Project Manager at International Alert : Deadline: 23-04-2021

Job Title

Project Manager

Reports to

 Programme Manager

Job location

Kigali, with extensive travel within Rwanda  

Grade

2.2 of International Alert’s salary scale

Contract Duration

1-year contract, renewable

International Alert

International Alert has been working for over 30 years with people directly affected by conflict to find peaceful solutions.

We believe in a world where people resolve their differences without violence and can build a more peaceful future for their families and communities.

We build a more peaceful world by collaborating with people from across divides to resolve the root causes of conflict, because everyone can play a part in building peace, every day.

We work alongside local communities, partners, businesses, and policymakers to turn our in-depth research and analysis into practical solutions and action on the ground.

And we bring together people from the grassroots to the policy level to inspire and amplify the voice of peace, because it is only together that we can achieve change.

Job Purpose

Reporting to the Programme Manager, the post holder will manage Dufatanye Urumuri activity whose goal is to improve social cohesion by strengthening inclusive reconciliation process in Rwanda funded by USAID Rwanda Mission.

This is a local position; the holder will work across project and thematic strands to ensure that project staff and partners have the peacebuilding knowledge and expertise needed to ensure the production of high-quality, high-impact project outputs and outcomes. This will involve working closely with the Alert team and local partners in a mentoring role, providing constructive feedback, and capacity-building support aimed at strengthening our integrated peacebuilding approach. Critical to this post is an ability to build effective external and internal relationships, using collaborative approaches. The successful candidate will also have knowledge and experience of programme design and project management including responsibility for budget Monitoring, project procurement skills, project reporting, staff support and evaluation, donor relations, and civil society partnerships. Strong experience in managing USAID-funded projects will be an added value.

Duties and Responsibilities

The post holder focuses on eight key elements of responsibilities:

1.     Management and supervision of Dufatanye Urumuri Project;

2.     Strengthen peacebuilding framework of the project;

3.     Monitoring, evaluation, learning, and reporting;

4.     Strategic development and fundraising;

5.     Manage the project’s relationship with local partners and ensure coordination and representation

6.     Lead the advocacy, national and international networking components of the project

7.     Team Management

8.     Contributing wider organizational goals within Alert

1. Management and supervision of Dufatanye Urumuri Project.

•    Lead on the day-to-day implementation of project’s activities;
•   Ensure clarity about roles and responsibilities among project stakeholders and involving /informing all stakeholders of plans;
•  Oversee program start-up and ongoing program management and administration of teams across various field locations;
•  Lead the development of detailed implementation plans, flowing from annual strategic work plans, district annual plans and ensure the delivery of the same;
•  Outline a strategic plan for the implementation of the program including finalizing target areas/projects, methods of operation for effective programming, and maximum results;
•  Ensure that program implementation is cohesive and responsive to communities, Government of Rwanda policies and laws, partners and aligned with International Alert principles, values, and strategic plan;
•  Oversee performance of partners and sub-grantees;
•  Conduct frequent field visits to all project sites;
• Oversee smooth transitioning from program inception phase to the implementation phase.
• Lead the design, planning, organization, and execution of project activities;
•  Ensure clarity about roles and responsibilities among project stakeholders involving them in planning and informing all stakeholders of implementation plans.
•  Liaise and coordinate with relevant local, regional, and international stakeholders
• Ensure quality of implementation and provide managerial support to the effective running of the activities within the deadline of the project and work plan devised.
• Planning and forecasting grant expenditure, project activities, procurement, and staffing to ensure compliance with the project contract and budget and to prevent overspending or underspending;
• Oversee the design and production of high-quality research outputs, including authoring reports for both national and international audiences, on a variety of thematic issues, including reconciliation, governance, and the economic dimensions of peacebuilding;
• Derive policy recommendations from research outputs and assist in the development and implementation of evidence-based advocacy strategies for the project.

2. Strengthen the peacebuilding framework of the programmes

•  Analyze the political, economic, and social context in Rwanda and draw out key areas of focus as well as priorities aligned with peacebuilding and social cohesion with a view to ensuring the continuing relevance;
•  Ensure coordination and adequate recording of lessons learning among partners of the project, counterpart organizations/institutions
• Document and avail timely peace-related, conflict, and violence datasets relevant to inform the implementation of the project.

3. Monitoring, evaluation, learning, and reporting

• Support the development of effective M&E frameworks (in close collaboration with partners) for the project and feed this into Alert’s overall institutional reporting;
• Responsible to oversee all monitoring and evaluation for project activities, checking progress against expected outcomes and against the project’s theory of change;
• Articulating lessons learned from the project and adapting the project on the basis of these lessons learned throughout implementation.
• Contribute to and draw on the work of Alert’s Design, Monitoring, and Evaluation (DME) work, in Rwanda and internationally;
• Produce and disseminate success stories as well as related ‘impact’ films or other outputs.
• Ensure that all project documents regarding   Dufatanye Urumuri Project are uploaded to Alert’s project management system – PROMPT – in a timely manner and ensure that spend forecasts on PROMPT are also updated on a regular basis.
• Provide accurate information on PROMPT following the end of each activity and ensure relevant information is uploaded in PROMPT for the annual organizational Results Framework.
•  Oversee inception phase data design, collection, and analysis, including partner organizations, consultants, and third parti\
•  Monitor and continuously assess the operating context and the project activities, and recommend changes in approach and strategy accordingly;
•  In liaison with the M&E team, develop and implement a monitoring and evaluation plan, including the design of the terms of reference for the baseline, mid-term evaluation, and  final evaluation, and the development of conflict and gender-sensitive DME tools
•  Provide narrative progress reports (monthly, quarterly and annual) as requested Facilitate the achievement of program targets and objectives and collaborate with the Senior M&E Officer to design effective M&E systems for the program, and linkages with internal M&E systems.
•   Collaborate with Rwanda SM&E Officer and the Senior Programme Design and Assessment Officer (based in London) to produce written internal/external reports on the program activities capturing impacts/costs related to all activities, as per internal and Donor requirements.

4. Strategic development and fundraising

•  Contribute to the development of the overall programme strategic directions and strategy documents;
•  Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed.
•  Set direction by prioritizing and organizing actions and resources to achieve objectives.
• Oversee the development of annual, integrated strategic work-plans for the program.
• Work with Alert’s team and partners to develop a new project and programme ideas, including the development of funding proposals for a variety of donors;
• Support the Country teams in nurturing good relationships with potential funders in Rwanda.

5. Manage the project’s relationship with local partners and ensure coordination and representation

  Maintain frequent contact with – and develop fruitful working relationships with – partners that are integral to the success of the project

•  Involve partners in planning activities
•   Organize networking activities, advocacy, and exchanges locally, within the region, and internationally
•   Monitor partners’ work against agreed work plans; identify any problem areas or support needs
•   Oversee partner assessments (including financial assessments), identify partner training and support needs, and organise appropriate responses
• Ensure partner reports (narrative and financial) are submitted on time and to the required standard
•  Liaise with the donor and represent the program to other USAID funded programs, cooperating sponsors, and other stakeholders.
•  Coordinate activities with consortium partners, sub-grantees, local government, and other implementers, as well as with other International Alert programs.

6. Lead the advocacy and international networking components of the project

•   In collaboration with the communications and advocacy specialist, other project staff, and with relevant Alert personnel, develop, monitor, and oversee the implementation of a project advocacy and networking strategy;
• Maintain good relationships with local authorities and work with local opinion leaders as appropriate
• Oversee the production of project reports including advocacy tracker and publications in a variety of formats;
• Identify appropriate fora for the dissemination of project information and materials, and organise appropriate dissemination through classic channels and social media and ensure timely visibility of activity implementation;
•  Ensure that all publications emanating from the project comply with Alert’s publications protocols and policies;
•  Build and strengthen relationships with district of project implementation; key funding partners around the development of new project ideas and programme direction;
• Represent Alert’s values and ideas at relevant conferences, seminars, and other meetings, including at a high level;
• Work as part of a team developing effective relationships with key national as well as international institutions necessary to meeting key advocacy objectives and raising the profile of the organisation in Rwanda.

7. Team Management

•  Supervise and manage all project staff in Kigali and in the field sites to ensure day-to-day activities are implemented according to schedule, budget, and quality.
•  Manage and help with the recruitment, orientation, and ongoing training of Dufatanye Urumuli Project staff to ensure they are of the quality and technical capacity necessary to ensure the successful implementation of activities.
• Monitor and advise on staffing needs throughout the program.
• Create a work atmosphere conducive to professional growth and development of excellent personnel at all levels.
• Implement, and ensure all staffs are effectively using the performance planning and management system, establishing performance expectations, and regularly providing constructive feedback.
• Promote accountability by conducting staff annual performance reviews with direct supervisees and ensuring that supervisory staff does the same.
• Contribute to country team-building efforts and ensure integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes

8. Contribute to wider organizational goals within Alert

•  Participate actively in the management processes of the Rwanda team, including team meetings, sharing of information, context analysis, and strategy development.
•  Participate and contribute to other Africa Programme activities and events including regional meetings, and also promote cross-learning and help create linkages between different country programmes and Alert’s PAU leads
•  Stay up to date with and participate in wider organizational discussions and processes e.g strategic thinking, the development and pursuit of thematic programming, representation, and communications;
• Ensure proper implementation of all relevant Alert finance, admin, security and HR policies, in close coordination with the Rwanda finance/ admin staff as well as Alert’s Africa Programme Finance and Admin Manager;
•  Participate in organisation-wide events and discussions on related topics/projects;
• Provide ideas and support for the development of regional programming ideas (in close collaboration with the wider Africa Programme team);
•  Take proactive steps to ensure that effective relationships are created and maintained with staff at different levels within the organization;
•  Perform any other tasks as may be reasonably required.

Travel requirements

The job is based in Kigali with extensive travel to districts outside of Kigali as well as travel to and other international destinations.

Talents

At Alert, we have introduced Talent Management to our business model as we believe talented people are crucial to the success of our work.  We believe all individuals are talented and that success comes in matching the right talents to the right roles.

For this role, the skills, qualifications, and experience listed below are important, but we believe that to be great in this job you are likely, first and foremost, to have a talent for analytical thinking and persuasive communication, balanced with a constructive and highly collegial personal working style that can advance Alert’s goals of coalition-building and promoting peaceful outcomes in Rwanda.

This is what we will be looking for above all else.

Master or Bachelor ’s degree level in project management, development studies, or peace and conflict transformation studies

5- years experience of project management at an NGO, including with donor reporting and managing budgets

Strong experience in managing USAID funded projects (including PMPs)

Strong experience in managing project in the area of societal healing and Reconciliation

Demonstrable technical expertise in peacebuilding

Articulate and persuasive in argument

Proven ability to build strong working relationships

Fluency in written and spoken English, Kinyarwanda, and French

A respectful approach to human interactions

Committed to International Alert organizational values and goals.

Highly computer literate especially in using Word and Excel

Team Player and Able to work with minimum supervision

Higher degree in a relevant field

Experience in coalition building with civil society

Experience in commissioning and managing research on relevant topics

Innovative, creative, problem-solving attitude

How to Apply

To apply, please send a completed application form attached and equal opportunities form at Rwanda@international-alert.org ;

Closing date: 23^rd, April 2021,

Note:

• CVs are not accepted.
• Only shortlisted candidates shall be contacted.