Program Manager

Position Title:                   Program Manager - F2F Program Coordinator

Program:                             Farmer-to-Farmer Program East Africa

Dept/Location:                 East Africa Regional Office (EARO)/ Kenya

Reports To:                         F2F Country Project Director

Position Reference #:    2013/19

Note:  This position is not guaranteed, as it is dependent on a successful donor funding approval.

BACKGROUND: 

Agricultural development and farm livelihoods in East African countries are constrained by: lack of appropriate production, marketing, processing and support services technologies (inputs, management and production systems), poor or unsustainable management of environment and natural resources, limited rural and agricultural financial services and weak sector institutions (farmer coops, and associations, agribusinesses, research and extension services, etc.). The F2F East Africa Program is an US$8M USAID funded 5-year program that will assist in agriculture development, commodity value chain competitiveness and firm upgrading by providing technical assistance to introduce new technologies and innovation and development of local capacity for more productive, profitable, sustainable and equitable agriculture systems. The technical assistance will be provided by volunteers; US experts in agriculture, marketing, finance, value and supply chain development, quality assurance, quality control, trade, business plan development, etc. The F2F program objectives and strategic framework are in line with the USG assistance programs USG Global Hunger and Food Security Initiative/Feed the Future, USAID Agriculture Strategy/Linking Farmers to Markets and the US Farm Bill. In addition to these initiatives and strategies the F2F program will be concurrent with Country Investment Plan (CIP) and USAID country missions.

Job Summary:

To Support the F2F Country Project Director to identify potential partners and hosts, update sector and sub-sector analyses. She/he will also assist in M&E and impact assessment.  This person must have full knowledge of individual partnerships in order to efficiently serve as a back-up to Country Project Director.  This position reports to the country-based Program Director.

Job Responsibilities

·         Deputize the Director.

·         Assist with representation.

·         Identify the projects that CRS will work on with legitimate representation of the target population throughout the entire process, ensuring the project design of local projects adhere to CRS’ project design principles (i.e. Stakeholder analysis, Assessment, Analysis, Objective setting, Strategy review, Results framework. Proframe, Indicators and sources of verification, M&E planning).

·         Identify the host organization with whom CRS can have a long lasting relationship and which meets the goals of the project.

·         Identify the implementing partners including international agencies in country which are implementing USG supported projects in this sector.

·         Understand the expectations of the donor and the needs of the USAID local Mission

·         Write project progress reports.

·         Write updates of the project for promotional materials which may be created in Nairobi or Baltimore, or locally.

·         Coordinate closely with the CRS/KE programming department, and admin/finance teams

·         Design learning events in coordination with the Learning Officer in EARO.

·         Capture lessons learned from the volunteer experiences.

·         Identify capacity building needs of the host agency.

·         Help to develop the SoW for the volunteers to meet the needs of the host agency.

·         Participate in the design of the project SMILER.

·         Be responsible for all data collection and reporting on data at the project level.

·         Track data for the country program against targets, and reporting trends and gaps to the entire team.

·         Monitor volunteer and host organization satisfaction.

·         Coordinate group events and meetings for the F2F Project as required.

·         Assist in preparation in-country orientations as appropriate

·         Ensure compliance with CRS’ policies and procedures.

·         Ensure consistent visibility of all F2F activities.

·         Ensure the integrity of CRS’ financial, administrative and logistical/procurement systems and donor policies and procedures are carried out,

Supervisory Responsibilities: None

Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff):

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

·         Serves with Integrity

·         Models Stewardship

·         Cultivates Constructive Relationships

·         Promotes Learning

Key Working Relationships:

Internal: F2F Country Project Director, F2F Volunteer Support Officer, CP Staff, the other three F2F CP Program Managers, EARO regional office, relevant headquarters personnel as appropriate.

External: Donor, Partners and Hosts, local government agencies, trade unions, employer organizations, and other relevant organizations.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities: 

·         BA/BS degree - M.A. in development related field preferred

·         Minimum three years administrative or project management experience

·         Minimum of five years working experience in developing country.

·         Previous experience in working in partnership with other local and international personnel.

·         Ability to work collaboratively and effectively in a multi-cultural environment.

·         Ability to build capacity and develop strong working relationships with senior national staff.

·         Ability to initiate, consult as appropriate, and see tasks through to completion

·         Proven project management skills

·         Strong interpersonal skills

·         Proactive approach to responsibilities and problem-solving skills

·         Creativity

·         Team player and ability to work independently

·         Ability to manage multiple priorities concurrently

·         Self-guided, strong organizational and planning skills

·         Ability to establish healthy, cooperative and positive relations with partners and hosts, volunteers and other stakeholders.

·         Willingness to travel and spend some time in the field.  

·         Excellent oral and written communication skills

·         Computer literate (Word, Excel, Outlook Express, Internet Explorer).

·         Understanding of SunSystems is a plus

·         Previous experience in implementing F2F programming is a plus.

If you are interested in any of the above positions and meet these minimum qualifications, please submit your cover letter and resume to:  

The Human Resources Manager

Catholic Relief Services – Kenya Program

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

Note:

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