Assistant Director, Planning, Quality and Risk(Planning, Risk and Quality Management Division)) at Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA)

Job Specifications

Duties and responsibilities will entail:

• Spearheading the formulation, review, and implementation of KIPPRA’s Strategic Plan to provide long-term direction and ensure alignment with national development priorities and the Institute’s mandate.
• Overseeing operational and annual planning across the Institute, including the preparation of performance contracts and cost-budgeted work plans, ensuring that all departmental activities cascade from the Strategic Plan.
• Leading planning meetings and coordinating mid-term and end-term evaluations of institutional programmes and strategic plans.
• Championing productivity measurement of planned activities to inform evidence-based decision-making.
• Spear-heading mid-term and end-term evaluations of institutional programmes and strategic plans
• Overseeing monitoring, evaluation, and implementation of strategic and operational plans to track progress, measure results, and inform management decisions.
• Spearheading the preparation and consolidation of institutional performance reports, risk management reports, and quality management reports, including quarterly, annual, and strategic implementation reports for management, the Board, and stakeholders.
• Leading the analysis of institutional performance, trends, and emerging risks to provide policy and strategic advisory services to management.
• Championing tracking and preparation of periodic reports on implementation of strategic plan, risk management framework, quality procedures and policies, annual cost budgeted workplan, and performance contract.
• Overseeing evaluation gaps in evidence presented to evaluate delivery of strategic plan, risk management frameworks, quality procedures and policies, annual cost budgeted workplan, and performance contract.
• Providing leadership on gaps in evidence presented to evaluate delivery of strategic plans, risk management frameworks, quality procedures and policies, annual cost budgeted workplan, and performance contract
• Leading the development, implementation, and maintenance of KIPPRA’s Risk Management Framework to ensure proactive identification, analysis, and mitigation of institutional risks.
• Overseeing the institutional risk register, oversee risk assessments and mitigation plans, and providing regular risk management reports to management and the Board.
• Leading compliance monitoring to ensure adherence to strategic plans, policies, risk frameworks, and quality standards, including follow-up on corrective and preventive                 actions.
• Serving as the point of contact with internal and external auditors on risk and compliance matters.
• Supervising maintenance and updating of the risk database and registers for assigned departments.
•  Leading in development of template for follow-ups to ensure corrective and preventive actions are implemented.
• Supervising monitoring of potential threats to organizational objectives.
• Leading evaluation potential threats to organizational objectives and quality
• Championing implementation of reports and advice on corrective and preventive actions
• Spearheading assessment and reporting of risk database and registers for assigned departments.
• Supervising risk assessments and development risk mitigation plans.
• Spearheading analysis of trends and emerging risks to inform management decision-making.
• Spearheading preparation of quarterly and annual risk management reports for management.
• Leading the development and implementation of KIPPRA’s Quality Management System (QMS), ensuring adherence to service standards, ISO requirements, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Fostering operational performance reviews, quality audits, and peer reviews to strengthen accountability, efficiency, and institutional effectiveness.
• Spearheading advisory and technical support on planning, quality management, and risk management matters across the Institute.
• Overseeing organizing documents needed for internal and external quality audits and reviews
• Leading in analyzing feedback from external and internal reviewers for quality control.
• Liaising with internal and external auditors on risk and compliance matters.
•  Leading implementation of risk mitigation strategies, corrective actions, monitoring and evaluation across departmental programs
• Spearheading capacity development of staff in strategic planning, results-based management, risk mitigation, and quality management practices.
• Providing effective communication within the Institute, ensuring coordination between departments, management, and operational levels.
• Championing innovation, learning, and continuous improvement to enhance institutional performance.
• Providing effective engagement with stakeholders to harmonize KIPPRA’s institutional efforts with sectoral and national initiatives.
• Spearheading tracking planning, policies and procedures, risk management and quality management documents for development and review.
• Approving the developed templates for capturing rapporteur notes during meetings organized in the department.
• Approving templates for development and review of planning, policies and procedures, risk management and quality management documents.
• Approving templates to track and prepare periodic reports on implementation of strategic plan, risk management framework, quality procedures and policies, annual  cost budgeted workplan, and performance contract.
• Supervising collection of information for innovation and strategic improvement of the institution.
• Spearheading planning meetings organized with management.
• Championing capacity building for planning, risk management and quality management.
• Spearheading complex data analysis to guide management decisions and policy formulation.
• Spearheading staff capacity building of KIPPRA in strategic planning, results-based management, risk mitigation, and quality management practices
• Liaising with external stakeholders and development partners to harmonize KIPPRA’s planning, reporting, and quality management efforts with sector and national initiative

Job Specification

Qualifications

Person Specifications

For appointment to this grade, a candidate must have:

• Cumulative service period of nine (12) years, three (3) of which should have been at the level of Principal Planning Officer or comparable position;
•  Bachelor’s degree in any of the following disciplines: Economics, statistics, mathematics, or equivalent qualifications from a recognized institution;
• Master’s Degree in any of the following disciplines: Economics, Business Administration, Finance, Commerce, or equivalent qualifications from a recognized Institution;
• Certificate in enterprise risk management (ERM) frameworks or results-based management (RBM) or M&E tools or Quality control tools and methodologies or ISO standards or institutional audit processes;
• Leadership Course lasting not less than four (4) weeks from a recognized institution;
• Shown merit and ability as reflected in work performance and results;
• Proficiency in computer applications.

Functional Skills, Behavioral Competencies and Attributes:

• Leadership and supervisory skills
• Strategic management skills
• Problem solving skills
• Analytical skills
• Organizational skills
• Negotiation skills
• Proficiency in economic modelling
• Proficiency in computer applications including statistical software Presentation skills
• Communication and interpersonal skills
• Team building skills
• Presentation skills
• Communication and interpersonal skills
• Team building skills