Job Title:Africa Programme Coordinator

Based at:Y Care International (YCI), London office (Farringdon)

Accountable to:Africa Programme Manager (APM)

Responsible for:Supervision of volunteers (from time to time)

Job Purpose:To effectively manage a portfolio of projects targeted at young people in sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean (Haiti); to provide technical support to strengthen the capacity of YCI’s southern-based local partner organisations; to develop funding applications to support the growth of YCI’s work in the region.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Main Responsibilities

1) Programme Development:

  • Identify opportunities for programme development, under the leadership of the Africa Programme Manager (APM).
  • With local partners, develop high quality project proposals / applications for submission to institutional donors and other major donors.
  • Support YMCAs and other local partners to improve their programme development skills and expertise, through training and sharing of good practice.

2) Partnership and Project Management:

  • Manage a portfolio of partnerships and projects in Africa and the Caribbean (Haiti), including both Anglophone and Francophone countries. Ensure effective support to each local partner so that projects funded by YCI and its back donors are implemented to a high standard.
  • Conduct regular monitoring visits to YMCAs and other partner organisations in Africa and the Caribbean (Haiti).
  • Ensure timely receipt of financial and narrative reports from partners.
  • Analyse financial and narrative reports, seek clarifications from partners where necessary and agree remedial plan of action with partners on issues of concern from reports.
  • Draft high quality narrative and financial reports to YCI’s back donors.
  • Support facilitation of mid-term evaluations and arrange external final evaluations and financial audits of projects / programmes.

3) Capacity Building:

  • Under the direction of the APM, identify capacity building needs of local partners and assist in developing and monitoring capacity development plans for each local partner.
  • Facilitate linkages and information sharing among partners, and with other agencies.
  • Assist partners in setting up programme, monitoring & evaluation and financial systems.

4) Learning and Communications

  • Capture, record and disseminate lessons learned, results and good practice from project implementation to contribute to organisational learning.
  • Keep up to date on learning, good practice and emerging ideas in the youth development sector, and apply these to programme development.
  • Collaborate closely with YCI Communications staff to ensure news and updates about projects/programmes are up to date, informative and engaging. This includes supporting content development for YCI’s website, social media channels and publications.

Scope & Limits of Authority

The Africa Programme Coordinator is required to:

  • Work within the framework of the objectives and priorities set by the Africa Programme Manager; take responsibility for managing his/her own work and reaching his/her targets
  • Work closely with members of the Africa-Caribbean team, the International Programmes Department (in particular, the cross-cutting positions of Management Accountant – International Programmes, Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Advisor, MEL Project Officer, Disaster Resilience and Response Advisor) and wider organisation (e.g. Trusts and Foundations Fundraising Manager, Communications Officer).
  • Support the Disaster Resilience and Response Advisor and local partners to respond to emergencies if they arise in the region.
  • Nurture and maintain strong relationships with local partners and donors on projects/programmes within his/her portfolio.
  • Liaise with external consultants for specific pieces of work e.g. evaluations, research.
  • Network, share information and maintain relationships with external partners (e.g. African Alliance of YMCAs, other NGOs).
  • Represent YCI on relevant groups (e.g. BOND working groups) and at relevant events (e.g. meetings, conferences), in consultation with the APM and Director of International Programmes.
  • Model YCI values and maintain relationships of trust with all YCI stakeholders
  • Conduct regular overseas travel (3-5 times a year) within YCI’s Africa-Caribbeanportfolio of countries, including to rural / challenging locations.
  • Conduct occasional travel within the UK to participate in relevant events/conferences.
  • Work out of hours on occasion and as deadlines dictate.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

YCI requires an energetic and diligent individual, with effective relationship and communication skills, who is able to design and support the delivery of high quality youth development programmes – with an emphasis on creating opportunities for enterprise and employability –and is committed to building the capacity of local organisations to better meet the needs and rights of vulnerable young women and men.

Knowledge

  • Degree level education in International Development or a related field.
  • Knowledge of socio-economic and cultural issues in sub-Saharan Africa.
  • Understanding of the donor community in relation to YCI’s work, and of grant-making procedures.
  • Postgraduate degree in International Development or a related field (desirable)

Experience and Skills

  • Demonstrable experience of working on international development programme management, including direct responsibility for drafting proposals for, and managing projects funded by institutional donors such as Comic Relief, the European Union and DFID.
  • Experience of working with and supporting capacity building of local partner organisations in the global south.
  • Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to relate to people from a broad range of backgrounds, cultures and capacities
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills with fluency in written and spoken English.
  • Good analytical skills to appraise proposals and reports from local partners
  • Good financial management skills to prepare budgets for funding applications, analyse financial information, negotiate budget variations etc.
  • Good computer literacy skills particularly in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
  • Experience of international development work relating to young people, in particular associated with YCI’s core programme theme of youth enterprise and employability(desirable)
  • Overseas/field experience(desirable)
  • Ability to work in French at an advanced level(desirable)

Personal Characteristics

  • Reliable team player with self-motivation and an appetite to succeed, coupled with the willingness and readiness to support colleagues.
  • Sensitivity, sound judgement and pragmatism to deal effectively with delicate and important situations.
  • Ability to work to tight deadlines in meeting departmental, organisational and donor targets.
  • Ability to represent YCI effectively at meetings, conferences etc.
  • Willingness to travel overseas on average 3-5 times a year and ability to perform well in challenging areas, conditions and situations. During periods spent abroad, the post-holder can expect to work unsocial hours from time to time.
  • Understanding and commitment to the aims and objectives of YCI, able to uphold its values, and respect for the Christian ethos of the YMCA movement.