Terms of Reference for the recruitment of:
Program Support Assistant for the Smart Africa Digital Academy
Position
Program Support Assistant-Procurement and Grants
Introduction
SMART Africa is a bold and innovative commitment from African Heads of State and Government and a wide range of stakeholders including the private sector, international non-government organizations, and academia to accelerate sustainable socio-economic development on the continent, ushering Africa into a knowledge economy through affordable access to Broadband and usage of Information and Communications Technologies.
The Smart Africa agenda is led by visionary Heads of State who believe in ICT’s power for the advancement and betterment of the African continent. This agenda will lead Africa to the 04th industrial revolution, using the transformative power of ICTs through successful implementation and deployment of major ICT infrastructure, applications, services, and creating locally relevant content for Africa while developing a vibrant ICT industry and creating jobs.
Smart Africa aims to put ICT at the Center of the National socioeconomic development agenda of member countries, improve access to ICT, especially Broadband, improve accountability, efficiency, and openness through ICT. It promotes the introduction of advanced technologies in telecommunication while putting the Private Sector first, and leveraging ICT to promote sustainable development.
About the Smart Africa Digital Academy
Over the past decade, Africa has made great strides in enrolling children in school, with some countries providing free primary education for the first nine years. Despite this achievement, the average Human Capital Index (HCI) falls below the average, with one of the highest being 52 on a scale of 100, education being a major determinant factor.
With a population estimated to approximately 1.3bn people who are majorly youthful, ensuring quality jobs to leverage on the continent’s demographic opportunity is set to be one of Africa’s game-changer. An estimated 15 to 20 million increasingly well-educated young people will join the African workforce every year for the next three decades.
The Smart Africa Digital Academy (SADA) is the delivery vehicle of the Smart Africa capacity building and skills development activities across the various digital skills spectrum. It is a pan-African dynamic learning ecosystem in which African citizens of all ages and social classes can gain or improve their digital skills, gain qualifications, meet the emerging talent needs of employers, industry or be self-reliant.
Duties and Responsibilities
The Smart Africa Secretariat would like to recruit a Program Support Assistant to facilitate the grant compliance and management, financial reporting, and procurement processes for the Smart Africa Digital Academy (SADA) and any other added related grant.
Responsibilities include:
- Implement the administrative and operational aspects of the activities’ grant-making and contracting;
- Ensure grants, contracts, or other agreements are developed in accordance with SAS and donor policies and requirements;
- Maintain complete documentation about all tenders, contracts, disbursement reports related to existing SADA grant agreement.
- Track the implementation of SADA project actions and decisions in compliance with the grants/contract requirement until completion (procurement, financing, and administration);
- Maintain SADA grants and contract documentation and track contract deadlines.
- Develop a sustainable reporting system that tracks daily, weekly, and monthly actions, and put processes into place to ensure its utilization for grant management;
- Manage SADA project finances, including meeting financial spend deadlines both internally and externally by demonstrating a strong understanding of project financing and the importance of ensuring value for money;
- Support the development of training plans and implementation of training within the context of SADA.
- Ensure program guidelines for managing project records such as grant agreements, proposals, and financial / audit requirements are met through effective information management.
- Handle procurements, contracts, and grant agreements related to SADA.
- Any other administrative tasks.
Key qualifications
Education and Professional experience:
- Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Business, Management, Economics, Project Management, procurement and supply chain management or other related fields;
- Minimum of three (3) years of experience managing and administering grants, procurement, and Logistics, or Supply Chain Management in NGOs.
- Experience in proposal writing and coordination;
- Strong communication skills
- Proficiency in MS Office;
General experience and skills:
- High sense of responsibility, organization, prioritization, and the ability to take initiative with minimal supervision;
- Excellent project management skills, including the ability to prioritize work and meet deadlines;
- High intercultural sensitivity;
- Ability to engage and work cooperatively with external stakeholders, such as Government Departments, private sector and international organizations;
- Ability to handle sensitive issues with a high level of integrity, discretion, and confidentiality
- Good interpersonal skills with experience in networking with partners at all levels;
- Good reporting and analytical skills.
Languages:
- Excellent Knowledge and Fluency in French or English.
- Good working knowledge of another language will be an added advantage.
Duration of the assignment
The appointment will be for one (1) year renewable subject to availability of fund and performance assessment.
Reporting requirements
The Program Support Assistant-Procurement and Grants will report to the assigned supervisor as appointed by the Director of Finance and Administration.
Location
Kigali, Rwanda
Application Instructions
- A one-page cover letter with a motivation statement in relation to the ToR;
- A CV with 3 contact information of referees;
Please send your Curriculum Vitae, cover letter, either French or English to the following email address: hr@smartafrica.org not later than 19th January 2021 5:00 pm Kigali time
