Country Programme Coordinator at INTERSOS

Code: SR-49-2037
Location: Abuja (30%) with frequent travel to the states/regions (70%)
Starting Date: 15/12/2021
Contract Duration: 12 months (4 months probation contract)
Reporting to: Head of Mission
Supervision of: All the Project Managers and M&E department
Dependents: Non-family Duty station

General Context of the Project

• Since 2009, the Boko Haram insurgency has crippled northeastern Nigeria. Borno State continues to be most affected, with over 1.8 million internally displaced persons (IDPs). Recent advances by the Nigerian Army and the Multinational Joint Task Force have improved humanitarian access in 22 of the 27 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Borno but have also revealed the extent of the crisis. In newly accessible areas, basic infrastructure has been destroyed, essential services are non-existent, and most local governance systems are not functional.
• In support to the UN-led coordinated humanitarian response in the region, INTERSOS is implementing various projects addressing critical gaps in health and nutrition, WASH, food security, shelter, Camp Coordination and Camp Management and protection services for a highly vulnerable population in the newly accessible host communities in the Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Maiduguri, Ngala (Ngala-Gambaru), Bama (Banki, Bama), Monguno and Dikwa (Dikwa), Borno State, and Adamawa State, Nigeria.

General Purpose of the Position

• As a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT), the Programmes Coordinator will jointly ensure the management and development of the country programme.
• The Programmes Coordinator supervises all programmes, with the specific responsibility for the timely and efficient programme implementation, and most importantly the quality of projects and programmes in terms of their impact. By supervising the implementation of results-based M&E systems, the Programmes Coordinator also guides the programme strategy and development of future programmes. Together with the Head of Mission, the Programmes Coordinator represents INTERSOS to donors and partners, ensuring that INTERSOS is recognised for its field experience.
• Furthermore, the Programmes Coordinator engages in medium and long-term planning and strategy activities, ensures continuous quality improvement of programmes and contributes towards a successful environment for the programme staff.

Main Responsibilities and Tasks
Senior Management:

• Lead the programme side of the development and implementation of the Country Strategic Plan
• Ensure that the overall programme is designed, managed and implemented in conformity to INTERSOS policies, strategy and guidelines.

Fundraising:

• Context Analysis
• Analyse the country’s socio-economic situation, (donor) trends, needs and gaps
• Regularly conduct stakeholder analysis, in particular who does what and where (3W)

External Relations:

• Maintain active and regular working relationships with donors
• Maintain active and regular working relationships with other NGOs, UN agencies, clusters, working groups and consortia
• Regularly update a directory of donors, international and local NGOs, other partners and stakeholders
• Contribute to the reporting to national and local authorities as required by INTERSOS registration/legal status in country
• In the absence of Technical Coordinators, represent INTERSOS in key clusters and working group meetings

Fundraising and Proposal Development:

• Identify funding opportunities;
• Contribute to the identification of potential relevant international and/or local partners (private sector partners, national and international NGOs, think tanks, academia, etc.) to be included in proposals
• Liaise with Technical Coordinator to contribute to the ToRs of assessments to be conducted for proposal development and to request their input in the logframe development
• Contribute to the development of fundraising documents (be it expression of Interests/ Concept Notes/ Proposals) in line with INTERSOS country strategy and donor requirements and in close collaboration with INTERSOS HQ and finance
• Liaise with Head of Base, Project Managers and Technical Coordinators to ensure that proposals are relevant and technically sound
• Integrate learning from previous interventions (e.g. lessons learnt and best practices) into new proposals
• Involve Finance, Logistics, M&E, Technical Coordinators and Security teams in the development of fundraising documents, particularly finance for the budget and logistics in case of specific donor procurement rules

Contracting:

• Contribute to addressing in a timely manner all comments by donors on proposals in liaison with relevant staff in country and INTERSOS HQ and finance
• Read thoroughly all contracts before signature, seeking INTERSOS HQ and finance advice when required

Grant Management:

• Ensure that contractual obligations (including visibility requirements) and reporting deadlines are known and met by Programme, and Finance, Logistics, M&E, Technical Coordinators and Security teams’ team
• When any issue is identified in meeting deliverables in the given timeframe and budget, inform relevant staff in country and seek INTERSOS HQ Program Department advice on potential solutions that would meet donor rules

Reporting:

• Participate in and take minutes of kick-off and close out meetings for each project
• Write quality narrative reports, reflecting the progress and status of projects in a transparent, timely and professional manner, in liaison with INTERSOS HQ and finance, which will contribute ultimately to steady cash inflow
• Liaise with section Heads (Finance, Logistics, M&E, Technical Coordinators and Security teams) teams when preparing reports, especially with finance to ensure greater coherence between financial and narrative reports by crosschecking the matching of data in the narrative and financial reports
• Contribute to the monthly update of the INTERSOS and ensure smooth and regular communication with INTERSOS HQ
• Ensure ad hoc requests from donors are addressed in liaison with the HoM, programme and support teams
• Ensure proper reporting of the various projects implemented in country

Programme Management:

• Ensure effective leadership and management of INTERSOS Nigeria programme through line management of Programme / Head of base or Project Managers where relevant
• Lead proposal writing processes from a programme perspective and coordinates with other departments
• Ensure timely and high-quality reporting is done by all programmes to donors
• Ensure project developed meets high standards in terms of design, implementation and M&E through proper Project Cycle Management
• Prepare programme budgets collaboratively with programme and finance staff
• Track programme expenditure through monthly programme review meetings using financial expenditure reports prepared by the finance department.
• Ensure compliance to donor policies, procedures and procurement
• Ensure proper management of the various projects implemented in country

Human Resource Management:

• In consultation with the Head of Mission, plan HR needs, capacity building needs for senior program staff an enough human resources for the programme to meet its objectives
• Ensure coherent policy towards recruitment, remuneration and bonuses across the country programme

Documentation and Learning:

• Ensure that all programmes properly retain programme learning for future projects, and that all information is properly documented.
• Ensure that all official programme documentation is properly stored and available for the future.

Requirements
Education:

• Relevant University Degree (Master's Degree or Post-graduate), in International Relations and/or Development, Political Science or similar field.

Professional Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years of experience within technical expertise area in a humanitarian/ recovery context
• Experience in conflict/post-conflict contexts, with experience in supporting emergency responses, access and security analysis and management

Professional Requirements:

• Good understanding of displacement issues and related international standards/frameworks;
• Strong experience in programme development and proven program development abilities
• Substantial NGO project management experience, including responsibility for strategy design, staffing, admin/finance management, contract management and donor relations
• Experience of leading strategic programming and planning, implementation, monitoring and learning
• Proven track record of negotiating and advocating with government authorities and donors for solutions that serve the needs of beneficiaries, pursuing values of internationally recognized and universal character in a post-conflict context with a strong respect of local culture and tradition
• Ability to manage a large workload and multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment with tight deadlines
• Ability to live and work under pressure in a rapidly changing and sometimes insecure environment.
• Team player with excellent communication and strong participatory leadership skills.

Languages:

• Fluency in English, spoken and written;

Personal Requirements:

• Excellent team-working and team-building skills, as well as ability to work under high pressure and with flexibility
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and ability to work and integrate in a multicultural team
• Problem solver, dynamic, mature
• Confidently able to deal with authorities and donors
• Pro-active approach to work
• Able to work independently as well as being a strong team player
• Flexibility, capacity of managing stress, good diplomatic skills
• Available to share accommodation facilities when required.