Afghanistan: Province Programme Manager

Nov 21, 2017 | Mission East
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Mission East, founded in Denmark in 1991, is an international humanitarian and development organisation, working in South and Central Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Position Title: Province Manager (Badakhshan Province)Location/Department: Badakhshan Province, with occasional travel to Kabul and Takhar Province (Afghanistan) as needed. Length of contract: 12 months (with a possibility of extension), start as soon as possible Responsible to: Chief of Programmes on programmatic matters and to Country Director on security matters Direct Line Management of: All program staff through the heads of departments within NRM/Livelihoods, WASH and Emergency Response/DRR, logistics and security managementIndirect supervision of: Finance and administration with no direct supervision of HR, M&E and procurementCoordination with: Country Director, Chief of Programmes, Chief of Finance and Administration, Province Manager Takhar, Monitoring and Evaluation Manager, NRM & Livelihoods Advisor, Safety & Security Adviser, WASH Adviser and occasionally, with Desk Officer at HQPosition Type: This is an unaccompanied position.

Background

The organisation’s activities in Afghanistan consist of a comprehensive, integrated programme working to achieve rural community development through interventions in water sanitation, and hygiene, livelihoods and food security, natural resource management, disaster risk reduction (including infrastructure rehabilitation) and civil society capacity building. Mission East Afghanistan currently employs approx. 110 full-time staff including 4 expatriate staff. Mission East maintains a Head Office in Kabul and field offices in several locations in the three provinces of Badakhshan, Takhar and Baghlan. More information on Mission East and its work in Afghanistan can be found at: www.miseast.org.

Overall responsibility

The overall responsibility of the position as “Province Manager” is to ensure the continued operational functionality of Mission East implemented programme activities in Badakhshan province, Afghanistan. The position is answerable to the Chief of Programmes of Mission East Afghanistan. The position exercises direct line management for province-based area and sectoral coordinators, and through these positions, assumes the management and supervision of all other province-based programme staff.

Key tasks and responsibilities

Programme Implementation, Management and Development • Active supervision and support to project teams implementing activities in WASH, livelihoods, food security, infrastructure rehabilitation, natural resource management, civil society capacity building and emergency relief in Badakhshan province• Ensure that design and implementation of programmes are always in accordance with Mission East policies and practices, principles and agreed priorities and objectives.• Ensure that programme staff are familiar with and abide by the NGO/Red Cross Code of Conduct, the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS), Mission East procedures and other regulatory codes (e.g. Sphere Minimum Standards) • Ensure to the maximum extent possible that programme activities are implemented in ways to secure local “ownership”, that through consultative, participatory and gender sensitive methods, Mission East acts as a ‘facilitator’ for sustainable, lasting development. • Ensure that Mission East’s programmes in Badakhshan meet programme and project objectives and comply with donor contractual obligations, including comprehensive M&E, feasibility studies and timely reporting• Through regular field visits ensure that programs are being implemented, monitored and evaluated in a participatory and consultative manner to ensure that the most vulnerable groups and individuals are being reached.• Ensure – together with the finance staff- that project activity is following financial guidelines provided by the Chief of Finance and Administration, that procurement rules are being followed and budget lines are being observed• Do monthly operational reporting on project activities on agreed formats through Monitoring Work-books, Outputs Trackers and other monitoring tools Alert the senior country management team to possible project implementation lags and security concerns, so that appropriate corrective action can be taken in time. • Support the Chief of Programmes, Programme Development Manager and the Country Director in other required reporting to donors and Mission East headquarters, as appropriate• Participate actively upon request, in the assessment and development of proposals, and in conducting needs assessments and surveys• Participate, as a member of the senior management team, in the general all-country decision-making process and contribute to early identification and resolution of operational issues• Participate in the continual development and evaluation of Mission East strategy for Badakshan Province, and for Afghanistan, to ensure that proposals and projects respond to actual needs and priorities, particularly for the most vulnerable people, and that programmes work to achieve maximum relevance, impact and effectiveness • Frequently follow up on security planning and procedures, undertake regular security risk assessments, and ensure that any existing (and future) provincial security agreements with other INGOs or agencies are properly maintained and adhered to. Staff Management • Manage senior project staff (including expatriate staff members) in line with Mission East’s policies, ensuring that all staff members get the necessary introduction, training and support as required • Manage recruitment and supervision of local project staff in line with the programme’s needs as well as Mission East’s HR policies • Implement and maintain Mission East performance management system with all directly managed staff. Security Management • To be responsible for the safety and security of all national and international staff & visitors based in Badakhshan• Together with the Provincial Security Officer ensure proper security planning and security management of field locations Oversee awareness and implementation of Mission East security policy and procedures, including regular risk assessments and (re)assessments of security protocols, procedures and processes, adapting as needed.• Represent Mission East at appropriate security coordination meetings. Coordination and Representation • To coordinate closely with local authorities to ensure that Mission East’s programmes remain in accordance with government strategies and Afghan law• Represent Mission East at all representative bodies within government, and at civil society and NGO networks at regional and provincial level • Represent Mission East at national and provincial level forums, as requested by the Country Director and Chief of Programmes • To continuously coordinate with the Chief of Programmes, Project Coordinators, and other staff, regarding field operational and programmatic needs Other • Other possible duties, as agreed with the Chief of Programmes and Country Director

Selection Criteria

Desired profile: The ideal candidate will have a solid background in international humanitarian/development management, including excellent project management skills. This person should have a proven record of effective people management, an understanding and practical knowledge of situational leadership, - i.e. recognising and using the appropriate style of leadership that each situation demands (directing, coaching, supporting, delegating). Management experience should include time spent working outside your own country or region. Education should be to at least, degree level, although candidates without a university degree but a strong professional background would also be considered. Finally, the ideal candidate will be someone accountable and responsible, with an ability to build others’ capacity. This person should be able to communicate equally well with colleagues, beneficiaries, donors and regional, national and international development actors. He / she will have an awareness of security and cultural concerns relevant to working in Afghanistan and the skills to operate successfully in this environment. Qualifications required: • University degree in international development, (WASH) engineering, public health, livelihoods development, food security or similar. Experience required: • Solid management experience is essential, with significant practical programme management experience in an international humanitarian/development context• Solid experience of security management (of both national and expatriate staff) in conflict- and post-conflict environments. • Good conceptual understanding and practical knowledge of participatory community development processes, livelihoods approaches, programmatic surveys and assessments etc. • Experience of working in Afghanistan / South Asia, particularly in sensitive security environments would be highly desirable.• The candidate will have previous experience of preparing proposals and budgets, overseeing budgets, preparing work plans, training staff, monitoring/evaluating projects, and donor liaison. This will include large projects for institutional donors. Skills and Competencies required • The candidate will demonstrate a good understanding of the needs of rural and urban communities in developing countries, and of appropriate ways of tackling these needs.• Ability to provide leadership and management to large teams• Well-developed security awareness and experience of security management relevant to sensitive and unstable security environments, particularly conflict and post-conflict environments• Strategic and analytical thinking and ability to perform under pressure.• Ability to manage processes, maintain focus on objectives and meet deadlines.• Personnel management skills: ability to delegate, follow-up, supervise and support.• Excellent project monitoring and quality control skills.• Good information management and processing skills• Understanding of donor guidelines and regulations as well as international protocols and guidelines • Solid drafting/reporting skills (in good written English)• Understanding of basic accounting and budget management skills• PC proficiency, at least including word processing (MS Word) and spreadsheets (MS Excel). Ability to design and use databases (MS Access) is an advantage.• Proficiency in Dari would be an advantage• Sympathy with Mission East’s organisational values

How to apply: