Program Unit Manager at Plan International Rwanda: (Deadline 6 August 2023)

Program Unit Manager at Plan International Rwanda: (Deadline 6 August 2023)

The Organisation

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls.

We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it’s girls who are most affected.

Working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children.

We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. And we enable children to prepare for – and respond to – crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.

We have been building powerful partnerships for children for over 85 years, and are now active in more than 80 countries.

ROLE PROFILE

Title	Program Unit Manager
Functional Area (job family/role type)	Technical Professional in Programme and Programme implementation
Discipline/field	Programme implementation
Reports to	Head of Programs
Location	Varied	Travel required	Extensive
Geographical scope of role
Effective Date	July 2023	Grade	D2

ROLE PURPOSE

Plan International is a rights-based development and humanitarian organisation 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.

Provide overall leadership and management to the program unit in accordance with relevant strategies (e.g. Country Strategy, relevant national strategies, sectoral strategies, disaster preparedness plan, etc.), policies (e.g. Human Resources, Operations, Finance and Safeguarding Children & Young People, etc.), standards (e.g. Management Standards, Program & Influence Approach, Gender Transformative Approach, Child Sponsorship, etc.)

Plan International Rwanda Strategy statement.

Our lobal strategy has a specific focus on girls, as they are often the most marginalised 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 organisation is transforming itself to meet this enormous challenge everywhere we work. We need bold, forward-thinking and innovative individuals to lead our program units which represent our point of contact with girls, their families and their communities.

This position will provide overall managerial accountability for Program Unit performance and impact leadership at the Program Unit (PU) level, managing the implementation of gender transformative programs (projects & sponsorship processes) in line with country and global strategies. The role will support staff in ensuring program quality and effectiveness throughout the project cycle while building their capabilities to deliver program excellence and influence the agenda.

S/he will build and manage partnership, networking & relationship with key stakeholders at county and sub-county levels and contribute to the development of concepts and proposals. Additionally, the S/he will ensure safety and security, correct application of Plan International Rwanda policies and procedures, HR, programme and all aspects of programme support. The job holder will manage multi-million-dollar programs and must be abreast with donor regulations, environment and reporting.

management scope, reporting lines, key relationships

Key relationships:

Internal

• Program Unit Management Team
• Country Leadership Team
• Staff within the Program Unit and surrounding Refugee Camps
• Head of Programs – Line Manager
• Regional Office Management Team members
• Other Program Unit Managers in the country and region.
• Functional departments Heads at PIR.

External:

• Local (village, cell, sector), district (Executive Committee, district council, JADF) and provincial authorities.
• Community leaders in the areas of Plan International Rwanda’s operations
• Partners, civil society members and alliances.
• Media at local level.
• Other INGO leaders and networks in the area.

Level of contact with children

Mid contact: Occasional interaction with children

Physical Environment

• Typical Office environment with 40% travel within the assigned Program Unit

Accountabilities and MAIN WORK ACTIVITIES

Strategic leadership.

• Engage and advise the CLT on the strategic shift to be made on basis of the changing environment.
• Ensure staff numbers and structures will be designed and kept at a level that is efficient and cost effective, in line with the available program unit budget.
• Lead on quarterly program performance reflections with partners and reporting.
• Develop, implement and maintain strategies, capabilities and structures to maximize the impact of Plan International’s influencing work on key decisions with respect to gender equality and girl’s rights.
• The Program Unit Manager always meets performance against Management Standards and Annual Plans.
• Work with other PUMs and the other Country Office departments to identify and implement options for shared services that contribute to the efficiency and/or impact of the PU’s work – these can be for programmatic, influencing or operational activities in both development and humanitarian contexts.

Programme Implementation,

• Overall responsibility for achievement of the annual plans and planning targets and objectives;
• Ensure the effective application of CCCD as Plan’s human rights-based approach;
• Oversee implementation schedules as per the Annual Plan, and adjust as needed;
• Review and authorize Project outlines modifications and PCRs as appropriate and within financial limits and in accordance to the operations manual.
• Innovatively contextualize development models in the local context
• Enable the sharing of lessons, programme models, good practices, etc. within the country and wider organisation for organisational learning

Monitoring and proper documentation of projects and country programmes

• Ensure that baseline studies for all PU based projects are planned and carried out, and clear indicators for monitoring progress are agreed upon;
• Ensure all PU based projects have clear M&E plans;
• Monitor PU based project progress reports, SAP and General Ledger reports for informed decision-making;
• Participate in field monitoring, documentation and follow up of partners’ activities;
• Ensure quarterly partner/stakeholder meetings take place to review progress and coordinate plans;
• Regular field monitoring of programs and PU based projects, Project Outline logs, Project Cost Control sheets etc. and take corrective actions as appropriate;
• Track projects implementation and ensure achievement of targets and regular (quality) reports are submitted on schedule;
• Coordinate PU based project evaluations and share findings and take corrective actions as appropriate;
• Contribute to Plan Rwanda’s Program Quality Enhancement efforts by implementing actions at the Program Unit level.

Gender transformative approach.

• Develop and implement an ambitious Annual Plan based on a participatory community needs’ assessment and a thorough analysis of gender power relations and child rights issues, ensuring programme and influencing work and projects are focused on gender transformation and equality for girls. This should include the participation and consultation of key stakeholders for child rights in the district and province, including children and young people themselves
• Ensure our programme and influence approach is effectively utilised and that we are achieving impact at scale by linking grassroots action to national level influencing.
• Ensure effective and swift emergency preparedness analysis, risk reduction and resilience building are part of all our programme and influencing work in program unit.
• Work with and lead the Program Unit Management Team to ensure Plan International Rwanda is ready to respond to emergencies – predictable and sudden onset – in a timely and professional manner and show consideration for gender equality.
• The location of programme work is regularly reviewed to ensure alignment of sponsorship and grant funding, that existing sponsorship communities receive regular benefits as per the Sponsorship Commitments and that phase in and out of communities are managed appropriately.
• Program Unit staff are aware of the district and provincial security situation and protocols, and Standard Operating Procedures are developed and implemented giving due consideration to security and safety of staff and visitors.
• Manage PU assets efficiently and effectively

Sponsorship

• Coordinate efforts with sponsorship department in enrolling new sponsored children;
• Ensure timely production and submission of quality sponsorship communications and making weekly updates, consistent with New Sponsorship guidelines;
• Review sponsorship communications for accuracy and completeness (involves reviewing a sample of Sponsored Child Updates (SCUs), Sponsored Child Information (SCIs), cancellation memos and letters on a monthly basis;
• Ensure field verification of sponsorship communications, especially cancellations;
• Provide leadership in the production of area documents (AOs, AUs, DEC);
• Coordinate NOIs; ensuring quality and timely response;
• Oversee the coordination of community volunteers to ensure they are trained, equipped to manage sponsorship communications;
• Provide leadership in promoting program and sponsorship alignment and integration;
• Prepare and facilitate visits of sponsors and reviewing sponsor communications;

Capacity building and people management

• Provide overall vision and direction to the development of Programmes Unity team in coordination, planning, prioritization, coaching and supervision.
• Support staff to understand and comply with the organizational vision, mission, strategic direction and other organization policies, socialize and nurture Plan Values and Behaviours.

• Create an enabling working environment across different department units to foster excellent teamwork and high performing team that delivers excellent technical work, using child-centred, participatory and gender-sensitive approaches in line with the Global and Country Strategies.

• Oversee the delivery of effective capacity building support in key areas of programme management, finance management, logistics management and human resources management
• Establish, communicate and monitor standards of performance and behaviours of the team through development of Individual Accountability Plans (IAP), and key performance indicators (KPI’s) that are agreed annually, and monitored and updated regularly.
• Support team members to gain the necessary skills through learning and development

• Lead the team in line with the Country HR Manual and other guidelines & ensuring compliance in all core policies and business areas, including Gender and Child Safeguarding.

• Engage in the performance management of functional subordinates by working closely with the functional subordinate’s line manager.
• Manage the work environment to reduce risk from health, safety and security hazards.

Annual planning and budget management

• Deliver accurate and timely Annual Plans and Budgets.
• Ensure that Plan International Rwanda’s portfolio of work in the program unit is registered with the relevant authorities and compliant with local law, including having the relevant MoUs with concerned institutions that give due recognition to Plan International Rwanda and its work. This includes mandatory planning and reporting requirements.
• Develop work plans from Country Strategy documents, the district development strategy and ensuring the plans respond to the current community needs.
• Ensure stakeholders participation at all levels including critical path of the project design (design, implementation, evaluation, transition, redesign and phase out).
• Create realistic phased budgets for all programme and influence work and projects.
• Ensure efficient and fully compliant financial management in the allocation/budgeting, disbursement and accounting for all resources.
• Ensure proper use of systems in country as well as data quality to enable reporting and analysis.
• Deliver grants and sponsorship work on time with clear measurable impact on children and in full compliance with donor requirements and Plan International’s policies and procedures ensuring that effective monitoring and evaluation systems are in place to measure outcomes and stimulate learning within and beyond the organization.

Fundraising/Business development

• Represent Plan International Rwanda to donor agencies and contacts locally and track potential funding sources to ensure timely knowledge of funding opportunities in a coordinated manner.
• Explore local funding and partnerships opportunities; and support proposal development in partnership with Plan International Rwanda’s Business Development Unit in line with the country strategy.
• Ensure sound proposal development and budgeting, maximising opportunities to cost recovery.

Partnership

• Coordinate well with key departments heads in the respective district;
• Actively participate in the district budget conference meetings;
• Proactively participate in the review and planning meeting with community level structures and selected CSO partners;
• Contribute to the appraisal and approval process of project proposals/plans of partners and ensure that funds for the approved plans are secured and disbursed on a timely basis;
• Maintain good relations, planning and coordination between Plan and other development partners in the district;
• As a member of partnership task force, to coordinate the organisational self-assessments (OSAs)/due diligence, and support initiatives to develop partner capacity in the district.

Influencing and advocacy

• Lead representation of Plan International Rwanda’s work and positions on priority issues to all key stakeholders within the district and province, including media (as authorised by the CD) and the local and provincial government structures.
• Actively participate in the Joint action development forum (JADF) at district and provincial levels to rise Plan International voices in advancing children’s right especially girls.
• Initiate and engage in extensive collaboration with local authorities, other national and international NGOs and local communities.
• Ensure timely and engaging external communications that keeps Plan International Rwanda at the forefront of the issues affecting children and equality for girls.
• Participation and influencing on the development and review of District Development Strategy (DDS)

Risk Management

• Collaborate with and provide advice to key teams and/or departments within the offices to ensure that risk identification and management strategies of the country’s processes, procedures and activities include assessment of Program Unit risks and appropriate mitigating actions are developed.

• Responsible for Program Unit risk management processes.

Operations Management

• Ensure that all services, infrastructure and tools required to implement effective operations (HR, Finance, Logistics, Procurement, Security and IT) activities are acquired and maintained as required.
• Ensure delivery of the annual plan through innovative and effective deployment of organisational assets, processes and activities in operations.
• Ensure that t the cost of running operations is optimised to support PU cost and budget management objectives.
• Ensure operations are managed in a holistic and integrated manner resulting in consistent execution in the PU.
• Lead integration and effective collaboration between operations and programs for the effective delivery of the annual plan at the PU level.

Other Responsibilities

Within the scope of the role, there will be additional assignments as needed.

Safeguarding Children and Young People (Safeguarding) and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI)

• 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.
• Ensures that Programme staff 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 Rwanda contributes to Plan International’s global efforts to ensure safeguarding and GEI, including making sure that relevant reporting and data are submitted.

LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES

• Setting and communicating ambitious but realistic work goals and priorities, explaining how these contribute to Plan International’s purpose.
• Setting high standards for self and others’ behaviour, inside and outside work. Championing our values and commitment to rights, gender equality and safeguarding. Supporting the health, well-being and both physical and psychological safety of our staff, including their safety to speak out.
• Holding self and others to account for what we have agreed, dealing with poor performance quickly, firmly and constructively.
• Creating a positive team spirit, helping people work well together, to reflect and continuously improve the efficiency and quality of what we do.
• Collaborating with team members, colleagues and partners in finding creative solutions to problems by sharing information, experience and ideas and actively seeking their input.
• Motivating and developing others by taking an interest, giving constructive feedback and praise, ensuring they are properly trained and helping them develop their potential.
• Positive about change and supporting others in adjusting to it, helping them understand.

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT COMPETENCIES 

• Managing information including skills in assessment and coaching, evidence-based management, communication skills, both speaking and writing, and digital working, including personal digital skills
• Understands Plan International in context, including its purpose, values, and country and global strategy, and can communicate these to varied audiences, including how Plan International will deliver on its objectives through the theory of change
• Manages legal and reputational risk including risk assessment, communication, risk management and reporting in full compliance with Plan International’s core risk-related standards (Child and Youth Safeguaring and Protection, Gender equality and inclusion, Counter Fraud, Safety and Security)
• Managing activities and resources including skills in strategic thinking, planning and organising, and programme and project management, including MERL principles.

Technical Competencies

• Understands fundamental issues and root causes: Understands the development and needs of our Primary Impact Groups from birth to adulthood, the root causes of the issues affecting them, and the key actors most relevant to their interests and therefore to our work
• Understands key programme and influence principles: Understands the rationale for and practical implications of being rights-based, gender transformative, participatory, working in partnership; evidence-based and working to strengthen civil society.
• Understands a range of strategies and approaches: Understands approaches to programme/project logic, trends in own and related fields of work and a range of effective strategies, approaches and practices.
• Analyses issues and evidence in context – Builds the evidence base by analysing issues in their context, using appropriate methods and relevant data sources
• Shapes strategy, policy, standards and plans clearly aligned with relevant priorities and stakeholder interests and based on rigorous internal and external evidence
• Designs effective programmes and projects with clear and measurable objectives contributing to overall outcomes, appropriately resourced, mainstreaming gender and inclusion and participatory approaches, and engaging with and influencing relevant actors and stakeholders.
• Supports partnering and resource mobilisation by developing mutually beneficial partnership relationships and making a significant contribution to writing proposals relevant to own field(s)/specialism(s) of work.
• Assesses effectiveness to improve evidence and quality by designing appropriate measures and assessment methods, using on-going monitoring and assessment to improve project design and implementation, initiating research and conducting evaluation, assessing the results and sharing learning.
• Builds capability in own field(s)/specialism(s) of work by coaching colleagues and partners, sharing knowledge in networks and communities of practice, leading technical learning and development activities and embedding stakeholder capability building into programme and project design.
• Adapts work to context: Focuses work appropriately to its geographical scope; rapidly assesses and responds to the relevant context and changes in the fragility of settings.

Technical expertise, skills and knowledge

Essential

• Proven experience of exercising leadership functions with increasing responsibility in an international environment related to development.
• Proven understanding of “child rights” and “gender in development” concepts and the promotion of girls’ rights in the context of relevant International Conventions (Convention of the Rights of the Child, Convention for the Eradication of Discrimination against Women) and the Global Goals (SDGs).
• Experience and understanding of the concepts of sustainable community development and participatory approaches and practice in development interventions.
• Knowledge of the requirements of donor compliance and financial management
• Knowledge of programming in challenging environments with good understanding and appreciation of the historical, security context, political environment, economic, social/religious and humanitarian context in Rwanda or a comparable environment.
• Proven skills in the development and management of effective and motivated teams, including distance management.
• Excellent English and Kinyarwanda written and verbal communication skills.
• Proven networking and negotiation skills with governmental and non-governmental actors.
• Strong diplomatic and communication skills, including through mass-media to influence decision-makers and key stakeholders.

Desirable

• Relevant University degree in development, social science, business administration or related field;
• Post graduate university degree in social sciences, international development or equivalent may be an added value
• Strong programme management experience in complex programmes in Rwanda;
• At least 5 to 8 years’ relevant experience in programme management with INGO;
• Excellent people skills, relationships, negotiation, networking and coordination skills;
• Excellent communications, analytical, presentation and public relations skills; and
• Relevant experience in field operational planning, management, security and safety.
• Knowledge of the geopolitical factors affecting child-poverty in the country and the political, social and environmental opportunities for change is an advantage
• Good culture of continued self-learning, reading and intelligence gathering

Plan International’s Values in Practice

We are open and accountable

• Promotes a culture of openness and transparency, including with sponsors and donors.
• Holds self and others accountable to achieve the highest standards of integrity.
• Consistent and fair in the treatment of people.
• Open about mistakes and keen to learn from them.
• Accountable for ensuring we are a safe organisation for all children, girls & young people

We strive for lasting impact

• Articulates a clear purpose for staff and sets high expectations.
• Creates a climate of continuous improvement, open to challenge and new ideas.
• Focuses resources to drive change and maximise long-term impact, responsive to changed priorities or crises.
• Evidence-based and evaluates effectiveness.

We work well together

• Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
• Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
• Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.
• Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.

We are inclusive and empowering

• We empower our staff to give their best and develop their potential
• We respect all people, appreciate differences and challenge equality in our programs and our workplace
• We support children, girls and young people to increase their confidence and to change their own lives.

Location: Nyaruguru PU

Type of Role: Program

Reports to: Heads of Program

Grade: E

Closing Date:06/08/2023

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.

Please note that Plan International will never send unsolicited emails requesting payment from candidates. 

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