Systems Strengthening Specialist at Catholic Relief Services

Grade: 10

Reports To: Senior OVC Technical Advisor

Country/Location: Kenya/Kisumu

Background:

CRS is implementing a 5-year orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) program, MWENDO, which seeks to empower local and county-level OVC stakeholders to strengthen the formal and informal HIV and child protection systems and services and the linkages between them, including cross-sectoral service referrals and coordination to ensure quality service delivery for OVC and their households.

Job Summary:

You will manage, oversee, and monitor activities and targets associated with strengthening the organizational capacity of local implementing partners (LIPs) and facilitate relationships with LIPs and Department of Children Services (DCS), advancing CRS’ work serving the poor and vulnerable. Your project management skills and technical knowledge of this sector will ensure that CRS Kenya delivers high-quality programming and continuously works towards improving the impact of the MWENDO project.

Job Responsibilities:

• Lead technical, budget management, monitoring and reporting activities throughout relevant project cycles – project design, start-up, implementation and close-out - in line with CRS program quality principles and standards, donor requirements, and good practices to ensure quality, timeliness and efficiency of all deliverables on the case management systems and referral networks component of the project. Ensure project team and partner staff use the appropriate systems and tools.
• Lead the conceptualization and implementation of MWENDO program’s holistic approach costed sustainability planning at the County level to support OVC and household graduation/transition and social service system strengthening ensuring alignment with national graduation strategy and criteria and progress towards OVC service delivery standards; coordinate and work closely with the other component leads to ensure integrated approach to program implementation.
• Facilitate linkages with government programs and other stakeholders to ensure that activities complement other economic strengthening initiatives and adhere to county, national and global standards.
• Effectively manage talent and supervise. Manage team dynamics and staff well-being. Provide coaching, strategically tailor individual development plans, contribute to the recruitment process of project staff, and complete performance management for direct reports.
• Provide capacity strengthening to project staff and partners through trainings, workshops, facilitated group interactions as well as accompaniment through regular communication via email, telephone and site visits to support the successful implementation of system strengthening project activities across implementing partners.
• Champion learning with project staff and partner teams. Analyze and evaluate project performance data following MEAL policy. Proactively identify issues and concerns and use participatory processes to overcome implementation obstacles.
• Identify/adapt and promote evidence-based organizational capacity strengthening tools, methods or approaches that DCS and the LIPs can use or improve upon to address identified capacity gaps or areas in need of improvement for CSO/CBO and networks to better support OVC and household graduation/transition and strengthen a HIV-sensitive social service system
• Coordinate and monitor financial and material resources relevant to achieve the assigned project outcome. Through planning and oversight ensure efficient use of project resources.
• Review project documentation to ensure project file is complete with all required documentation and is filed per agency and donor requirements.

Typical Background, Experience & Requirements:

• Master’s Degree in Public Administration, Business Administration or Organizational Management or Leadership, or equivalent degree with proven capacity strengthening experience.
• Minimum of 7 years professional experience, with 3-5 years in organizational development and provision of technical assistance to the government, NGOs, and/or CBOs and in the field of HIV care and treatment and/or OVC services delivery.
• Experience in system strengthening programming with a focus on vulnerable populations especially orphans and vulnerable children, youth and women.
• Relevant grant management experience, especially for USG or other public donors, a plus.
• Experience working with stakeholders at various levels including but not limited to State and County government actors, LIPs, civil society, healthcare providers and social service providers.
• Experience analyzing data and contributing to evaluation reports.
• Experience using MS Windows and MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).

Personal Skills

• Strong critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills with ability to make sound judgment.
• Strong communication, relationship management skills and the ability to work effectively with local stakeholders. Representation abilities.
• Presentation, facilitation, training, mentoring, and coaching skills
• Proactive, results-oriented, and service-oriented

Required/Desired Foreign Language: Strong technical writing skills in English

Travel Required (include percentage of required travel, if applicable)

Up to 30 % of time to MWENDO project sites

Key Working Relationships:

Supervisory: Three County Systems Strengthening Team leads who in turn supervise 12 CSS Officers (seconded to each county DCS for coaching, mentoring, and technical assistance).

Internal: MWENDO technical staff

External: GOK, IPs, other stakeholders, and the community.

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.

• Trusting Relationships
• Professional Growth
• Partnership
• Accountability

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