National Program Director

From American Refugee Committee International

Closing date: 20 Mar 2013

 

DEPARTMENT/COUNTRY PROGRAM DESCRIPTION/MISSION:

Vision: A Uganda where challenges to living life with dignity and self-sufficiency are overcome and people are enabled to live healthy and productive lives.

Mission: We will build individual and collective capacity to overcome the obstacles of displacement and develop sustainable livelihoods while supporting access to services when people cannot meet their basic needs.

PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THE POSITION:

The National Program Director (NPD) will play the leading role in ensuring overall program quality and impact, ensure that programs are contextually appropriate, monitored closely and funded sufficiently. The NPD will be responsible for developing a coherent program strategy, strong program design through effective M&E systems and represent ARC in inter-agency meetings. In addition the NPD will lead the country office in reflecting on lessons learned to improve quality of programming and reporting. The NPD will be based in Kampala with regular travel to field sites.

MAJOR AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Program Strategy, Design and Development

• In collaboration with the Country Director and HQ technical staff, provide leadership to the development of an integrated program strategy for Uganda.

• Promote excellence in ARC Uganda’s programs through ongoing programmatic and strategic support for field based program-staff, including the development of M&E systems.

• Working in collaboration with in-country Coordinators and HQ-based Technical Unit staff ensure programs are designed according to ARC and industry best practices and ARC program framework.

• Work with HQ technical leads in the development of relevant programming frameworks.

• Working in collaboration with the Country Director, proactively identify opportunities for new programming initiatives and funding to support them.

• In collaboration with the Country Director and HQ technical staff, provide leadership to the development of an integrated program strategy for Uganda.

• Ensure that new proposals promote high quality programming by responding to identified needs, taking account of recognized best practices, minimum standards and lessons learned from earlier programs.

• Participate or lead proposal development to sustain program activities.

• Lead the M&E components of each program so that best practices, lessons learned and organizational learning are documented and used in future programming.

Program Management and Oversight

• Provide overall leadership and management to ARC Uganda programs, ensuring quality of activities and targeted impact, and compliance with ARC and donor regulations.

• Working in collaboration with Program and Field Coordinators, ensure that program implementation is managed closely through the development of structured work plans, indicator tracking and monitoring plans.

• Support Program and Field Coordinators to fulfill their budget-holder expectations. Ensure expenditure within program supplies costs of each project is monitored and corrective action is initiated and tracked where required.

• Convene grant review meetings where program performance is reviewed and corrective action taken as needed, and promote program integration.

• Provide leadership to ensure the timely and high-quality activity and narrative reporting per ARC and donor guidelines. Ensure reports and work plans are collected and compiled with input from Program Coordinators and their team.

• Provide proper representation in cluster, reference group meetings and as needed, participate in ad hoc working groups.

• Set performance objectives with all supervisees, and conduct scheduled performance evaluations. Ensure that all supervisees also complete the performance management cycle with their own supervisees.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning

• Working with the Country Director and HQ technical leads, provide overall leadership to set up effective monitoring and evaluation systems for the country program strategy.

• Lead country office in documenting lessons learned, reflecting on them, and using these lessons learned as episodes of good practice.

• Share lessons learned with HQ and other actors, participate in external workshops communicating good practices.

• Lead any comprehensive or program reviews including mid-term reviews, final evaluations, and assessments.

Representation and Inter-agency Coordination

• Represent ARC in other inter-agency coordination meetings, cluster meetings or ad hoc working groups.

Participation in Country Management

• Attend national and district level meetings as needed, and represent Country Director in CD’s absence.

• Attend Country Management Team (CMT) meetings as scheduled.

• Contribute to the development and evolution of country policies and protocols.

EDUCATION, TECHNICAL SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED:

• Minimum 5 years program management experience in humanitarian internally displaced or refugee settings or other conflict and post-conflict populations.

• Master’s degree in a relevant area of study required; MA, MPH, MSW or similar degree or experience preferred.

• Knowledge of concepts and principles of humanitarian action and aid, Protection, Health, GBV and livelihoods.

• Understanding of the relevant IASC Guidelines, conventions, protocols of the UN or security council and development plans.

• Demonstrated management skills and ability to work independently.

• Practical knowledge of financial management tools and processes.

• Experience planning/collaborating with government officials, other health profession staff, and organizations.

• Practical knowledge of monitoring and evaluation systems

• Excellent computer, writing and communication skills, including proven report writing skills. • Fluent in written and spoken English.

Desirable

• Experience with capacity building of local organizations - technical and program development . • Experience in community-based programming approach.

• Experience planning/collaborating with government officials, other health profession staff, and organizations.

• Representation experience.

• Knowledge of USG Financial Rules & Regulations.

• Interest and experience supervising, guiding and training staff, individually or in groups.

• Interest and experience in community-based approaches.

• Ability to identify potential conflicts and conflict resolution skills.

• Experience in group facilitation and conducting trainings.

• Experience managing budgets.

• Grant writing experience preferred.

• Willingness to work in another culture, in a post-conflict/transitional environment with basic/limited resources and infrastructure.

KEY BEHAVIORS & ABILITIES:

• Willingness to work in multi-cultural setting.

• Willingness to travel to field sites and communities on a regular basis.

• Excellent interpersonal skills; ability to talk with high-level officials, as well as community members.

• Demonstrated experience and knowledge in participatory techniques and methodologies.

• Experience in project design and project design tools.

• Ability to think critically, identify potential conflicts and apply conflict resolution skills.

• Ability to build positive relationships with donors, government officials and other stakeholders.

• Strong personal commitment to gender equality.

• Experience in supervising both expatriate and national staff and strong mentoring capacity.

How to apply:

Please send applications to jobs@arc.co.ug