Afghanistan: PROJECT MANAGER, Livelihood - Afghanistan

INTERSOS is an independent non-profit humanitarian organization committed to assist the victims of natural disasters and armed conflicts. Its activities are based on the principles of solidarity, justice, human dignity, equality of rights and opportunities, and respect for diversity and coexistence, paying special attention to the most vulnerable and unprotected people.

1.Terms of reference

Job Title: Project Manager – Livelihood

Code: SR-28-322

Country: Afghanistan

Duty Station: Kandahar with some visits to Kabul

Starting date: 01/02/2018

Contract duration: 1 year

Reporting to: Head of Mission

Supervision of: Direct supervision of: 1 Activity Coordinators 1 Senior Protection Officer 1 TVET Team Leaders 1 Reporting officer

Dependents: no

2. General context of the project

Currently some 2 million Afghan refugees remain in the region (around 1.2 million in Pakistan and over 800,000 in Iran). The voluntary repatriation programme from Pakistan resumed in April 2017 and will continue in 2018 after the winter pause. Taking into consideration the scale of the crisis and the continued need to partner with humanitarian and development actors to respond to the complex challenges, this project strategically focuses on comprehensive livelihoods interventions (rather than assistance/subsistence-based interventions) through evidence-based actions defined by thorough socio-economic and market analysis to identify the livelihood zones and markets.

Overall, the project adopts an integrated approach to address the key issues of ‘vulnerability, diversification, and access to livelihoods opportunities and economic integration prospects’ in line with the UNHCR’s global livelihoods principles of ‘provide, protect, and promote’ and importantly SSAR and GoIRA’s Policy Framework for returnees and IDPs.

As such, the activities will be informed by thorough baseline socio-economic and market assessments to design a structured approach addressing the immediate to short- and medium-term needs of PoC, while fostering linkages with development partners for long-term development and sustainable interventions.

Importantly, explicit focus will be on women and youth empowerment through market-based vocational and technical trainings, entrepreneurship and employability skills development, as well as through start-up business grants. These activities will build on the informal ‘saving credit and/or self-help group and/or one-village one-product approaches’ for joint venturing and collective social businesses. Additionally, the programme will focus on developing the market outreach and linkages through private sector partnerships and financial service providers’ inclusion both at the local and regional levels. The project will also involve activities aiming at improving community assets, water resources and power energy, including the cash for work modality.

3. General purpose of the position

The Project Manager is in charge of the implementation and the supervision of the project entitled: Strengthen capacities and improve access to livelihood opportunities while fostering social cohesion and re-integration of returnees and IDPs.

4. Main responsibilities and tasks

Main responsibilities:

• Ensure the planning, implementation and monitoring/evaluation and set 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
• Deliver quality reports of project activities, including the findings in terms of impact/changes at the beneficiary level

Specifically**:**

Ensure the full and timely implementation of the project proposal as approved,

pro-actively respecting deadlines for report submission:

• Oversee team recruitment, liaise with admin-fin department to ensure that HR files are up to date
• Prepare and organize training for volunteers and mobile teams
• Be in charge of project kick-off and presentation/sharing of project with teams
• Review and prepare a detailed activities plan with team
• Agree and establish clear reporting and communication lines
• Conduct verifications on the targeting of beneficiaries
• Ensure SOPs and guidelines are properly applied and adhered to
• Conduct on-job coaching of teams to work on quality in delivery
• Ensure security assessment 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
• Approval of all purchases/contracting and budget line allocations
• Verify on a weekly basis the bookkeeping entries in the INTERSOS accounting spread sheets (PN): verify budget line allocations, budget expenditure status against actual delivery and the financial plan for the remainder project implementation period
• Ensure for all purchases/contracting of goods/services/supplies the correct INTERSOS procurement guidelines are applied and properly documented (also for the procedures applied by the municipalities), 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 provide relevant capacity building and on-job coaching to the project team:

• Manage and evaluate the performance of the project staff
• 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 assessment 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
• Conduct continuous/fast verification of data quality collected and received from field staff
• Establish a participatory process to inform/develop relevant response strategies for conflict mitigation and enhanced social cohesion
• 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
• Ensure good practice and system for internal and external referral of most vulnerable cases, in close coordination and collaboration with other INTERSOS programmes/project staff
• Oversee team attendances and authorize holidays
• 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.
• 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.

Reporting:

• Ensure quality reporting on achievements through daily short briefings, monthly and weekly planning presented 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 analyse reports on a monthly basis 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 with respect to outcomes and output and reflect lessons learnt into clear recommendations for future programming. Reporting must at all times be gender and age disaggregated.
• Hold final responsibility for all support documents (means of verification) and general project documents
• Deliver 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 HoM
• Ensure regular updates to donor representatives
• Coordinate with relevant line-ministries and assure the timely signature of sub-agreements with MoE for the implementation of the project
• Support INTERSOS in the implementation of the Country Strategy, in particular in the development of specific and detailed sector strategies
• Contribute to the coordination between the different project-teams for the projects in Afghanistan. Proactively participate in cluster meetings and other relevant inter-sectorial coordination meetings and working groups for Afghanistan
• Ensure systematic information and update sharing with the HOM and other programme staff
• Coordinate with other INTERSOS projects/sectors in Kandahar for effective and efficient referral of cases between INTERSOS projects/sectors

Perform any other related duties as required.

5. 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 a humanitarian project/programme, including financial management responsibilities
• Demonstrated minimum 2 year experience in the implementation of multi-sector humanitarian programming in complex emergencies, including protection services and Livelihood
• Prior experience in working in complex emergency settings involving internal displacement

Professional requirements

• Admin, finance and budget management skills
• Demonstrated experience in establishing and maintaining collaborative relationships with donors and government counterparts.
• Experience with donor compliance and reporting
• Strong representation and negotiation skills
• Excellent computer skills (proven computer literacy, in particular Excel knowledge is a must).
• Demonstrated experience in staff supervision and remote management models
• Strong experience with monitoring tools and systems
• Readiness and ability to move around in Afghanistan
• Readiness to commit and adhere to the values, mission and vision of INTERSOS

Languages

• Excellent written and spoken English
• Pashtun added advantagePersonal requirements
• Strong team spirit, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment
• Excellent analytical skills, observation and analysis capacity
• Good organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to plan ahead and output oriented (pro-active)
• Able to ensure quick quality delivery in stressful environment (stress-resilient)
• Ability to adhere to deadlines and respect line management
• Strong interpersonal skills: strong communication and diplomatic skills
• Practical and problem-solver
• Ability to deal with heavy work pressure

For further information and to apply, follow the link below:

https://intersos.knack.com/imp#intersosorg-vacancies/

In case you encounter difficulties applying through INTERSOS' platform, you can also apply by sending your CV, motivation letter and 2 references via email to recruitment@intersos.org , with subject line: " SR-28-322 Project Manager Livelihood - Afghanistan".

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for the first interview.