Job Title: Senior Partnership and Localization Manager – Ethiopia Country Office

TEAM/PROGRAMME: Ethiopia Country Programme

LOCATION: Addis Ababa

GRADE: TBC

POST TYPE: National

Child Safeguarding Level 3 – the responsibilities of the post may require the post holder to have regular contact with or access to children or young people

ROLE PURPOSE:

Save the Children in Ethiopia implements a wide range of both humanitarian and development programs with partners across the country. We work with UN agencies, donors, Government of Ethiopia, International and local organizations, research centers, academic institutions, private companies, networks and media agencies.

Our partners are of diverse type, capacity, technical expertise and geographic focus. Partnership development and management takes place across different departments at program development and quality, implementation and close out. Localization is one of the vehicles to achieve Country Strategic Plan and shifting power to communities, children and local and national actors is one of the enabling factors to achieve Save the Children ambition.

The Senior Partnership and Localization Manager will play a critical role in managing the USAID / BHA funded project titled ‘Capacity Strengthening of Local and National Organizations.’ The goal of this activity is to strengthen the capacity and ability of local and national actors to access and effectively manage USAID / BHA-funded humanitarian projects.

This is one of the initiatives by USAID / BHA to advance the localization objective and efforts to enhance the readiness of local actors to respond and deliver humanitarian assistance.

The incumbent is responsible for overseeing partners’ selection and partnership development, capacity assessment and capacity sharing of partners, conduct joint monitoring. H/she is responsible for the development and roll out of partnership specific standards, compliance, and guidelines to relevant stakeholders. In general, the position holder plays coordination and facilitation roles across thematic, finance, programs, awards, Child Safeguarding, and other key functions to ensure implementation of the project and Save the Children’s internal policies and standards on partnership and localization management.

H/she will be an experienced and entrepreneurial generalist within depth understanding of localization and partnership management with a proven track record.

H/She will engage with Country Offices team to facilitate the planned capacity building activities and identify critical operational issues that hinder or accelerate localization. S/he be able to work closely in line with the roadmap and pathway to the Localization Ambition and working groups as well as the advisory councils where the outcomes and feedback influence processes, policy, system, investments, and process at country office and beyond. The Sr. Manager will sit within the Award and Partnership team at Save the Children International and will also engage in field level capacity building activities.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: Head of Partnerships and Localization

Staff directly reporting to this post: none

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Responsible for Partnership Management, Capacity Building and Learning

• Lead the partnership management with the target CSO partners for USAID / BHA funded project ‘Capacity Strengthening of Local and National Organizations.’
• Leverage and liaise with technical staff across Save the Children of various thematic and cross thematic sector to facilitate the trainings, mentoring and coaching.
• Facilitate regular dialogue, review meetings and information sharing with partners.
• In collaboration with the SCI thematic Tas, facilitate regular mentoring and coaching session with partners.
• Monitor partners’ performance in accordance with Save the Children policies and procedures and BHA tools and requirements
• Ensure best practices from partners are shared to ensure a high quality of implementation.
• Actively participate and contribute towards an exchange of knowledge and learning with partners.
• Ensure that learning and feedback is prioritized throughout all partnerships and localizations
• Organize and facilitate Organizational capacity assessment, need assessment and mapping plan and to ensure quality implementation of the project and impact.
• Documents and share impact case stories, lessons, and challenges
• Ensuring standards for partnership establishment, development, management and close out are complied with.
• Develop partners engagement plan together including joint capacity building plan in consultation with partners and SC staff.

Technical support on operationalizing localization

• Coordinate with CSO partners and SCI thematic lead on a regular basis to track the progress of the main activities under the seven dimensions of Localization.
• Participate in the national and in – house Localization working group to create awareness on Localization and advocate to advance the agenda.
• Engage thematic lead, operation, and other relevant functions to design a project with a Localization touch and contribute to the Localization sections of the project proposal and implementation
• Asses, analyze and document the good practices of the Localization models and draft a quarterly brief.
• Identify models that support Localization and try to adopt with the Localization roadmap of SCI and CSOs.
• Provide support towards the integration of the seven-dimension model of localizations
• Support the roll-out, review, webinar and capacity-strengthening of Localization and partnership.
• Gather and disseminate evidence of operationalizing Localization approach documenting the effective model and pain points.
• Identify and recommend possible supports to partners to build their capacity and enhance performance.

Budget management and monitoring of the project

• Responsible for preparing the Detailed Implementation Plan and phased budget of the project and follow up the execution of planned activities in line with the earmarked budget plan.
• Responsible for ensuring that all requirements contained within the donor contact are adhered to in a timely manner.This includes primarily not limited to, ensuring all donor reports are written on time and all expenditures allowable and eligible within the donor regulations.
• Responsible for ensuring that all internal award management regulations are adhered, this includes administrative and procurement services.
• Working with the Award Unit that the award management system is up to date and follow relevant documentations are uploaded in time.
• Ensure that budget accurately reflects always anticipates costs of planned work.
• Ensure the financial records relating to the project are accurate and in line with the policies and procedures.
• Ensure expenditures is authorized in accordance with the budget authorizations procedures and in the scheme of delegations.
• Monitor, analyze and report significant variances between budget and actual expenditures and undertake monthly variance analysis and work with Award and Finance focal persons.
• Oversee the overall budget utilization performance in line with the planned activities.

Partnership Assessment, Monitoring and Reporting

• Apply USAID’s standard capacity building/strengthening tools to track outcomes and outputs changes of the project
• Coordinate and support ownership of the partnership selection/development systems, processes, and procedures of the local CSOs partners and others
• Lead the process to design and implement good processes/criteria for scoping, selection, and assessment of potential partners in coordination with other relevant functions.
• Manage all partnership processes and oversee the partner implementation cycle from kick off, reporting, monitoring and evaluation, and close out.
• Ensure monitoring schedule of partners and the tracking as per schedules.
• Conduct regular joint visit to projects and provide/record constructive feedback
• Compile key findings of partners monitoring reports on quarterly basis to be shared with the senior leadership team
• Closely work with award colleagues to track the performance of partners; and summarize and share the results to inform management decisions.
• Ensure the financial and narrative reports are submitted to donors on time

Collaborate with the Area offices to link with the targeted CSOs partners in promoting and integrating localization agenda and its dimensions.

• Work with the SCI area offices to understand the current localization practices and provide a hands-on technical support as deemed as necessary.
• Engage in the mapping of localization champions and link with the CSO partners to provide timely technical support.
• Work closely with the Area Directors to identify the areas of support which could be related to system strengthening, resourcing or remote guidance on issues related with the project.

Representation and networking

• Represent SC in the various organizations forum mainly related to partnership and localization issues of the project and others.
• Network with peers, other agencies, INGOS and relevant government stakeholders

SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS (our Values in Practice)

Accountability:

• holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values.

Ambition:

• sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same.
• future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

Collaboration:

• approachable, good listener, easy to talk to; builds and maintains effective relationships with colleagues, members and external partners and supporters.
• Values diversity understands where different people are coming from, able to work cross-culturally.

Creativity:

• develops and encourages new and innovative solutions.
• cuts away bureaucracy and encourages an entrepreneurial approach.

Integrity:

• honest, encourages openness and transparency, builds trust and confidence.
• displays consistent excellent judgement

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• A minimum of bachelor’s degree holder in any relevant field of study in particular project management, social sciences, business administration and 7 years of relevant experience.
• Practical experience in partnership managements, capacity sharing and monitoring of partners.Experience on applying USAID’s standard capacity building/strengthening tools to track outcomes and outputs changes of the project is a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and manage productive relationships with wide range of stakeholders,
• Must have strong coordination skill, partnership building skill, team building and conflict management skill, financial management (budget preparation and monitoring)
• A very good understanding of localization, Grand bargain commitment and charter for change.
• Familiarity with the localization agenda, local leadership, and prior experience of work with local civil society organizations.
• Experience of working within large and complex international organizations working with a diverse type of partners.
• Understanding of the requirements and challenges of working with civil societies and local partners with substantial experience of partnership and partnership management is a requirement.
• Project and program development and management experience.
• Strong cultural sensitivity, with highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation, problem solving and coaching.
• Experience of solving complex issues through analysis, definition of a clear way forward and ensuring buy in using inspiration and sticking to principles.
• Proficiency in English language (verbally and in writing).
• Commitment to the vision, mission, and values of Save the Children.