Jobs at Action Africa Help

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Meal system

• Lead in updating the institutional MEL system incorporating objectives, procedures, and tools;
• Assist the Project Coordinator to align MEL schedules with annual work plans and budgets;
• Develop sustainability indicators with the programme teams and use the indicators to monitor the sustainability of the project's results;
• Develop M&E plans for all projects and proposals and ensure the same is followed up during implementation;
• Ensure all grants have updated work-plan and performance management plan (PMPs) in tandem with all approved proposals, regularly reviewing and updating as needed;
• Lead in collecting information to clarify core information needs of the Board members, senior management; programmes/projects and staff; donors; networks and referral partners;

Monitoring and reporting

• Supporting the Programmes team in preparing quarterly, bi-annual and annual reports on the progress of implementation of the strategic plan and specific projects, and monitoring the project activities regularly;
• Oversee and execute MEL activities included in the annual work plan, with particular focus on results, mainstreaming issues, impact as well as in lesson learning, in particular:
• Lead in collecting all activity reports, filing and collating them into quarterly progress reports
• Assist the project team in analysing all concepts and activity reports to ensure inclusion of gender sensitivity programming in planning, budgeting, implementation and reporting
• Advising the projects team on progress, gaps, and measures for improvement
• Collect, collate and or write up case studies or success stories for inclusion in quarterly and grant reports, and use for social media communications and campaigns;
• Suggest strategies for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the programmes by identifying bottlenecks in completing project activities and developing plans to minimize or eliminate such bottlenecks;
• Undertake regular field visits if required to support implementation and identify needs.
• Carry out data quality assessments/ audits regularly for MEL data based on agreed indicators to guide decision making;
• Ensure relevant and timely M&E information is provided in user-friendly formats to key stakeholders, including beneficiary communities, board, donors;
• Provide regular management information highlighting areas of concern

Assessments, surveys, and evaluation

• Compile lessons learnt, success and impact stories which can be included in to the programming.
• Assist the Project managers in coordinating all project assessments, evaluations, and performance evaluation tasks including planning and reporting on the same in the development of TOR for external surveys and consultant recruitments/ selection;
• Support the project team to coordinate the review of all survey reports prepared to ensure quality and accurate reporting;
• Planning and preparing timely surveys and evaluations and preparing electronic tools and training enumerators in digital data collection

Learning, accountability, and capacity building

• Conduct all project implementation and post-implementation monitoring that meets AAHI and donor standards regularly;
• Developing and sharing impactful stories of change for use in resource mobilization
• Provide relevant evidence for learning from projects;
• Share learning and provide constructive comments to colleagues to ensure program quality
• Ensure disaggregated data on sex, age, disability, gender standards consistently adhere in programme delivery
• Check that monitoring data are discussed in appropriate forums and in a timely fashion in terms of implications for future action. If necessary, create such discussion forums;
• Build capacity of staff through training to ensure adoption of new data monitoring tools and quality of data collected;
• Effectively addressed/ mainstreamed in all project implementations as part of ensuring accountability according to the AAHI strategic plan
• Review activity and quarterly progress reports and ensure they have evidence to back-up delivery of results/envisaged change;
• Provide alerts to the program teams on corrective actions required to avoid delays in implementation, including flagging operational issues and risks requiring timely actions
• Keep abreast of new approaches and tools on M&E, and provide training to AAHI staff as requested
• Other tasks may be assigned as necessary according to organizational needs.

The minimum Qualifications and Experience

• A post-graduate degree in Monitoring and Evaluation, Social sciences or related course.
• Experience in designing strategies and tools for data collection, analysis, and production of reports
• Demonstrated understanding of the project cycle management
• Demonstrated experience in data collection, analysis synthesis, and preparation of strategic information for decision-makers
• Proven track record of successful experience in writing reports and reviews, delivering presentations and defending recommendations
• Experience in working in a multi-cultural environment, INGO or CSO set up.
• A good understanding of results-based programming
• Strong training & facilitation skills and ability to be part of the team
• At least 5 years of experience leading research or monitoring and evaluation in the CSO sector, human rights, or governance programmes
• Works independently and requiring minimum supervision.

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Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Strategic Financial Planning and Management

• Lead the long term and annual financial planning and budgeting process by providing contextualized budget guidelines for the HQ and Country Offices finance teams.
• Review, consolidate HQ and Country Offices’ budgets and recommend them for approval to the Executive Director.
• Oversee the work and delivery of finance; administration; procurement and IT.
• Maintain donor engagement and represent AAH-I at donor meetings as required.
• Implementing a robust contract, financial management and reporting system for AAH-I.
• Ensuring compliance with the organization, donor and government financial, tax reporting and regulatory requirements.
• Oversee maintenance of security and accountability of cash on hand at HQ and at Country Offices.
• Supervise processing of all payments including verifying accuracy of invoices and support documents at HQ Offices.
• Familiarize finance staff at HQ and County Offices on operation and maintenance of intercompany accounts, and oversee monthly reconciliation of the same.
• Verify posting of transactions to journals, ledgers and other records, and prepare supporting account reconciliations on monthly basis
• Review and approve monthly funding requests from HQ and Country Offices and ensure that they are in compliance with AAH-I cash management policies and within committed budgets.
• Ensure appropriate financial monitoring frameworks and internal controls are in place in the HQ and in each Country Office.
• Ensure HQ and Country Offices are monitoring their spending against budget commitments to minimize under- and overspending
• Ensure HQ and Country Offices comply with donor contract requirements and year-end closing processes (including accrual accounting, carry-forward examination, pre-funding mechanism, etc.)
• Oversee and evaluate HQ and Country Offices’ financial performance and efficiency through management of score cards and conducting periodic reviews of Country Offices.
• Conduct capacity assessment of HQ and Country Office finance departments to ensure the finance department are strategically positioned to effectively deliver and support delivery of AAH-I strategic mandate.
• Manage relationships with financial institutions that work with AAH-I and secure funds necessary for the operations of the organization.

Reporting

• Ensure timely monthly and quarterly financial reporting both at HQ and Country Office level.
• Prepare and present to the Executive Director and Board financial statements and reports as required.
• Coordinate and lead the annual external audit process including donor and project specific audits, ensuring that resulting queries are fully addressed.

Risk Management

• Ensure HQ and Country Offices comply with AAH-I Finance Manual and align with new initiatives related to systems and processes.
• Ensure clean and improved internal audit results and follow up implementation of audit recommendations by HQ/Country Offices.
• Enhance and oversee risk management processes by ensuring that audit and risk assessments are conducted periodically and any fraudulent activities are properly investigated and reported.
• Assess the internal control environment of HQ and Country Offices and support in designing and improving internal control systems and project accounting systems.
• Alert the Executive Director/Country Directors about risk in the HQ and Country Offices

Board Participation

• As appropriate, participate in Board meetings on specific finance sessions such as budget presentation, risk issues, sharing the quarterly financial management scorecard and presenting key issues to the Board.
• Present timely high quality finance reports to the Board as required.
• Provide orientation of the Board members on financial management as required.

Administration and IT

• Oversee administrative policies to ensure efficiency and cost effectiveness in: procurement services, office facilities, property and asset management.
• Ensure that the admin, IT & communication systems and processes support the internal and external relationships and ways of working that are prioritized for AAH-I.
• Ensure that admin, IT & communication systems safeguard and promote appropriate levels of access to the organization’s information.
• Embed accountability mechanisms within the department to contribute to a culture of accountability and excellence.
• Provide oversight and management for all direct reports and lead the establishment and functioning of a strong, effective and coordinated team.

Expected Outcomes

• Financial systems of the organisation are well developed, implemented and monitored to reduce risk exposure and compliance to both organisational and statutory regulations.
• Organisational cash flow statements, budget adherence and audit gap closure statements prepared and submitted to the Executive Director and the Board for review.
• Organisational annual budgets are prepared in time for review and approval by the Board and a suitable monitoring process developed and implemented.
• Relationships between the organisation and the bankers, external auditors and other financial service providers developed and maintained.
• Procedures governing the engagement of external financial service providers are developed and periodically reviewed to ensure value for organisational resources
• Functional polices and strategies for finance; administration; procurement and IT developed and implemented.
• Donor contract requirements are adhered to and timely reporting is done as per agreements.
• Compliance to policies is monitored and controls put in place to mitigate risk.
• Directors and managers are provided with regular and appropriate financial reports that facilitate decision making.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience

• Master’s degree in Finance, Business Admin, Accounting or equivalent
• CPA (K) or equivalent certification
• Minimum 10 years’ experience in similar position preferably in an INGO.
• Solid knowledge of accounting principles, financial systems, budget/cash-flow monitoring and internal accounting controls
• Knowledge of and experience with donor and government grant regulations and financial reporting requirements.
• Senior leadership experience in strategic financial and operational management.

Additional Skills & Competences

• Knowledge and exposure to the social and cultural values of the region.
• Skilled in influencing and obtaining cooperation of individuals not under supervisory control; able to manage long-distance relationships to achieve results**
• Strong inter-personal skills, and proven team-player
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Able to solve complex problems and to exercise independent judgment
• Able to work in a cross-cultural environment with a multi-national staff
• Good familiarity with Microsoft Office packages and PASTEL accounting software.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills.
• Good analytical skills with good attention to detail
• Commitment to and understanding of AAH-I’s vision, mission, and values.