BACKGROUND ON IMPACT INITIATIVES
IMPACT Initiatives is a humanitarian NGO, based in Geneva, Switzerland. The organization manages several initiatives, which includes i) the REACH Initiative aimed at facilitating the development of information products that enhance the humanitarian community’s decision making and planning capacity for emergency, reconstruction and development contexts, ii) the PANDA Initiative aimed at directly supporting key aid actors in improving the effectiveness, efficiency, and efficacy of their programmes, and iii) the AGORA Initiative aimed at promoting localised and multi-sectoral aid action in support of the recovery and stabilisation of crisis-affected communities.
The IMPACT team comprises specialists in data collection, management and analysis and GIS. IMPACT was launched at the initiative of ACTED and the two organizations have a strong complementarity which is formalized in a global partnership, enabling IMPACT to benefit from ACTED’s operational support in its fields of intervention.
We are currently looking for a Senior Project Development and Grants Officer to oversee our project development and grant management activities in the Horn of Africa (Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia).
Position: Senior Project Development and Grants Officer
Contract duration:6 months
Location: Nairobi, Kenya (with travel to Hargeisa and Addis Ababa)
Starting Date: 01/03/2023
COUNTRY PROFILE
The Horn of Africa is currently experiencing the third drought episode in a decade, following four consecutive failed rainy seasons. Coupled with the unprecedented combination of conflict and insecurity (resulting in an estimated 7.3 million IDPs and 835,568 refugees in the region), deteriorating socio-economic situation and ripple effects of the Ukraine crisis, the impact of the drought is likely to become catastrophic in a region that has not fully recovered from the increased vulnerability created by the severe 2016/2017 drought as well as the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Considered to be the most severe drought experienced in the region in over 40 years, the drought has compounded existing food insecurity among both pastoral and farming populations, spiking needs across the region. At least 36.4 million are currently estimated to be affected by severe drought and in need of humanitarian help – including 24.1 million in Ethiopia, 7.8 million in Somalia and 4.5 million in Kenya.
In Somalia, 6.7 million people are estimated to be facing acute food and water insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above), with famine (IPC 5) now projected to unfold in parts of Bay region, whilst several other central and southern areas face a risk of famine by the end of the year. About 20.3 million people in Ethiopia are now considered to be severely food insecure – the highest in the region – with the ongoing conflict increasing the severity of food insecurity in the north by increasing population displacement and the disruption of harvesting, markets and humanitarian activity. In Kenya, 4.4 million people expected to face acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 and above) across the Arid and Semi-Arid Land counties a result of the drought, coupled with high commodity prices, poor trade conditions and high inflation.
IMPACT established its first operations in the Horn of Africa in 2012 and today is present in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia, through a regional office based in Nairobi and national offices in Hargeisa, Addis Ababa and Mekelle.
FUNCTIONS
Under the management of the Regional Country Coordinator (RCC), the Senior Project Development and Grants Officer (SPDO) is responsible for identifying, developing and managing grants to fund the country specific strategies in the Horn of Africa. The ideal candidate would be eager to work within a dynamic and motivated team and will have a clear focus on project development as a tool to improve the efficacy of the humanitarian response in the region.
RESPONSIBILITIES
The SPDO’s responsibilities include the following:
1. SUPPORT TO POSITIONING AND FUNDRAISING
All the below tasks are in support of the RCC and the Regional Senior Management Team (SMT), and involvement may vary according to the profile and context.
Context Analysis
- Analyse the three countries’ respective socio-economic situation, (donor) trends, funding trends, needs and gaps.
- Regularly conduct stakeholder analysis, who does what and where.
- Alert the RCC and Regional SMT of gaps and emerging needs to trigger donor discussions/assessments in a timely manner.
Strategy development and Fundraising
- Contribute to the development of a mission programme strategy in alignment with IMPACT’s global strategy and road map through engagement with external actors, context monitoring, and relevant focal points.
- Based on the IMPACT strategy, support the identification of funding opportunities and donors to ensure funding continuity as well as support the diversification of IMPACT’s donor portfolio through tracking funding opportunities, also potentially engaging with donors and donor working groups.
- In line with IMPACT’s strategy and expertise, contribute to partners mapping, to support identifying potential relevant international and/or local partners (academia, think tanks, national and international NGOs, private sector partners, etc.).
External relations
- Support the overall cooperation with IMPACT’s sister organisation ACTED in relation to project development and grants management ensuring communication is regular and timely and synergies are sought and built.
- Contribute to establishing, maintaining and improving active and regular working relationships with donors and, where relevant, act as point of contact for all formal/informal donor communication.
- Establish, maintain and improve active and regular working relationships with IMPACT’s partners, NGOs, UN agencies, relevant working groups, consortia and academia in relation to project implementation and proposal development.
- Maintain an up-to-date directory of donors, international and local NGOs, other partners and stakeholders.
- Ensure fundraising activities are appropriately tracked in the Funding Tracker (or similar tool), which is updated on a regular basis to log in latest negotiations and proposal possibilities with donors.
2. GRANT MANAGEMENT
Proposal Development
- Oversee project proposal conceptualisation (problem statement, logframe), and the development of other fundraising documents (Expressions of Interest, Concept Notes) in line with IMPACT’s regional/country strategy and donor requirements and in close collaboration with IMPACT/hosting partner Field and HQ Grants Department (GD) and Finance.
- Liaise with the RCC, Research Managers, Head of Operations and other relevant departments to ensure proposals are relevant and technically sound, as well as with other internal stakeholders such as Finance for the budget and other budget related documents (e.g., budget narrative).
- Ensure that learning from previous projects (e.g., lessons learnt and best practices) is incorporated into new proposals.
- Ensure validation of all proposals before submission to IMPACT HQ GD, and relevant HQ partners through partner’s field focal point (where relevant) is sought.
- Ensure follow-up tools (such as the fundraising tracker) are correctly up to date.
- Address and coordinate the timely response and submission to all comments by donors on proposals in liaison with relevant staff in country, IMPACT HQ Grants and Finance teams.
Contracting
- In coordination with the RCC and IMPACT HQ, review/negotiate proposals and/or contracts with donors, ensuring requirements are clear and understood
- Contribute to due diligence exercises of funding partners in liaison with HQ.
Project Implementation and Follow up
- Ensure the timely completion of grant related processes such as Project Cards, Monthly Reporting Follow Up (RFU) and Reporting Deadline Tracker.
- Ensure timely Kick-off meetings are held involving all project components and focal points.
- Ensure the establishment and regular updates concerning project progress, key findings and success stories (including key M&E findings – where relevant).
- Ensure that all contractual obligations are clearly defined and communicated internally in terms of deliverables as well as narrative and financial reporting requirements, in close coordination with HQ GD and (as relevant) with partner’s PD and finance department.
- When any issue is identified in meeting deliverables in the given timeframe and budget, inform relevant staff in country and suggest potential solutions that would meet donor rules.
- Ensure ad hoc requests from donors are addressed in liaison with the RCC, Programme and support teams.
- Implement and oversee the project specific filing system for grant management and ensure it is regularly updated.
- Provide ad-hoc support to project implementation through trouble shooting and eliminating blocking points.
Reporting
- Oversee the development of quality project narrative and M&E reports (in support of donors’ requests), reflecting the progress and status of projects in a transparent, timely and professional manner, in liaison with IMPACT HQ GD and finance.
- Liaise with Program teams when preparing reports, and with Finance to ensure coherence and alignment between financial and narrative reports by crosschecking the matching of data in the narrative and financial reports.
- Oversee the monthly RFU and ensure smooth and regular communication with IMPACT HQ GD.
- Where relevant, ensure regular coordination with partner’s Project Development, Finance and other FLAT departments at all stages of project development and implementation, including consultations for donor discussions, participation in project kick off and lessons learnt meetings, and drafting of donor reports or amendment requests.
Partnerships
- Contribute to identifying potential partnerships for providing operational and/or technical support for IMPACT programs.
- Contribute to due diligence and vetting of partners in close liaison with IMPACT GD.
- In coordination with HQ GD, facilitate or take part in discussions with implementing partners, including in relation to formalising contractual modalities (due diligence and the outline of contracts).
- Ensure partners have a clear understanding in terms of IMPACT’s policies, procedures, compliance, programmatic and financial reporting requirements.
- Where relevant, review partner reporting regularly and flag any issues in a timely manner to the RCC, Finance and partner focal points, and suggest potential solutions.
- Where relevant, act as field point of contact for all formal/informal implementing partner communication.
3. MONITORING AND EVALUATION
- Ensure a clear M&E framework for each ongoing project is developed based on project proposals, implementation plans, and donor reporting requirements (including contractual monitoring and evaluation indicators to be tracked as part of activities).
- Where possible, and in close liaison with relevant research focal points, contribute to ensuring all activities have a measurable impact on the humanitarian response.
- Ensure M&E policies and procedures are implemented, maintained and tracked for reporting purposes.
- Ensure that M&E findings are reflected and their recommendations are incorporated in future concept notes, proposals, donor reports and implementation plans.
REQUIREMENTS
- Excellent academic qualifications, including a Master’s degree in a relevant discipline (International Relations, Political Sciences, Social Research, Economics, Development Studies, or similar);
- Excellent communication and drafting skills for effective reporting;
- Proven institutional fundraising experience, familiarity with the humanitarian coordination system, and understanding of donor and governmental requirements;
- Proven knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite, to include Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, Office 365, the Adobe package and Trello;
- Fluency in English;
- Solution-oriented, flexible, and open-minded, including ability to operate in a cross-cultural environment;
- Coordination, organisational and planning skills required, including ability to manage large workloads, effectively meet deadlines, through an excellent ability to multi-task and prioritise in complex environment;
- A self-starter with a proven ability to work independently;
- A sense of curiosity, the drive to improve the humanitarian sector, and ability to see the big picture;
- Past experience in field work is desirable;
CONDITIONS
- Salary defined by the IMPACT salary grid; educational level, expertise, hardship, security, and performance are considered for pay bonus.
- Additional monthly living allowance provided in country by IMPACT’s operational partner ACTED.
- Food and lodging provided at the organisation’s guesthouse/or housing allowance (depending on contract length and country of assignment).
- Transportation costs covered, including additional return ticket + luggage allowance.
- Provision of medical, life, and repatriation insurance + retirement package.
