Project Development Officer - Kenya

Department: Program
Position: Project Development Officer Contract duration: 6 months Location: Kenya Starting Date November 2013

I. Background on ACTED

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.

II. Country Profile

Capital Office : Nairobi National Staff : 64 International Staff : 14 Areas : 3 (West Pokot, East Pokot, Maralal) On-going programmes : 8 Budget : 1.8 M €

ACTED launched its Kenya mission in January of 2008 with an emergency assistance program for residents in Nairobi slums affected by the post election violence. Since 2009, Nairobi has also been the home base of ACTED’s relief operation in Southern Somalia. In 2011, ACTED responded to the worst drought in Kenya in the past sixty years, providing vulnerable agro-pastoralists in Northern Kenya with emergency water and sanitation assistance, cash injections and destocking. ACTED facilitated dialogue and peace negotiations among and between conflicting communities, enabling pastoralists to peaceably access and share scarce water resources and pasture at the height of the crisis. Capacity-building and input support for agro-pastoralists in the beginning of the year sought to improve animal health and marketing, strengthen income-generating activities and aid in sustainable management of resources, protecting livelihoods from the impact of the drought and building community resilience. In 2012 and 2013, ACTED remains poised to respond to emergency needs in Northern Kenya. ACTED also continues enhancing community and government capacity to prepare for and manage drought, building stronger, more resilient livelihoods in Samburu county and East Pokot district.

III. Position Profile

The Project development officer is responsible for supporting the Appraisal, Monitoring and Evaluation activity in country, participating in the development of project proposals to donors, as well as ensuring the production of timely reports and r developing a country communication strategy, both internal and external.

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

1. 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.
  1. 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

1. 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.

1. 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:

• University degree in Generalist Degree (International Development, Political Sciences)
• At least 1 to 2 years work experience in a development, emergency or post-conflict setting
• Excellent written and oral English skills required
• Strong project management skills
• Familiarity with different European and other international donor regulations.
• Organized and detail oriented, with an ability to multi-task.
• Must be able to function effectively in a fluid, loosely structured, but complex work environment and to set appropriate priorities and deal effectively with numerous simultaneous requirements.
• Must be able to work independently, with minimum supervision, within the context of a larger team.
• Willingness to live and work in an insecure environment and to travel regularly to program locations as security allows.

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/or housing allowance (depending on contract length and country of assignment)
• Transportation costs covered, including additional return ticket + luggage allowance
• Provision of medical, life, and repatriation insurance + retirement package

How to apply:

VI. Submission of applications:

Please send, in English, your cover letter, CV, and three references to jobs@acted.org Ref: PDO/KEN/SA

ACTED Att: Human Resources Department 33, rue Godot de Mauroy 75009 Paris FRANCE

Fax. + 33 (0) 1 42 65 33 46

For more information, visit us at http://www.acted.org