Project/National Secretariat Director Job at Catholic Relief Services

Job Summary
The Project/National Secretariat Director provides technical leadership to all aspects of project planning and implementation in Kenya and Somalia and provides support to CGPP secretariats in South Sudan and Ethiopia for timely coordination with WHO and UNICEF Horn of Africa (HOA) coordination office.

Maintains and develops the project’s relationships with key partners and stakeholders including the Ministries of Health for Kenya and Somalia, USAID, UNICEF, WHO, and Rotary International.

In fulfilling these roles, s/he also ensures:

CGPP activities address stated project objectives and contribute to achieving national and international polio eradication objectives;

The needs and concerns of participating non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and of the communities they serve are communicated to decision-makers at all levels.

Specific Responsibilities and Accountabilities for Project/National Secretariat Director Job

Partnership and Coordination

• Manage all communication with national and international stakeholders and partners working in Kenya and Somalia.
• Maintain close formal and informal networking and communications, ensuring NGO and community needs are communicated, and that technical advances, policy changes, and other relevant information are communicated back to all CGPP partners.
• Represent the interests of the CGPP and its partners in meeting with these stakeholders and report on those meetings to CGPP headquarters staff.
• Meet at least quarterly with partners and stakeholders to review the CGPP progress, troubleshoot and share successes and lessons learned. Communicate proceedings to CGPP-US.
• Convene regular meetings with the CORE NGO/PVO partners to share lessons learned, disseminate information, discuss challenges, and solicit feedback not less than quarterly.
• Represent CGPP in HOA coordination meetings and provide timely inputs to CGPP Regional Technical Advisor, Secretariat Directors of South Sudan and Ethiopia for any issues related cross border activities.
• Coordinate with CGPP Ethiopia and South Sudan on cross border coordination activities.
• Represent the interests of the CGPP and its partners in meetings with international and national stakeholders.
• Attend the annual Task Force on Immunization and HOA Technical Advisory Group meetings, regular
• Interagency Coordinating Committee meetings, and relevant polio/vaccine-preventable disease meetings convened by the MOH, WHO, the CDC, Rotary and other key stakeholders in Kenya and Somalia.
• Provide briefing notes on key points and outcomes of those meetings to the CGPP headquarters and CGPP partners in meeting memos and/or at CGPP partners’ meetings.
• Briefing notes shall include: Documentation of the key points discussed; strategies, policies, events and decisions, and technical recommendations relevant to polio eradication; and Description of their implications for the CGPP

Technical support and monitoring

• Provide technical support to CGPP Team and partners in developing work plans, training materials, IEC materials.
• Provide Technical support in conducting quality trainings.
• Review and approve all training work-plans and training curricula developed by secretariat technical staff.
• Guide the development of technical priorities and strategic plan for the project, ensuring that they contribute to: high quality, robust acute flaccid paralysis surveillance; the quality and coverage of supplemental immunization activities; and utilization of routine immunization services
• Monitor all activities to ensure they support the stated project goals and objectives of the CGPP.
• Monitor field operations performed by Secretariat and PVO partner staff to ensure quality implementation.
• Make necessary program adjustments.
• Monitor the implementation of project monitoring and evaluation activities, including baseline activities and mid-term review, and guide the interpretation of analyzed data.
• Review the partners’ quarterly progress reports and provide feedback to partners and to US-based project management team.
• Provide field site coordination of data collection for baseline and end of project evaluation surveys. Oversee partners in setting targets based on baseline survey.
• Provide input to external evaluator on recommendations based on end of project evaluation.
• Adapt, review, and ensure the PVO partners’ utilization of supervisory guides and checklists.
• Monitor progress toward CGPP polio eradication goals and strategies and, in coordination with the CGPP Senior
• Regional Advisor and the CGPP HQ Deputy Director, make necessary adjustments to ensure project activities contribute to the national and global eradication of polio and to the quality and sustainability of AFP surveillance and routine immunization services.
• Monitor CGPP training (on AFP surveillance, routine immunization, social mobilization, communication, data collection and reporting tools and techniques) and make any necessary program adjustments to ensure field staff at all levels receives appropriate training.
• Ensure that secretariat and PVO partner staff are supported by appropriate capacity building opportunities based on observations made from monitoring activities.

Grant management

• Develop the annual Secretariat budget (both grant and cost share) and work-plan. Monitor the implementation of the work-plan to ensure activities are on course and track the Secretariat expenditure pattern by reviewing monthly and quarterly financial reports. Make recommendations for corrective action if required.
• Guide the development of and approve the PVO partners’ budgets and work-plans before they are submitted to headquarters staff. Monitor partners’ adherence to the approved budgets and work-plans, with support of CGPP Team and make any necessary program adjustments to ensure work-plans are completed within budget.
• Work in cooperation with CRS’ Admin and Finance team to ensure all procurement and finance policies are followed by Secretariat team.

Reporting and documentation

• Ensure the timely completion of Secretariat quarterly and annual reports, monthly updates, and other reports as required.
• Review partners’ quarterly and annual reports before they are submitted to headquarters staff. When required, assist partners in developing high quality reports by making suggestions for improvement.
• Document success stories; write articles, papers on CGPP work for publication in conferences and reputed public health journals.

Supervision and Mentoring

• Provide capacity-building supervision and mentoring to Secretariat staff
• Provide support to Secretariat staff for professional development.
• Conduct performance appraisals of Secretariat team and provide feedback.
• Agency-wide competencies (for all CRS Staff):
• These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.
• Serves with Integrity
• Good Stewardship of resources
• Cultivates Constructive Relationships
• Promotes Learning

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• The National Secretariat Director will supervise the CRS Kenya CGPP M&E Officer and Project Officer

Key Working Relationships:

• Internal: CGPP HQ team and CGPP Ethiopia, South Sudan teams, CRS HQ technical staff, CRS Kenya/Somalia
• Country Representative, HOP Kenya/Somalia, CRS Kenya’s Health Team Leader and other technical staff
• External: CGPP Partners in Kenya and Somalia, Relevant Government Ministries, LIPS, Other stakeholders like WHO, UNICEF, USAID, BMGF etc.
• Required Travel: 30% to field locations

Desired Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Master’s Degree in Public Health; Anthropology, International Development or a related area of study
• Seven to ten years of experience managing large health projects
• Experience working with the Ministry of Health, WHO, UNICEF, donors and NGOs
• Good leadership, social interaction skills and the ability to work with a wide range of individuals and organizations
• Experience and knowledge of budgets and budget management
• Strong computer skills in word, excel, and data management software such as Epi Info or SPSS
• Experience working in a variety of developing environments required
• Ability and willingness to travel regularly both nationally and internationally as needed
• Cultural sensitivity, patience and flexibility
• Experience and knowledge of polio eradication preferred but not required
• Strong written and verbal English language skills
• Swahili and Somali language ability preferred but not required

Disclaimer:

This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.