Programme Manager

Over the role of the Programme Manager is to provide is to provide Strong management and leadership of the Project team and partners and successful delivery of the Yoti Yoti Livelihoods project aiming to increase vulnerable household residence to food and Nutrition insecurity by strengthening food system in Tonkolili and Port Loko District.

The Programme Manager will provide effective leadership and management of 2 District Programme Managers and other Project Staff and ensure accurate and timely program planning, implementation, budgeting and reporting. S/he will be responsible for the day to day management of the District Programme Managers, developing Project Plans and ensuring they are carried out, monitoring expenditure and timely escalation of risks to his/her line manager. S/he will ensure the MEAL and Advocacy plans are properly implemented and provide technical backstopping and capacity building of project team and partners where needed. Approximately 70% of his/her time will be spent in the field carrying out Supportive Supervision visits. The Programme Manager will ensure that close Coordination between the project team and other sectors is maintained at all stages of the project while also maintaining positive relationships with project partners, relevant District Stakeholders including Ministries and other district development Organisations.

Responsibilities:

• As the budget holder for the Concern Worldwide Yoti budget, responsible to track budget expenditure and ensure spending is meeting projections and donor requirements; timely escalate to Line Manager and finance any anticipated variances. Participate in budget revision and annual budgeting exercises throughout the project period. 
• Ensure the District PMs complete, accurate and realistic feedback and review forecast in monthly Donor Management Accounts.  
• Ensure annual Detailed Implementation Plans (DIP) are in place, monitored, managed and updated at least quarterly. Support District PMs to plan work schedules and ensure the DIP for the project is harmonised across districts.  
• Develop activities-based budgets for each of the districts and support District PMs to utilise these for day to day management of district specific implementation. 
• Ensure effective and inclusive (partners, line ministries etc.) start-up of the Yoti Yoti project  
• Manage, lead and support the project team to ensure agreed project objectives are met in an efficient and timely manner according to Concern and donor policies and procedures. Coordinate activities with project partners to meet the wider objectives of the project. 
• Ensure annual procurement plan is in place, monitored and updated. 
• Ensure that project related documentation is continuously input and updated in Concern’s grants management system. 
• Be flexible and use negotiation skills in dealing with problems in the field and Concern Worldwide office levels. 

Technical 

• Directly line manage, coach and mentor the 2 District PMs and ensure they are appropriately managing their district teams. Conduct performance reviews as per Concern processes. 
• With Line Manager, and HR lead in recruitment processes of project team.  
• With Line Manager and Partnership Coordinator ensure respectful and strong relationships are developed and maintained with project partners; support in identifying new implementing partners over project life as needed; conducting partner assessments and capacity building in areas of expertise. 
• Ensure partners are engaged equally in project planning and review processes.  
• Conduct regular supportive supervision in the operational districts. 
• Support the District PMs to coordinate activities, and share updates with relevant District ministries. 
• Support all assessments for the project by providing information and/or data as and when needed.  
• Responsible for compiling National level reporting for high quality and timely internal, donor, Concern Annual report and GoSL compliance and coordination (SLAs) that reflects contributions from the project team and partners. 
• With MEAL Coordinator and Project MEAL team: ensure the MEAL plan is in place, implemented and reviewed; case stories and lessons learnt are captured and shared; project review meetings are conducted and data used to adjust programming as necessary. 
• Coordinate closely with the LIFE and SLCRP Programme Managers to share learnings between the livelihoods projects.  
• With Advocacy and Communications Manager ensure project Advocacy plans are in place, implemented and reviewed. 

Representation, Coordination and Networking  

• Develop and maintain good professional relationships with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and other stakeholders working in livelihoods sectors in the Tonkolili and Port Loko districts as well as at national level as necessary.  
• Participate in internal and external Livelihood, Food Security coordination meetings, at District and at National level (e.g. Food Security Working Group), representing Concern and ensure the timely delivery of the commitments reached in those meetings; Ensure project team and partners get opportunities to participate in national/external events. 

• Other Duties  

• Actively participate in collective exercises such as preparation or updates of Preparing for Effective Emergency Response (PEER) plan, Security Management Plan (SMP); proposal development; Concern strategic plan and other Concern initiatives.   
• Promote and protect the reputation of Concern in external settings, ensuring the organization’s experience and expertise is well communicated and consistently presented, and that we are seen as a professional organization. 
• Ensure the efficient and transparent use of all Concern’s resources in order to maximize the benefit to the targeted communities. 
• Promote accountability and ensure compliance with Concern’s Code of Conduct and Associated Policies (Programme Participants Protection Policy, Child Safeguarding Policy, and Anti-trafficking Policy), Anti-Fraud Policy and Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS), including the complaint and response mechanism (CRM), to ensure maximum protection of programme participants and the efficient and transparent use of Concern’s resources. 
• Promote Equality, especially gender, within the organization and across programmes, in line with Concern’s Equality Policy and, and ensures targeting and project implementation is informed by How Concern Understands Extreme Poverty (HCUEP). 
• Undertake other related duties as may reasonably be assigned by the Country Management Team or by Line Manager.
• Ensure adherence to Concern policies and procedures.

Essential 

• Degree in Agriculture, Agri-Economics or Natural Resources Management, International Development, Social Sciences or other related field or accepted equivalent professional experience.  
• At least 5 years of relevant programme management experience. 
• Experience in planning and management of programs in Sierra Leone, experience in implementing/managing Livelihoods programmes. 
• Experience of managing consortia projects and working with national partners. 
• Demonstrated experience in line management and building cohesive high performing teams. 
• Excellent writing and presentation skills (in English) (World, Excel, PowerPoint …). 
• Ability to organise and plan effectively; 
• Strong budget and financial management skills; 
• Excellent skills in representation and communication and the ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of audiences at community and senior levels 
• Proven influencing and negotiating skills with internal and external audiences, experience working in partnership with Government stakeholders would be an advantage. 
• Initiative and ability to work with minimal supervision; ability to work both as part of a team & independently; 
• Cross cultural awareness and sensitivity. 

Desirable 

• Experience in any of the following: system strengthening, climate smart and adaptive approaches, nutrition, natural resource managing, environment, equity, Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS) 
• Experience in working with district sector offices (such as, welfare, gender and equality, agriculture, education health …), local NGOs, INGOs and private sector; 
• Proposal development;  
• Strong spoken skills in Temne and Krio