Vacancy Title: Integrated Projects Officer – Kwale, Plan International

THE ORGANIZATION

Plan International is a rights-based development and humanitarian organization working for better lives for all children. We are independent of government and have no political or religious affiliation. Our purpose is to strive for a just world that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We have been building powerful partnerships for children for more than 80 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries. Our global strategy has a specific focus on girls, as they are often the most marginalized and most often left behind. We have committed ourselves to the ambitious target of reaching 100 million girls over 5 years, to ensure they can learn, lead, decide and thrive. This is our contribution to reaching the sustainable development goals, and in particular the goals on gender equality. Our organization is transforming itself to meet this enormous challenge everywhere we work. We need bold, forward-thinking and innovative individuals to lead our country operations, driving change and delivering results that will allow us to reach our target of 100 million girls.

With approximately 38 years of experience in implementing its programme, Plan International Kenya (PIK) mainly operates in 10 geographical areas; Nairobi, Machakos, Kajiado, Tharaka-Nithi, Siaya, Kwale, Kilifi, Homa Bay, Kisumu and Tana River.

Plan International Kenya Strategy Statement

PlK’s strategic goal in the next five years is to end teenage pregnancies and end all forms of sexual and gender-based violence against adolescent girls and young women. We aim to help create an enabling environment where girls and young women are safe, valued, equally cared for, and have equal opportunities. PIK will contribute to the global strategy by aiming to reach directly approximately 2.75 million (children, including girls and Young Women over the period of the strategy 2022-2026 and to reach additional beneficiaries through its interventions.

ROLE PURPOSE

The Integrated Project Officer role, involves managing projects and sponsorship delivery at the Program Unit (PU), while ensuring a seamless integration and quality of both deliverables in line with the Country Strategy. The role will design, implement monitor and report on progress of project activities and sponsorship production in line with detailed implementation plan and sponsorship annual schedules. It is also intended to manage partnerships (county government, national NGOs, corporate agencies etc.) and sustain a working relationship with sponsored families and local partners to deliver quality and timely sponsorship communications accompanied with a demonstrated participation of sponsored families and benefitting from the diverse projects supported in the PUs.

ACCOUNTABILITIES AND MAIN WORK ACTIVITIES

Planning, Strategy and Policy (10%)

• Ensure sponsorship and program work directly contributes to the outcomes for girls and young women are realised and that girls take lead in advocating for their rights
• Design and implement projects that are gender transformative and aligned to the Country and Global strategies.
• Promote children rights in sponsorship and ensure Plan’s policy on safeguarding the rights of children and young people is adhered to by all associates.
• Build relationship with relevant staff to ensure all logistics and procurement processes are in conformity with Plan policies, procedures and standards
• Oversee sponsor visits as per Plan International policies.
• Facilitate consultation, participation and feedback to the community in relation to Plan programs and policies.

Programme and Project Design, Implementation, Reporting and Influencing (30%)

• Promote participation of children, girls and communities in project cycle to explore and challenge gender norms.
• Ensure sponsored families and community participation in the project design, planning and implementation.
• Contribute to resilient responsive interventions through needs assessment analysis and stakeholder engagement.
• Influence stakeholders to address the varied and complex root causes of the issues that impact girls’ lives.
• Facilitate access to relevant and accurate information on the projects to sponsored families, government officers and other community stakeholders
• Contribute to gender sensitive responses/intervention through continuous data collection during project implementation.
• Consolidate/write project periodic reports in line with the laid down donor requirements and Plan standards.

Working in Partnership and Resource Mobilisation (10%)

• Continued participation on flagged business development calls by providing necessary information to qualify proposals.
• Management of partners to effectively support sponsorship processes and program delivery. Track and monitor contractual obligations of all partners. This includes ensuring compliance to child sponsorship commitments and achievement of KPIs.
• Facilitate authentic community led beneficiary targeting processes and reporting on interventions being undertaken.
• Uphold the principles of Building Better Partnerships
• Enhance effective data storage of child sponsorship documents at field level.
• Facilitate consultation, participation and feedback to sponsored families in relation to Plan programs and policies.
• Engage and maintain cordial stakeholder relationships throughout the project cycle for effective project delivery and achievement of sponsorship commitments.
• Maintain a high level of external communication and contact at the community and county levels. This is to facilitate the implementation of the project and sponsorship activities effectively.
• Build and strengthen working relations with local structures (local administration, schools among others) and ensure their participation and support to child sponsorship and other program activities.
• Engage and influence different technical working groups at sub-county level.

Quality Improvement and Standards (15%)

• Deliver timely and quality child sponsorship communications/products as per monthly and quarterly production schedules.
• Operationalise procedures of data quality assurance during collection and submission of child sponsorship communications.
• Ensure each sponsored child is tracked on yearly basis (to check on their wellbeing, education and health) and submit reports on quarterly basis.
• Monitor and evaluate performance of child sponsorship partners as per signed agreements.
• Work with the Program team and the M&E team in documenting project achievements and lessons learnt.
• Facilitate and coordinate joint reflection sessions with sponsored families, communities and other stakeholders to inform programming/improve on quality of interventions.

Financial Responsibility (10%)

• Develop monthly activities and budget plans as per approved work plan and ensure all activities are on track with appropriate scheduling, quality and timelines.
• Monitor expenditures by interventions and ensure compliance with approved budget.
• Review expenditure reports on a monthly basis.

Risk Management (5%)

• Develop risk assessments for all projects & sponsorship and put in place mechanisms to mitigate/manage the risks during the implementation phase.
• Continually manage all safeguarding risks in both program and sponsorship.

Capability Building and People Management (10%)

• Assess local partners’ capacity gaps in delivery of program and sponsorship work and develop capacity building plans for mutual development.
• Internally resources and establish external linkages/referral for capacity development of the local partners
• Build the capacity of local partners, sponsored families and community volunteers on child sponsorship policies and guidelines.
• Work closely with the sponsorship partners to ensure adequately skilled volunteers are recruited and
• performance managed as per monthly set targets.
• Contribute to documentation and sharing of best practices with all stakeholders

• Understands and puts into practice the responsibilities under Safeguarding and GEI policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), ensuring that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.
• Leads the orientation of programme staff to ensure that they are properly inducted on and understands their role in upholding Plan International’s safeguarding and GEI policies;
• Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in project design, during implementation and as principles applied in day-to-day work of Programme team;
• Ensures that Plan Kenya contributes to Plan International’s global efforts to ensure safeguarding and GEI, including making sure that relevant reporting and data are submitted.

• Courageous, taking a lead, challenging myself and others to achieve purpose, safeguard others and role model values, inside and outside work. Responsible for my work and learning, striving to improve. Self-aware, resilient and constructive in embracing change. Striving to achieve significant and lasting impact on the lives of children and young people, and to secure equality for girls. Challenging myself to be bold, courageous, responsive, focused and innovative.
• Understand and adhere to the policies, processes, practices and standards relevant to own work and keeps their knowledge and skills up to date.
• Collaborating with team members, colleagues and partners in finding creative solutions to problems by sharing information, experience and ideas and actively seeking their input.
• Respecting all people, appreciating differences and challenging inequality in programmes and the workplace. Supporting children, girls and young people to increase their confidence and to change their own lives. Empowering other staff to give their best and develop their potential.
• Achieves desired outcomes and finds innovative solutions by using the expertise and creativity of others and adopting a coaching approach with the people they manage or advise.
• Creates space for reflection and uses external evidence and internal evaluation to identify what and how we need to improve and then to support others through change.
• Understanding Plan International’s purpose, priorities, values and approaches in our work context. Adhering to relevant policies, processes, practices and standards, and being pro-active in continuing technical and professional development

• Understands Plan International in context, including its purpose, values and country strategy, and can communicate these to varied audiences, including how Plan International will deliver on its objectives.
• Managing activities and resources including skills in project design, planning, monitoring and reporting
• Managing people and information including skills in capacity assessment and coaching, communication skills, both speaking and writing, and digital working, including personal digital skills

• Shapes work programmes with relevant leaders and stakeholders, aligned with relevant strategies, and balancing global and local priorities with opportunities
• Designs projects with clear objectives and measurable results contributing to overall outcomes.
• Coaches partners as part of daily work by explaining key concepts, standards and resources; and working alongside others to apply effective evidence-based practice.
• Identifies, assesses and nurtures mutually beneficial relationships with appropriate partners. [supporting partnership relationships]
• Embeds capability building of relevant stakeholders into programme and project design
• Mainstreams gender and inclusion into programming and influencing work by applying strategies for gender transformative change.
• Uses participatory approaches and the engagement of our Primary Impact Groups and other key actors and stakeholders throughout the programme and project cycle, including monitoring and evaluation.
• Works politically to engage with and influence key actors and stakeholders in own field(s), including government, inter-governmental organisations and the private sector

Qualifications/ experience essential:

• A Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences or Development Studies.
• At least 3 years’ experience in project management in various thematic areas/child sponsorship programming and disaster risk management.
• Demonstrable experience designing and managing gender transformative projects
• At least 2 years’ experience managing partners
• Hold personal values, ethics and attitudes which are in alignment with the principles of the Plan’s
• Motorcycle riding skills and experience
• Qualifications/ experience desirable:
• Strong report writing skills
• Community facilitation, networking, partnership development and management skills
• Good communication, negotiation and advocacy skills
• Good interpersonal, relationship and team working
• Conflict Management skills
• Experience in humanitarian programming
• Experience in program phase out management
• Experience in working with coastal communities will be an added advantage
• Languages required
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in Kiswahili and English.

Knowledge:

• In-depth knowledge local development issues, with particular knowledge in girls’ rights and child rights, feminist movements, the key actors and institutions, and the power dynamics involved.
• Mastery of key gender inequalities, gaps, barriers and opportunities at the local level
• In-depth understanding of the policies, processes, institutions and organizations that shape the development and humanitarian context and standards within Kenya.
• Knowledge and experience of working with children and youths
• Strong Knowledge of community development.
• Knowledge on management of partners including capacity assessment and strengthening.

Skills:

• Ability to design, implement and monitor evidence-based solutions for gender transformative programmes.
• Ability to influence power holders about the need for and benefits of addressing gender equality and inclusion, including being able to offer a range of evidence-based solutions.
• Excellent relationship building skills – networking, influencing and stakeholder management skills
• Ability to identify, analyse and monitor diverse, relevant external actors to work with and understand the purpose and implications of working with them.
• Experience in capacity building
• Hands on experience and skill in result based MERL system

Behaviors:

• Role model Plan International values and behaviors both internally and externally.
• Engages sensitively with community members on issues of gender equality and inclusion, demonstrating an understanding of the local culture and context.
• Promotes equality, including gender equality, inclusion and girls’ empowerment in Plan’s work and in its work with partners
• Apply participatory influencing methodologies both internally and externally
• The ability to build collaborative working relationships
• Communicates effectively at a high level and with a range of appropriate styles for different audiences
• Builds capability through knowledge sharing, networking and coaching.
• Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the very heart of everything that Plan International stands for.
• We want Plan International to reflect the diversity of the communities we work with, offering equal opportunities to everyone regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.
• Plan International is based on a culture of inclusivity and we strive to create a workplace environment that ensures every team, in every office, in every country, is rich in diverse people, thoughts, and ideas.
• We foster an organisational culture that embraces our commitment to racial justice, gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion.
• Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. This means that we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with and we must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.
• A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International’s Safeguarding Children and Young People policy. Plan International also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this scheme we will request information from applicants previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures

How to Apply

Click here: https://jobs.plan-international.org/job/Nairobi-Integrated-Projects-Officer-Kwale/854655601/

Disclaimer:Plan International is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate applicants on any basis. We also do not charge Job seekers any fees at any point of the recruitment process.

Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply for this position.