ECHO Health Project Coordinator

The IRC has been working in Uganda since 1998 supporting Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), refugees and local communities. IRC Uganda has a country office in Kampala and field offices in Amudat, Imvepi, Kitgum, Kyegegwa, Lamwo, Moroto, Kiryandongo and Yumbe. Specifically, to health and nutrition, the IRC implements programming in Kasese, Kagadi, Lamwo, Moroto, Kiryandongo, Terego, Madi Okollo and Yumbe districts. The current country program portfolio includes health and nutrition, protection and rule of law, women’s protection and empowerment, education and economic recovery and development programming.

ECHO Project

The Project Coordinator will specifically support the ECHO-funded health project, entitled, Epidemic disease surveillance and response and life-saving health services to newly arrived refugees and vulnerable host community members in Uganda, a 12-month project covering 17 districts and refugee settlements across the South West, Mid-West, West Nile and Northern regions of Uganda. The project is implemented through a consortium led by the IRC in partnership with Medical Teams International (MTI). The project has four main result areas: 1) Strengthened epidemic preparedness and risk reduction at the district, community and health facility levels; 2) Enhanced outbreak response and safe care for suspected and probable patients of outbreak-prone diseases at district, health facility, and community levels in refugee settlements and surrounding hosting communities; 3) Increased safe, dignified and meaningful access and utilization of quality comprehensive healthcare services; 4) Increased access to and utilization of nutrition services for severe and moderate undernourished children under five and pregnant and lactating women.

Scope of Work

The ECHO Project Coordinator will be responsible for overseeing the implementation of health activities, budget management, monitoring and evaluation and reporting with an emphasis on ensuring the timely and high-quality achievement of the project goal and objectives by the respective consortium partner. The IRC being the lead partner, ECHO project coordinator will take lead in communication and coordination with consortium partner to ensure smooth implementation of project activities.

Main Responsibilities

1. Project Management

• Supervise a proper and timely implementation of the ECHO health project according to agreed policies and donor requirements.

• Prepare and regularly update all project tools, including work, spending and procurement plans.

• Ensure overall budget monitoring and analysis, financial management and expense control for the project in line with IRC and donor rules and guidelines.

• Ensure the planning and implementation of all procurement related to the project with the responsibility to ensure that procurement is timely and in line with donor requirements.

• Enhance the quality of programming throughout the project cycle through project review meetings, program quality initiatives (gender analysis, stakeholder mapping exercise, etc), and program quality checks.

• In collaboration with M&E coordinator and program staff, ensure the implementation of M&E processes and the monitoring of the achievements of the project.

• Ensure the implementation of client responsiveness and accountability mechanisms (participation and effective communication of beneficiaries at all stages of project cycle).

• Provide donor reports to Grants department, as well as internal reports/requests for information in a timely manner.

• Conduct monthly SMT meeting and provide senior management team (SMT) with project implementation progress throughout the project period.

• Work closely with other departments (Supply chain, Finance, Human resource etc.) to ensure smooth and timely implementation of project activities.

2. Staff Management

• Provide supportive supervision to the respect field Health Managers (3) in Lamwo, Arua and Yumbe in coordination with Deputy health Coordinator based in Yumbe; and other health program staff to develop work plans for implementation of approved grants.

• Support the field teams in the implementation and monitoring of the work plans ensuring that activities reflect the commitments IRC made to the donor and community.

• Create staff development plans for all direct reports in collaboration with the human resources department and contribute to the training of health staff (mentoring, on-the-job sessions as well as formal trainings).

• Develop/organize training opportunities to build the capacity of the health and nutrition staff and local partners to transfer skills. This includes staff mentoring and coaching on program management areas such as reporting, budgeting, monitoring, evaluation, and supervision.

3. Partnerships

• Serve as focal person for partnership with MTI, in close coordination with Grants department.

• In close coordination with MTI, organize monthly / quarterly project meetings, joint monitoring visits and spot checks, between partner representatives, technical advisors, M&E and support functions, both at field and Kampala-level, as required.

• Manage oversight for financial and administrative management of the project, ensuring compliance by all partners (IRC and MTI) with all relevant donor and organizational guidelines, regulations and procedures.

• Facilitate provision of training for project staff on relevant guidelines, regulations and procedures.

• Ensure that partners provide regular reports and consolidate to provide periodic status updates on the Consortium’s progress, challenges and planned mitigation measures.

• Manage the development of the consortium communication and advocacy strategy and promote the use of consortium-generated knowledge and learning.

4. Coordination

• Working closely with Health Coordinator, represent the consortium in all relevant working group meetings, national task force (NTF) meetings, and all relevant national, district or settlement-level meetings.

• Maintain close and good relations with all relevant stakeholders including: OPM, UNHCR and other relevant UN organizations, local authorities, Ministry of Health and other line ministries, donors, NGOs, CBOs and other partners.

• Ensure proactive engagement and facilitate formal meetings with key stakeholders including with relevant government authorities.

• Coordinate internally within IRC on a regular basis with support departments, including Grants, Supply Chain, Finance, HR/Admin and M&E.

Qualifications

The successful candidate will possess high-level of project management skills, a proven record of successfully managing consortia, multi-years of experience in project implementation, and a strong ability to successfully manage, cooperation between national and local authorities, donors and other stakeholders.

Key Qualifications Include:

• Health Degree and a Master’s in international health, public health, or related field.

• Post graduate qualification in project management or 5 years’ experience managing health projects

• Minimum 5 years field experience in management positions in INGOs

• Broad working knowledge and experience of working with ECHO and EU donors

• Significant exposure and experience of successfully managing and leading Consortia

• Proven ability to prioritize tasks, meet deadlines and work with limited supervision.

• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to establish effective working relations at all levels.

• Demonstrated skills in financial management – with knowledge and experience in managing complex budgets and ensuring donor compliance.

• Experience in successfully managing various forms of partnerships with stakeholders, including national and local authorities, UN agencies, local NGOs, etc.

• Fluent in written and spoken English.

Skills and Abilities

• A dynamic and flexible individual with ability to multitask and who can work under pressure.

• Team player

• Familiar with IRC’s PEERS an advantage

• Strong budget management abilities

• Good communication and interpersonal skills.

• Excellent Microsoft word and Microsoft excel, power-point presentation skills.

• Willingness to travel to ‘insecure areas within the constraints of IRC Uganda’s security policy.

Standards of Professional Conduct: The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Harassment-Free Workplace, Fiscal Integrity, Anti-Retaliation, Combating Trafficking in Persons and several others.

Gender Equality: IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances.