Programme Support Officer – CAR At Concern Worldwide

About the role: This is a twelve-month role with unaccompanied terms based in Bangui, CAR. This is a volunteer position with an annual allowance of 12,329 EUR.

You will report to the Programme Director (PD). You will work closely with Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Manager, the Compliance and Internal Auditor, the Gender, Protection and Safeguarding advisor, the Area Coordinators, and Programme Managers together ensuring the quality and compliance of grant management and reporting, contributing to new programme development and to partnerships with local civil society. The role will include travel to the programme areas. You may supervise an intern.

We would like you to start in August 2024.

Your purpose:

Your role is to support the development of Concern’s programme in the C.A.R. through quality and timely proposal writing, and to help ensure Concern’s compliance with the requirements of donors, the state, and partners, using effective reporting and good collaboration.

To accompany programme development, you will work with the Country Director and Programme Director on developing and implementing the funding strategy and identifying promising funding opportunities that are in line with Concern’s Strategic Plan for C.A.R. You will support the development of funding proposals, contribute to proposal writing, and help verify that they are in line with the guidelines of Concern, the donor and the specific call for proposals. Together with the PD, you will ensure that the goals of the Country Strategic Plan, and crosscutting issues including gender and protection, are taken into account in proposals.

You will work in close collaboration with the Area Coordinators and Programme Managers to ensure that donor requirements are adhered to. In particular, you will support the team in producing high quality donor reporting. You will also work with colleagues across departments within C.A.R. and outside the country to help ensure strong compliance with donor rules.

In addition, you will work with the team on developing local partnerships that support quality programming and the delivery of the localisation agenda. You will help identify local partners, contribute to assessing their capacity with the support of other units and help roll-out capacity strengthening plans that are designed and implemented jointly with the partners.

You will be responsible for:

Programme Development 40%

• Under the guidance of the PD and the CD, carry out research on potential donors in order to understand their mission, policies, strategies, procedures and priorities.
• Help provide and regularly update an analysis of the current donor and stakeholder profile in country: their priorities for investment, potential calls.
• Provide information to the HQ based Desk Officer and fundraising teams in Dublin, London and New York to identify opportunities for funding and information dissemination.
• Coordinate with the Desk Officer on funding opportunities that would fit with the country programme.
• Be aware of and engage in networking opportunities to learn about/engage with new opportunities/priorities for the country, relevant to INGO work.
• Support the coordination and writing of concept notes and proposals, under the guidance of the PD. Help develop internal work plans for submission and coordinate the finance and operational staff, as well as headquarters and technical advisors to facilitate input.
• Assist in ensuring project proposals and concept notes are submitted by required deadlines.
• Assist in ensuring compliance with donor rules and various Concern strategies
• Help prepare the programme portion of donor budgets in collaboration with Project managers, Area Coordinators, Base managers and the Country Finance Controller.
• Liaise with Country Finance Controller to ensure financial compliance of all proposals.

Reporting and compliance 30%

• Support grant compliance for all of CAR’s programmes, in close coordination with the Compliance and Internal Auditor.
• Support grant management meetings at various stages throughout a grant (Opening, Interim and Closing).
• Help ensure teams are aware of key donor compliance issues by sharing audit information, trainings on donors’ procedures and requirements, etc.
• Develop and maintain grant management tools, such as funding and grant trackers, reporting templates and calendars; and ensure the team is aware of these timelines.
• Liaise with the Desk Officer in Dublin and Country Finance Controller to file the contract documents for grants – both active and closed.
• Help PD liaise with finance and programme staff to ensure that all deliverables are completed within the grant period and that all budget revisions are carried out in line with donor regulations.
• Manage the reporting schedule ensuring timely and accurate reporting.
• Coordinate donor reports, ensuring they are of high quality, meet all internal and external standards and reporting requirements and are both reviewed and submitted on time.
• Contribute to timely communication with donors on their reporting requests, for extension requests, modifications and challenges faced, including coordinating with other teams to provide both responsive and proactive donor communication.
• Contribute to the drafting and compilation of Concern’s internal annual programme report as well as reports mandated by the host government as per the dates agreed with Programme Director/Dublin.
• Ensure version control of documents and filing of final reports and proposals, learning documents, and other relevant documentation using the shared data space in country and Concern’s Grants Management System.

Partnerships 25%

• Support the identification of potential new partners (e.g. international and national NGOs)
• Contribute to Due Diligence and/or Concern’s Integrated Local Partner Assessment Tool (CILPAT) process in case of new partnerships with local NGOs.
• Support the development of existing partnerships with local NGOs.
• Support the development and implementation of the capacity strengthening plans jointly with local partners and in collaboration with other units (e.g. logistics, finance, audit).
• Support with the negotiation and signature of agreements or MoUs with the host government and its agencies as needed; assist with compliance with host government regulations (e.g. reporting; authorisations; etc.).
• Represent Concern at relevant meetings, e.g. clusters.

Communications 5%

• Provide guidance and strengthen capacities of communications staff and other staff to collect and disseminate content.
• Review communication materials before they are approved by the CD (e.g. social media posts, articles, case studies).
• Assist with donor liaison through the oversight of the production of documentation and success stories of current programmes that would be of interest to them/linked to their strategy.
• Oversee collection of content such as case studies, photos, all in line with Concern requirements on consent.
• Supervise the Communication intern (TBC).

Miscellaneous

• Adhere to and promote Concern’s Code of Conduct.
• Ensure programme design and implementation is in line with the Core Humanitarian Standards.
• Support any research initiatives planned.
• Deliver any other task requested based on the programme’s needs.

Your skills and experience will include:

Essential:

• A university degree in a social science discipline/human rights/humanitarian affairs or other relevant academic field
• Ability to work in a high pressured, results focused and dynamic environment
• Good organisational and planning skills
• Strong computer skills particularly Microsoft office
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Fluency in both French and English, both oral and written
• Excellent writing skills in French and English
• Ability to work in a challenging and stressful environment with unexpected challenges.
• Willing to travel frequently
• Very high attention to detail
• Able to take initiative and work independently
• Empathy with Concern’s goals and a commitment to capacity building, protection and participation including Concern’s Code of Conduct and associated safeguarding policies

Desirable:

• Previous experience of donor reporting and/or proposal writing
• Previous experience working with local civil society
• Specific experience with the EU/ECHO, UN agencies, and/or Irish Aid would be an advantage
• Experience working in an insecure and volatile environment
• Confident strong communicator and networker
• One year of relevant experience with an NGO, UN agency or donor