Project SUMMARY

CARE International in Uganda with funding from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) launched a new initiative to "Test and Build Women Empowerment Collectives (WECs) in Uganda".  The primary outcome of the initiative is to support strategic policy, regulatory and programmatic initiatives that will advance government buy-in to drive the scale up of a WECs agenda in Uganda. Through this initiative, CARE will identify and strengthen key entry points in the policy and programming space that the GoU can leverage to build momentum around scaling WECs in Uganda. To do this, CARE is partnering with the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MFPED) and Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development (MGLSD). The initiative will contribute to policy and enabling environment, and management execution capacity levers by driving forward the following key areas: enhancing non-prudential supervision of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) through UMRA Registration Guidelines, development of a comprehensive SHGs policy framework, and transforming large scale livelihood platforms into a comprehensive WECs platform through research and evidence-based documentation. In addition, this program will support research and generation of robust evidence to provide clarity on all the WECs across the country and a baseline for governments future WECs programming. 

To achieve this overarching goal, this initiative will advance five specific objectives:

1.      Support the Uganda Microfinance Regulatory Authority's (UMRA) finalization of the savings groups’ registration guidelines and implementation plan

2.      Strengthen the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development ability to develop and finalize the national Self-Help Group (SHG) policy framework through a consultative process. 

3.      Support the evidence generation, research to policy publication and dissemination efforts of the Project for Financial Inclusion in Rural Areas (PROFIRA) initiative.

4.      Support the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme (UWEP) by strengthening and embedding improved monitoring, research, and implementation approaches in the second phase of UWEP.

5.      Support MOGLSD on the planning and Implementation of the World Bank GROW project.

6.      Support different MDAs in planning and implementation of the Parish development model.

Job SUMMARY

The Senior Initiative Manager (SIM) provides overall leadership of the initiative. The SIM is responsible for providing strategic direction, project management oversight, and technical leadership on program quality and learning (PQL). The SIM is responsible for partnership management, strategic engagement of stakeholders, and people management of the staff working on this initiative.  The SIM will ensure that the initiative is gender transformative and achieves the best value for money.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

Responsibility #1: Project MANAGEMENT Oversight (SIMO)

The SIM is responsible for ensuring timely delivery of planned deliverables as per approved proposal, budget, and grant agreement. This will require the SIM to secure required staffing, partnerships, consultants, volunteers, equipment, and other resources on time.  This will require the SIM to provide effective oversight for planning, implementation and regular reviews of all implementations plans and budgets, providing timely remedial actions. It will require the SIM to ensure proper management of sub-granting process and supervision of implementing partners as per CARE’s award and sub-award policy. It will require the SIM to ensure effective budget management oversight including effective budget planning and monitoring of budget utilization to ensure a culture of zero tolerance to overspends and underspends and ultimately, zero No-Cost Extensions (NCEs). It will require the SIM to ensure effective risk management across, where risks are clearly defined and managed using appropriate risk management system and tools.

Responsibility #2: Program QUALITY assurance and LEARNING (PQL)

The SIM is responsible for program quality, accountability, and learning, ensuring the project delivers high quality results empowering women and girls. This will require the SIM to embrace and embed CARE quality markers (gender, resilience, governance) across the project cycle, regularly monitoring and reporting progress using the established MEAL system including quarterly program dashboards and other reporting systems like PIIRS.  It will require the SIM to maintain a solid PQL field footprint and consistent field presence across locations where the initiative is implemented across the country. It will require the SIM to establish and implement effective reporting mechanisms which allows the project to report progressively and account for their resources to donors, government of Uganda, beneficiaries, and CARE: this will include individual monthly reports from staff as well as quarterly and annual donor reports. The SIM will ensure the quality, transparency, timeliness and consistency of these reports and the reporting mechanism. The SIM will ensure quality engagement at PQL platforms including monthly Program Review Meetings (PRMs) and quarterly PQL workshops. It will require the SIM to define the research, evaluation and learning agenda and ensure that the research is robust, evaluations are rigorous, and learning is intentional and continuous. It will require the SIM to effectively manage a growing body of knowledge and credible evidence generated through research, evaluation, and learning, and to use the knowledge and evidence to inform design of new initiatives, inform strategic debates or discourse and influence development policy, practice and programs. It will require the SIM to ensure robust communications and visibility across different platforms like CARE shares, social media using quality content.

Responsibility #3: Strategic ENGAGEMENT and NETWORKING (SEN)

The SIM is responsible for external engagement, representation and influencing systemic change at the highest level using different platforms, networks, alliances, and coalitions. This will require the SIM to constantly review the initiative strategies, approaches, and models to ensure the initiative is protecting and empowering women and girls and aligned with GOU priorities, regional and global development landscape including global goals and CARE International vision 2030. This will require the SIM to regularly represent the initiative within CARE global networks and across different external platforms including Technical Working Groups and INGO coordination mechanisms and especially with Women’s Organisations and networks at national and international level. It will require the SIM to regularly engage with and maintain strategic relationships with current and potential donors, relevant GOU line ministries, INGO and local NGOs implementing similar programs. It will require the SIM to regularly engage with and maintain strategic relationships with research, evaluation and learning partners. It will require the SIM to engage and maintain influential relationships with advocacy coalitions, social media platforms and mainstream media. It will require the SIM to bring credible knowledge and evidence from the initiative to inform strategic discourse, policy debate and advocacy initiatives positioning CARE and its partners as evidence-based and data-driven actor within the sector. It will require the SIM to produce think pieces, research papers and publications to inform and influence strategic and technical debates/discourse within the sector, especially on how this initiative is contributing to gender transformation and empowerment of girls and women. This will require the SIM to establish a structure for external engagement and mechanism for reporting back to ensure feedback is shared and applied across CARE.

Responsibility #4: Human Resource MANAGEMENT (HRM)

The SIM is responsible to hiring, training, and retaining a gender-balanced, competent, and motivated team of professional staff, consultants and volunteers by establishing a collaborative team culture, high team performance standards and transparent team performance management practice using appropriate combination of reward, recognition and reprimand. As CARE ambassador, the SIM is required to ensure gender equity and diversity within the team and nurture CARE’s core values and code of conduct. The SIM will promote continuous learning and professional development of the team through on-job learning, relevant exposures, and appropriate stretch assignments. The SIM will ensure transparent and visible workflow across the team through Microsoft TEAMs, outlook calendar and other appropriate platforms. The SIM will ensure that annual performance goals and regular evaluations are conducted in a timely manner.

Responsibility #5: Project Steering and Coordination (PSC)

·        Establish project governance mechanism including Steering Committee (SC) and Project Management Unit (PMU) to ensure effective project steering and coordination.

·        Serve as Chairperson of the Project Management Unit (PMU) and ensure regular monthly meetings take place, are well documented and agreed upon actions followed-up.

·         Serve as Secretary of the SC to prepare and document SC meetings and to follow up on agreed upon actions; Ensure SC Chairperson calls for SC meetings with heads of partner agencies.

·        Ensure effective mechanisms for information sharing and cooperation with other complementary initiatives with which the GATES funded project will collaborate (e.g. financial services actors, agricultural actors), including organizing regular coordination meetings with them.

·        Ensure effective mechanisms for joint planning, integrated implementation, joint & participatory monitoring, and management between partners.

·         Support effective mechanisms for information sharing and cooperation among partners and other key stakeholders at all levels.

Responsibility #6: Promote Gender Equity and Diversity and Safeguarding Practices (5%)

·        Practice a behavior consistent with CARE core values and promote gender equity and diversity goals.

·        Play a leadership role in identifying and implementing initiatives that enhance CARE’s commitment to gender and diversity.

·        Ensure that CARE Safeguarding policies and procedures are adhered to by all and the staff that S/he supervisors both directly and indirectly.

·        Ensure that staff and related personnel under your jurisdiction are familiar with the following organizational policies and procedures and can identify when needed how these may have been breached. The CI Safeguarding policy, Protection from Sexual Harassment, Exploitation and Abuse and Child Abuse, The anti-discrimination and harassment policy, The code of conduct and the organizations Values.

Responsibility #7: Any other duties assigned from time to time (5%)

·        Any other duties incidental to the role or assigned by supervisor.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, SKILLS, AND KNOWLEDGE

Essential:

v  Master’s degree in development relevant field of study from reputable institution is “a MUST”.

v  At least 5 years of relevant field experience with reputable international organisations.

v  Experience managing similar programs with similar complexity and context.

v  Experience in gender transformative approaches, including specific experience in working with and empowering women and girls in emergency or conflict or disaster settings.

v  Experience in program design, proposal writing, resource mobilisation. 

v  Experience in managing a diverse and complex team of professionals.

v  Experience in networking and strategic relationships management at National level.   

v  Conceptual abilities, strategic thinking, and analytical writing skills. 

v  Good communication, presentation, public speaking, discussion, and negotiation skills.

v  Good research, evidence-generation, policy debate and advocacy skills.

v  Organizing skills and capacity to multi-task in rapidly changing and fast-paced environments.

v  Knowledge of and demonstrated personal commitment to relevant organizational codes of conduct including anti-fraud and anti-corruption, safeguarding etc.

v  Leadership and interpersonal skills and proven experience influencing others without necessarily directly managing them.

v  Experience in Private sector engagement and enterprise development.

Desired:

·        Professional training and experience in project management, Monitoring and Evaluation.

·        Professional training in budget management, people management and communications.

·        Professional training in research, analytical writing, advocacy, and policy influencing.

·        Professional experience in economic empowerment models including financial inclusion.

·        Professional training and experience in gender equality women and girls’ empowerment

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Excellence: Sets high standards of performance for self and/or others; successfully completes assignments; sets standards of excellence rather than having standards imposed; ensures interactions and transactions are ethical and convey integrity.

• Integrity: Maintains social, ethical, and organizational norms; firmly adheres to codes of conduct and ethical principles inherent to CARE.

• Communicating with Impact: Diplomatically, logically and clearly conveying information and ideas through a variety of media to individuals or groups in a manner that engages the recipient / audience and helps them understand and retain their message.

• Facilitating Change: Supports and manages the change process at CARE Uganda by developing a culture affirmative of change; encouraging others to seek and act upon opportunities for different and innovative approaches to addressing problems and opportunities; critically analysing evolving and fluid situations; facilitating the implementation and acceptance of change within the workplace; actively engaging with resistance to change.

• Strengthening Partnership: Identifying and utilizing opportunities within and outside of CARE Uganda to develop effective strategic relationships between one’s area and other areas/departments/units or external organizations to achieve CARE’s objectives.

• Management Excellence: Makes the connection between values and performance. Influences the performance of others, and ultimately, the performance of the organization. Sets direction, coaches & develops, promotes staff wellness & safety, practices & promotes compliance, models gender equity & diversity, communicates effectively.

• Developing Teams: Using appropriate methods and a flexible interpersonal style to help build a cohesive team; facilitates the completion of team goals.

• Diversity - Promoting, valuing, respecting and fully benefiting from everyone’s unique qualities, background, race, culture, age, gender, disability, values, lifestyle, perspectives or interests; creating and maintaining a work environment that promotes diversity.

• Adaptability- Expected to well adjust with the country, the Co-operating environment and with the Program team to function effectively and efficiently

• Coaching - Ability to demonstrate to enhance skills and capacity of staff working in the field and office for them continue to serve CARE in the future program activities