Project Officer – Financial Inclusion (Marsabit) at Catholic Relief

Background:

CRS, representing a consortium of international non-governmental organizations, local implementing partners and research institutions is leading the USAID Nawiri Program, a USAID Office of Bureau of Humanitarian (BHA) funded Resilience Food Security Activity (RFSA) in Kenya. The overarching goal of this multi-sectoral activity is to sustainably reduce persistent levels of acute malnutrition in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs), focusing on Isiolo and Marsabit counties. 

Job Summary: 

The Project Officer – Financial Inclusion will be responsible for day-to-day planning, implementation, efficient and effective roll-out, including integration within the graduation approach, and reporting of CRS Savings and Internal Lending Communities (SILC) component in Marsabit County. S/he will serve as the Master Trainer for SILC and the Private Service Provider (PSP) approach, assuring that Local Implementing partners (LIP) staff have the knowledge and skills to successfully deliver at scale. S/he will provide ongoing technical support to field and LIP staff to assure that PSPs are adequately supervised and supported to integrate SILC components within the graduation approach and to reach sustainability targets. S/he will also work with the livelihoods team to link SILC groups with financial education (FE), marketing training, private sector financing, entrepreneurship, and franchising opportunities.

Specific Responsibilities: 

• Provide technical oversight, organize, and lead the implementation of financial inclusion related project activities as outlined in the detailed implementation plan in line with CRS program quality principles and standards, donor requirements, and good practices.
• Ensure learning properly accompanies project activities throughout the project cycle. Support accountability through coordinating project evaluation activities and guiding partners in their efforts to reflect on project experiences. Analyze implementation challenges and report any inconsistencies and/or gaps to inform adjustments to plans and implementation schedules. 
• Guide and support partners in their efforts to collect and analyse data monthly. Analyze MIS data and translate it into programmatic recommendations. Ensure project documentation for assigned activities is complete with all required documents and is filed per agency and donor requirements. Assist with preparation of trends analysis reports and documentation of case studies and promising practices.
• Working in collaboration with livelihood specialist, link SILC groups with appropriate financial education (FE), marketing training, private sector financing, entrepreneurship, and franchising opportunities.
• Working in collaboration with staff implementing the graduation approach and nutrition, ensure integration of SILC to deliver both economic empowerment training and nutritional training.
• Assess the capacity and training needs of CRS and partner staff on financial inclusion. Support and design training modules and implementation models for CRS staff, LIP staff, supervisors and field agents and build local capacity networks to deliver high quality trainings and technical assistance. Design and deliver training interventions (trainer-of trainers, face-to-face learning, on-line learning, mentoring, and coaching) for project and partner staff. 

Personal Skills 

• Strong relationship management abilities. Ability to relate to people at all levels internally and externally. Strategic in how you approach each relationship.
• Excellent negotiation skills.
• Strong communications and presentation skills.
• Proactive, resourceful, solutions-oriented, and results-oriented.
• Capable of working in a dynamic, results oriented environment; ability to multi-task across various work streams/priorities.
• Team player with a positive attitude who can work independently while also being highly collaborative and open. Capable of building relationships and influencing the opinions of others.
• Demonstrated commitment to respect, equity, diversity and inclusion including gender equality.

Required/Desired Foreign Language: 

• English and Swahili

Travel Required 

• 50% of the time within sub counties in Marsabit.

Key Working Relationships: 

Supervisory: None

Internal: 

• Nawiri Chief of Party, DCOP Programming, Nawiri Program team, all Country Program staff, Regional and Headquarters technical staff 

External: 

• Local implementing partners, government departments at different levels

QUALIFICATIONS

Typical Background, Experience & Requirements:

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Economics social sciences, development, or related field.  Master’s degree in similar fields a plus
• At least 4 years’ work experience in international development working with community savings groups. 
• Practical experience in curriculum design and training of adults, certified master trainer experience preferred.
• Prior experience using the community-led savings group MIS (Excel-based or online database)
• Experience with financial product development and/or mobile money products desired
• Demonstrated ability to work successfully in diverse geographic and cultural settings.
• Understanding and appreciation of CRS' commitment to work with and build partner capacity.