Partnerships Coordinator at Oxfam

The Partnerships Coordinator is responsible for strategically coordinating local partners. The Partnership Coordinator has the overall responsibility to oversee the tools and process flow for partnership management within Oxfam ’s partnership portfolio by ensuring that partners conform to and are in alignment with the national and global tools and processes.  

Capacity Assessment

• Support and conduct a partnership mapping while supporting other projects in other Oxfam operational locations.
• Lead on the development of project partnership assessments for the new partners (as well as others) as per the OGB approved minimum requirements, and development of partner contracts.
• Lead on the development of the partner contracts (and related annexes), ensuring a shared change goal for the joint and a broader and evolving partnership.
• Support with partners assessment reports where new partners shall be identified.
• Collaborate with the program quality team to undertake review of the current partnership work. – appreciating the context, the successes, challenges and areas that requires improvement.

• Draft and update project Partnership Development Plans projects within Oxfam’s portfolio which includes organizational and technical capacity building according to the needs of each partners.
• Ensure all partners benefit from capacity development on safeguarding and gender minimum standards in emergencies.

Project Management and capacity support

• Lead on the organisation of inception-kick off meetings and the development of workplans, spending plans, and procurement plans for partners. Oversee all due diligence, assessments and compliance issues in coordination with the field teams and Finance Manager. 
• Support partners in assessing risks and opportunities of collaboration, assessing capacities in terms of strengths and gaps to meet objectives.
• Develop and elaborate a plan for partnership monitoring (including budgets) and carry out regular monitoring visits to partners (thematic, organizational, financial areas).
• Ensure that the partnership complaint mechanism is integrated in the country office’s existing mechanism, including a Safeguarding reporting mechanism to allow for full accountability.
• Support strengthening of Oxfam’s partners’ internal controls, the capability to utilise grants and maintain an adequate management and information system in order to increase accountability and the timeliness, quality and reliability of reporting.
• Work closely with the MEAL department to ensure that partners are supported to build effective monitoring systems for the programme and staff and carry out regular monitoring visits to partners (thematic, organizational, financial areas).
• The PC will have access to internal tools related to partnerships and capacity building, including; capacity assessment, OXFAM’s capacity building toolkit; OXFAM’s operational capacity building assessment tools; OXFAM’s partnership strategy;  
• Conduct consultations with technical program staff involved in the technical capacity building process whenever related support is required. 

Partnership Management

• Work closely with the Oxfam program teams to ensure that they have the knowledge and skills to work with partners –sharing tools and guides to help standardise the way that we work.
• Coordinate the involvement of all staff in ongoing support to partners and in reporting obligations. 
• Support and coordinate efforts of Oxfam Kenya with regard to the management of partnerships.
• Lead on the day-to-day communication and follow up with all project partners to ensure quality and timely implementation.
• Ensure that Oxfam Kenya has an updated and responsive strategy and plan for addressing key opportunities and challenges of the partners.
• Advise senior management teas on areas of high risk to Oxfam Kenya or partners, particularly concerning security.
• Ensure the quality of partnerships through effective coordination, relationship management and sustaining the delivery of quality capacity building support.
• Use ongoing checks to ensure that all Oxfam Kenya and partner staff are pleased with the partnership and that mechanisms exist to address emerging challenges. 
• Regularly consult with Oxfam Kenya and Partner staff in producing comprehensive and informative reports that inform the country programme.
• To inspire and energise the programme team, and to champion positive and innovative ways of working to promote a learning environment on working with partners.

Person specification

Most importantly, every individual at Oxfam Kenya needs to be able to:

• Live our values of INCLUSION, ACCOUNTABILITY, EMPOWERMENT, COURAGE, SOLIDARITY and EQUALITY.
• Ensure you commit to our ORGANIZATIONAL ATTRIBUTES (including adhering to the Code of Conduct).
• Be committed to our feminist principles, and to applying them in your day-to-day behaviour and your work. Be ready to keep learning, with accountability to those who experience oppression as a result of their identities, such as their gender, race/ethnicity, disability, class, or LGBTQIA identity."
• Be committed to undertaking Oxfam’s safeguarding training and adhering to relevant policies, to ensure all people who come into Oxfam are as safe as possible.

Professional/Technical qualifications

• Postgraduate degree in Social Sciences, Project Management, Development Studies, or related field.
• At least 5 years’ experience in a similar role.
• Excellent coordination skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• The ability to work under pressure and prioritise work to meet tight deadlines.
• The ability to design and facilitate training processes for different partner skills levels.