Sierra Leone: Consortia Program & Partnership Manager

Requisition ID: req2715

Job Title: Consortia Program & Partnership Manager

Sector: Program Administration

Employment Category: Fixed Term

Employment Type: Full-Time

Location: Sierra Leone-Freetown

Job Description

BACKGROUND

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC delivers education programs in 22 conflict-affected or post-conflict countries around the world.

Present in Sierra Leone since 1999, IRC supports the Sierra Leonean institutions - government, civil society, community-based organizations and private sector - to provide improved social services. The IRC does this through programs and partnerships designed to improve the life of women, youth and children by implementing Health, Education, and Women's Protection and Empowerment programming.

SCOPE OF WORK

Building on this work over the years, the IRC in Sierra Leone has developed a new program framework, strategy and vision for 2016 - 2020. The country program has committed to ensuring that children, both in and out of school, have appropriate literacy, numeracy, social-emotional skills, and will work towards the reduction and elimination of barriers to ensure that girls are equally skilled and safe as boys.

In line with this commitment, and in partnership with Concern International, Restless Development and BBC Media Action, the IRC will implement the four-year Leave No Girl behind project which targets 32,500 out-of-school girls (aged 13-17) and aims to ensure they have significantly improved learning outcomes and transition to education, training or employment. Upon completion of the learning programme, girls will receive one-on-one mentorship to develop their individual transition plans.

Moreover, the IRC along with its Consortium partners bid for a funding opportunity from DFID - Saving Lives (Phase II) as the lead for the NGO Consortium. The Saving Lives programme seeks to support the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) to save women's and children's lives by improving the quality, availability and accessibility of reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health services. This will be achieved by increasing the utilization of quality RMNCAH services through a multifaceted approach that seeks to strengthen quality, expand access, and build the demand for RMNCAH services in Sierra Leone. The programme duration is October 2018 - March 2021.

Job Summary/Overview

The IRC is recruiting for a Consortia Program & Partnerships Manager for the Saving Lives Phase II and Leave No Girl Behind programs in Sierra Leone. The Manager will be responsible for ensuring effective partnerships management and due diligence of Consortia Downstream partners and build strong, sustainable partnerships. S/he will coordinate the daily management of the sub-award lifecycle in accordance with the IRC Sub-awards and Partnerships Management System (SPMS) and ensure that the IRC's partners understand donors' regulations, while also working to ensure that partners' deliverables are received, reviewed, filed and followed up on in a timely manner. S/he will act as a compliance focal point for all Consortia Sub-awards ensuring organization wide subaward & partnership management.

The Consortia Program & Partnerships Manager will work under the supervision of the Grants and Budget Coordinator.

This position is contingent on funding.

AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

Partnerships and Sub-awards Coordination

• Under the direct supervision of the Consortia Grants and Budget Coordinator, ensuring that the Consortium Programs follow the IRC SPMS that sets out efficient and responsive processes, delineates clear roles and responsibilities, and articulates IRC's strategic approach to partnerships;
• Mobilize, train and provide on-going technical support to Technical focal points in the Consortia and Program Teams on working with partners;
• Examine partners' Program implementation and assess possible improvements based on lessons learned, best practices, etc.;
• Encourage overall program cohesion through coordination and information sharing with and between partners;
• Strengthen relationships for other partnerships (e.g. with government entities).

Partnerships and Sub-awards Management

• Review sub-award agreement amendments as needed, and follow the IRC internal review process of all sub-award documentation;
• Work effectively with the Supply Chain and Finance partners' teams to ensure that sub-granting mechanisms are in-line with the SPMS;
• Coordinate partnerships/sub-awards start-up. This includes preparing and chairing partnerships/sub-awards opening meetings in line with the IRC SPMS, in coordination with support functions and Program teams, to ensure projects start with clear expectations of both parties. This includes briefing sub-award partners on sub-grant agreements, as well as IRC's and prime donors' rules and regulations, in coordination with the Consortia Grants and Budget Coordinator;
• Coordinate quality partnership/sub-award implementation monitoring. This includes, but is not limited to: preparing and chairing partnerships/sub-awards review meetings as per the schedule determined during the pre-award assessment; reviewing partners' performance against Program's logfame and workplans and budget forecasts, as well as reviewing partners' compliance with any procurement, human resources management, financial management and other requirements outlined in the Partnership agreements and its special conditions, in line with the IRC SPMS;
• Prepare and chair partnerships/sub-awards closing meetings as required, and oversee the overall partnerships/sub-awards close-out, in line with the IRC SPMS; this includes, but is not limited to, incorporating reflection, lessons learned and future planning; preparing sub-grant close-out letters and ensuring that all requirements of the sub-grant agreement have been met;
• Lead the planning and organization of, and participate in, partnerships/sub-awards technical and financial partnerships' monitoring visits to assess Partners' performance and compliance against their Partnership agreement, donor's regulations and overall Program plans, in line with the IRC SPMS. This includes coordinating inputs ahead of monthly grants review meetings to ensure that the IRC commitments to the donor are met and working closely with Program Managers and Finance teams to make sure that partnerships' monitoring schedules are rigorously followed, and supporting documentations are prepared for review;
• Support the planning and organization of, and participate if/when requested in donor's monitoring visits, as per the agreed schedule;
• Work collaboratively with the M&E and Research Coordinator to provide advice on strengthening monitoring and evaluation with partners, as well as design tools and create systems to effectively monitor progress made against partner capacity building plans;
• In close collaboration with Supply Chain units, maintain accurate records of Programs assets; this includes managing the Programs assets register, leading on assets disposal process when required, monitoring assets during regular partners' monitoring visits, in line with the IRC SPMS and donor's regulation on assets management;
• In the event of partner issues, work closely with the Consortia Grants and Budget Coordinator to advice on the appropriate progressive corrective action, alerting partners' Senior Management Teams/Boards and the IRC Ethics and Compliance Unit, as required. This includes promptly reporting any suspicion or ascertained case of violation of Do Not Harm and Child Safeguarding requirements that may arise from partnerships/sub-awards reviews meeting and/or monitoring visits;
• Coordinate all partners/sub-awardees audits in accordance with the terms of the sub-award. Prepare management responses and plans of action for Internal and/or External audits and ensure their follow up;
• Ensure appropriate financial documentation in compliance with IRC and donor regulations. Coordinate with the IRC Country Office Finance department to facilitate timely processing of all sub-award payments according to schedule;
• Support the Grants and Budget Coordinator with any other tasks and responsibilities when and where required.

Reporting

• Ensure reporting timelines are prepared and shared across the Consortia;
• Collect and compile program narrative reports across the Consortia and ensure timely submission to the Program Coordinators for their review; this includes coordinating works within the LNGB and Saving Lives consortia to ensure timely submission of reports by partners and quality assurance, including reporting against the logical framework;
• In conjunction with Finance, ensure the timely review of partners' financial reports in accordance with the terms of their Partnership agreements, coordinated with the review of programmatic reports.

Partners Capacity Building

• Review the capacity building/development plan for the partners based on the pre-award assessment result, ensure capacity building/development plan is tailored, targeted and responsive to their organizational needs and priorities;
• Design tools and create systems to effectively monitor progress made against partner capacity building plans and to partners in their organizational development;
• Contribute/lead as/if required to collate lessons learned on a regular basis and disseminate these among Consortia partners to maximize the Programs' impact and contribute to future Programs' strategy and direction.

REQUIREMENTS

• At least a bachelor's degree in Business Admin, Finance, or related field.
• At least 3 years of relevant programme management experience.
• Demonstrated sound knowledge and expertise of managing and interpreting agreements regarding content and language.
• Demonstrated interpersonal skills, sound judgment, planning, team working and facilitation skills.
• Strong presentation skills.
• Highly developed analytical and communication skills.
• Team player, with good personal and management skills, with proven track record of quality performance and timely delivery.
• Excellent English speaking and writing skills.

Preferred qualities

• Experience in planning and management of programmes in Sierra Leone or similar contexts, including experience in implementing/managing RMNCAH and Education programs.
• Demonstrated knowledge and/or experience of having worked with district health and education systems.
• Knowledge of local languages a plus.

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, 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.

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