Project and Programme Management Specialist at Plan International

Location: Nigeria (Flexible location, where PII has a legal entity and you have the right to work)
Type of Role: 12 Month Fixed Term Contract
Functional Area: Projects and Funds Team
Reports to: Head of Projects and Grants Support
Effective Date: 2021
Grade: 4

The Opportunity

• Working in 54 countries across Africa, Asia and the Americas, with a total annual budget of approximately $1 billion, Plan International’s stated Global Strategic Goal is to reach as many children as possible, particularly those who are excluded or marginalised, with high-quality programmes that deliver long-lasting benefits.
• Plan International has implemented a global Programme and Influence Quality Policy that ensures programme quality is at the heart of everything we do. It is supported by quality procedures and policies, which focus on how Plan designs and implements all of its programme work at the strategic and operational level.
• In this role as the Project and Programme Management Specialist you will lead and continue to develop the quality procedures for project management, which will have a major impact on all of Plan’s Country Offices.
• The position will work as part of the Project and Funds team working directly with countries to strengthen project cycle management, generating good practice and coordinating resources to meet needs.
• The position will also support the development of training materials for new end-to-end business and system processes for project management across the organisation.

Role Purpose

• Working in 54 countries across Africa, Asia and the Americas, with a total annual budget of approximately $1 billion, Plan International’s stated Global Strategic Goal is to reach as many children as possible, particularly those who are excluded or marginalised, with high-quality programmes that deliver long-lasting benefits.
• Plan International has implemented a global Programme and Influence Quality Policy that ensures programme quality is at the heart of everything we do. It is supported by Programme Quality Procedures, which focus on how Plan designs and implements all of its programme work at the strategic and operational level.
• This position will lead and continue to develop the quality procedures for project management, which will have a major impact on all of Plan’s Country Offices.
• The position will work as part of the Project and Funds team working directly with countries to strengthen project cycle management, generating good practice and coordinating resources to meet needs.
• The position will also support the development of training materials for new end-to-end business and system processes for project management across the organisation.

Dimensions of the Role:

• Leads the process of reviewing and embedding procedures and guidance for project cycle management across Plan International, at both the strategic and operational level.
• Works with country offices to effectively implement project cycle management through the provision of direct and remote support to strengthen capabilities. This can be done through delivering a range of training options, including direct training, peer to peer support, setting up support networks, online blended options, documents, etc.
•  Coordinates with other departments, functions and offices to identify and address challenges for achieving high levels of project management, and to align and streamline procedures and guidance.
• Engage other GH functional teams in understanding and supporting quality project cycle management particularly around programmes including M&E, Disaster Risk Management (DRM), Partnerships, Supply Chain Management (SCM) and Finance.
• Works on the design, build and roll out of an organisation wide strategic ERP, MERL and Data system in order to adequately include programme and project management for country offices within those systems.
• Contributes to ongoing work and new initiatives by the Projects and Funds Unit and the Programme Delivery & Resources department.
• Engages with external forums and debates in the field of project management.

Accountabilities
Strengthen Operational Level Project Cycle Management:

• Lead the process of reviewing and continually improving guidance & tools for the project management cycle, including the roll-out and revision of the Project Management Manual and associated supporting packages (e.g., Minimum Standards framework, Project Management competencies framework)
• Identify challenges, pain points and barriers to effective project cycle management and work with relevant functions to identify timely solutions and build them into relevant procedures and training.
• Lead on Project Management capability strengthening across the organisation including developing, delivering and evaluating the in-house Project DPro course and other training packages.
• Lead on development and alignment of tailored training packages for country offices around strengthening programme and project delivery.
• Responsible for ensuring consistency and integration of approaches with functions including M&E, Disaster Risk Management (DRM), Partnerships, Supply Chain Management (SCM) and Finance.
• Liaise with National Organisations to gather input to ensure collaboration, support and buy-in.

Support the strengthening of country office and partner staff capabilities around project cycle management:

• Lead diagnosis, design and implementation support (both remotely and in-country) on project management as part of the overall package of support to country offices.
• Coordinate a network of colleagues from across Plan International to share good practices and learning, and to continually improve Plan International’s approach to project cycle management.
• Provide support to Plan International offices to understand and implement quality project cycle management.
• Using a range of training solutions, facilitate, or organise the facilitation of, learning events, workshops, online courses, case studies, etc.

Design, build and roll out of an organisation wide strategic ERP, MERL and Data system for programme and project management:

• Testing the new application against previously agreed system requirements
• Working with the internal team and third-party application developers to plan and manage the ongoing development of the project management application
• Working with the internal team to successfully deploy the project management application globally, providing business level guidance
• Develop training materials for the roll out and provide support to that roll out
• Manage the on-going functional support for the application

Additional Responsibilities:

• Make significant contributions to the work and initiatives of the Projects and Funds Unit and the wider Programme Delivery & Resources Department
• Engage with external stakeholders and forums to learn from and contribute to debates on managing programme and project quality.
• Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures

Key Relationships:

• This role will engage strategically across functional and geographical boundaries throughout the organisation.
• On a day-to-day basis the postholder will work closely with members of the Project & Funds team and Deliver, Performance and Accountability Directorate. Key internal stakeholders will include staff working in Plan International who are collaborating on strengthening project cycle management and related initiatives.

The Individual

• This is an important role that will engage strategically across functional and geographical boundaries across the organisation. Therefore, you will be required to have demonstrable experience of managing NGO programmes in the implementation locations both at strategic and operational level.
• As well as experience developing global procedures and guidance for NGO programme management, building capacities in programme management through direct and remote support.
• You will need to be proactive, positive and results-focused with strong analytical and problem-solving skills. 
• With strong collaboration and networking skills, you will need to influence, engage and build cooperation across multiple stakeholders with different perspectives.
• Committed to maximising the quality of NGO programme work, as well as to Plan International’s mission, values and approach to Child centred Community Development

Technical Expertise, Skills and Knowledge
Essential:

• Experience of managing NGO programmes in the implementation locations, at the strategic and operational level
• Experience of developing global procedures and guidance for NGO programme management
• Experience of building capacities in programme management through direct and remote support
• Knowledge and / or experience of establishing strong global networks and internal communications
• Knowledge and / or experience of coordinating with multiple stakeholders, with different perspectives
• Highly positive, proactive, and results-focused
• Strong planning and organisational skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities
• Excellent influencing, communication, and facilitation skills
• Strong collaboration skills, able to build cooperation and negotiate compromises
• Able to build and maintain strong working internal and external relationships
• Good attention to detail and excellent written English
• Committed to maximising the quality of NGO programme work
• Committed to Plan’s mission, values and approach of Child Centred Community Development
• One additional Plan language to a working level e.g. French or Spanish

Desirable:

• Understanding of the major thematic areas of Plan International’s programming, as well as Plan’s rights-based programme approach of Child Centred Community Development
• Understanding of working with different funding models, such as child sponsorship, institutional funding, corporate funding, and others
• Understanding of Plan International’s organisational structures, procedures, processes and systems
• An established and strong network of contacts within the sector

Physical Environment:

• Hybrid working, both home and office working
• Global role, requiring some international travel

Level of Contact with Children:

• Low contact: No contact or very low frequency of interaction

PLAN International’s Values in Practice
We are open and accountable:

• We create a climate of trust inside and outside the organisation by being open, honest and transparent. We hold ourselves and others to account for the decisions we make and for our impact on others, while doing what we say we will do.

We strive for lasting impact:

• We strive to achieve significant and lasting impact on the lives of children and young people, and to secure equality for girls. We challenge ourselves to be bold, courageous, responsive, focused and innovative.

We work well together:

• We succeed by working effectively with others, inside and outside the organisation, including our sponsors and donors.
• We actively support our colleagues, helping them to achieve their goals. We come together to create and implement solutions in our teams, across Plan International, with children, girls, young people, communities and our partners.

We are inclusive and empowering:

• We respect all people, appreciate differences and challenge inequality in our programmes and our workplace.
• We support children, girls and young people to increase their confidence and to change their own lives.
• We empower our staff to give their best and develop their potential.

Salary
We will be happy to disclose the salary and applicable benefits to applicants as part of this process, however, please kindly note that this will vary according to the location of the appointed candidate and therefore, it is not possible to include full details here.