Analyze your CV for Program Director at Plan International

The Organisation
Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls.
We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it’s girls who are most affected.
Working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children.
We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. And we enable children to prepare for and respond to  crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.
We have been building powerful partnerships for children for over 80 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries. 
BACKGROUND
Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. Plan has over 80 years’ experience and works in more than 75 countries across the world. We strive for a just world, working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners. Plan International has been working in Tanzania since 1991. Our work supports marginalised children and youth, especially adolescent girls, to grow up physically and mentally healthy and ready to shape their future. We create an enabling environment and empower girls to be active drivers of change in realising their rights. We prioritise working with partners, and ensuring all of our work is evidence basedThe Keeping Adolescent Girls in School (KAGIS) project is a 5-year Global Affairs Canada (GAC) funded project, aiming at addressing key barriers inhibiting adolescent girls from realizing their right to safe, quality and gender-responsive education, with a particular focus on their unique needs and barriers associated with participation in primary and lower-secondary school. The project’s Ultimate Outcome, ‘Adolescent girls realize their rights to safe, quality, gender-responsive education’, will be achieved by employing a three-pronged, rights-based, gender-transformative approach to tackle demand- and supply-side barriers, while strengthening local level governance and building improved linkages between education, health and child protection systems
ROLE PURPOSE
The Program Director is responsible for the successful implementation of the KAGIS project in North-western region of Tanzania and accountable for the achievement of programme deliverables. She/he will ensure that the project achieves the expected results and is implemented in compliance with the donor agreement and Plan International standards. She/he is responsible for planning and maintaining the program calendar, providing financial and operations support that optimises resources through sound budgets, consistent financial tracking, timely submission of reports to the donor, and management of contract compliance. She/he will work very closely with the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST), and Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children (MoHCDGEC) during the execution of the project. She/he is the primary representative of the project and oversees the management of implementing partners. She/he will support project staff by creating and maintaining a work environment that promotes teamwork, trust, mutual respect, and empowers staff to take responsibility.
DIMENSIONS OF THE ROLE

Manage and lead project related strategic liaison with Plan International Canada and implementing partners.
Ensure the project meets or exceeds agreed targets, through structured reviews and identifying and agreeing mitigation activities and ensure implementing partners’ performance is maintained.
Inspire, lead and motivate project team to deliver project objectives on-time and on-budget.
Implement, monitor and improve accountability mechanisms across project and implementing partners.
building the capacity of the Local Government Authorities on identified effective approaches and techniques for scaling up project best practices for the sustainability of project interventions after close-up.
Ensure that an effective monitoring system is in place for achieving prior agreed targets in relation to the project activities and financial expenditures, 
Identify and effectively manage all key risks related to the project implementation 
Ensure the effective and efficient use of project resources to demonstrate value for money 
Maintain positive relationships and share relevant information with all stakeholders; government and local partners.
Ensures the project achieve contractual deliverables with technical distinction and meet fiscal targets.
Represents projects on behalf of Plan International Tanzania at professional networking events and meetings, conferences, and other public forums;
Tracks aspects of project performance; oversees project implementation of approved activities, monitoring of timelines, tracking budgets, and supporting implementing partners’ performance and financial management;
Resolves issues in project start-up and close-down; manages project backstopping, key field personnel support, consultant agreements; processing of project finance transactions and grant management implementation;
Ensure quality development of project implementation and financial reports
Conduct regular supervision and monitoring visits to project sites to ensure smooth implementation of project activities;
Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding children and young people and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI) are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. 
Performs other project related duties as assigned by the Director of Programmes

ACCOUNTABILITIES
Project Management, Compliance and Leadership

Identify and proactively address all challenges and potential implementation issues the hinder project performance
Lead and manage the project team to achieve its mandated targets in accordance to project plans.
Keep CMT abreast of significant threats, implementation deficiencies and opportunities.
Provide leadership in the design, implementation, monitoring and reporting of KAGIS project as prioritized in the project document
Ensure the Integration of sustainable approaches, gender responsive and inclusion into all project activities as appropriate
Ensure timely development of high quality both narrative and financial reporting to the donor
Provide financial oversight to the project including the analysis, review and oversight of project budgets and financial reporting; work with the Finance Manager to monitor compliance issues and promote timely and solution-oriented follow up and action 
Drive results by ensuring compliance to donor contracts Ensure operational plan is in place for timely and effectively inputs support from the CO to meet project obligations 
Oversee project management for all KAGIS related project activities;
Oversee operational systems and structures to ensure effective administrative and logistics support to the project;
Lead project team and Implementing partners in the capturing ongoing implementation learning
Manage project team to apply results based monitoring and lessons learned to refine activities and implementation.
Ensure that project governance structure meet and perform their duties as per each committee’s Terms of Reference

Strengthen Advocacy efforts and Partnership

Manage effective partnerships with government’s relevant departments and ministries and strategic networking are established and maintained to ensure project sustainability
Represent Plan International Tanzania in various forums, relevant platforms and technical groups and during partner and donor representative in-country visits;
Work closely with advocacy and communications team in the development of evidence-based advocacy and influence 
Oversee the implementation of partnership frameworks, protocols and agreements, and capacity building of local partners as potentially identified; 
Provide expert-level guidance and direction to the implementing partners on the planning and implementation of project activities based on evidence in support of girl’s education

Information Management 

Lead and collaborate with project staff to translate project learning and results into accessible technical products for global and country stakeholders.
Encourage and facilitate the documentation of best practices and lessons learned in KAGIS project, to influence policy formation, deepen capacity, and foster partnerships;
Develop summative reporting documents for the project for advocacy and promotion of Girls education;
Build and maintain relationships with external and internal partners to enhance their support in keeping girls in school. 

Security

Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of Safeguarding policies.
Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
Ensure compliance to COVID-19 and other outbreaks safety measures 

Compliance to Global Polices
Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Child Protection (CPP) and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEIP) are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring Plan and Partner’s staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate proceduresCommunications and Working Relationships:
Internal:

This position works closely with Programme Unit Manager (high) 
This position works closely with the  Project Coordinators (high) 

External:

This position works closely with the management of implementing partner organizations (High) 
Tanzanian Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children 
Donor representatives in Tanzania

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

Plan International Canada
PUM & CO
Executive Country Management Team (E-CMT)
Functional networks within Plan

TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE
Required Experience and Qualifications

Master’s degree or equivalent in public health, education, social science, international development, gender or related area is required.
Minimum 10 years of progressive managerial experience in program, financial and human resources management, networking, knowledge management and advocacy of large international development projects
A minimum of 5 years’ experience in leading large donor funded programs (funded by GAC will be an added advantage) 
Experience and ability to provide leadership and direction to the multi-disciplinary staff and implementing partners;
Familiarity with challenges facing girls accessing to education and ASRHS and emerging priorities
Considerable knowledge of education, ASRHS and Gender and Inclusion agenda
Demonstrated experience with the preparation of technical reports, budgets, plans of action, and management of staff
Experience working with children and adolescents and an ability to apply safeguarding, ethics, and ‘do no harm’ principles
Proven capacity to work effectively with community-based organizations, government officials at district, regional and national levels, and with Government donor agencies.
Demonstrable experience in advocacy, especially around gender equality and adolescent girls’ rights related issues
A thorough understanding of the Convention of the Rights of the Child, Convention for the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and other human rights instruments.
A thorough understanding of the various tools and techniques for gender transformative approaches in a project cycle including gender analysis (Marker), budgeting, monitoring and evaluation.
Experience with adaptive management and effective feedback loops to ensure the use of data in strategic and programmatic decision-making;
Experience in providing virtual support or willingness to learn effective virtual facilitation and support skills;
Ability to make sound work judgments under difficult conditions, and to become technically effective with minimal level of attention from supervisors.

EssentialKnowledge 

Demonstrated knowledge in results based gender transformative education programming in a socio-cultural and politically challenging environment
Good knowledge of children’s rights and specifically girls related issues in education
Knowledge in Local Government Authorities systems 
Full fluency in written and spoken English and Kiswahili
Good knowledge in risk management analysis, monitoring and control and to ensures the execution of risk response plans, and evaluates their effectiveness
Practical knowledge in performance management, visual management and work within a matrix management structure
Knowledge of problem solving of complex issues through analysis, definition of a clear way forward and ensuring buy-in
Knowledge of gender analysis and assessments, including approaches, methods, and frameworks;
Demonstrated knowledge in leading gender-transformative ASRHR strategy to guide large program delivery
Knowledge in leading a diverse team and in context of multiple stakeholders with complex relationships
Demonstrated knowledge to successfully manage, monitor and evaluate project activities with rigorous timelines and deliverables

Skills

Outstanding analytical and writing skills, with demonstrated ability to write quality technical reports 
Proficient computer skills and use of relevant Microsoft software; MSWord, Excel, Power Point
Strong interpersonal skills with substantial experience in managing multidisciplinary and multicultural team
Fluent spoken and written English and Kiswahili
Reasonable skills in navigating complex donor requirements and ensure compliance and understanding of value for money programming.
Dynamic, organizational, innovative and creative skills
Strong partners’ management and budget monitoring skills, 
Exceptional skills in team-building and collaboration as well as experience in coaching or mentoring others in project implementation
Excellent report writing, analytical, and communication skills, including presentation skills

Behaviours

Hardworking with capacity to work independently with minimum supervision
Demonstrates honesty, integrity, as well as openness and transparent personality.
Working towards achieving a team goal
Demonstrates respect for all groups of people in the community and culturally sensitive 
Persuasive and able to work with different cultural settings
Motivated, energetic and strives to develop and support others
Result oriented and a team player
Working for the best interest of the organization and children
Appreciate of child rights and gender equality
Demonstrated leadership, versatility, and integrity
Decisive evidence-based decision-making skills;

Desirable

Knowledge and experience with GAC’s results-based management tools, and reporting processes is an added advantage.
Data-driven, detail-oriented, self-starter with excellent analytic skills 
Strong program management, presentation, team-building and interpersonal skills
Advanced critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Commitment to Adolescence girls’ development and a values-driven work environment.
Working in a high-pressure deadline-driven environment with professionalism
Ability to multitask and work under pressure with minimal supervision
Experience with rights based approaches in project development and implementation. 
Experience in civil society capacity building and partnership development
Experience managing staff, including demonstrated experience in staff training, coaching and mentoring.
Experience in leading project start-ups and close-downs;
Experience of establishing and using monitoring and evaluation systems to demonstrate accountability upwards and downwards in the delivery of projects. 
Commitment to understanding of Plan International values and principles
Creativity skills in gender programming and advocacy that influence policy change 

PLAN INTERNATIONAL’S VALUES IN PRACTICE
We are open and accountablePromotes a culture of openness and transparency, including with sponsors and donors.Holds self and others accountable to achieve the highest standards of integrity.Consistent and fair in the treatment of people.Open about mistakes and keen to learn from them.Accountable for ensuring we are a safe organisation for all children, girls & young peopleWe strive for lasting impactArticulates a clear purpose for staff and sets high expectations.Creates a climate of continuous improvement, open to challenge and new ideas.Focuses resources to drive change and maximise long-term impact, responsive to changed priorities or crises.Evidence-based and evaluates effectiveness.We work well togetherSeeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.We are inclusive and empoweringSeeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.
PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
Working environment will include both typical office environment and field environmentThe position requires regular field travels, at least 40% of the work time
LEVEL OF CONTACT WITH CHILDRENMid contact: Occasional interaction with children during field visit
Location: Geita
Reports to: Director of Programs
Grade: E
Closing Date: 3rd June 2021