Project Manager Save the Children International

The Role
Key areas of accountability include:

Project Planning, Implementation and Management.
• The Project Manager leads the kickoff meeting and the end of the project meeting, which is due 3 months before the end of the project.
• Preparing, managing and regularly updating the project activities work plan, procurement plan and financial plan, ensuring timely and quality implementation in compliance with the defined project design, Country Strategy as well as donor guidelines.
Responsible for establishment and functionality of community literacy and numeracy centers/ALP study centers at locations which are conveniently accessible and secure for the learners. Ensure ALP centers are located in the existing public facilities or formal primary schools to ease the sharing of instructional resources, human and material resources.
• Lead and promote Youth engagement in civic activities in their communities and district level.
• Provide leadership and coordinate the youth led market surveys in 6 sub counties to inform youth selection of vocational trades and agricultural//non-farm enterprises.
Ensures Local leaders and deprived youth participate in identification and selection of beneficiaries of vocational and agricultural trainings in 6 sub counties.
• Leads the design of tools and implementation of capacity assessment of non-formal and formal vocational training providers to identify opportunities and gaps for capacity development.
• Ensure transparency in selection and placement of youth in respective Vocational training providers in the region.
• Facilitate linkages with training providers and public/private sector apprenticeship/internships and employment for trainees.
• Ensure the Local partner and district production officers provide high quality agronomic extension services, practices and knowledge for young farmers.
• Facilitate Linkages of young farmers groups to private actors and other input retailers to access quality seeds, information on best farm practices.
• Establish linkages with Community based and Micro Finance Institutions for access to financial services that provide the means to meet immediate and long-term livelihood needs for youth and their households.
• Facilitate Collaboration and involvement of local government line departments (Education, production/agriculture, Commercial services, Policy makers, Community Services, Youth structures, Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT) and Uganda Association Private Vocational Institute (UGAPRIVI) throughout the project cycle.

Human Resources Management and Development
• Provide line management and supervision of all the project staff.
• Working together with the Managers and Programme Team to identify learning and development needs of the programme teams and develop specific plans to address the learning needs.
• Support implementation of the Save the Children performance management system, by supporting, supervising and reviewing performance of the YEB Project team.
• Coaching and mentoring the YEB Project Senior Officers on the provision of technical and quality programmes.
• Capacity building of project senior officer through trainings, coaching, performance management, implementation as well as in learning and reflection events
Setting and managing staffing targets, performance and priorities
• Collaborate with regional technical staff to build the technical capacity of staff that work on the YEB Project through one-on-one coaching, mentoring, observations on performance and deliverables, promotion of strengths and attention to capacity gaps.
• Conduct monthly project management meetings to enable adequate staff support.

Partnership Development
• In close collaboration with members of the regional team, provide technical capacity building to partners in the livelihood, youth empowerment, accountability, systems and any other areas of a strategic nature, and support Senior Officers to ensure effective and efficient supervision and monitoring of partners’ implementation of the YEB Project and budgets.
• Work with regional technical managers to provide support to Save the Children International partners in planning, budgeting, implementation, monitoring and documentation.
• Participate in partner’s capacity assessment to identify and recommend capacity building needs for the partner.
Provide technical capacity building and support, in implementation and ensure quality control by partners in the YEB Project
• Recommend strategic partnership in YEB Project areas for consideration by partnership management teams.
• Support partners in linking, networking with other institutions at regional levels as well as support partners in developing funding proposals in collaboration with the project Coordinators.
• Support partners to develop their competence and capacity in fundraising.
• Conduct monthly partner meetings and participate in quarterly partnership monitoring. Develop with the partners detailed work plans and budgets to cover and implement a selected programme.
• Monthly monitor and follow up the implementation of the agreed work plan and budget to ensure that the programme objectives are being realized in accordance with the programme and partnership agreement and take the necessary actions for any identified deviations; ensure that partner reports and accountabilities are submitted monthly.
Participate in partner’s capacity assessment to identify potential partners to work with in different areas and share the information with the Line Manager.
• Monthly provide technical capacity building and support, in implementation and ensure quality control by partners during project implementation.
• Support partners in linking, networking with other institutions at regional levels as well as support partners in developing funding proposals in collaboration with the project Coordinators.
• Monitor monthly partner programme and budget performance and ensure monthly submission of narrative and financial reports by partners as well as 80% budget utilization.
• Monthly monitor project implementation with the partners and ensure that implementation,
• Support partners in linking, networking with other stakeholders at district and regional level as well as build partner capacity in resource mobilization.
• Bi-annually identify institutional capacity building needs for partners and build/ link them to support to strengthen their capacity to address children’s and youth’s issues.

Resource Mobilization
• Working in collaboration with the Livelihood and Youth Empowerment Specialist, engage actively on the review process for the livelihood and youth empowerment concept notes, position papers, and proposals.
• Act as the lead member of the proposal review team for the YEB Project activities by investigating new opportunities/innovations (via networking and analysis of secondary data), data gathering and concept development, providing technical input, and support.
• Support the process of information gathering and analysis necessary for the development of specific project concept notes and proposals are responded to in time and in the right quality.

Financial Management
• Have responsibility for project budget control and monitoring to ensure adequate accountability and budget utilization in accordance donor requirements and approved work plans, strategic objectives and Save the Children finance policy and procedures.
• Overseeing the specific budget performance for YEB Project to ensure that project implementation is on course and timely as per the work plans. Ensure a monthly budget expenditure of at least 96%.
• Annual planning and budgeting for the project in line with the planning and budgeting guidelines and timelines
• Development of programme and project budgets including the cash transfer plans to guarantee availability of funds for programme implementation at all levels.
• Responsible for monitoring and revising as necessary project budgets and ensuring that funds are used optimally and accounted for in accordance with the funding contracts and agreements.
• Undertaking monthly budget monitoring in order to ensure accuracy of financial reports, manage budget variances, explain variances and propose measures for managing the variances.
• On quarterly basis, review all programme budgets to ensure that budgets are revised and rephrase timely and spent within donors’ budgets and expenditure guidelines and no-cost extensions/cost extensions are timely requested for.
• Ensure that all financial policies and regulations relating to cash flow management, expenditure controls, cash management, accounting information, advances management as put in place for the management and control of funds are followed by the staff and partners in implementing the different programme activities.
• Support partners and staff in making decisions regarding budget allocations and utilizations and alerting management to any financial mismanagement which may arise in the course of programme implementation.
• Monitor and manage over or under spending in a timely manner in line with standards.
• Submit accurate financial reports to the donor on a quarterly, semi-annual and annual basis.
• Working with finance team and line manager to ensure timely accountability and accurate financial reporting for the YEB Project as per SCI policy and donor requirements.
• Ensure that all budget adjustments are in line with the donor requirements and SC members are informed and approve budgetary changes.
• Develop realistic, detailed plans, budget and proposals with consultation of the community members, children and other key stakeholders.

Programme Monitoring and Reporting
• Facilitate effective monitoring, evaluation, accountability, learning, documentation and reporting in line with agreed project targets and standards:
• Establish functioning project level M&E system and utilization of the information from the M&E database.
• Develop project quality benchmarks and ensure that the issues in the MEAL Action Tracker are implemented.
• Establish and ensure a functional accountability platform for information sharing and feedback.
• Manage project information, documentation processes, and ensure effective communication of the program/project results.
• Provide monthly reports (progress against planned activities, expense against estimated budget, etc.) of project activities to the Regional Area Manager as per agreed schedule.
• Prepare semi-annual and annual reports of project activities (progress against delivery of outputs and achievement of outcomes, etc.) to the donors, districts and country Office as per agreed schedule.
• Ensure appropriate filing and availability of documentation required for internal and external communications, accountability, audits, evaluation purposes and reporting.
• Supervise on-going program assessments, evaluation and operational research studies, and take lead in utilizing the recommendations to improve programming.
• Ensure Quality and timely delivery of assessments and plans by field projects.
• Submit quality and timely monthly, bi-annual and annual reports.
• Lead the process of developing project baselines and evaluations ToRs, 3 months before the date of effective implementation.

Community Empowerment and Impact
• Innovatively support communities to participate, own and benefit from the project interventions
• Mobilize and facilitate active participation of youth and their communities to participate in planning, monitoring and implementation of community development initiatives.
• Build the capacity of youth, their families and the community to collectively engage local leaders on issues identified.
• Liaise and follow-up on commitments made by leaders on improvement of the youth wellbeing.
• Support functional independent youth advocacy platforms.

Communication and Documentation
• Profile project impact, success stories, most significant change stories, captivating photography
• Document and share best practices and human-interest stories.
• Manage donor and SC branding and visibility through media visits, sharing reports.

Advocacy, Networking and Representation
• Represent Save the Children externally at Regional -level youth/ district Working Groups/meetings, work groups, development forums workshops, and via personal networking.
• Ensuring that the Save the Children programme experience is represented and given recognition at district and regional meetings and workshops, donor, networks.
• Actively promote and develop advocacy objectives for the YEB Project in consultation with the consortium members.
• Network with other Save the Children International interventions in their areas of operation to improve synergy and holistic approach to child support.
• Ensure that the project activities are integrated and recognized in the districts.
• Advocate for youth’s participation and involvement in government planning process.
• Ability to adhere to the SC Child Protection Code of Conduct, Security Guidelines, Chronic Illness Policy and ethical principles.
• Bi-annually and annually submit a district specific project progress report on what has been accomplished, highlighting the
• Annually share with the districts project plans and activity budgets.
• Represent SCI and network on the livelihood and vocational education sub theme to external stakeholders.

To be a strong supporter and advocate for children in this role you will need to have:
• A minimum of a bachelor’s degree in agriculture, Economics, Social Science or Development studies. Experience in livelihood and youth programming will be an added advantage. Postgraduate training/Advanced degree in the related field, social sciences/social works, or Management is an added advantage.
• A minimum of Eight years working experience in livelihood and youth empowerment related program or protection in Uganda (preferably with an International NGO).
• Experience in managing a budget of at least US$ 700,000.
• Experience of working with local partners and District Local Government in production, Education, and community-based services
• Strong monitoring, evaluation and accountability skills
• Strong management of donor communications and visibility.
• Ability to speak local language (Luo) and directly interact with target group will be an added advantage.
• Strong analytical skills and strategic planning abilities.
• Ability to establish and maintain conducive collegial relations and perform effectively as a member of a team.
• Willingness to travel and work in hard-to-reach areas, occasionally under strenuous conditions.
• Computer literacy and excellent documentation skills are a must.
• Availability and willingness to work extra hours during times of humanitarian responses.
• Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well in an international environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures
• Ability to intervene with crisis management or troubleshooting as necessary.
• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation and coaching
• Excellent time management and planning capacity
• Availability and willingness to work extra hours during times of humanitarian responses.