Senior Project Officer - Organization Capacity Building at Catholic Relief

Nairobi (Ref.2019/021) Coast (Ref.2019/022)

Western (Ref.2019/023)

Department: Mwendo Project - Programming

Band: 8

Reports To: Project Manager

Country/Location: Kenya/ Coast (2), Nairobi (2) & Western (4)

Length of Contract: Two years

Background:

CRS is implementing a 5-year orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) program, MWENDO, which seeks to empower local and county-level OVC stakeholders to strengthen the formal and informal HIV and child protection systems and services and the linkages between them, including cross-sectoral service referrals and coordination to ensure quality service delivery for OVC and their households.

Job Summary:

Reporting to the Project Manager you will manage, oversee, and monitor activities and targets associated with strengthening the organizational capacity of local implementing partners (LIPs) and facilitate relationships between the LIPs and Department of Children Services (DCS), advancing CRS’ work serving the poor and vulnerable. Your capacity Strengthening skill and technical knowledge of this sector will ensure that CRS Kenya delivers high-quality programming and continuously works towards improving the impact of the MWENDO project.

Job Responsibilities:

• Provide technical solutions to Local Implementing Partners, remotely and on-site, for strategic planning and how to best apply standards, best practices, partnership principles, tools and M&E, helping to ensure high-quality implementation.
• Provide capacity strengthening to partners through trainings, workshops, facilitated group interactions as well as accompaniment through regular communication via email, telephone and site visits to support the successful implementation of system strengthening project activities across implementing partners.
• Champion learning with project staff and partner teams. Analyze and evaluate project performance data following MEAL policy. Proactively identify issues and concerns and use participatory processes to overcome implementation obstacles.
• Identify/adapt and promote evidence-based organizational capacity strengthening tools, methods or approaches that the LIPs can use or improve upon to address identified capacity gaps or areas in need of improvement for CSO/CBO and networks to better support OVC and household graduation/transition and strengthen a HIV-sensitive social service system
• Coordinate and monitor financial and material resources relevant to achieve the assigned project outcome. Through planning and oversight ensure efficient use of project resources.
• Review project documentation to ensure project file is complete with all required documentation and is filed per agency and donor requirements.

Typical Background, Experience & Requirements:

Education and Experience

• Master’s Degree in Public Administration, Public Health, Social Work, Business Administration or Organizational Management or Leadership, or equivalent degree with proven capacity strengthening experience.
• Minimum of 3 years professional experience, with 2 years in organizational development and provision of technical assistance to the government, NGOs, and/or CBOs and in the field of HIV care and treatment and/or OVC services delivery.
• Experience in partnership strengthening with a focus on vulnerable populations especially orphans and vulnerable children, youth and women.
• Relevant grant management experience, especially for USG or other public donors, a plus.
• Experience working with stakeholders at various levels including but not limited to State and County government actors, LIPs, civil society, healthcare providers and social service providers.
• Experience using MS Windows and MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint
• Experience in project design and proposal development. Experience in writing content for proposals.
• Knowledge of capacity strengthening best practices.
• Experience with program monitoring and evaluation and analysis.
• Experience and skills in networking and relations with donors, peer organizations, and faith-based and civil society partners. Understanding of partnership principles.
• Proficient in MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, information and budget management systems, knowledge-sharing networks.

Personal Skills

• Strong relationship management skills with ability to influence and get buy-in from people not under direct supervision and to work with individuals in diverse geographical and cultural settings
• Good strategic, analytical, problem-solving and systems thinking skills with capacity to see the big picture and ability to make sound judgment
• Good technical writing skills
• Presentation, facilitation, training, mentoring, and coaching skills
• Proactive, resourceful and results-oriented

Required/Desired Foreign Language

Travel Required (include percentage of required travel, if applicable)

Key Working Relationships:

• Supervisory: None
• Internal: MWENDO technical staff
• External: GOK, IPs, other stakeholders, and the community
• Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff):
• These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.

Integrity

• Accountability & Stewardship
• Builds Relationships
• Develops Talent
• Continuous Improvement & Innovation
• Strategic Mindset

Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.