Consortium Manager (FOR MYANMAR NATIONAL ONLY)

ROLE PURPOSE:

Save the Children is the lead agency for the Australian government under the Australian Humanitarian Partnership (AHP) funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade (DFAT) funded Education in Emergency programme, delivered by a consortium comprising Plan International, LWF, MA-UK and Humanity and Inclusion for a $5 million AUD programme. The current program leverages the strengths of all of the education partners directly implementing in Sittwe and Pauktaw, with additional partners for expertise in inclusion and WASH, to ensure quality education for children residing in IDP camps and host communities in central Rakhine.

The purpose of this role is to provide leadership of the Consortium programme to ensure effective coordination of the consortium members so that the programme implements high quality interventions in an effective manner, supports integration, delivers a coherent and useful body of evidence and shared learning and other activities with a focus on expanding capacity in inclusion, gender and safeguarding. The Consortium Manager will also have a critical role in establishing rigorous management processes that support high quality and safe programming and MEAL.

The Consortium Manager will be responsible for coordinating and overseeing the quality of the implementation of the program, providing overall strategic leadership and managerial oversight of the administrative, programmatic, technical, MEAL and operational aspects. In collaboration with respective program managers from consortium partners, S/he will follow-up on the implementation of the program with the program managers from each consortium organization. S/he will ensure the timely and quality implementation of activities, compliance with donor rules and regulations and effective stakeholder relationship management. S/he will be also be responsible for developing and maintaining strong working relationships with the Government and Consortium members in Rakhine, Myanmar, acting as the primary liaison and program representative. Most importantly, s/he will be responsible for the overarching leadership and governance of the program, ensuring that the partners work together effectively and efficiently, that there is transparent and active communication amongst stakeholders and that there is leadership from Save the Children as the Consortium’s lead agency.

S/he will also be responsible for the overall management of areas related to finance, budgetary management and oversight, and partner sub-contract management, as well as other operational and administrative duties required by the program, ensuring that they are executed efficiently and effectively by the regional team and the teams in the field.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY :**

General;

· Overall responsibility for the leadership, day to day management, coordination and communication between consortium members, and oversight of the program implementation

· Coordinate between Consortium Partners and provide updated implementation report to Steering Committee and Consortium Board.

· Ensure that the Governance Framework for DFAT programme is systematically operationalized through coordination – meeting agenda, key meeting notes and action points are recorded and documented for Steering committee updates, including management of Google Drive.

· Provide guidance, leadership to ensure rigorous decision-making processes at all levels of Governance and within the program.

· Support engagement with a variety of stakeholders, including partners, local authorities, etc.

· Ensure timely delivery of programmatic and financial reports by all consortium members as stipulated in the Results Framework.

· Work closely with Head of Programme” for budget and other operational components

· Represent consortium with Government, I/NGOs, sector working groups; and build relationships.

· Support the coordination of the EiE Sector in Rakhine, alongside UNICEF.

Program Delivery, Management and Quality Assurance

· Ensure that recommendations provided by the Consortium Steering Committee, MEAL Working Group, Technical Working Group, and Sittwe Coordination Group are incorporated into program deliverables.

· Ensure consolidation and quality of all program management documents (i.e. phased budget, implementation and procurement plans, monitoring plans, grants filing, staff recruitment plans, etc.)

· Ensure program delivery happens in strict adherence to all relevant policy and procedures, particularly DFAT requirements.

· Ensure staff and partners regularly report on financial and programmatic aspects in line with partnership guidelines.

· Coordinate the provision of high-quality technical assistance by technical advisers at regional, national and local level to the program staff.

· Conduct regular monitoring and evaluation to all partner agencies in accordance with standard monitoring tools generated DFAT programme.

· Ensure programming interventions are gender sensitive and the program designed to support the different needs and opportunities of women, men, boys and girls.

· Ensure relevant Child Protection & Safeguarding Policy is integrated into all aspect of teamwork and understood by staffs, all partners, suppliers and stakeholders.

· Maintain an up-to-date Risk Register- (vulnerabilities, lack of capacity, and exposure to various shocks).

· Work closely with Save the Children’ EiE programme manager to ensure the quality implementation of SCI (DFAT) programme.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning

· Oversee the process of learning, evaluation, capturing the lessons, and sharing lesson learned for improvement of program performance and overall outcome.

· Ensure monitoring and evaluation tools are in place and systematically implemented by the teams, in collaboration with Consortium TWG and MEAL Working Group.

· Produce high quality reports and ensure timely delivery of partner contributions to reporting.

· Provide regular update; formal and informal reporting to the Consortium Steering Committee, Consortium Technical Working Group, and others, as needed.

· Support spot checks and audit processes throughout the program lifecycle while ensuring the implementation of recommendations.

· Set up Information Management system or template for timely and accurate collection of data in line with programme indicators, outputs and outcomes, including the integration of quality benchmarks

· Establish timelines and coordinate the regular updating of programme documents including BvAs, procurement plans, MEAL Plans, IPTT including the output trackers.

Finance, Reporting and Donor Compliance.

· Work with Finance teams across the Consortium to establish and agree on financial management processes and templates for the programme

· Work closely with relevant staff across the Consortium to ensure adherence to internal and donor compliance

· Coordinate monthly BvA meetings between partners to track spending and flag any risks to the Consortium Steering Committee and support communication with Consortium partner senior leadership to ensure rapid action on any other issues, as needed

· Ensure all narrative and financial reports – internal and external – and deliverables are consolidated and submitted on time to Save the Children Australia (contract holder), as and when required.

· Ensure that a consolidated version of Consortium annual plans and budgets and reports are submitted on time to the contract holder (Save the Children Australia), as and when required.

· Ensure regular monitoring and reporting on all program management aspects: phased budget and actual expenses analysis, work-plans progresses and updating, procurement plans revision, data collection and analysis and monitoring of indicators.

· Identify and effectively manage all key risks related to the program, including compliance with donor transparency and due diligence requirements.

· Focus on ensuring appropriate program closure and readjustment to potentially cover any gaps.

· Ensure compliance with and adherence to Save the Children’s rules and regulations in all aspects.

Staff Management and Capacity Building

· Line-manage the program’s staff in the areas of responsibility as per program architecture.

· Lead and motivate the program’s staff, ensuring objectives and responsibilities are clear.

· Identify capacity needs and provide training plans for Consortium staffs through respective HRs (e.g. Safe programming; Child Safeguarding; MEAL; Finance; Protection against Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment etc.

· Comply with Save the Children policies and practice with respect to child protection, the code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures.

Coordination

· Chair and follow-up on action points from the Sittwe Coordination Group to coordinate, identify barriers and bottlenecks, find solutions to ensure high quality of the implementation across all partners.

· Support the coordination of EiE Sector in Rakhine, as co-lead alongside UNICEF, and in collaboration with the National EiE Sector Coordinator.

· Actively engage in Consortium Technical Working Group led by Education Sector Lead for regular update and to coordinate technical inputs to the field.

· Participate in senior management meetings, when needed, to provide inputs and recommendation to strategic planning and operation of DFAT program.

Child Safeguarding Responsibility

Ensure that your staff is providing all beneficiaries of your programme with ongoing, age-appropriate verbal or written information in relevant languages about Save the Children’s Child Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct.

QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor’s Degree in social Sciences, humanitarian assistance/international development or related field, Master’s degree is more preferable.

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

Essential

• 6 years of professional experience in development with a minimum of 3 years’ experience in a leadership role in the implementation of projects
• Highly developed relationship building, influencing, negotiating and inter-personal skills.
• Ability to analyse strategic trends and develop appropriate plans and responses to manage risks.
• Previous experience in managing complex, multi-sector, and/or multi-stakeholder programmes.
• Solid experience in implementation in complex and insecure environments.
• Proven experience in establishing information management and finance systems related to programme management.
• Demonstrable experience in advocacy initiatives including influencing key stakeholders at high levels including senior management, donors, Government Authorities
• Experience in gender-sensitive programming and at least an understanding of the importance of MHPSS and inclusion in INGO programming.
• Experience of designing and facilitating learning initiatives.
• Ability to work both in an advisory and a hands on implementation capacity.
• Proven capacity to supervise, train, mentor and coach staff.
• Experience of organizational representation in external fora.
• Experience leading on the coordination and writing of donor reports as the lead of a consortium.
• Politically and culturally sensitive, with qualities of patience, tact and diplomacy.
• A high level of written and spoken English.

• The capacity and willingness to be flexible and accommodating in difficult and sometimes insecure working circumstances.

• Commitment to humanitarian principles, principles of Save the Children and the Consortium. In particular, a good understanding of the organisational and Consortium mandate and child focus and an ability to ensure this continues to underpin our support