Job Detail

Objectives

• Develop context-specific and relevant programming strategy and ensure the funding of its roll-out to sustainably raise ACTED's profile and credibility in the country and within the aid system.
• Facilitate the creation of an enabling and productive working environment through internal communication and coordination.
• Ensure the smooth running of projects reaching outputs and maximizing outcomes for beneficiaries
• Anticipate and mitigate risks ensuring operations are run in a cost-efficient manner, in compliance with ACTED's and donors' procedures and legal requirements.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Job Purpose

The Country Director is responsible for representing ACTED's interests in [country] with government, donors, and other key stakeholders. The Country Director develops and builds the program profile in line with the regional and global ACTED strategy. The Country Director leads the team to achieve program excellence and ensures the highest levels of accountability.

1. Positioning and Fund Raising:

S.l.Context analysis: Ensure ACTED has an up-to-date understanding  af the country's   socio­ economic situation, (donor) trends, needs and gaps, and who does what and where (3W).

• Strategy development and rollout: Take a lead role in developing and reviewing programme strategies and identifying strategic opportunities for expanding ACTED's work in the country, and in particular.

• Identify new opportunities and new sectors of intervention;
• Consolidate and stabilizate programming;
• Review the geographic and thematic footprint;
• Ensure  activities  are relevant  and meeting  country/beneficiary  needs;
• Identify ACTED added-value;
• Ensure humanitarian principals are adhered to;
• Identify new donors, private sector partners, national and international NGOs, think tanks, academia, etc. to work with based on complementarity and added value;
• Formalize a country strategy in alignment with global/regional strategy.

Networking, positioning and general representation:

• Establish, maintain and improve active relationships with donors
• Establish,  maintain  and  improve  active  and  regular  working  relationships  with  other NGOs, UN agencies, cluster working groups, Alliance2015, consortia and academia
• Establish, maintain, and improve active and regular working relationships with host government authorities and where necessary non-state actors.

Donor relationship and Proposal development:

• Decide on and trigger the necessary assessment(s) to ensure proposals are relevant
• Oversee project proposal conceptualization (problem statement, logframe) within the fremeworl< of t hP r.nuntry, rf'ginnnl and globe validate proposals before submission to HQ Grant Management Unit
• Oversee budget design
• Advise Project Development Department on specific donor approach/regulations;
• Negotiate proposals and/or contracts with donors

• Advocacy: (Co-)produce issue papers, advocacy notes, and press releases on relevant humanitarian and development issues.
• Communications: Oversee and ensure timely emission of external communication tools/pieces on pertinent programming, approaches, critical issues, etc.
• Promotion of ACTED sisters organizations: Keep abreast with and contribute to ACTED's global initiatives and global trends, in particular Impact (REACH, Agora), Convergences, and Oxus, integrate them into the country strategy and make linkages with relevant focal points (HQ/regional/national as relevant).

     1. Management and Internal Coordination

• Staff  Management

5. Ensure that Heads of Departments understand and are able to perform their roles and responsibilities related to country operations and links with HQ
6. Promote team building, productivity and staff welfare
7. Mentor  and  support  the  team  to  build  capacities,  and  improve  efficiency   and performance, and follow career management and links with HQ
8. Management of interpersonal conflicts (internal and external).

• Internal Coordination

3. Facilitate  interdepartmental  communication  and  information  sharing  for  a  positive working environment
4. Ensure  implementation  of ACTED  coordination  mechanisms  (WAM, MCM, MMR,  MAR, FLATS meeting, etc.)

• Conflict/Crisis Management
  1. 1. Ensure linkages between HQ crisis support (psychologist, HR) and staff in the field
     2. Establishment and training of country crisis team
     3. Oversee the effective roll out of crisis related policies and processes
• 2. Project Implementation Follow-up
  1. Project Implementation Tracking
• Ensure timely organization of project kick-off and close-out meetings
• Provide  ad-hoc  support  to  project  implementation  through  trouble  shooting  and eliminating blocking points
• Monitor output achievement, cash burn rates and ensure a time completion of projects through review of PMFs, BFUs and project reports,

1.        2. Grant Management: Ensure that contractual obligations are met in terms of deliverables as well as narrative and financial reporting requirements.

5.       3. Project Quality Control:
6. Ensure the development and application of a practical field based M&E system/plan for each project
7. Conduct field visits to project sites for monitoring, quality control and program staff mentoring and coaching
8. Lead on internal and external program/project evaluations as necessary and ensure the execution of baseline, periodic, and final evaluations as necessary
1. Ensure beneficiary feedback mechanisms are in place
10. Ensure  learning  by the  country  program  from  relevant best  practice  internally  and externally both nationally and globally and make learning available for other programs.

2.      4. Partner  Management
3. Ensure that every partnership is formed based on an assessment of complementarity and added value and is designed and managed so that the partnership furthers achievement of ACTED's country, regional and global strategy
4. Analyze  potential  partners  using documented  selection  methods and ensure that  all partners comply with ACTED and donor requirements and regulations.

3. FLATS Management
   1. Finance Management

• Anticipate financial risks and gaps in funding

• Mitigate risks/consequences of cash shortages
• Control project budgets to avoid under/over spending
• Ensure accurate and timely financial reporting,
• Ensure accurate budget forecasting and efficient cash flow management
• Open where possible discussion on payment conditions with donors to ensure cash pooling at HQ
• Ensure HQ cash advances are minimized and donor debt is closely followed up
• Ensure timely and accurate finance TITANIC reporting.

7. 2. Logistics & IT Management
8. Ensure timely procurement and adherence to rules of origin and nationality
1. Ensure quality supply management
2. Ensure proper asset management, and define and enforce asset investment policy,
3. Ensure proper stock management.
4. 1. Enure proper IT systems, data back-up and protection from malware
   1000. Ensure sufficient and reliable means of communication
   14. Ensure timely and accurate logistics TITANIC/IT reportings.

7. 3.  Administration and HR Management

• Ensure transparent and timely recruitment of  national staff and  contribute  to international staff recruitment upon HQ identification
• Proactively adapt the staffing structure to needs and funding
• Ensure a competitive national staff salary grid in line with available funding
• Ensure regular performance appraisal and follow up career management
• Ensure timely and accurate HR TITANIC reporting
• Ensure timely exit forms
• Ensure proper follow up of personal folders

1. 4. External Audit Follow-up

• Ensure recommendations from external audits are followed-up
• 0versee   the   preparation   of   external   audits   in   close   collaboration   with   the   HQ
• Transparency/Compliance  Management
• Minimize risk offraud and corruption by ensuring adherence to ACTED FLATS procedures
• Manage fraud cases and link with HQ
• Ensure that staff is aware of ACTED's transparency and whistle blowing policy
• Ensure timely & accurate TITANIC reporting.

1. 5. Security Management

• Analyse the security context and define, analyse and evaluate risks

• Manage serious security incidents and crises and link with HQ
• Engage with relevant key stakeholders to ensure access and support of interventions
• Addr ess scc11rity  nd !;ilfcty ri!;l
• Ensure t he off ices and houses conform to recommended security, hea lth and safety standards
• Ensure all staff adhere to security procedures
• Ensure security incidents are promptly reported
• Ensure timely and accurate security TITANIC reporting.

1. 6. Legal and Registration Follow-up

4. Ensure ACTED maintains a valid registration in country at all times where possible
5. Follow-up litigation cases and link with HQ
6. Ensure compliance with country rules and regulations.

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS:

• %annual budget increase/decrease  of the mission as compared to previous year
• %success rate of proposals
• Number of core areas with active projects and %change as compared to previous year
• Number of donors in portfolio and% change as compared to previous year
• Number of active strategic partnerships and% change as compared to previous year
• Number of (elected) positions in clusters, working groups, coordination mechanisms
• Retention rate among international and national staff
• Regular and timely  holding of  internal coordination  meetings  (WAM, FLAT meeting,  MCM) and submission of reports to HQ (MMR)
• %of projects completed on time without the need for an NCE
• %of projects with contractual targets/indicators met
• % of ACT in overall annual budget and% change as compared to previous year
• %ineligible expenses in overall annual budget and% change as compared to previous year