EXPERTISE FRANCE recruits 01 Project Manager stabilisation & resilience

1. capacity-building to the career centres of both universities to improve their students counselling services and foster their economic inclusion,
2. a grant scheme to support students’ initiatives in the fields of academics, promotion of citizenship, entrepreneurship and/or restoration of the heritage in Old Mosul,
3. the development of a University Degree in Clinical Psychology to expand the educational offer within the University of Ninewa whilst supporting the mental health sector in Ninewa.

By participating in the revitalisation of the Mosul University and Ninewa University campus, which counts as the second-largest university cluster in the country with more than 48,000 students, this project helps restarting an essential public service for Mosul youth and complements ongoing recovery efforts that already begun around the universities.

Starting first quarter of 2020, Expertise France will initiate a second project aiming at promoting civic engagement, employment and entrepreneurship for youth in Iraq. This 24-month project will be implemented through 3 components:

1. support to students of Mosul and Ninewa universities: Students of Mosul and Ninewa Universities have access to more efficient career guidance services and to concrete opportunities for professional work experience, employment, and civic engagement (Mosul)
2. youth civic engagement: Iraqi CSO are empowered to engage youth in community service projects and fostering dialogue with local authorities (Ninewa governorate)
3. youth entrepreneurship: Youth entrepreneurship is encouraged through a network of accessible business incubators/accelerators programs for enterprises throughout the country (Baghdad, Mosul, Suleymanieh).

Through this program, EF will promote opportunities for Iraqi youth to constructively engage in addressing social problems within their communities by creating a strategic link between local NGO, Mosul University Career Centers and local business incubators. Promoting youth engagement in local civil society and fostering dialogues with local authorities, the project will enable youth to better engage local decision-makers to meet their expectations and reinforce the bond of trust between government and population. Revitalising academic, social, and cultural life on the campus of the University of Mosul, the project will help restore the universities’ central role in producing knowledge and sharing ideas locally and nationally. By fostering job creation and providing livelihoods for young people in Baghdad, Mosul and KRG, the project will contribute to redress the impact of the current crisis and prevent future crises.

Position’s Overall Objective

The Program Manager will be responsible and accountable for the coordinating all projects of the stabilisation portfolio of Expertise France in Iraq. Along with the Programme Director, He/She will play a key role in leading EF’s strategic engagement, shaping and advising on stabilisation programming, and ensuring programme coherence, alignment with EF’s global mandate and objectives, and quality programme delivery.

Reporting Lines

He/She will be reporting to EF’s Programme Director for Iraq. He will work in close collaboration with EF support staff and other EF operational departments (Heath and Private Sector departments) at field and headquarters levels.

Responsibilities

Key responsibilities include:

Strategic Programme development and management

• Overall stabilisation programme management responsibility for stabilisation projects ensuring timely and quality programme delivery
• Plan, implement and monitor activities in regard to EF’s activities in Iraq.
• Co-ordinate and work with relevant state-level government authorities, local government institutions, non-governmental organisations, community-based organisations and local communities in order to ensure the smooth execution of programme activities.
• Oversee the roll-out of EF’ partners activities throughout northern Iraq, in accordance with grant agreements;
• Monitor and advise field staff and partners in programme delivery.
• In association with support staff, carry out budget monitoring on a regular basis, including compliance with minimum EF and donor requirements
• Keep the Programme Director informed at all times of programmatic updates and potential fundraising / project ideas and initiatives.
• Ensure the M&E system is in place.

Specific responsibilities include:

Team Management   

• Provide strong leadership to the programme, with oversight and management of field staff (in particular University, Youth Empowerment), M&E staff and any other expert or consultant executing EF programming in Iraq.
• Ensure the ongoing formal and informal appraisal/evaluation of staff performance, including follow up on individual action plans and annual written appraisals of EF stabilisation programme staff.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning

• Implement planning and operational and budgetary monitoring tools to analyse (1) the real-time progress of activities, including cross-functional activities such as recruitment, reporting, management, etc.; (2) achievement of logical-framework indicators; and (3) budget expenditures and running balance.
• Organize quarterly and annual reviews that include progress analysis reports and project-team meetings to assess the intervention strategy and situation changes.
• Develop and maintain a database of beneficiaries in order to collect and compile detailed information about organisations and individuals supported by the project.
• Assess each phase of every activity through regular consultations with the main target groups to ascertain satisfaction with actions and opinions about action relevance and effectiveness.
• Provide general supervision and ensure the monitoring of project implementation with the partners.
• Continuously monitor and develop relevant accountability initiatives in the field as well as strengthen the effort to document the impact of EF activities.
• Support internal and external evaluations focusing on overall achievements of objectives, key recommendations for ensuring sustainability, lessons learned and ideas for future interventions.

Reporting

• Ensure proper and timely narrative donor reporting in compliance with internal and external reporting requirements.
• Regular reporting to EF Programme Director and headquarters on project progress as required (monthly situation reports).

Fundraising and Representation

• In coordination with the Programme Director, take lead on the process of developing new projects to secure funds for EF’s stabilisation activities.
• In consultation with the Programme Director, liaise with relevant government authorities, donors, partners, UN agencies and international and local NGOs and various local co-ordination forums.
• Identify new programming opportunities and writing concept notes and proposals.
• Liaise with donor representatives in Badgad and Erbil as required.

Security         

• In close collaboration with Safety Advisor, report to the Programme Director for Iraq and NES, ensure adherence to security procedures in all field locations, monitor developments in the security situation, develop contingency plans etc.

• Relevant university degree (eg. Political or social science, international development, community development);
• A minimum of 5 years proven experience in operational management of emergency/humanitarian programmes and or stabilisation in crisis countries;
• At least 3 years’ experience in engaging with national authorities and donors. Capacity to advocate, liaise and coordinate with various actors.
• Proven capacity in team management and ability to ensure their safety (security management);
• Good command of programme and project management life cycle including strategic planning, development, management, monitoring and evaluation. Experience in the management of integrated multisector projects would be an asset.
• Experience in administrative, financial and logistics management.
• Good working knowledge of European Commission procedures required. Good knowledge of other donors’ procedures is an asset (French MoFA, DFID, JICA, etc)
• Experience setting up remote project management systems and procedures;
• Proven ability to cooperate and negotiate with local and institutional partners as well as government representatives. Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tact and diplomacy;
• Excellent communication skills ability to adapt to a diverse multicultural environment;
• Excellent command of English (oral and written). Knowledge of Arabic, Kurdish or French would be an asset;
• Previous work experience in Iraq/Middle East would be an asset.

https://expertise-france.gestmax.fr/5205/1/project-manager-h-f/en_US