Project Officer - Household Economic Strengthening

Location: Turkana

Job Summary:

The Project Officer -Household Economic Strengthening (HES) will support HES capacity strengthening by providing training, accompaniment, and technical support to PEPFAR OVC IPs focusing on implementing and managing savings groups, financial education, market opportunity identification/assessment, and entrepreneurship and business development services. S/he will support IPs to liaise with relevant government ministries and programs, other technical experts and agencies, and the private sector to support household graduation and transition. The Project Officer will also undertake regular mentoring and visits to the field to review case files and provide supportive supervision of the CSOs and IPs. The Project Officer HES will report to the County Manager Turkana.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Communicate 4Children’s approach to HES capacity strengthening to staff and IPs, setting forth a vision and plans for achieving project objectives through collaboration with IPs, government ministries, technical partners (such as training and research institutions), CSO/CBOs, and the private sector.
• Support IPs in Turkana assess, develop, and implement capacity strengthening plans for themselves and their collaborating CSO/CBOs in HES.
• Plan 4Children HES activities in Turkana and set appropriate performance targets ensuring IPs adherence to technical standards, best practices, and donor guidelines.
• Ensure that HES related activities are appropriately planned and costed in the County and IP sustainability plans.
• Identify technical assistance needs, develop scopes of work (SoW), and identify and oversee short-term technical assistance (STTA) providers
• Work closely with the Case Management and Referral Systems Manager and MEAL Officer to adapt existing case management approaches to better support HES and develop tools and benchmarks to track household progress that are sensitive to change.
• Provide capacity strengthening to IP staff through trainings, workshops, facilitated group interactions, as well as accompaniment through regular communication via email, telephone, and site visits to support the successful implementation of HES project activities across implementing partners in Turkana.
• Support IPs to coordinate with government officials at all levels, strengthening appropriate coordination and technical support in implementation and follow-up of HES activities.
• Use appropriate project management tools to plan, review, and track implementing partners’ progress on HES project implementation and use of project resources.
• Develop and maintain linkages with governments, organizations, and projects that can support HES activities supported by IPs
• Ensure high quality facilitation of training and systematic post-training supportive supervision and mentoring to IP staff.
• Support IPs and collaborating CSO/CBOs to increase access to well managed financial services preferably through CRS Savings and Internal Lending Communities (SILC) methodology.
• Ensure all HES activities of IPs, particularly savings groups and the SILC Private Sector Provider (PSP) programs adhere to industry and CRS’ program quality and implementation standards.
• Oversee and facilitate SILC and Financial Education Training of Trainer (TOT) sessions with CRS staff to ensure quality implementation of SILC activities by IPs.
• Oversee and facilitate trainings in in market opportunity identification/assessment, entrepreneurship, and business development services for IP HES staff.
• Support development of scopes of work and oversee consultancies and STTA in relation to HES activities.
• Ensure a culture of accountability and learning through regular monitoring to project sites, providing oversight of studies and assessments, and proper documentation of tools and promising practices to contribute to learning and building the evidence around household graduation, transition, and economic strengthening.
• Document project results and impacts in various forms, including media stories, lessons learned, case studies, client satisfaction, etc.

Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff)

These are rooted in the mission, values, and principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve the desired results.

• Serves with Integrity
• Models Stewardship
• Cultivates Constructive Relationships
• Promotes Learning

Program Manager Competencies
These are rooted in the mission, values, and principles of CRS and used by each Program Manager to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve the desired results.

• Sets clear goals and manages toward them
• Collaborates effectively with staff and stakeholders
• Manages financial resources with integrity
• Applies program quality standards to project design and organizational learning

Key Working Relationships
Internal: 4Children Core Leadership and Technical Advisors; Program Director, Other 4Children Kenya Technical Advisors, CRS Kenya Programming, Finance, Procurement, and HR/Admin teams; Department of Program Impact and Quality Assurance Technical Advisors in Microfinance, OVC, Agricultural Livelihoods and Capacity Strengthening, EARO Regional Technical Advisors.

External: Donors, 4Children consortium members, government ministries at the National, State and LGA levels, UN agencies, PEPFAR OVC implementing partners, CSO/CBOs, research institutions, relevant private sector entities, local communities, beneficiaries and stakeholders.

Required Qualifications and Skills:

• Bachelor’s Degree in development studies, agricultural economics, economics, business administration, international relations or a closely related field, or equivalent work experience.
• Three to five years of field experience in economic strengthening
• Experience in programming in economic strengthening/growth such as value-chain development, business development, entrepreneurship, financial services with a focus on vulnerable populations, experience working with the private sector a plus.
• Demonstrated experience in training design, delivery and mentoring in subject matter relevant to this position
• Previous experience carrying out technical capacity assessments in the areas of savings-led microfinance, value chain development, and related fields preferred.
• Experience in savings-led microfinance, with CRS’ SILC and fee-for service model preferred.
• Familiarity with concepts of monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL) relevant to this sector, experience designing and using household vulnerability assessment tools and SAVEX a plus.
• Experience in cash transfer programming and/or social protection a plus.
• Experience with programming to address conflict sensitivity, gender mainstreaming, inclusion of people with disabilities, and youth.
• Knowledge and understanding, as well as prior experience, with PEFPAR and/or USAID funded projects.
• Excellent oral and written communication and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent organizational skills, team work and ability to prioritize tasks in a timely manner.
• Strong interpersonal, communication and organizational skills as well as good judgment and vision.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Sound coordination skills and a demonstrated ability to multi-task.
• Demonstrates diplomacy, flexibility, and resourcefulness.
• Strong critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.

Travel: The Project Officer-HES will conduct regular outreach to all sub counties within Turkana county. S/he will be expected to travel frequently within Kenya and potentially outside of Kenya to attend conference, workshops or other activities related to the project.

HOW TO APPLY:

Written Applications indicating the reference number of position applied for and CV including day-time contact phone numbers, as well as names and contact information of three references should reach the below-mentioned by Close of Business Friday June 17, 2016.

Human Resources Manager

Catholic Relief Services-Kenya program

E-mail:hr@ke.earo.crs.org

Please indicate the Reference Number of the position you are applying for on the email subject. Only Shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Note: Catholic Relief Services (CRS) does not charge any fees from applicants for any recruitments. Further, CRS has nor retained any agent in connection with this recruitment.