Programme Manager – Yemen At INTERSOS

INTERSOS is an independent humanitarian organization that assists the victims of natural disasters, armed conflicts and exclusion. Its activities are based on the principles of solidarity, justice, human dignity, equality of rights and opportunities, respect for diversity and coexistence, paying special attention to the most vulnerable people.

Terms of reference

Job Title: Programme Manager

Code: 35-6146

Duty station: Aden & Sana’a (50% – 50%)

Starting date: 15/05/2023

Contract duration: Until 30/04/2024

Reporting to: Programme Coordinator (North and South)

Supervision of: Project Managers, activity coordinators and reporting officers

Dependents: non-family duty station

General context of the project

INTERSOS is implementing a project funded by DG ECHO in Yemen, entitled: “Provision of emergency health and nutrition services, with integration of protection services, for conflict and displacement affected people in Aden, Hajja and Lahj governorates”.

DG ECHO funded grants in INTERSOS Yemen mission are managed by national Project Managers: different project managers for different sectors and for different geographical zones (H&N, protection and North and South).

General purpose of the position

The Programme Manager brings together the different project components (following the sector PMs throughout the project cycle, coaching and guiding them in the process so they develop their capacities) and ensures quality and timely reports to the donor (monthly, ad hoc, interim and final reports to donor).

The Programme Manager ensures constant engagement by/with different support departments to ensure timely support to the project team.

The Programme Manager also ensures close communication with DG ECHO, in collaboration with grants manager, program coordinator, and technical coordinators.

The Programme Manager is budget holder for the whole project grant/budget and supervises/monitors closely the financial planning, liquidity planning and budget utilization/burn rate monitoring.

The financial/budget management is the final responsibility of the Programme Manager for the specific project and he/she must ensure that this goes together with close log frame and work plan monitoring.

He/she works closely together with logistics department to develop, monitor and update timely and accurately the project specific procurement plan, with special attention for procurement of drugs and medical equipment, among others

Main responsibilities and tasks

Main responsibilities:

• Ensures the planning, implementation and monitoring/evaluation and sets targets as included in the project description. Flag significant deviation from the program implementation plan and estimated expenditures; alert relevant staff.
• Guarantee an efficient financial management as main budget holder for the project in compliance with INTERSOS’ model and donor regulations.
• Team/HR management (staff and volunteers)
• Deliver quality project activities reporting, including the findings in terms of impact/changes at the level of beneficiaries achieved through the project, compliant and consistent reporting per INTERSOS and donor requirements, in close collaboration with Grants department
• Develop clear understanding of INTERSOS program and strategy for Yemen among project team – ensure also timely input/feedback by team on strategic issues.
• Support Program/Grants Department in program/project development.
• Ensure that program delivery matches INTERSOS and donor technical minimum standards and seek technical section and MEAL department guidance and tools.
• Ensure clear overview of actors and services in area of intervention, permitting development and implementation of partnerships and referral pathways.
• Administrative and office support activities (agreement, amendments, NFFs, signed reports, communications, etc.), ensuring documentation cycle is up to date, and ensure all departments’ requirements are aligned and addressed (liaison, log/proc, finance, HR, program/grants, MEAL)

More detailed responsibilities and tasks

• Ensure the full and timely implementation of the project proposal as approved, pro-actively respecting deadlines for reporting:
• Team recruitment, liaise with admin-fin department to secure up to date HR files
• Plan, organize and supervise trainings for volunteers and staff
• Project kick-off and presentation/sharing of project with teams
• Review and prepare a detailed activity plan with team
• Agree and establish clear reporting and communication lines
• Verification on the targeting of beneficiaries
• Ensure sector SOPs and guidelines are properly applied and adhered to
• Permanent on-job coaching of teams to work on quality in delivery
• Ensure security assessment for teams’ daily movement and report incidents/concerns in a pro-active manner to the Head of Mission and Security Focal point
• Secure drug store management

Financial management and procurement:

• Prepare, monitor and implement financial and procurement plan
• Prepare liquidity plan
• Approval of all purchases/contracting and budget line allocations
• Verify on a weekly basis the bookkeeping entries in the INTERSOS accounting spread sheets (JOURNAL): verify budget line allocations, budget expenditure status against actual delivery and the financial plan for the remainder project implementation period
• Ensure for all purchases/contracting of goods/services/supplies the correct INTERSOS procurement guidelines are applied and properly documented (also for the procedures applied by the municipalities), in close coordination with the admin-fin and logistics department
• Verify the list of expenditures prior to finalizing the interim and final financial reports
• Holds final responsibility for verification of all support documents’ completeness and correctness

Manage team and to provide relevant capacity building and on-job coaching to the project team:

• Manages and evaluates the performance of the project staff
• Conduct weekly and monthly meetings with the team to review the planning and discuss the main concerns to focus on for the upcoming period
• Ensure use of correct/relevant forms for assessments and reporting by the team
• Ensure fluent chain of information/data transfer from field to supervisors
• Ensure timely processing of information/data and conduct coaching for teams on the analysis of the processed data
• Continuous/fast verification of data quality collected and received from field staff
• Establish a participatory process to inform/develop relevant response strategies for conflict mitigation and enhanced social cohesion.
• Undertake (if security situation allows) field visits to provide technical guidance and supervision to the team and to monitor the progress and quality of the different project activities.
• Ensure good practice and system for internal and external referral of most vulnerable cases, in close coordination and collaboration with other INTERSOS programmes/project staff.
• Oversee team attendances and authorize holidays, liaise with admin-fin department to secure up to date HR files
• Ensure teams respect INTERSOS rules and guidelines to the mission and adhere to INTERSOS code of conduct and charter of values

Monitoring & evaluation:

• Ensure monitoring and verification for the targeting of beneficiaries.
• Applying a result-based management approach, monitor the project outcomes, in addition to the outputs and activities, including changes at the household and community level achieved through the project.

Reporting:

• Ensure quality reporting on achievements through daily short briefings, monthly and weekly planning presented against weekly and monthly performance reports containing clear quantitative and qualitative information related to the activities.
• Secure weekly and monthly reporting per team and compile, review and analyses reports on monthly bases to be reflected in INTERSOS PAT reporting tool
• Prepare ad hoc progress reporting for the donor and official required interim and final project reports: Prepare interim and final narrative reports for the donor in a timely and qualitative manner, looking into achievements against outcomes and output and reflect lessons learnt clearly into recommendations for future programming. Reporting must always be gender and age disaggregated per DG ECHO gender and age marker guidelines.
• Holds final responsibility for all support documents (means of verification) and general project documents
• Delivers regular communication products (including pictures) on the project to be used by the INTERSOS communication department in different outlet.

Coordination and representation:

• Seek with technical focal points to ensure link/attendance to cluster meetings and ensure timely reporting of highlights and relevant information for intervention area.
• Conduct regular meetings with the donor representatives and facilitates field visits by donor missions (when security allows for).
• Coordinate with MoPHP, Executive Unit for IDPs and MOPIC to assure the timely signature of sub-agreement.
• Support INTERSOS with the outlining of its Yemen Country strategy.
• Contribute to the coordination between the different project-teams for the projects in Yemen.
• Ensure systematic information and update sharing with the programme coordinators.
• Coordinate with other INTERSOS projects/sectors for effective and efficient referral of cases between INTERSOS projects/sectors

Perform any other related duties as required.

Required profile and experience

Education

Hold an BA degree in any related field (Economics International Relations, Political Science) ; MA is a plus

Professional Experience

• At least 2 year of professional experience working with humanitarian NGO, working in program design and evaluation
• Demonstrate active direct experience in dealing with grants (proposal development and/or reporting) from DG ECHO, in addition to minimum 1 additional donor out of the following list: UNHCR, BHA, and OCHA
• Demonstrate complete familiarity with Project Cycle Management – strong project management skills
• Prior work experience in complex humanitarian setting and/or the Middle East region is desirable
• Multi-sector experience (ideally including protection and Health and Nutrition)​

Professional Requirements

• Demonstrate very good familiarity with Project Cycle Management
• Familiarity with international humanitarian operations, coordination structures, and the mandates of donors, UN agencies, and NGOs.
• Demonstrated leadership and interpersonal skills
• Excellent computer skills
• Strong experience with monitoring tools and systems
• Readiness and ability to move around in Yemen
• Readiness to commit and adhere to the values, mission and vision of INTERSOS

Languages

Fluent English (written and spoken) and knowledge of Arabic is an asset

Personal Requirements

• Excellent analytical skills, observation and analysis capacity
• Very strong interpersonal skills: strong communication and diplomatic skills
• Practical and problem-solver
• Excellent ability to establish inter-personal relations and good negotiation skills
• Strong team spirit, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment
• Attention to detail and structured way of approaching tasks (very organized)
• Ability to plan ahead and output oriented (pro-active)
• Able to ensure quick quality delivery in stressful environment (stress-resilient)
• Ability to deal with heavy work pressure; while living in a heavy movement restricted living environment