Description

About Mercy Corps

Program / Department Summary 

General Position Summary 

Essential Job Responsibilities

Program Performance Management

• In partnership with the CoP, oversee the development and roll out the program performance architecture, including systems and structures for coordination, decision-making, communication, learning and adaptive management.  
• Ensure all program meetings and coordination mechanisms are backed by terms of reference with clear roles and responsibilities.  
• Guide the design, roll out and adherence to tools and processes that facilitate high quality implementation, learning and adaptive management, including standard operating procedures, workflow processes and design, technical quality standards, ensure SOPs remain aligned to routine monitoring data generated, and review and reflection (in respect of PM@MC standards).  
• Maintain program performance metrics in line with Mercy Corps and USAID expectations to track and improve performance and quality.  
• Ensure that program team members are trained in Quality Improvement and Verification Checklist (QIVC), and the program’s quality assurance charter (QAC) process (MC DRC process) including the development of activity concept notes. 
• Development and maintenance of online QAC system, ensuring compliance with Mercy Corps’ deliverable quality assurance check process. 
• Lead donor related processes the development of quarterly reports and Annual Results Report, coordinating across senior team members. 

• Lead governance and partnership team members to implement comprehensive partner support and engagement mechanisms linked to technical and operational performance. 
• Ensure local partners are adequately supported with organizational capacity strengthening tools, accompaniment plan, and tailor capacity strengthening plans to unique needs of program and partners. 
• Facilitate active management of partner agreements, with regular performance reviews. 
• Ensure all partners have clear performance metrics and milestones, and adhere to all technical and operational program performance standards; put in place remedial action when required. 
• With the CoP, organize and facilitate partner coordination meetings. 
• Facilitate and set the agenda for  the GAINS Steering Committee meeting and represent the program in Tshikapa program coordination frameworks. 
• Oversee programmatic monitoring of sub-awardees ensuring that monitoring and quality assurance is conducted across performance, quality and organizational aspects of implementation. 
• Develop relationships and linkages with organizations implementing other donor-funded programs allocating grants in the GAINS participants’ ecosystem. 

Learning and Adaptive Management

• Facilitate a culture of curiosity, learning and adaptive work planning and implementation with program teams. 
• Throughout the R&I phase and beyond, ensure that existing knowledge and evidence gaps within the program’s ToC are filled and pathways within the ToC are adapted based on emerging contextual and programmatic evidence.  
• Actively contribute to the quarterly Technical Working Groups organized by the Purpose Leads, ensuring learning across Purposes and adaptation.  
• Organize and facilitate after-action reviews, regular learning meetings, or strategy workshops. 
• With the M&E Lead,  set-up program performance metrics for progress, results and quality monitoring.  
• With the Strategic Learning Advisor (SLA) , and in close partnership with the M&E Lead, guide and oversee the learning agenda for the program; partner across units to ensure appropriate metrics of success and learning protocols are in place, including qualitative monitoring tools and research. 
• Oversee SLA to establish a performance monitoring framework with continuous feedback systems, and CLA processes that facilitate knowledge capture, sharing, and application, such as Pause and Reflect sessions that intentionally embed a resilience lens.  
• With the Communications and SLA Advisor, support knowledge-sharing, success stories capturing, lessons learned and best practices documentation for the GAINS program to build an understanding of results, impact, and contribution to outcomes.  
• Maintain regular communication with the RFSA Complex Program Board, and country-level PaQ focal points to identify opportunities for innovative collaboration with other departments and programs and advise senior leadership on ways to drive forward quality programming and leverage cross-program learning. 
• Working closely with the M&E Team, the PPD will oversee adherence between interventions and the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Plan, while ensuring smooth and efficient sequencing, layering, and integrating throughout the two Purposes and interventions. 
• Support and ensure the integrating cross-program learning and new insights in strategy design and implementation. 
• In collaboration with the M&E Lead and SLA, identify and develop research and learning priorities that are connected to programmatic and country strategic objectives. 
• Ensure the quality of learning materials, methodologies, and delivery methods used in Strategic Learning meets the program's standards and objectives. 
• Partner with the M&E Lead to ensure activities are aligned with the broader program goals and objectives, collaborating to establish M&E and learning frameworks that support the program's success. 
• Work with the M&E Lead to translate findings into actionable insights that inform program adjustments and improvements and allow programmatic decision-making. This includes working with the M&E Lead to review recurrent monitoring system data to advise on programmatic adaptations and/or changes to the program’s resilience pathways.  

• Oversee the development of a knowledge management and communication strategy for the program, and ensure adherence to protocols 
• Ensure program compliance with Mercy Corps document retention and archiving practices (Program Record Management & Retention policy)  
• Guide and manage the roll out of key internal and external program communications, including regular flows of decisions and action points within and across offices, program coordination structures, and partners;  
• In partnership with the CoP, hold team members accountable to communication flow. 
• With the GAINS Sr Communications Officer, ensure that external communications products are in line with GAINS messaging and influence plan, are regularly developed and disseminated with relevant stakeholders in languages, formats and media that are appropriate for, accessible, and can be understood by the target population. 
• Support the Sr. Communications Officer to implement the GAINS Communication Workplan in addition to delivering on donor communications and visibility requirements. 
• Collect and share learnings and best practices from this program both internally and externally. 
• Communicate effectively to ensure overall program targets and donor obligations are met. 

• Hire, supervise and orient new Grants Manager, Local Partnership Manager, and Sr Communications Officer, and provide guidance for deepening the understanding of their roles. 
• Provide continued capacity sharing to the Program Performance Team, and broader program team members and create a pleasant work environment that promotes learning, accountability and ownership. 
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations, and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular one on ones and performance reviews.  
• Monitor team members’ performance, and take remedial action as required 
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.  

Accountability 

Knowledge and Experience / Qualification and Transferable Skills

• MA/S or equivalent experience in project/program management, social science, political science, international development, or another relevant field.  
• At least 7 - 10 years of experience in international development programming, preferably in Africa. 
• At least 5 years’ experience with CLA and USAID projects, including strengths in grant management, coordination and donor reporting. 
• Demonstrated ability to develop and guide a program’s CLA strategy and processes.  
• Certified in program management. 
• Patient and committed to capacity sharing, training and coaching of a team with diverse skill sets. 
• Experience in implementing and managing programs including work-planning, food security, agricultural development, nutrition, governance and resource management. 
• Demonstrated practitioner level capability in time-based planning tools – such as Microsoft Project or similar – or an in-depth understanding in how to approach their use.  
• Demonstrable ability to produce high quality deliverables at speed and with minimal direction. 
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, and the capacity to work at a strategic level with senior leaders (both internal and external) is essential. 
• Ability to multi-task and juggle several tasks and relationships at one time, with little to no direction. 
• Proven ability to work effectively in multicultural teams and with technical and administrative staff and consultants. 
• Fluent English required and fluent French highly desirable. 
• Ability to work in a hardship environment with moderate to high levels of insecurity and significant restrictions on personal movement.  
• Prior work experience in the DRC and demonstrable understanding of the context a significant advantage 

Success Factors

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions