Deputy Chief of Party, Programming, DFAP, DRC

Note: This position is contingent upon grant and candidate approvals by the donor

About CRS:

Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. We welcome as a part of our staff and as partners people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need.

Background:

Catholic Relief Services (CRS)/CRS will be submitting a proposal in response to the 2015-16 USAID Food for Peace (FFP) Development Food Assistance Program (DFAP) Request for Applications (RFA). CRS/DRC will serve as the prime on the application and will develop the proposal in consortium with other international non-governmental organizations, local implementing partners and international/national research institutions. The proposed program will involve a multi-sectoral response to addressing food insecurity and vulnerability across the former Kasai provinces in DRC. The estimated timeframe for this program is 2016-2021.

Primary Function:

The Deputy Chief of Party (CoP) for Programming will supervise and coordinate project activities to ensure that DFAP operations are effective and implemented according to proposal objectives and donor requirements. S/he will provide technical oversight to all project sectors and will strengthen communication, integration and harmonization of technical approaches across all Purposes. When necessary, the Deputy CoP for Programming will fulfill CoP duties during this position’s absence and will collaborate closely with implementation, technical and government partners. S/he will also ensure appropriate support to implementation partners according to identified needs and in collaboration with CRS internal departments (Finance, Human Resources, Commodity Management, Purchasing, Administration, etc.).

Specific Responsibilities:

Project Refinement and Organizational Learning

• Contribute to the development of baseline data collection tools with the MEAL Team, Technical Leads and Gender Advisor
• Support senior technical staff in developing implementation strategies in collaboration with implementation, technical and government partners, ensuring that strategies align with CRS, donor and GoDRC policies
• Capitalize on project achievements and identify pertinent learning questions for improved program quality

Project Implementation and Reporting

• Facilitate development of CRS and partner annual DIPs (including the budget)
• Responsible for the submission of consistently high quality reports to donor, by planning with team members quarterly and annual program reviews, assisting in drafting reports, providing critical feedback and quality control

· With the CoP, organize and facilitate Program Management Unit (PMU) meetings

• Participate in the analysis of baseline data and contribute to the conception of the baseline report
• Coordinate the organization of sessions to share study results (baseline, formative research, Gender Assessment) with communities, partners and local development actors
• Support the MEAL Team in conducting data quality assessments
• Participate in working group meetings (MEAL, Gender, Environment) to improve and standardize technical tools
• Support the programming team in conducting operational research and evaluative studies
• Draft Scopes of Work and supervise consultants selected for different project activities

· Address bottlenecks and scale up best practices to achieve high quality program implementation

Partnership/Capacity-Strengthening

• Draft partnership agreements with implementation, technical and government partners
• Strengthen the partnership with government authorities and support the project team in establishing agreements with the appropriate ministries
• Coordinate, with CRS technical teams, the training of technical partner staff, field agents and community volunteers on the use of data collection tools
• Accompany partners in project management, annual reviews and integration of activities
• Accompany partners in data analysis and the use of data to inform programming activities
• With the MEAL Team, train partners in data quality control systems
• Train and accompany partners in the use of the Indicator Performance Tracking Table (IPTT) and other relevant project documents
• Accompany partners in drafting quarterly and annual reports in a timely manner and according to project requirements
• Participate in provincial technical and MEAL coordination meetings with partners and local development actors
• Accompany partners in establishing and implementing community-based MEAL systems
• Accompany partners in organizing regular sessions to share project results and outcomes to date with local development actors

Management, Finance and Donor Compliance

• Manage all resources associated with project implementation in compliance with CRS and donor policies
• Contribute to the preparation of financial and commodities reports for internal review according to CRS and donor procedures
• Support partners in preparing budgets and financial reports in collaboration with the Grants & Compliance Manager and CRS technical staff

· Manage a team of four technical staff (Gender Advisor, Sustainability & Governance Technical Lead, Health/Nutrition/WASH Technical Lead, Agriculture/Livelihoods Technical Lead) who will coordinate and lead implementation

• Implement CRS’ performance management system by organizing coaching and evaluation sessions with supervisees

Representation

The Deputy CoP for Programming will lead the PMU during the CoP’s absence and execute all associated tasks including the management and administration of the project, advocacy and representation in the Steering Committee and in other working/coordination groups, and supervise appropriate staff

Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff):

These are rooted in the mission, values, and principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve the desired results.

· Serves with Integrity

· Models Stewardship

· Cultivates Constructive Relationships

· Promotes Learning

Key Working Relationships:

Internal: Chief of Party, Deputy Chief of Party for Operations, Meal Coordinator and MEAL Team, Gender Advisor, Sustainability & Governance Technical Lead, Health/Nutrition/WASH Technical Lead, Agriculture/Livelihoods Technical Lead, SBCC Specialist

External: CARITAS Kananga, CARITAS Mbuji-Mayi, REFED, NCBA CLUSA, HNI, local government authorities, community volunteers, USAID and other donors

Knowledge and Skills:

· Demonstrated analytic capacity and ability to write high quality reports

· Excellent partnership skills and the ability to interact effectively with donors, collaborating agencies, local and government partners

· Excellent organization and planning skills and ability to resolve problems constructively

· Understanding of current best practices and challenges while coordinating to implement DFAP program strategies through a participatory approach

· Computer literate, with strong knowledge of MS Office applications, spread sheets, database programs, and statistical software packages.

· Flexibility, persistence, and ability to work well in a multi-sectoral and multi-cultural team

· Ability to work in a challenging and stressful environment with unexpected challenges

Qualifications:

· Master’s or PhD degree in international relations/development or related field

· Minimum of 7 years’ experience with CRS or other humanitarian agencies

· Minimum 3 years’ experience in Africa in a senior position that demonstrate mentoring African national staff to achieve program results

· Experience in establishing MEAL systems and conducting participative research of qualitative and quantitative nature

· Proven experience in food security programming, particularly in the areas of health and nutrition, agriculture, village savings and loan and gender integration as well as community empowerment and community systems strengthening

· Demonstrated ability to strategically lead high quality technical staff and program managers

· Knowledge of USAID and USG grant regulations and procedures specifically relating to ADS 205

· Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and French required

Major Responsibilities of Position: Technical leadership, team building, strategic leadership, coordination, monitoring/evaluation, mentoring/training, supervision, and report writing.

Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skills, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with this position. Also, this position is conditional upon award of funding for the DFAP.

Note: All internal applicants are encouraged to apply within the 10 day internal posting period.

CRS’ talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.**EOE**

Apply online: https://www5.apply2jobs.com/CRS/ProfExt/index.cfm?fuseaction=mExternal.showJob&RID=2910&CurrentPage=1