Project Manager ECHO – Afghanistan (Home-based) 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: Project Manager ECHO

Code: SR-28-1926

Duty station: Currently Remote Management from Kabul with field visit to Kandahar if security situation will allow it. In case security situation improves, the position will be fully based in Kandahar.

Starting date: 01/09/2021

Contract duration: 12 months

Reporting to: Programme Coordinator

Supervision of: Direct supervision of 2 Activities Managers (national); indirect supervision of 65 national staff

Dependents: Non-family Duty Station /non-accompanied

General context of the project

The program’s general objective is to contribute to reduce the protection and health risks of hard to reach conflict-affected communities.

The proposed program aims to improve access to integrated protection, primary health care (including sexual and reproductive health care) and nutrition services in the conflict affected areas of Maywand, Shahwalikot and Spinboldak Districts of Kandahar Province and Qalat District of Zabul Province.

Activities include:

• Running of three Protection Centers within health facilities and of a protection unit within a Mobile Health Team
• Case management and psychosocial response with focus on MHPSS
• Conducting Protection Monitoring at community and individual level
• Support the outreach of health services in hard-to-reach white areas
• Running a reproductive health room and a IYCF corner inside Qalat Provincial Hospital
• Malnutrition screening and SAM treatment
• Training of HFs staff and CHWs on protection (GBV and child protection), Health (BEMoNC, CMR, STI, etc) and Nutrition (MAM, CMAM)
• Awareness campaign on protection, hygiene, nutrition, child health, health care

General purpose of the position

The Project Manager is in charge of the planning, implementation, supervision, monitoring and reporting of the project activities.

Main responsibilities and tasks

Main responsibilities:

• Ensures the planning, implementation and monitoring/evaluation and sets targets as included in the project description.
• Guarantee an efficient financial management for the project in compliance with INTERSOS’ model and donor regulations.
• Team management and project integration assurance for teams working at the targeted health facilities targeted, mobile units and centers in order to guarantee project quality as per required standards.
• Deliver quality reports for donor, authorities and INTERSOS in good quality and timely manner, including the findings in terms of impact/changes at the level of beneficiaries achieved through the project.

More specifically

Ensure a proper planning of the activities to be implemented:

• Liaise with admin-fin department to secure proper staff recruitment and regularly update HR files
• Prepare and organize training for volunteers and team members
• Organize and conduct project kick-off and presentation/sharing of project with teams
• Prepare and regularly review a detailed activity plan with team
• Agree and establish clear reporting and communication lines
• Verify the targeting and selection of the 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 monitoring for teams’ daily movement and report incidents/concerns in a pro-active manner to the Head of Mission and Security Focal Point

Financial management and procurement

• Prepare, monitor and implement financial and procurement plan
• Prepare weekly liquidity plan
• Verify and approve all purchases/contracts and budget line allocations
• Verify on a weekly basis the book-keeping 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, in coordination with finance department
• Ensure for all purchases/contracts of goods/services/supplies the correct INTERSOS procurement guidelines are applied and properly documented, 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 directly managed and ensure that evaluation procedures are implemented for the rest of the team
• 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 verifiy the data quality collected and received from field staff
• 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.
• Oversee team attendances and authorize holidays, liaise with admin-fin department to secure regular update of 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, also through ad-hoc monitoring tools and field visit
• Applying a result-oriented approach, monitor the project outcomes, in addition to the outputs and activities, including changes at the household and community level achieved through the project
• Ensure the full accountability to the beneficiaries

Reporting

• Ensure quality reporting on achievements 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
• 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 outlets

Coordination and representation

• Attend the relevant cluster meetings and ensure timely reporting of highlights to Program Coordinator and Technical Coordinators.
• Ensure regular updates to donor representatives in coordination with the Program Coordinator.
• Coordinate with relevant line-ministries and assure the timely signature of sub-agreement with MoE for the implementation of the project.
• Support INTERSOS with the implementation of the Country Strategy, in particular for the development of specific and detailed sector strategies.
• Contribute to the coordination between the different project-teams for the projects in Afghanistan.
• Ensure systematic information and update sharing with the Program Coordinator and other programme staff.
• Coordinate with other relevant actors in Kandahar, Zabul and Kabul for effective and efficient collaboration.
• Perform any other related duties as required.

Required profile and experience

Education

• Hold an advanced degree in social science or any related field

Professional Experience

• At least 3 years of direct professional experience working as project manager on humanitarian project/programme, including financial management responsibilities.
• Demonstrate minimum 2 years’ experience in the implementation of multi-sector humanitarian programming in complex emergencies
• Experience in protection is an added value
• Experience with ECHO projects is an added value

Professional Requirements

• Excellent analytical skills, observation and analysis capacity
• Attention to detail and structured way of approaching tasks (well organized)
• Ability to plan ahead and result oriented (pro-active)
• Able to ensure quick quality delivery in stressful environment (stress-resilient)
• Ability to adhere to deadlines and respect line management

Languages

• Excellent written and spoken English

Personal Requirements

• Strong team spirit, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment
• Very strong interpersonal skills: strong communication and diplomatic skills
• Practical and problem-solver
• Ability to deal with heavy work pressure