Yemen: Project Development Officer

Dec 19, 2014 | ACTED
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ACTED is a French humanitarian NGO, founded in 1993, which supports vulnerable populations, affected by humanitarian crises worldwide. ACTED provides continued support to vulnerable communities by ensuring the sustainability of post-crisis interventions and engaging long-term challenges facing our target populations, in order to break the poverty cycle, foster development and reduce vulnerability to disasters. Our interventions seek to cover the multiple aspects of humanitarian and development crises through a multidisciplinary approach which is both global and local, and adapted to each context. Our 3,300 staff is committed in to responding to emergencies worldwide, to supporting recovery and rehabilitation, towards sustainable development. 

Our teams in the field implement some 340 projects in 34 countries covering the following sectors emergency relief, food security, access to health, education and training, economic development, microfinance, advocacy, institutional support, and regional dialogue, cultural promotion.

Based on considerable experience addressing the needs and situations of vulnerable communities, ACTED contributes to the international agenda towards reaching the Millennium Development Goals, through a wide range of partnerships, innovative initiatives, and campaigns.


ACTED has been present in Yemen since early 2012, and implements activities in the central-western and central-southern regions. The presence of ACTED in Yemen has been anchored to the governorates of Hodeidah, Ibb, Raymah and Ad-Dhalee where, in the last three areas especially, the organisation has been virtually the only international actor directly implementing activities.

ACTED now aims at further expanding its humanitarian assistance by reaching out to additional regions: the north in Saadah and Al-Jawf governorates, and the south around Taiz and Aden. These could notably serve as a base for future assessments and programming focused on malnutrition- and conflict-affected populations in Yemen.

Through its comprehensive programming ACTED has been covering the full continuum of emergency, rehabilitation and development in Yemen. Emergency activities have focused in the sectors of Agriculture & Food Security (e.g. distribution of crop seeds, and livestock), Economic Recovery and Market Systems (e.g. income-generating activities such as cash for work), and WASH (e.g. rehabilitation of water supply facilities, hygiene promotion). ACTED’s food security activities include distribution of food vouchers, which are a key component of ACTED’s interventions in the country. With regard to rehabilitation and development, ACTED recently initiated work on the coffee value chain in Raymah governorate as a way to enhance the food security of local small producers.

Through its active involvement in coordination mechanisms, ACTED has been a lead agency in the provision of humanitarian assistance in the three governorates in which it operates. The organisation is for instance the WASH Cluster focal point for Ibb and Raymah governorates, and a key partner of the WASH, Food Security and Agriculture, Nutrition and Early Recovery clusters. In addition, the organisation has been an elected member of the Humanitarian Country Team since early 2013.

III. Position Profile

I. Functions in terms of AME

1. Project Cycle Management
- Facilitate the development and implementation of project cycle management;
- Partiicpate in developing a PCM guide, incl. tools and procedures to be used;
- Train the staff to use the PCM guide and related tools and procedures, and notably follow up the implementation of the Project Management framework (PMF, ACTED PCM Tool) for all projects
- Keep track of all projects and programmes monitoring and evaluation schedules and work with field staff to design and implement monitoring and evaluation procedures;

2. Information System
- Work with all departments to follow up project and programmes databases incl. work on the nomenclature used (official names etc.);
- Follow up the day-to-day workings of the AME Department, including reading weekly monitoring reports and follow-up;
- Ensure that appraisal, monitoring and evaluation reports are made useful for fundraising and add to the general base of field knowledge in the country for all organisations working in the area;
- Set up a Resource Centre at the capital office regularly updated with appropriate and relevant external and internal resources.
- Diffuse information to other internal stakeholders through the intranet and the regional office

3. Participatory Appraisal, Monitoring and Evaluation
- Ensure that local partners, when appropriate, engaged in appraisal for and/or with ACTED are trained and given advice in participatory approaches, minimalizing bias, and other key methodologies for information gathering;
- Work with base and field staff to help design and improve adapted participatory appraisal mechanisms for the projects implemented in the country;

4. Departmental Follow-up
- Manage the AME staff in cooperation with Area Coordinators and Programme Managers;
- Follow up work plans, activities and their quality;
- Work with the administrative departments to ensure that procedures are respected;
- Solve problems and give professional guidance, specially for interns / volunteers;
- Communicate regularly to the regional Coordination, Programme Managers and Coordinations on all activities;

II. Functions in terms of reporting

1. Ensuring the Production of Timely, Accurate and Analytical Reports for Donors
- Understand and disseminate Donors guidelines ;
- Liaise regularly with Area Coordinators, Programme Managers and technical staff to ensure the production of quality reports across areas and across Donors;
- Work in close relation with AME Department to develop and incorporate more solid monitoring and evaluation components in reports;
- Work in close relation with Finance Department to ensure greater coherence between financial and narrative reports, and ensure steady cash inflow based on the timeliness and quality of report submissions.
- Work in close relation and communicate on a regular basis with HQ reporting department, notably on the basis of the monthly Reporting follow up

2. Developing Internal Coordination and Communication mechanisms
- In relation with the project development manager and Country Director, ensure that all meetings are held and documented (capital coordination meetings, area coordination meetings, monthly coordination meetings, quarterly country coordination meetings);
- Ensure in particular that reporting guidelines, formats, philosophy, deadlines for each project and donor is communicated clearly and standardized across the country for new and on-going projects;
- Follow-up meetings at the field level and in the capital, between the bases and between the country programme and HQ/other ACTED operations through the ACTED Newsletter;
- Draft agenda and minutes of country-wide meetings, with the assistance of the Reporting staff.

3. Developing an External Donor Relations Strategy
- Update on a weekly and monthly basis the external relations database, which documents latest negotiations and proposal possibilities with a number of key donors;
- Manage a team of Area Coordinators, Programme Managers and technical staff to ensure that proposals are developed in a cohesive and professional manner and in line with ACTED country strategy and donor requirements;
- Act as point of contact for all Donor communication, including the organisation of and hosting of Donor visits in the field for projects s/he is in charge of 

4. Developing an External Communication Strategy
- Define the main target groups, activities, resources and partnerships needed;
- Ensure continuum of PR activities, including formal presentations, engaging media for coverage on success stories, updating project-specific and regional fact sheets, and documenting publications featuring ACTED in the media ;
- Identifying sources of funding for a more cohesive public information strategy in-country.

5. Assisting the Project Development Manager and Country Director in developing the country strategy, project proposals, addressing ad hoc donor requests or catalysing action on specific projects or components of projects

IV. Qualifications:

• Postgraduate diploma in International Development and (or) relevant Master’s level degree (anthropology, development studies, humanitarian aid, sociology);
• Fluency in written and spoken English
• Proficiency in written and spoken English 
• Strong writing abilities and analytical skills
• Skills in political sciences or international relations 
• Ability to work efficiently under pressure 
• Previous experience in the humanitarian field, proposals development, and donor relations are required
• Previous experience abroad is required

V. Conditions:

• Salary defined by the ACTED salary grid; educational level, expertise, hardship, security, and performance are considered for pay bonus
• Additional monthly living allowance
• Free food and lodging provided at the organisation’s guesthouse 
• Transportation costs covered, + luggage allowance
• Provision of medical, life, and repatriation insurance 

VI. Submission of applications:

Please send, in English, your cover letter, CV, and three references to jobs@acted.org

Ref : PDO/YEM/SA