Education in Emergencies Programme Manager

Contract Duration: 1 year with the with the possibility of extension

Starting Date: 1 November 2023

Location: Based in Kabul with travel to other provinces

Line Manager: Head of Programmes (HoP)

 

People in Need (PIN) Afghanistan

People in Need (PIN) is a Czech NGO that provides relief and development assistance in over 20 countries around the world. Formed in 1992, PIN has evolved into the biggest organization of its kind in post-communist Europe, providing relief and development aid where it is needed, and empowering civil society at home and abroad. In Afghanistan, PIN has been active since 2001, responding to humanitarian needs where they arise, and through targeted development programmes. By working closely with the communities, PIN has managed to maintain a significant field presence in Afghanistan throughout the years and contextual changes.

PIN Afghanistan country programme’s (CP) strategic objectives are (1) Agency driven, transformative humanitarian assistance; (2) Making markets work for crisis affected and marginalised communities; and (3) Harnessing decent, productive and inclusive livelihoods. In the current context, the CP is focusing its efforts primarily under strategic priority 1, in particular supporting people to have (1) enough to eat, (2) a safe and secure living space that supports their health and well-being, (3) basic items needed to stay safe and warm, and (4) access to education when the normal structures are no longer available to them.

 

Purpose of the Role

The EiE Programme Manager’s responsibilities are to continue building PIN’s reputation and position as a reliable, high-quality provider of EiE assistance in Afghanistan, develop and implement EiE projects, and further enlarge PIN’s EiE programme portfolio in the country. It is expected that this will be achieved through (1) successful delivery of the secured EiE project under ECHO, and any other funds that may be secured; (2) building strategic relationships and pre-positioning efforts with cluster partners and relevant education stakeholders; (3) further development and adjustment of PIN’s EiE Sub-Strategy, SOPs, and EiE programmatic and quality assurance tools; and (4) support to EiE project design and proposal development. The EiE programme manager line-manages the local education teams and is a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT).

 

Responsibilities and Duties

Project Management and Implementation

• Project Design and Proposal Development

• Responsible for the management of the secured EiE ECHO project “Life-sustaining education in emergencies assistance to out of school children in Wardak and Samangan Provinces”, implemented in partnership with local partners (LNGOs). The management will include all phases of the project cycle, from overseeing implementing partners, quality control, monitoring progress, ensuring accurate budget spending, procurement planning, team management, as well as timely achievement of the project’s milestones and reporting on project results.
• Coordination of project implementation with local partners and their capacity building, ensuring tailored Capacity Building Plans are developed and followed.
• Adapts PIN’s project tools and workbooks for ongoing projects and implementation through partners, keeping them updated and relevant, and ensures the project teams are working effectively with them.
• Ensures, in coordination with LNGOs and PIN’s HoP, that education activities are in line with PIN’s country programme strategy, internal and external guidelines, as well as all relevant policies and toolkits. This includes any donor guidelines, procedures and requirements.
• Works with the Finance department to track expenditures and cash needs related to project activities. Responsible for monthly drawing forecast updates and consistent overview of the project’s financial health.
• Ensures timely procurement and smooth operational support through close coordination with the Logistics department, and provision of necessary programme inputs (including regular updates of the project procurement plan, technical inputs for procurements, purchase requests, etc.).
• With the support from the HoP and PIN’s Global EiE Advisor, adapts PIN’s tools and SOPs for PIN AFG’s EiE projects and programming, incl. programming through local partners, to ensure that high-quality standards are maintained.
• Ensures close coordination with, and, where appropriate, management of project partners to ensure a clear and common understanding of the project and donor requirements, coordination of approaches, and close monitoring of the partners’ activities, expenditures, achievements and challenges.
• Works closely with the MEAL team to drive quality monitoring and enhanced accountability to affected persons, and gather lessons for improved EiE programming and management.
• Ensures timely and quality reporting from the field/partners, checks inputs for accuracy and consistency with internal and donor reporting requirements, and provides feedback to the field/partner teams for improvements as necessary. Responsible for submission of high quality internal and donor reports under the HoP’s supervision.
• Responsible for project team HR management, and day-to-day support, advisory and mentoring to grow the EiE capacity of the CP and partners.
• Ensures the project team’s compliance with security protocols and escalation of any access or security concerns

Representation, Liaison and Pre-positioning

• Liaises with partner NGOs and other relevant external actors (Education Cluster, Child Protection AoR, regional coordination fora, etc.) on emerging humanitarian needs, access, the education environment and the sector more widely, and where necessary, alerts the HoP and the Country Management Team to the challenges, needs and opportunities for assistance.
• Ensures regular and active participation of PIN in the Education Cluster, disseminating, analyzing and managing the information received, and identifying entry points for the growth of PIN’s EiE portfolio and wider programming opportunities.
• Shares responsibility with the Country Director (CD) / Deputy CD/ HoP for communication and liaison with the Ministry of Education and local education authorities (Provincial and District Departments of Education) on the project registration, project progress and any possible challenges.
• Identifies strategic partners, national and international, and establishes and maintains relationships built on trust and integrity, driving concerted efforts to pursue joint opportunities.
• With the HoP and the CD establishes and maintains relationships with key EiE donors and identifies new funding opportunities.

EiE Sub-Strategy Development

• Maintains records of strategic meetings, follows global and national developments in EiE programming, and proposes PIN’s strategic offer and EiE sub-strategy accordingly.
• Identifies current problems, constraints and quality issues affecting EiE programming in Afghanistan and develops solutions that PIN could pilot and put forward to overcome them.
• With the support of the Country Management Team, develops/adjusts an EiE sector sub-strategy for Afghanistan that aligns with PIN AFG’s CP and global education strategy and key policies.

Project Design and Proposal Development

• Works with the MEAL team to design assessments to identify needs and support development of value-add EiE proposals. Considers creative solutions for increasing accountability to affected persons and tacking child protection issues and girls’ access to education.
• With the support of the HoP identifies funding opportunities, and leads on proposal development. Responsible for technical design, budget development, etc. Ensures proposals are driven by needs, GESI analysis and mainstream key topics.

Skills and Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field
• Experience with Education in Emergencies programming and in humanitarian / development setting
• Experience with project cycle management
• Experience with supervision and capacity building of staff
• Experience working in complex and volatile contexts
• Experience working with national partners is an asset
• Experience with proposal and report writing
• Proven ability to coordinate with diverse group of staff and stakeholders, and build and maintain good relationships
• Demonstrated patience, enthusiasm and strong interpersonal skills; gender and cultural sensitivity
• Attention to detail, willingness to learn, and ability to organize and plan effectively, follow procedures, meet deadlines and work both independently and cooperatively with team members
• Proven knowledge and respect of key humanitarian principles
• Computer skills (i.e. Microsoft Office)
• Fluency in English - written and spoken
• Understanding of Afghan context is a strong asset
• Resilience to work in difficult conditions and under pressure, including living / working in compound setting, and willingness to travel to the field
• High ethical standards and commitment to and understanding of PIN’s goals, values and principles

PIN offers

• Flexible and challenging working environment with room for personal growth;
• Robust and thorough induction training (2 weeks);
• HEAT training (unless the candidate participated in one recently);
• Starting salary, as per PIN salary scale, between 4,100 – 4,300 EUR gross depending on previous experience (subsistence and hardship allowance already included);
• Reimbursement of flight tickets to the country of residence once every 6 months of work, PIN also provides 1200 USD allowance per flight for R&R trips (total of max two R&R flights per year, as the R&R is intended to be taken between the 6-month flights to the country of residence);
• Reimbursement of costs of visas and vaccinations; assistance with visa application procedure;
• Comprehensive travel insurance;
• Medical helpdesk and psychological consultation available online;
• 24 days of paid leave annually and 10 additional days of R&R leave per year;
• Accommodation in PIN compound.

 

How to apply:

If you are interested in this position, send us your CV and short cover letter via our application form.

Please note only the shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Interviews will be conducted on rolling basis and the vacancy will be closed when filled.

People in Need staff are expected to perform job duties and responsibilities in accordance with People in Need Code of conduct and key policies (available at: https://www.peopleinneed.net/key-policies-4142gp).

People in Need is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct and committed to promoting the welfare of children and adults with whom People in Need involves. People in Need expects all staff to perform job duties and responsibilities in accordance with People in Need code of conduct and key policies (available at: https://www.peopleinneed.net/key-policies-4142gp). People in Need Staff will undertake the appropriate level of training.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks.

We are committed to ensuring diversity and gender equality within our organisation and encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.