates comply with RET’s administrative processes and procedures;
• When required, participate in the HR procedures (recruitment, performance management, staff development, etc.). This will include ensuring that her/his subordinates have performances objectives and are fairly managed according to performance;
• Participate to the elaboration of accurate financial reports, as requested by the Country Director, in collaboration with the Head of the Finance Department.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting

• At the beginning of each project, participate in the development, of the M&E Plan, tools & templates, under the supervision of the Regional TARM;
• Together with Reporting Officer and the Project Coordinator(s), ensure that data on programme beneficiaries, processes, progress and performance are collected, entered, and analysed in a timely fashion, and documented in line with DQA requirements, using the proper project tracking tools designed under the supervision of the Regional TARM;
• Follow up with Project Coordinator(s) on implementation of programmatic activities, in line with the projects’ work plans and M&E plans (Timelines, Milestones & Targets)
• Review the field completed M&E forms (ensuring accuracy, completion & timeliness of datasets & forms) prior to upload to Dropbox in collaboration with the Regional TARM. In tandem, ensure the development and maintenance of a proper M&E filing system (M&E paper trail) at project and country level(s) in line with donor requirements;
• Participate in the timely development, review, and edit of periodic consolidated project reports (e.g. monthly SitReps, quarterly, or final reports), submitted by the Project Coordinator(s), comparing reports against M&E forms kept on file, in compliance with RET’s HQ and Regional’s requirements, as well as with the donor(s) contractual obligations;
• Send the final reports to the Country Director for approval and Submission to the Regional TARM;
• Follow up with the Project Coordinator(s) on inconsistencies, resolving data discrepancies, highlighted by the Reporting Officer, upon reviewing and comparing monthly reports to M&E forms;
• Conduct periodic data quality checks, in coordination with the Regional TARM and the Country Director;
• Hold frequent (as required) coordination calls with the Regional TARM;

Leadership and Representation

• Provide leadership and supervisory management of programs in Mauritania, including mobilization and stewardship of resources, program quality and accountability, and performance management.

· Provide overall direction for all program staff, including those working remotely and/or based in locations other than Bassikounou

• Participate actively in-country program management, coordination, and strategy meetings with other members of the senior management team.
• Actively engage with donors, partner agencies, and the humanitarian community in Bassikounou to ensure RET is strongly represented in coordination and advocacy efforts.
• Remain abreast of ongoing humanitarian response and funding trends in the region, and provide regular updates on these trends and analysis of how they may affect RET programming.

Strategic Direction, Program Quality and Growth

• Provide cohesive leadership to RET’s program teams in Mauritania, ensuring that priorities and opportunities identified are in line with and contribute to the achievement of RET’s objectives in the region and the development and implementation of the Mauritania Strategic Action Plan.
• Provide guidance to the program team regarding tools and strategies to ensure that programming is based on input from communities, a thorough understanding of the context, and technical best practices.
• Work with Project Coordinators to ensure that in strategy and program planning RET’s role is defined based on how we can best complement the roles, capacities and strategies of Maritanian actors.
• Manage Project Coordinators to ensure partnership plans that maximize opportunities for principled, collaborative partnerships in Mauritanie are maintained and enhanced, consistent with the RET’s Strategy Action Plan.

Secondary Responsibilities

• Participate in the elaboration of project proposals (narrative, operational and financial);
• If requested by the Country Director, participate to coordination meetings with the authorities and/or partners;
• Complete any additional task, as requested by the Country Director.

In addition, like all RET Staff

• Comply with internal policies, ensuring that activities and their performance comply with what is established in RET’s Code of Conduct and other Manuals;
• Work as a team member to achieve RET’s goals;
• Manage in a transparent way RET’s resources, fulfilling effectively and efficiently the tasks entrusted;
• Propose, constructively, alternative solutions to problems that arise in the work area.

Core Competencies Required

• People and Management Skills: Ability to work independently and in a team, demonstrate management skills and leadership;
• Communication Skills: Well developed written and oral communication skills both in English and official local language. Able to communicate clearly and sensitively with relevant institutions and organizations, internal and external stakeholders as a representative of RET international. These skills include effective negotiation and representation;
• Integrity: Work with trustworthiness and integrity and has a clear commitment to RET International core values and humanitarian principles.
• Resilience/Adaptability and flexibility: Works and lives with a flexible, adaptable and resilient manner in line with the humanitarian nature of RET International’s core activities;
• Awareness and sensitivity of self and others: Demonstrates awareness and sensitivity to gender and diversity. Have experience and the ability to live and work in diverse cultural contexts in a culturally acceptable manner;
• Knowledge and skills: Knowledge of Sphere and the Red Cross/ NGO Code of Conduct. Requires general finance, administration, reporting, monitoring and evaluation, project management, and information management and telecommunication skills;
• Confidentiality: Appreciation and understanding of confidentiality and use of discretion when dealing with employment/staff matters.

Technical Competencies

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, proficient level of local official language and English language both in writing and speaking;
• Excellent word processing and IT skills, including knowledge of a range of software packages and comprehensive capabilities in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint);
• Management of people, administration, project management, reporting, monitoring and evaluation, general finance knowledge, experience with working and interpretation with data (preferable presentation of the documentary evidence);
• Flexibility to manage different tasks effectively and willingness to put in extra hours when required.

Education / Experience

• University degree preferably in Social Work, social sciences, project management or related ((preferable Master degree);
• Preferably have two (2) years minimum verifiable experience in similar functions, coordinating multidisciplinary teams in similar contexts or in areas of implementation;
• Experience working with communities in fragile and vulnerable contexts.
• Experience in fieldwork and positive response under pressure;
• Training and/or verifiable experience in humanitarian project management (formulation, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation), related to humanitarian assistance, shelter, migration, vulnerable or at-risk population, youth and host community;
• Experience in the preparation of reports, reports, statistics and management of equipment and computer systems;
• Excellent French. English (considered an added value);