Partnerships Coordinator

Role purpose and background

The conflict in Ukraine is resulting in a major humanitarian crisis with over 4 million people having fled to neighbouring countries, and millions displaced within Ukraine. Plan International is responding to the crisis and working in partnership with civil society organisations in Poland, Romania, and Moldova to meet the key needs of those affected by the crisis as well as host communities.

Plan International has been present in Ukraine since July 2022 and has established partnerships with civil society organisations, ensuring national actors are equipped with technical support, best practices and flexible resources, with a primary thematic focus on Child Protection, Education and Mental Health & Psychosocial Support.

Dimensions of the Role

The Partnerships Coordinator has a key role in coordination and liaising with partners, conduct risk assessments and coordinate partnership agreements. 

This role encompasses working with various types of partners, such as: Youth Groups, Civil Society Organisations, Local Organisations, INGOs, UN Agencies, Government Ministries, Private Sector companies and more.

The Partnerships Coordinator will provide support to Head of Mission and Head of Programmes to the locally led in-country response, ensuring alignments with Plan International’s commitments to localisation.

The Partnerships Coordinator needs to be able to adapt activities and work streams to a changing context. The Partnerships Coordinator will closely with the Business Development Manager, Program Manager, technical specialists, finance, and local partners.

Facilitate communication between partners and between partners and certain specialists from Plan International. 

The Partnerships Coordinator oversees the communication between each entity and ensures that each partner hears the needs, goals, and expectations of the other. This is important because good communication can help both parties understand each other better, which can help build trust between them and help each achieve their goals. 

The Partnerships Coordinator can schedule and organize phone calls, meetings, and other communications, and communicate certain information to each partner to ensure that they are properly informed.

Accountabilities

Partner Identification and Assessment

• Support the Plan International Ukraine team in mapping various active local and international organisations and maintaining a list of Civil Society actors in Ukraine
• Support the Plan International Ukraine team in the screening and identification of potential partners, who are relevant to the objectives and needs of the crisis response
• Lead on the due diligence process for potential partners, in coordination with relevant staff as needed
• Co-lead on the technical capacity assessments for partner organisations with technical programme specialists
• Ensure quality data management in the Partnership Development folder, making sure that all information is systematically organized, and uploaded in a timely manner. 

Partnership Development and Kick-Off

• Support proposal developments with partner identification and partner brief on capacities and identities
• Support the Programme Functions in identifying capacity strengthening areas and co-lead on the development of a mutual capacity strengthening plan
• Lead on the development, review, and signature of Partnership Agreements, MoUs and amendments
• Create a systematic, process-oriented approach to partner outreach and relationship management
• Identify and pursue partnership opportunities through inbound and outbound cold calls, emails, and customer visits
• Research partners, identify key players and generate interest in wanting to partner with Plan International Ukraine 
• Collaborate with senior management and other members of the Programs team to align  internal goals with new and existing partnerships
• Negotiate and execute agreements in accordance with Plan’s rules and policies 
• Represent Plan’s brand and be an internal liaison for project partners.
• Maintain excellent ongoing relationships with current partners and propose new ways to develop partnerships, and ways to improve partnerships in accordance with Plan’s values. 

Partnership Oversight and Monitoring

• Ensure that mutual capacity strengthening plans are on track and that partnership monitoring tools are being appropriately used for all partners
• Contribute to the operational capacity strengthening of partners, with support from technical specialists
• Coordinate and follow-up on partners reporting deadlines and support on reporting revisions where necessary
• Draft Partnership Agreements and assist with FAD documentation 
• Coordinate and facilitate partnership review meetings in line with Plan International’s partnership principles
• Coordinate and facilitate close-out meetings with partners and document lessons learned
• Ensures 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
• Initiate and implement new partnerships where necessary to achieve Plan International’s ambitions and goals in the country.
• Participate and contribute to the development of programs and project proposals as needed, particularly by providing partner related information
• Support projects in the partner engagement process and in the management of selected and approved partnerships
• Update the partner mapping on a regular basis and ensure that Due Diligence is updated regularly based on the project cycle;
• Ensure the development of effective partnerships for the implementation of quality projects and programs;
• Develop and implement a capacity development plan for staff and partners in collaboration with other departments and specialists;
• Ensure that each Plan International Ukraine partner has an effective mechanism for periodic evaluation of the partnership;
• Develop and implement periodic partner evaluations;
• Develop and update a map of existing and potential partners of Plan International Ukraine;
• Organize partner surveys;

Key relationships

Country Director, Programmes Director, Technical Specialists, Business Development Manager, Project Officers, and support staff (Finance and logistics); Local project partners; Ukraine Hub and Global Hub relevant teams.

Technical expertise, skills, and knowledge

Essential Knowledge

• The localization principles and agenda
• The sectors of Child Protection, Gender-Based Violence, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Education and Youth Economic Empowerment
• Good knowledge of financial reporting and management, legal law

Essential Skills

• Excellent ability to write reports and draft tools and Standard Operating Procedures in English
• Excellent skills in problem solving and mediation
• Report drafting and review skills
• Good facilitation skills and ability to facilitate meetings and trainings
• Demonstrated ability to network and communicate with a variety of stakeholders and liaise with colleagues from different sectors and departments
• Effectively communicating with partners in a clear and transparent manner, in line with Plan’s localisation approach.
• Effectively demonstrate leadership to partners, providing guidance, motivation and mentoring on Building Better Partnerships and its approach. 
• Provide suggestions and decisions on which partners to select to work with. 
• Analytical skills: Analytical skills are the ability to process information and make decisions based on the information you have. Partnership coordinator use analytical skills to evaluate potential partnerships, determine the success of current partnerships and make decisions about future partnerships.
• Problem-solving skills: Problem-solving skills are essential for partnership coordinator, as they often work with other individuals to find solutions to challenges. For example, if a partnership isn’t meeting its goals, a partnership coordinator might work with the team to identify the cause of the problem and find a solution.

Essential behaviours

• Flexible work attitude and ability to work independently
• Ability to effectively communicate with a diverse and cross-cultural audience

Essential experience

• Professional experience in partnerships or grants coordination in an INGO
• Experience working in partnerships, preferably on both the programmatic and financial sides of partnerships
• Experience working on projects targeting adolescents and youth, especially adolescent girls and young women is preferred
• Experience of working in complex humanitarian settings
• Experience in providing strategic vision and guidance to  external stakeholders focusing on developing strategies and ‘Building Better partnerships’. 

Plan International’s Values in Practice

We are open and accountable

We create a climate of trust inside and outside the organisation by being open, honest and transparent. We hold ourselves and others to account for the decisions we make and for our impact on others, while doing what we say we will do.

We strive for lasting impact

We strive to achieve significant and lasting impact on the lives of children and young people, and to secure equality for girls. We challenge ourselves to be bold, courageous, responsive, focused and innovative.

We work well together

We succeed by working effectively with others, inside and outside the organisation, including our sponsors and donors. We actively support our colleagues, helping them to achieve their goals. We come together to create and implement solutions in our teams, across Plan International, with children, girls, young people, communities and our partners.

We are inclusive and empowering

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