Grants & Contracts Manager-2SCALE at International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC)

Position Summary

Partnerships are the key modality of 2SCALE. They are established with private partners (including the business champions/ lead partners) and other relevant stakeholders and formalized in partnership agreements with lead partners or Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and contractual agreements with supportive partners. Partnership agreements mainly specify the purpose of the partnership, the business strategy, the joint interventions, the responsibilities and the indicative contributions of the various partners, including 2SCALE. The 2SCALE contribution in turn is implemented by our own staff, but also through local business support services (BSSs) that partner with the program. 2SCALE has developed a unique system to award subgrants to these BSSs. This system includes administrative procedures, selection processes, evaluation criteria, monitoring and evaluation of these agreements, and close-out activities; it is detailed in 2SCALE’s subgrants manual. The Grant and  Contracts Manager supports 2SCALE partnership facilitators and country team leaders to finalize and monitor partnership agreements or MoUs/ contractual agreements, as well as service contracts, in 2SCALE’s focus countries. She/ he is responsible for developing and monitoring subgrants, in consultation with the country teams and in compliance with partnership agreements and the 2SCALE subgrants manual. She/ he is also responsible for building the financial/ administrative capacity of the local BSSs that were awarded a subgrant.

Duties

• Update the subgrant manual for 2SCALE 2019-24 and all its annexes (in both English and French) whenever needed. Ensure its application by the 2SCALE team in all focus countries.
• Design and update clear flowcharts for the elaboration of partnership agreements, MoUs, contractual agreements, subgrants, and service contracts in 2SCALE, taking into account the specificities of host offices (managed either by IFDC or by SNV).
• Support 2SCALE technical staff in finalizing partnership agreements, MoUs, contractual agreements, subgrants, and service contracts. Give specific attention to legal clauses, consistency of the document (including annexes), formatting, budget, and payment aspects.
• Update the system to monitor key deliverables (e.g. governance meetings and filing of minutes; annual financial statement; private sector contribution, etc.) agreed upon in the partnership agreements as well as in MoUs/ contractual agreements and service contracts related to all active partnerships. Anticipate reminders to partnership facilitators and country team leaders.
• Conduct and document the due diligence of potential new BSSs identified for specific partnership-related services, as per the partnership agreements or related action plans. Document the selection of consultancy organizations for service contracts.
• Review action plans (or terms of reference, depending on the assignment) and budgets proposed under subgrants and service contracts. Whenever needed, assist in revising or finalizing them.
• Submit partnership agreements, MoUs, contractual agreements, subgrants, and service contracts for approval and monitor the contract-making process until the document is fully executed.
• File each fully executed document and related payment documentation, through 2SCALE’s agreed-upon filing system.
• Using the 2SCALE subgrant/ service contract tracker, monitor schedules for installment disbursements, alert field teams about deadlines, and make disbursement projections for the following month.
• Identify and prioritize needs and gaps of BSSs in financial, management, and governance systems, including operational policies and manuals.
• Develop an efficient (replicable) approach to guide and train BSSs in the management of the subgrants.
• In close collaboration and consultation with 2SCALE country teams, visit the selected organizations that are implementing activities through 2SCALE subgrants. Monitor BSSs to assess performance, attainment of targets, adherence to contractual obligations stated in subgrants, and quality of interventions.
• Write and submit quality progress reports and notes with strict respect for deadlines.
• Prepare monthly contract recaps and projections, for all focus countries.
• Propose improvements to systems to develop and monitor contracts.
• Document lessons learned from the focus countries, share them in reports, and integrate them into subsequent program activities.
• Collaborate with the 2SCALE admin and financial officers of host offices (from both IFDC and SNV) to ensure adequate financial reporting/ forecasting to the management team.
• Develop and ensure excellent working relationships with BSSs, lead partners, and other actors involved in partnerships.
• Supervise technically the 2SCALE Grant and contracts specialist and delegate to her/his part of the tasks listed above for some focus countries.

The Grant and  Contracts Manager is also responsible for any other assignments that the 2SCALE management deems necessary for the success of the program.

Reporting and team collaboration

The Grant and  Contracts Manager reports to the deputy program director. She/ he collaborates closely with the Grant and contracts specialist, the 2SCALE country teams, and the budget & finance administrators.

Duty station

The candidate can be posted in any of the following 2SCALE countries: Kenya, Ethiopia, Mali and or Nigeria

Required Experience

• First degree on relevant field of expertise with 10 years of Previous experience on grant management, contract facilitation and related or second degree (master’s level) and 8 years of experience.
• Experience in managing teams supporting crosscutting and diverse team of background
• Previous Management level experience in grant management in agribusiness programs
• Experienced in working and managing in multi country and multi-cultural settings.
• Good track record in working Public Private Partnerships (PPPs)
• Willingness to travel within and outside of the country
• Fluency in English and French is a prerequisite for the position