FCDO SEMI Programme Lead

Tshikapa

Organization: IRC - International Rescue Committee
Location: Tshikapa
Grade: Level not specified - Level not specified
Occupational Groups:
- Project and Programme Management
- Managerial positions
Closing Date: Closed

With a representational office in Kinshasa and field offices in the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, Tanganyika, Haut Lomami, Lualaba, and Haut-Katanga, the IRC works to save lives, to strengthen Congolese institutions and to reinforce social cohesion through carefully designed and professionally-implemented programs. The IRC has been working in the DRC since 1996, and currently operates in several programming areas including primary and reproductive health care, governance, gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response as well as women’s empowerment, and emergency preparedness and response.

The IRC in DRC has submitted a proposal to a funding opportunity by the UK government, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The ‘Essential Services for Maternal and Child Health [Services Essentiels de Santé Maternelle et Infantile en RDC] (SEMI)’ will be a £29 million programme focused on improving maternal and child health and ending preventable maternal and child deaths, with a focus in Kasai province. It will support the implementation of DRC’s Universal Health Coverage strategy and empower women and girls. The IRC will be part of a consortium of partners that will deliver SEMI’s components through the delivery of quality essential health services as well as systems strengthening through technical support. The programme will operate in Kasai, through an IRC office in Tshikapa and sub offices in Luebo and Mweka. The candidate will be required to travel within Kasai, and to Kinshasa for collaborating with the consortium’s main office.

The programme is expected to start in June 2022, after FCDO’s evaluation of proposals, and if IRC and its partners’ proposal is successful.

Job description

Overall, the SEMI IRC Programme Lead is a project director level position, but within a large complex consortium which will require strong teamwork and partner relationship skills. The Programme Lead will guarantee the quality and timeliness of the project implementation, the supervision of field teams, the coordination oof technical support from IRC to the consortium in areas of technical leadership, as well as the overall compliance with the grants terms, including FCDOrules and regulations. The Programme Lead will monitor IRC’s deliverables and ensure that IRC meets its grant commitments and reporting requirements, and document thoroughly any deviations. The Programme Lead will have overall oversight responsibility for up to 25 employees , spread across IRC offices in Kinshasa and on the ground. S/He will ensure coordination between consortium partners, the technical team, field teams, advisors, and other stakeholders to facilitate the delivery of a comprehensive and technically integrated package of support.

This is a full time position based in Tshikapa and reports to the IRC Deputy Director of Programmes. S/He will frequently travel to the intervention areas.

Main responsibilities

1. Quality Project Management:

• Create and oversee the application of all required project management tools by staff members, including compliance-related tools;

• Develop and oversee timely implementation of detailed work plans to ensure activities are implemented in line with IRC’s commitments made in writing and in project-wide meetings with the prime implementer and other partners as in compliance with IRC and FCDO requirements;

• Oversee the development, adaptation, regular review and refining of the project’s quality intervention methodology, in conjunction with the projects leadership, technical teams and HQ Technical and support Units.

• Develop and update budget spending plan and ensure compliance with budgetary and logistical requirements by IRC, the lead implementer, and FCDO;

• Ensure activities comply with the intervention strategy initially established and that they advance according to the defined work plan;

• Collaborate with the prime implementer on an accessible feedback/grievance mechanism, including a systematized timely response process and regularly review feedback from all stakeholders to inform program improvements through the program cycle, and ensure the functioning of the mechanism within IRC, including any necessary follow up of complaints of feedback by the relevant parties;

• Coordinate with IRC operations, finance and other support teams to ensure timely delivery of quality programming;

• Coordinate program planning and implementation with other relevant FCDO stakeholders, especially with the project’s Team Leader, Deputy Team Leader, , and focal points of other project partners.

2. Team Supervision, Management and Development:

• Supervise and assess performance of the IRC technical and field teams dedicated to the project and ensure strong guidance and firm sense of cohesion within the IRC DRC team as well as with the wider consortium staff members

• Coordinate the timely and adequate technical unit support from IRC’s DRC and HQ technical and operational support units, as well as other management and compliance support, and constructively document any constraints or challenges;

• Proactively problem-solve quality issues, and implementation delays in coordination with the Deputy Director of Programmes, the Country Director, the prime implementer, and any relevant IRC stakeholders.

3. Grants Compliance and Oversight

• Ensure overall compliance with IRC, Prime implementer, and FCDO requirements;

• Oversee timely delivery of project commitments according to project documents and agreed workplans, highlighting differences with contract documents in a timely manner;

• Propose timely and constructive solutions to any constraints or challenges that arise, maintaining constructive and respectful relationships between IRC and all project staff.

• Hold regular check-ins with relevant stakeholders for the Prime implementer as well as other key consortium partners to ensure positive, constructive working relationships.

4. M&E, Research & Knowledge Management

• Contribute to and oversee the quality and timely donor reports in collaboration with the IRC project team, technical advisors, and other technical and operational support roles;

• Ensure detailed documentation of the project’s methodology, processes, learnings, costs and outcomes throughout the life time of the project;

• Serve as the focal point for learning and research activities that IRC undertakes in collaboration with the Prime implementer or relevant IRC HQ and in-country technical focal points.

5. Program Representation

• Reinforce strong sense of cohesion within the consortium through consistent collaboration, communication, and strategizing with consortium partners particularly the Prime implementer

• Accurately represent the program, its activities and its strategy when dealing with donor, implementing partners, the press, public institutions or other third parties;

• Attend all relevant meetings concerning the program implementation, partner coordination, or program development;

Requirements

• Holds a Master’s degree in public health, economics, education, social or development sciences or can demonstrate equivalent practical work experience thereof;

• At least 10 years of professional experience working predominantly in field positions and with increasing responsibilities, including multi-million donor-funded program planning and implementation, particularly with FCDO funding will be a plus;

• Demonstrated experience in managing large, consortium-based, complex programs, especially with focus on public health, nutrition, family planning, community engagement, and other community health activities;

• Demonstrated experience in supervising, mentoring and developing staff;

• Demonstrated qualities of leadership, commitment to principles of diversity and inclusion, communication skills, sound judgment, and a team-player especially with different organizations working in consortium;

• Aptitude to adapt to a different context regarding security, culture, climate or health issues

• Demonstrated ability to organize, plan and prioritize work tasks, and to document in a clear and concise manner to promote good communication among multiple stakeholders;

• Excellent command of French and English;

• Willingness to travel at least 35% of time.

Professional standards

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

Specific security situation/housing

The SEMI Programme Lead will be based in Tshikapa with travel throughout the sites where IRC is participating in the technical oversight and implementation of USAID IHP. The security situation in several of the project areas in eastern D.R. Congo continues to be volatile in with the security level at 3 (orange). The candidate should be prepared to implement programming in insecure environments.

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This vacancy is now closed.
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