Programme Officer

Overview

The Legal Services Facility (LSF) a registered non-government Organization (NGO) with Registration No. 00NGO/R2/00011. It is a basket fund created to channel funding on equal opportunity basis to organizations which are providing legal aid and paralegal services in Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar.  These services assist individuals to claim their rights, redress grievances and protect their fundamental human rights.

The LSF manages a basket fund to which DANIDA and the EU are contributors. It operates as grant maker with the overall goal to increase access to justice through a legal empowerment approach, in particular for women and girls. Through implementing partners, a paralegal cadre of around 3,500 is supported, organized in 168 small district based paralegal organizations.

Post:  Programme Officer

Location: Dar es Salaam

Reports to: Senior Programme Manager

The Role      

1.0 Job purposes

The Programs officer will assist in coordination and administer all aspects of the ongoing LSF programs which will include planning, budget, and controlling program activities.

The position holder will support grantees on key issues among others advocacy on gender equality and legal empowerment, access to justice through paralegal work and community prevention mechanisms on gender-based violence while keeping abreast with changing legal aid knowledge and best practice. The role will also provide mentoring and guidance to programme partners.

2.0 Key responsibilities and tasks:

General:

• Assisting in coordination of LSF program activities and Capacity development of LSF’s grantees and implementers towards achieving expected results in accordance with the LSF annual strategic plan.

Planning:

• Assist in the formulation of LSF Annual Plans including, in close collaboration with Senior Programs Manager, the budget for the Programs and ensure proper implementation.
• Plan the delivery of the overall program and its activities, outputs and results in accordance with the Strategic Plan of the LSF.
• Develop new initiatives, innovative approaches to support the strategic direction of the LSF.
• Develop a program evaluation framework to assess the strengths of the program and to identify areas for improvement.
• Develop draft funding proposals for the program to ensure the continuous delivery of services.
• Oversee the formulation of detailed annual plans, including budgets, for the Senior Program officer, Programs officer and Capacity Development officer.
• Participate in monitoring programme implementation progress, ensure adherence to the programme annual work plan, budgets, prepare revisions (if required) and evaluate annual plan performance
• Organize and participate in programme quarterly review sessions and prepare a report to that effect.
• In collaboration with the Capacity Development Officer develop yearly outreach programme plan according to program needs and capacity development.
• Develop draft funding proposals for the program to ensure the continuous delivery of services
• Develop a program evaluation framework to assess the strengths of the program and to identify areas for improvement

Grantmaking and grant management

• Ensure proper grant-making and grant management for all LSF implementing partners with a special view to transparency through proper reporting and result orientation of grantees.
• Propose to Senior Programs Manager proposals for grant award and their rationale.
• Closely monitor the development of costs per case, person reached with legal education.
• Provide proposals ideas and analysis on impact measurement of the LSF interventions e.g. the costs saved by dealing with GBV cases, the benefits generated by securing property rights for women in inheritance cases etc.

Programs

• Contribute to regular review of the LSF Strategic Plan and Theory of Change and logical framework.
• Communicate with implementing partners, clients and other stakeholders to gain community support for the program and to solicit input to improve the program.
• Liaise with other officers to ensure effective and efficient program delivery
• Coordinate the delivery of services among different program activities to increase effectiveness and efficiency.
• Provide quarterly, semi-annual and annual reports on the program to Senior Programs Manager
• Ensure that program operate within the approved budget.
• Provide required information to have invoices generated and submitted to Senior Programs Manager according to the established timelines
• Identify and evaluate the risks associated with program activities and take appropriate action to control the risks
• Monitor the program activities on a regular basis and conduct an annual evaluation according to the program evaluation framework.
• Report evaluation findings to Senior Programs Manager and recommend changes to enhance the program, as appropriate.
• Actively represent the LSF in programmatic forums for women’s rights, forge partnerships with like-minded organisations in order to benefit from expertise and experience available as well as to avoid duplications of efforts and funding.
• Ensure that all program interventions are measurable and be measured against the indicators as mentioned in the LSF logical framework, that all capacity development intervention contributes to increased sustainability of legal aid in Tanzania, measure at least OCA at start and end of capacity development interventions and ensure that LSF grantees and other legal aid providers enter data in the LSF data base, that progress is made to make use of ICT in data collection and that proper data analysis is performed by the LSF.

3.0 Qualification

• University Degree in social sciences or related field.

Knowledge, skills, and abilities

• Knowledge of programme implementation and management
• Knowledge of legal aid, legal education, human rights awareness creation and legal empowerment
• Knowledge on local government structures in Tanzania
• He/she should demonstrate competence on the following:
  • Creativity, strategic, innovative and analytical thinker with the ability to manage multiple projects
• Must be highly organized and able to work well with others
• Must have strong written and oral communication skills in both Kiswahili and English
• Focus on Client centered approaches and the ability to respond to the community needs.
• Foster teamwork and ability to work with other in setting goals and making decisions.

Experience

• A minimum of 3 years relevant experience in programme management
• Demonstrated experience in programme planning, monitoring and coordination of CSOs particularly those working with provision of legal aid and its stakeholder

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

If you are Tanzanian and qualified for this post, please submit a single page application letter showing your suitability to the role with an updated Curriculum Vitae to  hr@lsftz.org,    clearly indicating the position being applied for in the subject. The applications deadline is 04^th January, 2021. Only short-listed candidates will be notified. For more information about LSF please visit LSF Website: www. lsftz.org. 

LSF is an equal opportunities employer.