YSLA Program Coordinator – SHE SOARS
CARE is an international NGO with local staff and community partners in 100 countries. We create local solutions to poverty and inequality and we seek dignity for everyone every day and during times of crisis. These solutions have a broad range, from disaster response to food and nutrition to education and work for women and girls to healthy mothers and children. CARE puts women and girls at the center of everything we do because when they have equal access to resources, they lift their families and communities out of poverty. Our staff live where they work, which makes us effective at understanding the challenges they face. We’ve been doing this for 75 years, since World War II. It started with the world’s first CARE Package® of food for the post-war hungry in Europe. Our work today is as important as ever, we believe that poverty and inequality are historic injustices that we can end within a generation, for good. If you share our core beliefs: poverty is an injustice; poverty is solvable; and together, we have the power to end it, join us, and Fight with CARE.
About the Project
CARE International in Kenya is implementing the SHE SOARS program (Sexual and reproductive Health & Economic empowerment Supporting Out of school Adolescent girls’ Rights and Skills) that seeks to
- build and integrate health system strengthening interventions,
- deepen a transformative community engagement on challenging harmful gender and social norms, and
- capacity building of civil society actors to engage in long-term and sustainable SRHR policy advocacy to improve the health system for all women and girls while addressing the unique service delivery, risks and protection needs of out of school adolescent girls.
The program will implement a Youth Savings and Loans Association (YSLA)+ model, which builds on the YSLA approach with the addition of mobile phone technology to support information access, flexible access to financial literacy curriculum and access to support financial transactions increasing participation of young people in financial inclusion as a pathway to better economic and health outcomes.
Job Description
The purpose of the Youth Savings & Loans Association Program Coordinator position is to provide leadership in Economic Empowerment, specifically financial literacy education and the YSLA+ methodology. The Coordinator will work with partners, community-based trainers (CBT)/ facilitators in equipping adolescent girls with financial literacy knowledge and skills.
Tasks and Responsibilities
R1. Coordination of Financial Literacy activities within the project area:
1.1. Lead in development and delivery of Financial Literacy activities (Financial Education/Literacy, Income generation, Savings, Credit, Linkage to formal financial institutions), Coaching & Mentorship (Inspire, Motivate, Guidance, Developing leadership competence), and Technology transfer (leverage on digital technology to access information) within the project.
1.2. Develop and implement operational work plans in accordance with the budget and work with partners to ensure work plans are adhered to.
1.3. Strengthen project linkages with implementing partners, financial service providers and technology service providers.
1.4. Facilitate partners to identify talents among adolescents in order to develop their leadership competence skills.
1.5. Lead in developing implementation and supervision of quarterly and annual project implementation plans with project team and partners.
1.6. Establish and maintain effective follow-up and support system for partners on economic empowerment, V/YSLA mentorship and coaching, and technology components as planned, ensuring good performance of all indicators.
1.7. Participate in project review forums with partners, stakeholders, service providers, community resource persons, state and non-state agencies in the County, and Communities.
R2. Provision of technical capacity to partners to promote Financial Literacy skills
2.1 Develop guidelines for partners to implement the following components: financial literacy knowledge and skills, VSLA mentorship and coaching, and technology transfer and community engagement in the project.
2.2 Facilitate partners in developing key training manuals for financial literacy, and VSLA methodology for adolescents’ mentorship and coaching, technology transfer and community engagement.
2.3 Provide capacity building to partners and community-based trainers/ facilitators to deliver the Village/ Youth savings and loan association (V/YSLA) methodology -Selection, Planning and Management, Financial Education and Enterprising Your Life training packages.
2.4 Provide technical assistance to partners in developing an income generation training manual to meet the training needs for income generation.
2.5 Support partners to facilitate leadership competence skills activities among adolescent girls
2.8 Participate in technical committees that support financial inclusion work.
R3. Supporting Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Learning on Financial Literacy
3.1 Identify and document challenges in implementation that would have negative impact and or undermine the performance of the program, identify solutions and implement actions on timely basis to avert negative performance in consultation with Program manager and M&E Coordinator.
3.2 Share monthly data on indicator performance, discuss and ensure partners are aware of the indicators performance and that they are able to identify actions to enhance performance
3.3 Timely respond to all data queries on Financial Literacy arising from partners and Project team
3.4 Monitor compliance of project implementing partners and monitoring progress of work plan implementation in consultation with Program Manager.
3.5 Collaborating with the Program Manager and the M&E Coordinator, facilitate in trainings and orientation of Partner staff on Financial Literacy and YSLA data requirements for the project, management and data for decision making.
3.6 Identify technical financial literacy and coordination challenges; formulate solutions in consultation with the Program Manager and M&E Coordinator, including partner staff.
3.7 Facilitate the collection and verification of data from project partners on all indicators.
3.8 Working closely with the Program team and partners to support the documentation of Human Interest Stories and lessons learnt for internal and external dissemination.
R4. Supervision and management of partner organization in regard to Financial Literacy.
4.1 Support the program partners and manager in developing reporting standards and ensure partner compliance.
4.2 In collaboration with Program Manager develop and implement a supervision mechanism to ensure that implementing partners are effectively supervised.
4.3 Undertake supportive supervision to implementing partners to offer quality integrated services, while mentoring and training staff, and assessing progress of adolescent activities.
R5. Ensure proper utilization and maintenance of CARE resources.
5.1 Managing and accounting of program advance in accordance with CARE’s Finance policy.
5.2 Ensure safety and proper use of all CARE property in your possession including motorcycles, vehicles, computers and other equipment.
5.3 Ensure proper utilization and maintenance of CARE’s properties and assets and ensure that defects are detected and repaired in a timely manner.
5.4 Familiarize and work within CARE’s regulations and policies and adhere to them during implementation of project activities.
R6. Linkage and networking with other collaborators.
6.1 Represent CARE in relevant community development planning meetings.
6.2 Establish and maintain a good working relationship with other CARE colleagues and project staff, Partner agencies, County government, CBOs, collaborators, other stakeholders and enhance CARE image.
6.3 Liaise with the National, County government officials, CBOs, collaborators and other stakeholders as appropriate.
6.4 Enhance teamwork and synergy in programming and CARE’s activities.
Qualifications
Academic qualifications:
- Bachelor of Business Administration/ Social Sciences.
- At least four (4) years’ experience in Economic Development and V/YSLA.
- Ability to work with minimum supervision
- Good interpersonal and communication skills
- Working knowledge of MS computer packages
Competencies
- Experience and knowledge of the Village /Youth Savings and Loan Association (V/YSLA) methodology
- A broad grasp of socio-cultural economic issues with respect to poverty, savings, and enterprise development in rural settings
- Technical knowledge in Economic Development
- Experience with working with County governments, civil society, donors and local communities
- Diplomacy, tact and negotiating skills
- Training/coaching/ Facilitation skills
- Strong conceptual and analytical skills
- The ability to work independently, think innovatively and strategically and work effectively within a team
- Fluency in written and spoken English
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Detailed understanding and experience of gender and diversity issues and commitment to addressing inequalities in all the key areas of responsibility
- Demonstrate high levels of initiative
- Flexibility in tasks undertaken
- Ability to work under pressure and deadlines
- Extensive knowledge of participatory approaches
- Understanding of development/relief issues
- Commitment to humanitarian principles and action
- Strong financial/budget management skills required
Additional Information
WORKING CONDITIONS
- Shall be based Nairobi office which has a moderate climate, with frequent field travel
CONTACTS/KEY RELATIONSHIPS (internal & external):
Internal:
- Member of the project team
External
- National and County officials, partner agency staff
Deadline to receive all applications will be on or before 8th October 2021, at 5.00 P.M EAT. Only short listed candidates will be contacted. Canvassing will lead to automatic disqualification.
CARE does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process. Qualified Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply. CARE has a commitment to gender, equity and diversity in our workplace and operations. CARE respects and values diversity and does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, gender identity, sexuality, ethnicity, age, disability, religion or politics. This is reflected in our recruitment decisions which are made entirely through a transparent, merit-based selection process. All CARE staffs are required to comply with the Code of Conduct, Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) and Child Protection (CP) policies.
For application: https://jobs.smartrecruiters.com/CAREInternationalInKenya/743999768353357-ysla-program-coordinator-she-soars
