Deputy Project Director

Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Project Director, the Deputy Project Director will contribute to ensuring effective implementation of project activities, partnerships management and due diligence of Consortia partners and build strong, sustainable partnerships. The DPD will work with the DP and coordinate with Program Coordinators daily management of the project as well as sub-award lifecycle in accordance with the IRC The Partnership Excellence for Equality and Results System (the ‘PEER System’ or ‘PEERS’). The DP and the DPD will each be based in one of the two countries of implementation. as such, the DPD will have more direct daily oversight of implementation in the country he/she will be based.

Program quality / implementation

• The Deputy Project Director is responsible for the coordination of project in the country in which s/he will be based.
• Lead and oversee planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and reporting of project.
• Together with Program Coordinators, develop key technical program tools. Review and adapt existing IRC technical training materials. Develop training materials as needed to support the introduction of new programming approaches.
• Liaise regularly with the Field Coordinators to provide updates on the project, discuss emerging challenges, and collaborate on the design of new programs or changes to existing programs.

Budget Management

• Participate in internal BvA meetings and also with partners to ensure that grant is on track, and all under/over spent are handled with proper planning.
• Work closely with finance and grants teams to revise, adjust budget if needed.
• Collaborate with Grants department to ensure that project is implemented according to donor guidelines and reporting requirements are met.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Quality Assurance And Reporting

• Maintain an effective monitoring, evaluation and planning system.
• Analyze WPE date and share information with the DDP.
• Responsible for all internal and external programmatic reporting, including donors reports.
• Coordinate program evaluations and reviews, ensure documentation of lessons learned informing reporting and program development.
• Contribute to the development of guidelines, including technical design of software and hardware interventions for all domains under its responsibility.
• Ensure IRC and international quality standards for humanitarian action are fulfilled throughout the project management cycle.
• Provide technical support in WPE to the team under direct responsibility and the overall mission.
• Ensure that gender, protection and environmental impact are mainstreamed in all programming under direct responsibility.

Staff Supervision & Development

• Directly supervise team and technically supervise other staff.
• Oversee the development of staff technical capacity building plans and ensure staffs receive training accordingly.
• Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.
• Assist the staff in identifying professional development needs and opportunities.
• Work with the staff to ensure performance objectives are regularly reviewed and met.
• Provide continuous performance feedback to staff. identify performance issues and work with staff and Human Resources to document and address issues in a timely manner.

Partnerships and Sub-awards Coordination

• Ensuring that the Consortium partners follow the IRC PEERS that sets out efficient and responsive processes, delineates clear roles and responsibilities, and articulates IRC’s strategic approach to partnerships.
• Mobilize, train and provide on-going technical support to Technical focal points in the Consortia and Program Teams on working with partners.
• Examine partners’ Program implementation and assess possible improvements based on lessons learned, best practices, etc.
• Encourage overall program cohesion through coordination and information sharing with and between partners.
• Strengthen relationships for other partnerships (e.g. with government entities).

Partnerships and Sub-awards Management

• Review sub-award agreement amendments as needed, and follow the IRC internal review process of all sub-award documentation.
• Work effectively with the Supply Chain and Finance partners’ teams to ensure that sub-granting mechanisms are in-line with PEERS.
• Coordinate partnerships/sub-awards start-up. This includes preparing and chairing partnerships/sub-awards opening meetings in line with the IRC PEERS, in coordination with support functions and Program teams, to ensure projects start with clear expectations of both parties.
• Coordinate quality partnership/sub-award implementation monitoring. This includes, but is not limited to: preparing and chairing partnerships/sub-awards review meetings as per the schedule determined during the pre-award assessment. reviewing partners’ performance against Program’s logfame and workplans and budget forecasts, as well as reviewing partners’ compliance with any procurement, human resources management, financial management and other requirements outlined in the Partnership agreements and its special conditions, in line with the IRC PEERS.
• Prepare and chair partnerships/sub-awards closing meetings as required, and oversee the overall partnerships/sub-awards close-out, in line with the IRC PEERS. this includes, but is not limited to, incorporating reflection, lessons learned and future planning. preparing sub-grant close-out letters and ensuring that all requirements of the sub-grant agreement have been met.
• Lead the planning and organization of, and participate in, partnerships/sub-awards technical and financial partnerships’ monitoring visits to assess Partners’ performance and compliance against their Partnership agreement, donor’s regulations and overall Program plans, in line with the IRC PEERS. This includes coordinating inputs ahead of monthly grants review meetings to ensure that the IRC commitments to the donor are met and working closely with Program Managers and Finance teams to make sure that partnerships’ monitoring schedules are rigorously followed, and supporting documentations are prepared for review.
• Support the planning and organization of, and participate if/when requested in donor’s monitoring visits, as per the agreed schedule.
• Work collaboratively with the M&E and Program Coordinators to provide advice on strengthening monitoring and evaluation with partners, as well as design tools and create systems to effectively monitor progress made against partner capacity building plans.
• In close collaboration with Supply Chain units, maintain accurate records of Programs assets. this includes managing the Programs assets register, leading on assets disposal process when required, monitoring assets during regular partners’ monitoring visits, in line with the IRC PEERS and donor’s regulation on assets management.

Reporting

• Ensure reporting timelines are prepared and shared across the Consortia.
• Collect and compile program narrative reports across the Consortia and ensure timely submission to the Program Coordinators for their review.
• In conjunction with Finance, ensure the timely review of partners’ financial reports in accordance with the terms of their Partnership agreements, coordinated with the review of programmatic reports.

Partners Capacity Building

• Review the capacity building/development plan for the partners based on the pre-award assessment result, ensure capacity building/development plan is tailored, targeted and responsive to their organizational needs and priorities.
• Design tools and create systems to effectively monitor progress made against partner capacity building plans and to partners in their organizational development.
• Contribute/lead as/if required to collate lessons learned on a regular basis and disseminate these among Consortia partners to maximize the Programs’ impact and contribute to future Programs’ strategy and direction.

Professional Standards

• Consistently and proactively monitor/assess the safety and security of the team, promptly reporting concerns or incidents to the SMT, and when liaising with community leaders and other external parties as required to maintain/enhance the security environment for IRC programs.
• Other duties as assigned by the supervisor to enable and develop IRC programs.
• All IRC staff are required to adhere to the IRC Way Standards for Professional Conduct and the IRC country employment policies.

• Advanced degree from an accredited university in education international development, or related field encouraged.
• 7 years of experience managing education programs for refugees or crisis-affected populations.
• Experience managing large-scale, multi-million-dollar, complex, multi-country, multi-partner projects.
• Experience working in West Africa programming.
• Demonstrated success in staff capacity-building and in participatory, flexible, and gender-sensitive programming and implementation.
• Strong communication skills, both oral and written.
• Fluency in English required.