PROGRAMME MANAGER - STREAM
Description
Location: Mundri, South Sudan
About Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps partners with communities as they move from a place of fragility to resilience, meeting urgent needs while addressing root causes – always powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse, and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.
The Program / Department / Team
Mercy Corps has been working in Sudan since 1985 where we responded to the draught emergency, supporting refugees with permanent presence in South Sudan since 2005. Mercy Corps acts on behalf of people who have become displaced and disenfranchised by the ongoing conflict. With funding from multiple donors including the United Nations (UN), USAID-Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), UK’s FCDO), Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC), and Private Foundations, Mercy Corps has been able to empower people to recover from crisis, build better lives and transform their communities for good. In South Sudan, our work focuses on the delivery of timely humanitarian interventions, improving food security and livelihood options, increasing equitable access to safe water and sanitation services, and providing access to safe and protective learning spaces. With emphasis on conflict-affected youth, women, as well as IDPs, returnees and host communities, we champion and lead state-of-the art relief and recovery approaches through gender mainstreaming, identification of root causes, adaptive management, and resilience approaches.
The overall goal of STREAM programme is to sustainably move households out of chronic vulnerability and poverty by facilitating economic recovery and growth for smallholder farmers and non-farm microenterprises in vulnerable and conflict affected areas in Greater Mundri counties. We will focus on three (3) objectives:
- Improved, more efficient and inclusive productive agricultural inputs and output markets
- 2.Expanded inclusive economic opportunities through financial inclusion, stronger market orientation and economies of scale for non-farm enterprises and smallholder farmers to capture greater value and invest in.
- 3.Increased psychosocial capacities and social cohesion among communities and market actors to ensure the inclusion of traditionally marginalized populations
Sustainability and scalability of change processes and market functions remains at the heart of the programme design. The bulk of the STREAM programme activities are purposely designed to support viable economic initiatives, driven by market actors, and local organisations. The design avoids one-off activities with no prospect of sustainability, unless they have clear catalytic objectives to accelerate and enable changes that break vicious aid-dependency circles and create safe spaces for experimentation. Our primarily methodological approach to implementation is to apply a Market Systems Development (MSD) in crisis settings lens.
General Position Summary
The STREAM Programme Manager will oversee the delivery of the programme using MSD approach at all stages of the programme including planning, coordinating, organizing, quality and delivery and monitoring and results measurement and learning in the Greater Mundri. She/he will provide programme management leadership as well as MSD technical leadership including the development and administration of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), the designing and implementation of high-quality MSD interventions (Program Quality), and building relationships with key market actors from the private sector and government. The STREAM Programme Manager will also lead the development of a robust Monitoring and Results Measurement (MRM) and Learning for the programme (Learning and impact). The STREAM Programme Manager will also represent the programme externally, through participating in relevant coordination and learning events. H/she leads the STREAM Programme Management Team, who will support in defining and achieving the programme strategy. The STREAM Programme Manager will ensure accountability of the programmes to the programme participants, donors, stakeholders including government including timely reporting, feedbacks, etc. She/he will ensure that the programme is on-time, on-scope, and on-budget at all times. The role requires excellent programme management knowledge and skills and experience designing and managing programmes using Market in Crisis or MSD approach.
Essential Responsibilities
Strategy & Vision
- Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed.
- Set direction by prioritizing and organizing actions & resources to achieve objectives and contribute to country-wide strategy development.
- Develop and organize activities to secure resources for the programme and convince stakeholders to provide support.
Programme Management
- Provide overall leadership in the implementation and management of the STREAM programme.
- Ensure timely and effective review and adaptation of the interventions, and achievement of targets, on time, on scope and on budget.
- Support the programme team to adaptively manage a portfolio of interventions that is appropriately balanced in terms of risk and benefits.
- Ensures the programme meets Programme Management @ Mercy Corps (PM@MC) minimum standards.
- Build, manage and maintain relationship with the donor, including leading periodic donor communications on status of the programme activities and collaborating with the donor to facilitate adaptive management.
- Prepare high-quality monthly, bi-annual and annual programme reports in collaboration with the MEL team.
- Ensure the STREAM programme is sufficiently and rightly resourced with the right teams, tools and equipment needed to deliver quality results for the programme participants on budget, on time and on scope.
- Ensure all interventions adhere to Mercy Corps’ Gender Policy, Do No Harm principles, and beneficiary accountability standards.
Technical Leadership
- The STREAM Programme Manager will serve as the MSD technical Lead for the programme. H/she will ensure the design and implementation of the STREAM programme meets the standards for MSD in crisis approach (framework), drawing on appropriate and diverse technical resources to support programme needs as required.
- Will ensure that operational systems enable a diversely-skilled programme teams to implement the programme effectively – including standard operating procedures on engaging and contracting with the private sector, enabling intervention or concept design, and guidance for adaptive management.
- Follow analysis of the South Sudan socio-political and economic context, ensuring that this analysis is recognized and incorporated in programming, particularly with respect to gender and age, climate, conflict and economic risks.
- Contribute to the development of the country strategy, particularly on MSD components.
Team Management
- Supervise, hire and orient new team members as necessary.
- Develop the capacity of the team, deepen their understanding of their roles and assist with career development; and support them to access additional professional development and technical capacity building as required
- Provide information, tools and resources to improve the performance and development of the team.
- Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
- Promote accountability, communicate expectations, and provide constructive feedback via regular performance discussions and strong performance management protocols.
- Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed.
Budget Management
- Ensures the programme meets targets on budget. This responsibility includes collaborative work planning that keeps all team members accountable, ensuring accurate budget forecasting and analysis of monthly budget vs. actual reports, and proper procurement planning in collaboration with the Operations team.
- Support in the development of financial management tools and the monitoring of budgets.
- Cross-check detailed transactions and review budget versus actual (BVA) spending reports to determine status of programme burn rates.
- Work with the Country Finance Manager to ensure spend-down plans and cash projections are developed and monitored.
- Lead programme input on any budget revisions or programmatic input for financial reports.
Program Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning
- Work with the MEL team to ensure the finalization of the programme-specific MEL plan and any relevant procedures with clear designation of roles and responsibilities between the Programme and MEL teams.
- Ensure that robust monitoring, evaluation, Learning and Results measurement plan including quality data collection and analysis systems are in place, adhered to and used as a decision-making tool.
- Ensure appropriate attention to programme learning and integration of lessons learned.
Influence & Representation
- Identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with consortium partners, sub-grantees, donors, local governments and other stakeholders.
- Communicate effectively to ensure overall programme targets and donor obligations are met.
- Demonstrate flexibility, resilience and ability to maintain positive relationships and composure.
- Maintain high ethical standards and treat people with respect and dignity.
- Exhibit an awareness of his/her own strengths and development needs.
Security
- Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
- Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.
Supervisory Responsibility
- Head of Office, MEL Specialist, GESI and Safeguarding Officer
Accountability Reports Directly To: Director of Programmes
Works Directly With: Food Security and Livelihood (FSL) Technical Advisor, HR, Finance, and Operations staff
Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
Qualification & Skills
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Economics, International Development, International Relations, Business Management, Agriculture Economics or another relevant field highly is required. Master’s degree in the relevant field of study preferred.
- 5-7 years of field experience in MSD programming with a focus on agriculture and financial, 3 years of experience in programme management.
- Experience directly building partnerships with the private sector to increase meaningful participation of women and youth in farm and non-farm markets.
- Strong strategic thinker with demonstrated capacity to translate concepts into action, with proven ability to be accountable for all components of the programme.
- Competent in building networks, strong problem-solving skills, and ability to influence with effective listening, persuasion, negotiation, and other techniques.
- Persuasive written and oral communication in English, including report writing.
Success Factors
The successful PM will combine exceptional management skills and experience in maintaining donor and partner relationships. S/he will have an outstanding ability to develop, implement and manage innovative programmes within the current and future programme structure of Mercy Corps in South Sudan. S/he will also have proven experience with cross-cultural team and capacity building, individual staff development and strong mentoring skills. The PM will have a strong technical understanding of MSD in the context such as South Sudan. S/he will take energy from solving programme implementation challenges, will have a strong ethical centre and a commitment to safeguarding. S/he will be an influencer, able to connect with diverse audiences from a young petty trader to a private sector employer to a high-ranking government official. A strong ability to train and mentor team members that have limited skills and experience in MSD approach. The most successful Mercy Corps staff member have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
The PM position is based in Mundri, Western Equatoria in South Sudan. MC provides accommodation is in shared compound (guesthouse) and very basic, fairly equipped and comfortable. The weather is very hot, humid and sometimes muddy or dusty depending on the season. Medical facilities are very basic, although there has been some improvement in the past few years. Tropical diseases including malaria are endemic. The role involved frequent travels between programme locations Juba to support team in the engagement with market actors. Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours and as such staff are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and Mercy Corps policies, procedures, and values always and in all in-country venues.
Ongoing Learning
In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient, and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives. We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening, and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact. We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, colour, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.
Safeguarding & Ethics
Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct eLearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.
Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity organisation and encourages both female and male candidates to apply. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Applicants will be considered on a rolling basis and shortlisting will proceed as applications are reviewed.