Project Officer at Saferworld

Reporting to: Project Manager

Key Relationships: Kenya Programme and Support teams

Salary range: A competitive INGO salary will be offered

Contract duration: Fixed term contract until September 2021 with the possibility of extension dependent on funding. The standard working week is 37.5 hours

Position Purpose: The Project Officer will be to support the implementation of governance and peacebuilding activities within the Kenya Programme. Working closely with the project coordinator, and downstream partners at the County level, the Officer will support in the preparation of work plans, budgets, and activity reports in collaboration with the monitoring and evaluation coordinator of the program and directly oversees on-the-ground. In addition, the PO will undertake consistent follow up with the downstream partners to ensure timely reporting on project implementation.

Key Areas of Responsibility:

• Supporting strategy and programme development
• Activity Planning, Implementation
• Financial Management (Forecasting and reporting)
• Partner support
• Networking, communications and advocacy.

Duties:

1: Strategic and Programme Development

• Assist in the development and implementation of Saferworld’s Kenya programme strategy
• Contribute to internal (within the team and across the organisation) discussions on thematic issues particularly on peace, security and governance
• Assist with regular analysis of the peace and security developments and themes in the target counties.
• Contribute to further develop, and deepen understanding of, Saferworld’s peacebuilding and governance thematic issues and approaches.

2: Activity Planning, Implementation

• Support Planning, and implementation of the peacebuilding and governance project
• Work with the operations team in making logistical arrangements for the project activities.
• Work closely with the M&E coordinator and project coordinator to continuously assess the extent to which partners’ initiatives are achieving the set results, writing and filing of reports
• Assist in the design and delivery of needs based training and other support activities related to the project.
• Participate in and contribute to quarterly and other scheduled programme performance review meetings
• Support in organising regular meetings with partners to review and reflect on progress and results in order to identify, mitigate challenges and learn lessons for improved programme delivery
• Participate in and contribute to quarterly and other scheduled programme performance review meetings

3: Financial Management (Forecasting and reporting)

• Assist in identifying funding opportunities and fundraising
• With the programme team, perform organisation activities such as drafting project/ donor reports, support developing project budgets and cash flows and regularly monitoring expenditure
• Support partners in expenditure forecasting and developing monthly funds request and account for project expenditure in line with Saferworld’s financial procedures.
• Support the finance officer in developing project expenditure requests.
• Support the Finance officer in ensuring downstream partners adhere to Saferworld’s financial policies and procedures

4: Partner support

• Work closely with downstream partners in developing activity plans and implementation of activities.
• Support review of partner activity matrices for onward funding and implementation.
• Work closely with partners in organising and facilitating meetings, workshops and seminars with stakeholders including government representatives and civil society organisations;
• Work closely with partners to ensure quality activity and monthly reports are developed including proper documentation of all project processes (narrative, photography and videography).
• Support partners to mainstream cross-cutting issues, among them, gender and youth in their initiatives

5: Communications and Advocacy

• Work with the partners and M&E in to the documentation of ‘success stories’ and other anecdotal information to demonstrate results/impact of initiatives undertaken by partners and enhance the overall quality of performance reports to all constituents
• Contribute to the process of Identifying and developing relationships with key strategic partners in government, civil society, media and the international community for promoting peace, good governance and conflict sensitivity in Kenya.
• Contribute in developing appropriate strategies for advocacy with partners.

Person Specification

Knowledge and Experience

• A recognised first degree or professional qualification in: public administration and management; development studies; peacebuilding, governance; international relations, or a related field.
• Demonstrable experience working on peace and/or governance issues in a government, local authority or non– governmental organisation.
• A good understanding of peace and governance issues in Kenya. An understanding of the contextual dynamics of Kenya particularly the pastoralist areas will be an added advantage.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and use of internet for research
• Experience working in USAID funded projects

Skills

• Ability to work effectively with governmental and non-governmental organizations and local communities in carrying out activities.
• Excellent communication skills, written and oral and the ability to relate sensitively to diverse groups.
• Self-driven and able to deliver results with minimum supervision
• Good report-writing skills with excellent written and spoken English and Swahili.
• Demonstrable interpersonal and team working skills
• Flexibility in working in diverse situations with unpredictable working hours.

Other

• Willingness to travel to diverse locations, work extended periods in the field in support of project’s implementation and interact effectively with partners.
• Commitment to and compliance with Saferworld’s safeguarding principles.

Terms and Conditions

• Remuneration: KES A competitive INGO salary will be offered
• Leave Entitlement: 28 days holiday a year (Jan-Dec) in addition to relevant public holidays
• Hours: Standard working week is 37.5.
• Benefits: Medical and Life insurance.
• Probation- There will be a probationary period of three months