Project And Contract Manager at Pan African Climate Justice Alliance

The incumbent will primarily play a pivotal role in the successful delivery and implementation of the AACJ Project. The Position aims to provide expertise and experience in key areas relevant to the project management mandate. S/he will provide a leading and mentoring role to the core PMU team. The role includes leading on Project management and strategic plan delivery through quality control, timescale planning, process management, and containing and managing risks, whilst overseeing the project implementation in country and liaising with Consortium project staff in country and on regional and global level.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Planning and Coordination of the Project management Unit (PMU)
  • Ensure the realization of agreed project outcomes by monitoring progress and quality of the project, identifying problems and risks, opportunities and exceptions and solving problems and finding solutions. The role is accountable for the budget.
  • Prepare and monitor partner agreements, construct a coherent and realistic annual plan and accompanying overall budget based on multiple inputs from local partners, country offices and Consortium members. Support and set-up strategic planning exercises and timely reflection process.
  • Prepare progress reports (Progress and effectiveness (outputs and progress on the result areas); including analysis on Efficiency and cost-effectiveness; Sustainability; Risk management; Learning; Project revisions) and support the Senior Financial Officer in finalizing overall project finance reports and analysis/narrative budgets, and facilitation of Annual financial external audit and related management response.
  • Monitor project risk and establish (financial) mitigation measures, ensure compliance to the key requirements of the back Donor.
  • Provide leadership to the PMU by organizing and motivating the project team, consisting of 6 colleagues.
  • Ensure management information and data flows across the Project Governance Group (PGG), Consortium members, implementing partners, stakeholders and allies.
  • Coordinate and facilitate the key meetings of the Project stakeholders (PGG meetings, technical committees, project advisory committee)
  • Ensure partners in the Project are supported and strengthened at all levels to allow for quality implementation.
  • Communicate/Link the Project to Dutch MoFA and maintain open relationships.
• Strategy and Policy Development
  • Provide technical expertise to the lobby & advocacy officer, and thus oversee the process of shaping and guiding the Consortium and its members on building a strong and inclusive African movement to advance climate justice as a long-term strategic objective of the AACJ Project
  • Ensure building and maintaining exceptional relationships with policymakers (African Group of Negotiators, ClimDev Africa Initiative, AMCEN & Governments, etc), counterpart coalitions in both North and South, advocates in support of the climate justice efforts.
  • Maintain an overview of climate justice-related developments affecting Africa, monitoring trends and policy changes in the 8 African countries as key input into the Project strategic direction;
  • Contribute to the development of project and contract management related operational guidelines for delivering climate justice programming with a rights-based and do no harm approach; ensuring administrative excellence and full compliance to Donor requirements.
  • Represent, where realistically possible, the Consortium in technical communities of practice, and with external partners. This will include building relationships and networks with Governments, UN/AU agencies, the private sector, and civil society organizations working on climate change; and be able to fund-raise for additional projects of the AACJ Consortium.
  • Develop partnerships with relevant national, regional, and global institutions, organizations related to the pathways of the AACJ Project and inspire them to foster partnership with the climate justice movement and increase the collective impact via the AACJ Consortium and its Projects.
• Evidence and Learning
  • Coordinate and oversee the quality of, and timely generation of learning via the MEAL Coordinator, on the dynamics/complexities of climate justice programming in the regions covered and how they impact governments, private sector, and the communities and vulnerable individuals;
  • Strengthen coordination (including information/experience sharing) between all consortium members – country offices, and the PMU related to a jointly formulated learning agenda;
  • Support the generation and dissemination of evidence and learning at the country, regional and global level to feed into publications, policy papers, research reports, and external events (e.g., conferences).
• 4. Support to Programme Design and Implementation
  • Engage and enable relevant stakeholders in the AACJ Project on all project management and administrative aspects, guaranteeing operational efficiency and full compliance.
  • Plan, oversee and ensure timely implementation of activities; ensure all stakeholders are well and timely informed about the project planning, monitoring, administrative and reporting requirements.
  • Provide technical expertise to support the development of pathway-based programming, ensuring that robust situational analyses inform its development further;
  • Ensure interventions are evidence-based, meet quality standards (including on gender, feminist principles, participation, and social accountability), and are consistent with established best practices and international and national standards, policies, and strategies;
  • Ensure that the project components include monitoring and evaluation systems that are robust, adequately resourced, and capable of generating cutting-edge evidence;
  • Assess, and where possible, ensure that operational research is factored into the design to ensure high-quality and relevant data is generated for project is implemented;
  • Support and guide building strategic partnerships in-country, regionally and globally, to promote quality programming, innovative approaches, evidence generation, and sustainable impact at scale.
• Staff Management
  • Oversee the Project staff and ensure that key performance indicators are met
  • Motivate the project team through thought leadership
  • Support, coach and mentor professionals in finance, MEAL, communication, project administration, knowledge and lobby, advocacy
  • Approve staff monthly timesheets
  • Conduct annual staff appraisal
  • Ensure staff at the PMU are working effectively with staff from the various Consortium partners.

C. REQUIRED COMPETENCIES

• An agile and strategic and critical thinker, with the ability of setting processes, performance, and outcome goals.
• Strong programme development skills and experience of effective implementation across a diverse range of countries
• Excellent communication skills both verbal and written, ability to speak French will be an added advantage
• Innovative and tech-savvy, knowledge of projects support from the start to the end with the use of technology
• Accuracy, strong planning, monitoring, and reporting skills in the English language, French and Portuguese language skills are an advantage.
• Strong inter-personal skills, and ability in building teams
• Ability to embrace diversit.
• Good negotiation and diplomatic skills.
• Works well autonomously and in a team.

 D. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Academic education in the area of Environmental Law, Environmental Sciences, Public Policy, Project management or any other relevant field.
• At least 10 years of work experience in complex multi-million Euro/Dollar project management, covering multiple countries, alliances and substantive budgets, with experience in a diverse working and systems environment in Africa and beyond.
• Experience in the climate change/Justice discourse is an asset.
• Knowledge of working in consortia, and with local partners and movements.
• Experience and understanding of movement building, advocacy and campaigning programmes.
• Ability to support consortium to reach out and build relations with stakeholders at the local, national, continental and global levels.
• Scale?
• Fluent in English, both written and spoken, French and/or Portuguese proficiency is considered an asset.