Programme Assistant at Act Change Transform (Act)

Key Responsibilities

Programme Planning and Management

• Assist in developing detailed programme work plans, including activity descriptions and timelines, and manage the implementation of these activities to ensure the program’s activities and outputs are executed on time and to adequate quality standards.
• In collaboration with the Program Officers, conduct follow-up meetings and coordination through in-person and virtual sessions with partners in reporting, strategic planning, advocacy, communication, and building coalitions and networks.
• Assist in tracking the program’s progress and changes to the activity plans where appropriate, providing a full rationale for these changes in each case, and making changes to the activity plans where appropriate.
• Ensure good relations are maintained with the program’s beneficiaries, partners and donors.
• Keep abreast of new or evolving knowledge, methodological or developmental in devolution that relates to the scope of Act! Programme activities.

Monitoring, Evaluation Reporting & Learning

• Participate in setting programme targets in line with the overall strategic goal of the programme.
• Participate actively in contributing to the documentation of “success stories” and other anecdotal information to enhance the overall quality of performance reports to the donors.
• Share information and lessons learnt with other program staff, among other things, by writing brief occasional papers for uploading to the website and conducting internal seminars.
• Prepare monthly, quarterly and final narrative reports.

Networking and Representation

• Establish and maintain regular contact with beneficiary groups and partner organisations, and liaise and co-ordinate with the appropriate government bodies whenever appropriate to ensure successful project progress
• Represent Act! and program at meetings, forums and processes to stay up to date with unfolding events or issues that ensure that the program team is well appraised on such events or issues.

Financial Management

• Assist in budget preparation in line with project proposals.
• Preparation of documents to facilitate payments of consultants and procurement of goods and services for programme implementation;
• Prepare indicative budgets for all planned new work.
• In consultation with the grants/finance officers track budgets to ensure compliance with Act! and donor funding guidelines and requirements.

Qualification, Experience and Skills:

• Bachelor’s degree in development studies, governance/politics, public policy, or related field or any other related fields.
• A Master’s degree in relevant study areas will be an added advantage.

Experience

• At least 2 years relevant work experience in programme management and familiarity with the political, economic and social context of Kenya Essential Skills and Competencies
• Understanding of the democracy and governance programming and experience working with civil society
• Experience working with devolution management bodies, capacity building, training, drafting of policies, outreach and engagement of key stakeholders will be an added advantage.
• Strong analytical and report writing skills as well as excellent presentation and facilitation skills.
• Excellent organization and coordination skills.
• Good interpersonal and communication skills.
• Self-driven and able to deliver results with minimum supervision.
• Ability to work in a multi-disciplinary and multicultural environment and with partners at all levels.
• Willingness to travel extensively within the country, work extended periods in the field and interact effectively with partners and willingness to learn new approaches.
• The candidates for this position must be fluent in written and spoken English and Kiswahili.
• Highly proficient in Ms Word, Excel, Access, Power-point and the use of Internet for research.