Job Openings at CARE

JOB SUMMARY & PURPOSE:

The CARE Kenya Elimu ya Vijana Tuendeleze Project  is an education project that is funded under the CARE US Crisis Response Campaign that is trying to mitigate the effects of Covid 19 on education. The Project aims to ensure that adolescents (10-19 year olds) in school stay in school and are able to transit to the next grades/classes or higher levels of education. The Project will do this by empowering the adolescents with knowledge and skills on Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH), Financial Literacy, including Village savings and loans association (VSLA), and development of Leadership Competence Skills. Due to the economic crisis on individual households, the Project will empower parents with financial skills and assist them in for accessing finance is to help them manage household cash flow, or invest in small income-generating activities, which will in turn enable them meet their children’s education needs.

The purpose of the Project Officer position is to provide leadership in Economic Empowerment, specifically financial literacy education and the VSLA methodology in the project. The Project Officer will work with partners, school teachers, and community based trainers (CBT)/ facilitators in equipping adolescents in schools, and their parents with financial literacy knowledge and skills, and ensure the adolescents are retained in school and transit to next grades or higher levels of education.

Tasks and responsibilities

1. Coordination of Financial Literacy activities within the project area:
   1. Lead in development and delivery of Financial Literacy activities (Financial Education/Literacy, Income generation, Savings, Credit, Linkage to formal financial institutions), Coaching & Mentorship (Inspire, Motivate, Guidance, Developing leadership competence), and Technology transfer (leverage on digital technology to access information) within the project.
   2. Develop and implement operational work plans in accordance with the budget and work with partners to ensure work plans are adhered to.
   3. Strengthen project linkages with implementing partners, financial service providers and technology service providers.
   4. Collaborate with the Ministry of Education, Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development, Child & Youth Finance International (CYFI) and other stakeholders in the development of the financial literacy program for in schools adolescents.
   5. Facilitate partners and teachers to identify talents among adolescents in order to develop their leadership competence skills.
   6. Lead in developing implementation and supervision of quarterly and annual project implementation plans with project team and partners.
   7. Establish and maintain effective follow-up and support system for partners on economic empowerment, VSLA mentorship and coaching, and technology components as planned, ensuring good performance of all indicators.review
   8. Participate in project forums with partners, stakeholders, service providers, community resource persons, state and non-state agencies in the County, and Communities.
2. Provision of technical capacity to partners to promote Financial Literacy skills 
   1. Develop guidelines for partners to implement the following components: financial literacy knowledge and skills, VSLA mentorship and coaching, and technology transfer and community engagement in the project.
   2. Facilitate partners in developing key training manuals for in-school financial literacy, and VSLA methodology for parents’ mentorship and coaching, technology transfer and community engagement.
   3. Facilitate trainings of school teachers and Partner staff on financial literacy education in school adolescents; and develop an integrated model for child friendly savings model by modifying the Youth Savings and Loan training manual to cater for in school adolescents.
   4. In collaboration with partners tailor the Youth Savings and Loan (YSL) Methodology and oversee its implementation with in-school adolescents.
   5. Provide capacity building to partners and community based trainers/ facilitators to deliver the Village savings and loan association (VSLA) methodology -Selection, Planning and Management, Financial Education and Enterprising Your Life training packages.
   6. Provide technical assistance to partners develop an income generation training manual to meet the training needs for income generation.
   7. Support partners and schools to facilitate leadership competence skills activities among adolescent girls and boys in schools
   8. Participate in technical committees that support financial inclusion work. 
   9. Supporting Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Learning on Financial Literacy
3. Identify and document challenges in implementation that would have negative impact and or undermine the performance of the program, identify solutions and implement actions on timely basis to avert negative performance in consultation with project manager and M&E Coordinator.
   1. Share monthly data on indicator performance, discuss and ensure partners are aware of the indicators performance and that they are able to identify actions to enhance performance
   2. Timely respond to all data queries on Financial Literacy arising from partners and Project team
   3. Monitor compliance of project implementing partners and monitoring progress of work plan implementation in consultation with Project Manager.
   4. Collaborating with the Project Manager and the M&E Coordinator, facilitate in trainings and orientation of Partner staff on Financial Literacy and VSLA data requirements for the project, management and data for decision making.
   5. Identify technical financial literacy and coordination challenges; formulate solutions in consultation with the Project Manager and M&E Coordinator, including partner staff.
   6. Facilitate the collection and verification of data from project partners on all indicators.
   7. Working closely with Project team and partners to support the documentation of Human Interest Stories and lessons learnt for internal and external dissemination. 
4. Supervision and management of partner organization in regard to Financial Literacy. 
   1. Support the project partners and manager in develop reporting standards and ensure partner compliance.
   2. In collaboration with Project Manager develop and implement a supervision mechanism to ensure that implementing partners are effectively supervised. 
   3. Undertake supportive supervision to implementing partners to offer quality integrated services, while mentoring and training staff, and assessing progress of adolescent activities.
5. Ensure proper utilization and maintenance of CARE resources.
   1. Managing and accounting of project advance in accordance with CARE’s Finance policy.
   2. Ensure safety and proper use of all CARE property in your possession including motorcycles, vehicles, computers and other equipment.
   3. Ensure proper utilization and maintenance of CAREs properties and assets and ensure that defects are detected and repaired in a timely manner.
   4. Familiarize and work within CAREs regulations and policies and adhere to them during implementation of project activities.
6. Linkage and networking with other collaborators.
   1. Represent CARE in relevant community development planning meetings.
   2. Establish and maintain a good working relationship with other CARE colleagues and project staff, Partner agencies, County government, MOE, CBOs, collaborators, other stakeholders and enhance CARE image.
   3. Liaise with the National, County government officials, CBOs, collaborators and other stakeholders as appropriate. 
   4. Enhance team work and synergy in programming and CAREs activities.

Qualifications

Academic qualifications:

1. Bachelor of Business Administration/ Social Sciences.
2. At least two (5) years’ experience in  Economic Development
3. Ability to work with minimum supervision
4. Good interpersonal and communication skills
5. Working knowledge of MS computer packages

Competencies

1. A broad grasp of socio cultural economic issues with respect to poverty, savings, and enterprise development in rural settings
2. Technical knowledge in Economic Development
3. Experience with working with County governments, civil society, donors and local communities
4. Diplomacy, tact and negotiating skills
5. Training/coaching/ Facilitation skills
6. Strong conceptual and analytical skills
7. The ability to work independently, think innovatively and strategically and work effectively within a team
8. Fluency in written and spoken English
9. Excellent verbal and written communication skills
10. Detailed understanding and experience of gender and diversity issues and commitment to addressing inequalities in all the key areas of responsibility
11. Demonstrate high levels of initiative
12. Flexibility in tasks undertaken
13. Ability to work under pressure and deadlines
14. Extensive knowledge of participatory approaches
15. Understanding of development/relief issues
16. Commitment to humanitarian principles and action
17. Strong financial/budget management skills required
18. Additional Information

WORKING CONDITIONS

This position will be based in Nairobi with extensive travel to the project sites. Travel to the field will constitute approximately 50% of the working time.

Contacts/Key Relationships 

This role is expected to establish and maintain open, professional, and cordial relations with the COs internal and external customers. These include and not limited to:

External: National and County officials, partner agency staff

Internal: CARE staff, Project team

Deadline to receive all applications will be on or before  7th July 2021, at 5.00 P.M EAT. Only short listed candidates will be contacted. Canvassing will lead to automatic disqualification.