Project Manager

Who are Plan International?

Plan International is an independent child rights and humanitarian organisation committed to children living a life free of poverty, violence and injustice.

We actively unite children, communities and other people who share our mission to make positive lasting changes in children’s and young people’s lives. We support children to gain the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to claim their rights to a fulfilling life, today and in the future. We place a specific focus on girls and women, who are most often left behind.

We have been building powerful partnerships for children for more than 75 years and are now active in more than 70 countries.

How have Plan International responded to the Ukraine Crisis?

Since March 2022, Plan International has been responding to the crisis in partnership with civil society organisations in Poland, Romania, and Moldova to meet the needs of those affected by the crisis as well as host communities, and now we are ready to extend our operations in Ukraine itself.

We are supporting an integrated education and child protection response, incorporating mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), with cash and voucher assistance (CVA) as a modality.

What can you bring?

We know that this crisis will have devastating long-term effects on women and children in the region and Plan International will play a vital role in responding to these needs as we continue to establish operations in each of the four countries. We plan to transition from the current support provided globally by Plan International’s teams to locally based, longer term staffing.

The ECHO Project Manager will provide support to Country Director and Programme Director to the locally led in-country response, ensuring alignments with Plan International’s commitments to localisation. The post holder will be responsible for day-to-day management of the delivery of the ECHO project in Ukraine, including planning and monitoring of project activities as well as communicating with local implementing partners.

The Programme Manager needs to be able to adapt activities and work streams to a changing context. The Programme Manager will closely with the Partnership Manager, Technical Specialists, Finance, and local partners. The ECHO Project Manager is responsible for providing overall guidance, externally with local partners and other stakeholders to ensure that Plan International Ukraine is able to fulfil its obligations to the donor, and ensure quality implementation of project activities.

Accountabilities 

Project Implementation

· Contribute to the planning and design of the project implementation and proactively monitor progress, resolving issues and initiating appropriate corrective actions in coordination with technical leads and partners.

· In coordination with the Programme Director, provide strategic direction and guidance to the ECHO Project Officer, and any contractors and consultants hired to implement specific tasks to ensure the projects outputs are achieved as per donor expectations and standards.

· Guide and support the ECHO Project Officer in the development and modification of all projects documentation (Detailed Implementation Plans, Risk Assessment and Mitigation frameworks, Capacity Building plan, and others that might be required based on specific contract stipulation.)

· Ensure activities are in line with Plan International’s standard policies and procedures and in line with the One Response Strategy.

· Support programme technical specialists to ensure that the project is of high quality and have direct positive impact on children affected by crisis.

· Lead on Project start up/closure workshops in coordination with all technical experts, finance, and project teams and with partners and stakeholders.

· Identify and resolve project implementation issues and implement improvement plans to ensure the project stays on schedule and within budget (on scope and on target)

· Work with the Partnership Coordinator, contribute to periodic review of the partner’s performance against the progress made and reflect any corrective measures to be taken up in consultations with technical experts and finance team.

· Undertake field and monitoring visits to project sites to ensure project quality.

· Actively manage, guide and mentor the ECHO Project Officer to ensure that the project is meeting donor compliance standards.

· Coordinate with the ECHO Project Officer and Technical Specialists to write, review and consolidate project reports, communication materials and other reports required per donor contract ensuring timely submission to Funding Office and ECHO, focusing on quality reporting.

Humanitarian Programme Development Strategy and Quality

· Provide oversight, and support to implementing partners in all projects’ activities, according to the approved project proposals, donor’s and Plan’s guidelines, work plans, logframes and budgets.

· Ensure appropriate project quality standards are met in implementation of the ECHO project, particularly SPHERE and its companion guides (such as Child Protection Minimum Standards and Minimum Standards for Education Preparedness, Response and Recovery (INEE) and the Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS).

· Collaborate with MERL to ensure that monitoring & evaluation and accountability processes are in place ensuring that feedback is incorporated into learning processes and project specific learning is disseminated reaching a wide audience.

· Develop and maintain close contact and relationships with the Government of Ukraine, Local authorities, UN Agencies, Partners and NGOs in order to support the humanitarian response in country.

· Strategically engage with partners in identifying risks and developing strategies to mitigate the identified risks.

· Oversee knowledge management.

· As required, facilitate, coordinate and participate in evaluations, conferences, seminars and communities of practice or other activities related to support for Humanitarian response.

Capacity building

· Conducting training and learning activities for staff and partners when required.

· Work with the Partnership Coordinator to ensure that capacity building plans and performance management systems are in place to develop the requisite competencies in staff to ensure ongoing sustainability and quality of the project

· Take the initiative in documenting lessons learnt, good practice and case studies to shape in-country strategies and programme approaches, and contribute to broader sector learning

· Lead on organisational level programme policy, innovation, learning and representation initiatives in consultation with Plan team.

Programme Safety and Risk Mitigation

· Managing risks to projects, with proactive mitigation strategies in place to minimize any adverse impacts.

Information Management and Communication

· Ensure strong accountability to partners and beneficiaries.

· Overseeing communications with relevant stakeholders, focusing on maintaining open channels of communications with project partners.

· Support in shaping communications and media products, with external representation when and if required.

· Support Communications Officer to ensure that Plan International and donor visibility compliance requirements are observed and met.

· Contribute and provide inputs to regular sitreps on Plan International’s projects, including any emergency response activities.

· Ensure appropriate information is shared within Plan International and is uploaded to the organisational intranet.

· Maintain constructive and timely communications with project partners, focusing on ‘Building Better Partnerships’ and responding to partner requests and queries in a timely manner.

· Ensure that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and

Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures

Other Duties

· Actively participate in bi-weekly Program Meetings, communicating issues and project challenges, as well as providing project information to the wider Plan International Ukraine Team

· Foster inter-team dynamics between the Programs, Finance, HR and Safeguarding Teams.

· Any other duties tasked by the Programme Director.

· Learn and maintain ECHO Compliance standards and procedures.

Technical expertise, skills and knowledge 

Essential Knowledge

· Degree or equivalent in management or related fields, particularly in social-sciences.

· Field experience of managing projects in a humanitarian crises or development context.

· Understanding of key practice and standards for humanitarian response such as SPHERE and CHS.

· Knowledge of humanitarian response, child protection and disaster risk reduction practices is an asset.

· General finance, administration, information management and telecommunication skills and proficiency in information technology/ computer skills. Previous work experience with an INGO (in a similar role) or civil society organisation highly desired, including past ECHO experience

· Excellent understanding of the context, and of local partners

Essential Skills

· Project management including planning and scheduling, process design, implementation and monitoring and evaluation

· Influencing and negotiating skills, experienced in gaining commitment from a wide range of people, bringing about change and providing support from a distance

· High communication skills

· Excellent report writing abilities

Essential Behaviours

· Committed to Plan International’s strategy and values

· Experienced with working in collaboration with Senior Management

· Team player and relationship builder

· Able to work calmly under extreme pressure, volatile & insecure environment and at unpredictable (long) hours during emergency response

· Works well in and promotes teamwork, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment, flexible and able to work under pressure well

· Communicates clearly and effectively

· Strong team building and motivational skills

· Demonstrates clear respect to all and especially children and women without discrimination

· Involves others in setting and achieving goals

· Demonstrates honesty and transparency in holding self and others to account to deliver on agreed goals and Plan’s standards of behaviour

· Promotes a strong learning culture in the organization

ACCOUNTABILITY TO AFFECTED POPULATIONS (AAP)

Plan International is committed to ensuring accountability to affected population and ensuring that programmes and operations are driven by the needs, priorities, and preferences of affect populations including men, women, boys, girls, and any marginalized groups. This is achieved by an all staff commitment to the ensuring the integration of participatory approaches, open, honest communication, and mechanisms to listen and act on feedback.

· Ensure the programme and/or emergency response is driven by the needs, priorities, and preferences of the people it aims to serve, through the integration of participatory approaches, open, honest communication, and mechanisms to listen and act on feedback.

SAFEGUARDING, GENDER EQUALITY AND INCLUSION

· Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.

Plan International’s Values in Practice

We are open and accountable

• Promotes a culture of openness and transparency, including with sponsors and donors.
• Holds self and others accountable to achieve the highest standards of integrity.
• Consistent and fair in the treatment of people.
• Open about mistakes and keen to learn from them.
• Accountable for ensuring we are a safe organisation for all children, girls & young people

We strive for lasting impact

• Articulates a clear purpose for staff and sets high expectations.
• Creates a climate of continuous improvement, open to challenge and new ideas.
• Focuses resources to drive change and maximise long-term impact, responsive to changed priorities or crises.
• Evidence-based and evaluates effectiveness.

We work well together

• Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
• Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
• Develops trusting and ‘win-win' relationships with funders, partners and communities.
• Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.

We are inclusive and empowering

• We empower our staff to give their best and develop their potential
• We respect all people, appreciate differences and challenge equality in our programs and our workplace
• We support children, girls and young people to increase their confidence and to change their own lives

Please note that Plan International will never send unsolicited emails requesting payment from candidates.