Location Berberati, CAR

Position Status Full-time

Salary Level: 4-5

Current Team Member : Vacant

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.

Mercy Corps has been operational in the Central African Republic (CAR) since September 2007. With offices in Bangui, Bouar, Bambari and Berberati, Mercy Corps works to integrate short-term humanitarian assistance with programs to strengthen community resilience and support market-led economic development, with a cross-cutting accent on governance and gender. Mercy Corps takes a sustainable approach to its programming, seeking to change behaviors and create institutions to foster long-term development in the sectors of protection and gender-based violence, civil society capacity building, water/sanitation, social cohesion, and socioeconomic activities. Funding has come from a range of donors including USAID, the European Commission, OFDA, UNICEF, OCHA, AFD and private foundations. By addressing a number of overlapping and associated needs within a wide range of sectors, Mercy Corps CAR takes an integrated approach to ensure the greatest possible impact

The PM EPT, under the supervision of the Program Director, will work closely with the managers of the different departments in implementing project EPT in line with the Mercy Corps CAR country strategy. It supports this portfolio with a growing team of support and quality staff, working closely with program teams and across departments to continually improve the quality of implementation. By building the capacity of program team members and helping them improve capitalization, reflection and adaptation of lessons learned, quality of reporting and compliance with donor and Mercy Corps minimum project management standards; this supporting role brings immense benefits to the entire team.

EPT is a multi-year project financed by AFD and executed by a consortium of three international NGOs: FCA (Lead), Mercy Corps and ALIMA. The project will target schools and communities in four sub-prefectures of Mambéré-Kadéï (MK): Berbérati, Gamboula, Sosso-Nakombo and Dédé-Mokouba; and a sub-prefecture of the new prefecture of Mambéré: Carnot; with a focus on the most vulnerable areas and schools. The Consortium will interact with the authorities and education stakeholders of the two prefectures for training and meetings. The EPT project will try to contribute to enabling the fulfillment of the potential and resilience of children and adolescents to reduce inequalities and ensure a just, peaceful and inclusive future in the Central

African Republic. The project will take advantage of this reconstruction momentum to make lasting changes in procedures, policies and structures, by promoting equality between women and men, and through this, contribute to supporting the end of the crisis and supporting the peacebuilding. Although the interventions are planned in Mambéré-Kadéï and Mambéré, the good practices and lessons learned will also be used to improve the education system at the national level, through their documentation, sharing and advocacy.

The PM EPT is a key position within Mercy Corps. He/she is responsible for the implementation of Education Pour Tous Project in Mambere Kadei prefecture and Carnot. It is a senior management position for Mercy Corps CAR with supervisory and managerial responsibilities based in Berberati. This role will lead on the implementation of all the activities while facilitating and supporting the program assessments (baselines, market assessments, and PDMs). The program will mostly be implemented through WASH & Protection activities to support school. Holistic GBV case management services will also be provided in areas, in coordination with all other actors included in the referral pathway. The PM EPT will ensure that the WASH & Protection interventions are of the highest technical quality while integrating all Mercy Corps minimum standards and ensuring that monitoring processes are in place, reporting is high-quality and timely, and that the program is continually assessed and solutions quickly put in place for any changes in local context, working in close coordination with the support team. They will ensure effective implementation and communication on the progress of the program to local authorities and other local actors in Berberati.

· Contribute to the development of Mercy Corps WASH and Protection strategies based on a strong contextual understanding of the Central African Republic and in line with Mercy Corps values.

· Design viable strategies that are both respectful with the local culture and sensitive towards the population.

· Ensure inclusion of national technical staff and other key stakeholders into strategy development process.

· Promote the development of a holistic strategy through creating linkages with other sectors’ priorities

· Work closely with the Headquarters Program Performance and Quality team in the development and in-country deployment of Mercy Corps minimum standards ATS policy guides.

· Work closely with the MEL & CARM team in the development and implementation of the MEL & CARM process (community accountability reporting mechanism).

· Participate in national strategic thinking sessions.

· Lead the EPT program teams through the overall planning process, while identifying and contributing to the WASH & Protection design of additional opportunities for short, medium and long-term programming.

· Bring technical support and oversee the closure for the Project and coordination with the consortium partner when necessary.

· Serve as the focal point for any new WASH & Protection Programs development in CAR.

· Integrate the use of community approaches in the design, implementation, and maintenance of projects.

· Develop realistic and quality work plans in conjunction with relevant Department leads and the Director of Programs.

· Ensure the mainstreaming of core protection principles through design and planning of sector interventions.

· In collaboration with the Head of Base, ensure an advance planning of support aspects needed in the implementation of the project

· Participate in the design of logical frameworks, implementation and revision of indicators for EPT project.

· Work with MEL team & CARM managers to promote a culture of adaptive management, and evidence gathering.

· Participate in the project quality review processes, including quality of implementation, adherence to MEL minimum standards, quality of MEL data collection and analysis, periodic program retreat meetings.

· Utilize existing MC resources to train project teams in project implementation and reporting.

· Build the capacity of all relevant team members to develop and maintain an excellent implantation of the project.

· Conduct regular visits to the project site to provide hands-on training to field staff on how to capture and organize information for accurate documentation and reporting.

· Develop plans to coach and mentor staff to build their capacity to develop excellent reports and other implementation materials.

· The EPT Manager is responsible for the implementation of Mercy Corps’ interventions in Mambere Kadei and ensuring that the highest technical standards are respected for all activities.

· Ensure that all WASH & protection interventions are planned in a very timely manner and in accordance with the project calendar.

· Lead all WASH & Protection aspects of technical assessments in coordination with other thematic areas and/or other external sector agencies.

· Develop needs assessment strategies, design interventions and contribute to building the capacity of Mercy Corps staff, as well as project stakeholders in WASH & Protection programming.

· Provide technical oversight to the field teams and mentor senior staff in the design of WASH & Protection activities, including cash transfer modalities, farming methods and income generating activities.

· Supervise and monitor the implementation of WASH & Protection activities, ensuring that all activities are compliant with the grant and Mercy Corps requirements.

· Work with the Director of Programs to identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with donors and other stakeholders.

· Participate in training of WASH & Protection staff (officers and assistants) to ensure they have solid understanding of key program documents and tools, including MEL tools

· Working closely with the support departments and the MEL Manager to develop and deliver upon an integrated implementation plan throughout the program and oversee the development of weekly and monthly work plans in line with the program implementation plan.

· Lead the implementation of WASH & Protection program, engaging local authorities, and existing government extension workers.

· Liaise regularly with communities/municipalities and ensure community participation especially youth and women in all steps of project cycle.

· Prepare and participate actively in monthly Budget versus Actual meetings with the program & finance team.

· Work with logistics/procurement and programming staff to select service providers for WASH & Protection services including private sector providers.

· Produce timely reports for internal use on the status of on-going programming; and contribute to donor reporting

· Prepare procurement plans based on project cycle for project activities and infrastructure construction / rehabilitation works.

· Prepare and regularly update the detailed implementation plan, integrating MEL activities.

· Manage grant budget lines related to technical areas of specialization.

· Work very closely with the MEL Unit to translate assessment criteria to tools and methodology for monitoring and evaluation of interventions related to the program.

· Provide technical input and indicators to the MEL Unit to be incorporated into tools and formats as needed.

· Enhance internal and external compliance through supporting incident reporting mechanisms when needed.

· Maintain and coordinate reporting and documentation of all WASH & Protection activities.

· Fulfill Mercy Corps’ Program Management Minimum Standards based on the organization-wide guide.

· Ensure all interventions adhere to Mercy Corps’ Gender Policy, Do No Harm principles, and program participants’ accountability standards

· Work with the Country Leadership Team (CLT) to address programs gaps affecting program implementation.

· Develop the capabilities of the project team, deepen their understanding of their roles and assist in their career development.

· Assist team members with information, tools and resources to improve performance and achieve goals.

· Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback informally and formally through regular one-on-one interviews and performance reviews.

· Create and maintain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive for excellence.

· Play an active role in recruiting, orienting and directing team members as needed.

· Comply with safety procedures and policies determined by local authorities and ensure compliance by team members.

· Proactively ensures that team members work in a safe environment and are aware of local policies.

· Conduct themselves professionally and personally in a manner that brings honor and credibility to Mercy Corps and does not compromise its humanitarian mission.

· Be accountable to program participants.

· Any other responsibilities that may be assigned as required

· As part of our commitment to professional development and based on our understanding that organizations that continually develop are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities

they serve - we expect all team members to contribute 5% of their time to learning/professional development activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

· Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, especially to our beneficiaries and to international relief and development guidelines, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring, and evaluation of our field projects.

· Mercy Corps recognizes that our programs are most effective in alleviating suffering, poverty, and oppression when women, men, girls, and boys are equally engaged as active players in all aspects of the work we undertake together. We expect all team members to commit to the principles of gender equality and to use gender-sensitive programming and gender mainstreaming to achieve our mission and vision for change.

Project Team

Reports Directly To: Director of Programs

Works Directly With: MEL Manager, Finance and Compliance Manager, Country Director, Grants and Program Support Manager, Operation Manager, Consortium partner teams, Government Technical services, HQ & Regional Technical Support Unit, donors, NGO partners, and humanitarian agencies.

· Have a university degree (at least BAC +5) in a relevant field (WASH, Protection, Social Sciences, Economics Sciences, Civil engineering, Hydraulics Science, or any related field).

· At least 5 years of general experience in the field of management, WASH, Protection and/or development programs - at least 3 years of which should be in a supervisory position as a manager, preferably with an international organization or institution.

· Knowledge of AFD requirements, guidance and compliance is essential

· Ability to work across departments to achieve results in a short period of time

· Relevant experience in supervising, managing - and building staff capacity.

· Must have experience working with a variety of donors, including USAID, AFD and bilateral and multilateral funders.

· Ability to manage and meet deadlines.

· Experience in coordinating large projects or at the country office level is an asset.

· Ability to work independently on a multi-tasking load.

· Excellent writing and speaking skills in French; and English preferred.

· An internationally recognized qualification in project or program management or a commitment to obtain the qualification within the first few months of employment.

· Previous experience working in Francophone Africa is strongly preferred

· Knowledge of Sphere standards and other humanitarian response training is preferred.

· Experience supervising staff, starting up programs and working in difficult environments

· Experience managing programs in Community Development, WASH, Protection, Cash Programming, Livelihoods and Agriculture

· Solid knowledge of and experience with security protocols is essential.

· Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively with team members

• Advanced knowledge of office pack (Excel, Word, etc.) required.

A successful candidate will have an ability to work independently, take initiative in tasks and self-learning, and be proactive in communications and development of professional relationships. S/he will be able to live and work closely with a diverse team of individuals in a highly intense and fluid work and security environment with demonstrated sensitivity to the people and issues in the region. S/he will demonstrate exceptional interpersonal, relationship and cross-cultural communication skills especially in high stress environments are essential for success. S/he will be committed to the values and mission of Mercy Corps; have the ability to creatively problem-solve, to juggle multiple priorities under tight deadlines and to calmly and diplomatically deal with unexpected and sudden events impacting program operations with patience, dynamism, tenacity and a good sense of humor.

The position is based in Berberati, Central African Republic and will require up to 50% travel to field to support teams, which may include travel to insecure locations where freedom of movement is limited and areas where amenities are limited. This position is unaccompanied for spouses and/or children. The security situation in CAR can be very volatile with pockets of violent outburst in various areas of the country. Bangui is generally more stable; however, carjacking and targeted looting do occur on occasion. Hospitals and access to quality health care are very limited. Malaria is prevalent. It is estimated that 7-8% of the population may be HIV positive. Suitable group housing is available. Electricity, clean water and internet can be at times subject to shortages.

Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and Mercy Corps’ policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

Fostering a diverse and open workplace is an important part of Mercy Corps’ vision. Mercy Corps is an Equal Opportunity Employer regardless of background. We are committed to creating an inclusive