Plan Tanzania’s Country Strategy focuses on ensuring that children and youth are Empowered, Respected and Responsible. To this end, we have five Country Programmes, these being
(1) Safe environment for Children and Youth which focuses on protecting children from all forms of violence,
(2) Fair Start in Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) focusing on giving priority to achieve children right to Education at a very early age through early stimulation and responsible parenting,
(3) Healthy Life Programme with a focus on Maternal, Newborn, Child Health and Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health Care and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene,
(4) Children and Youth Voice programme with a focus on ensuring that children and youth exercise their right to access and use information, to communicate their views and to take part in decisions that affect their lives and
(5) Household Economic Security focusing on ensuring that families, especially youth and women have gainful employment and disposable income.
About the role
To this end Plan Tanzania has bid for and won bilateral grant funding to implement a Community Based Maternal, Newborn and Child Health services project which is in line with our Healthy Life Programme. This multi-year project has a contract value of over US$ 10 million.
The Programme Director is urgently needed to work with the Plan Tanzania team specifically leading and managing the project team in the delivery of the project to a high quality and in full compliance with contract requirements
• The PD is responsible for the disbursement of the in-field project budget in accordance with the project requirements.
• The project covers work in Mwanza and Rukwa Regions in Tanzania.
• The PD will recruit staff members and line manages them as the core project team.
Main responsibilities
The Programme Director will be responsible for the delivery of the project and any amendments that occur in the course of implementation. Indicators of success will be in the quality of the impact demonstrated, the audited quality of disbursement of project funds in accordance with donor requirements and the adherence to Plan global standards of implementation.
Specifically the PD will:
1. Start up the project including preparing a Project Implementation Plan for submission to the donor within the first 90 days
2. Complete project annual work plans for submission at the agreed time
3. Lead the recruitment of core programme staff
4. Conduct environment assessments and baseline surveys to support project implementation to donor standard
5. Oversee all project procurement and delivery
6. Report on all project implementation through agreed formats for narrative and financial reports including a regularly updated risk register for the project
Dealing with Problems
Leading and managing this programme entails working with two other International Organizations in Mwanza and Rukwa, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, District Authorities and other Plan staff who will be supporting it as well as senior staff at the international government funding agency’s local office in Dar es Salaam. The Programme Director will need excellent relationship building skills and ability to forestall conflict and to manage it if and when it occurs. The project will also be managed as a Program Unit within Plan Tanzania and will require clear communication protocols with the Country Management Team and the Programme Department in Plan Canada all of which will have to be discussed, agreed and observed during the life span of the project. Further, the PD will be required to work very closely with key project staff working for the Partner International NGOs and for whom the PD will not have line management authority. Finally, the PD will need to understand key policies of the Government of Tanzania pertaining to the scope of the programme.
Communications and Working Relationships
Internal: The Programme Director will work closely with colleagues at the Plan Tanzania Country Office and with members of the Programme Team in Plan Canada – As a senior, the PD will be a member of the Extended Country Management Team which brings together Programme Unit Managers, Country Management Team and Senior Technical Specialists at the Country level and is responsible for ensuring programme quality and effectiveness.
External: Within Tanzania, the PD will work closely with the Directors of Africare and JPIEGO and their senior programme staff. These two organizations are Plan Tanzania’s implementing partners and will receive funding from Plan Tanzania. The PD will also work closely with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare senior staff at the Ministry’s Headquarters as well as have good contact with the District Medical Officers in Mwanza and Rukwa Regions
Knowledge, Skills, and Behaviours Required
Knowledge
• Ideally you will be qualified to at least a Masters level in a subject relevant to the delivery of a quality Maternal Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) project
• You will know the funding mechanisms used by international government funding agencies and their requirements as a donor in particular Results Based Management models
• A knowledge of the Tanzanian development context or one similar is desirable
Skills
• You will have excellent and proven project management skills developed in the delivery of similar projects through teams that you have selected and managed.
• You will be able to demonstrated contract management skills
• Strong verbal and written communication skills in English utilised in the development of effective working relations across a range of stakeholders in project delivery. Swahili would be an advantage
• You will have experience of establishing and using monitoring and evaluation systems to demonstrate accountability upwards and downwards in the delivery of projects
Behaviours
• Leadership behaviours able to articulate what needs to be done and motivate your team to deliver
• Sensitive to various needs and interests of stakeholders based in different cultures
• Forward thinking, creative and looking for a challenge
• Willing to work flexibly incorporating significant travel primarily within Tanzania and work across different time zones
Location
This will be a four year posting based in the Country Offices in Dar es Salaam where the project unit will be established.
The closing date for applications is Friday 9th September 2011
Please quote reference number RE012
Reference and background checks will be carried out in conformity with Plans Child Protection Policy. Plan operates an equal opportunities policy and actively encourages diversity, welcoming applications from all areas of the international community.
Organisation: Plan International
Location: Overseas – Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Closing date : Friday 9 September 2011
Level: Director/CEO
Type of job: Paid job
Area of work: Programmes
How to apply
Please submit a full CV and a comprehensive cover letter setting out your reasons for applying for the post and outlining the qualifications experience knowledge and skills that you feel you can bring to the role to:- recadmin@plan-international.org