Project Manager, WISE Project - Plan International

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Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls.

We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it’s girls who are most affected.

Working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children.

We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. And we enable children to prepare for – and respond to – crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.

We have been building powerful partnerships for children for over 80 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries.

Job Description         

Senior Project Accountant, MEL Specialist, Enterprise Development Specialist, Gender Equality Specialist, Procurement and Grants Coordinator, Quality Assurance Manager, Project Coordinators & Drivers.

Purpose: 

How does this post support Plan International’s strategy and mission? Plan International is an independent non-profit organization that advances children’s well-being and equality for girls. Working in building powerful partnerships for children for over 80 years and present in 70 countries, Plan International strives for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children while working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners.

Plan International Ghana is looking for a Project Lead to effectively lead a team of professionals and deliver high quality programming and results for a project titled “Women’s Innovation for Sustainable Enterprises (WISE)”. The WISE Project seeks to leverage the enormous potential and agency of Ghanaian women entrepreneurs aged 19 to 55 years in rural and peri-urban areas by employing both demand- and supply-side interventions to contribute to increased realization of rights to economic empowerment, well-being and inclusive economic growth in 3 districts in Bono and Ahafo regions (Sunyani Municipal, Tano North and Techiman Municipal) and 2 districts in Northern region (Kumbungu and Tolon). The project will start in February 2020, has a duration of 4 years, and a budget of over 5.5 million EUR.

Dimensions of Role:

The Project Lead will be responsible and ultimately accountable for project’s strategic direction, quality programming and results achievement, financial management and compliance, team leadership, stakeholder and partner relations, and donor deliverables.

The Project Lead will work with stakeholders at multiple levels to address root causes of gender inequalities through gender-transformative approaches. This includes an expressed need to promote women’s agency and ensure meaningful male engagement to support women’s economic empowerment. Feminist principles of collaboration, participation, transparency and respect for the agency of women entrepreneurs will be integrated in all aspects of this role.

The post-holder will be based in Tamale but travel to project districts where the WISE project operates for approximately 60% of her/his time, as well as to the Plan International Ghana Country Office in Accra.

Typical Responsibilities - Key End Results of Position:

Project Leadership and Management: Lead high quality and results-oriented program planning, implementation and reporting in compliance with donor and government agreements. A strong understanding of project cycle management, results-based management, and gender transformative women’s economic empowerment programming is essential.

Expected Outcomes:

• Project cycle management processes and tools (including detailed implementation plans) effectively implemented to achieve project results and comply with donor requirements, government requirements, and partnership agreements.
• Ensure program strategies in women’s economic empowerment are gender transformative and responsive to the context, implemented consistently across all project activities, and adhere to best practices in the sector. 
• Quality programmatic and financial reports are prepared on time and in line with Plan International and donor standards.
• Compliance tools and frameworks are designed to be responsive to the capacities of partner organisations and meet donor requirements for audit.
• Expenditure is monitored monthly to ensure spending is on track and forecasts are duly updated based on project needs and in compliance with donor regulations. 
• Monitoring and evaluation system, tools and processes are developed for measuring the gender transformative and economic empowerment results of the project; and project data is collected, validated and shared with relevant stakeholders.
• Ensure that local laws and operational policies and protocols, including for security, are observed and respected.

Women’s Economic Empowerment:

Oversee the establishment of women-friendly business hubs (HerHubs), which will serve as a ‘one-stop shop’ for women to access gender-responsive services to start and grow small enterprises. A strong understanding of agricultural value chains, green businesses, enterprise development, and financial inclusion is essential.

Expected Outcomes:

• Facilitate entrepreneurship opportunities, expand agri-businesses and establish sustainable business (green) streams which align with Ghana’s existing programs, policies and investments, including the Rural Enterprise Programme, Planting for Food and Jobs, and One-District, One-Factory initiatives, etc.
• Work with multiple stakeholders including the Microfinance Institutions (MFIs), Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) to ensure availability of inter-connected and inclusive enterprise development services and products for women entrepreneurs in project locations.
• Work with the Project Team to ensure HerHubs in Business Advisory Centres (BACs) and Rural Solar HerHubs are established and operational in the five service areas of entrepreneurship and business management, green value chain development, green businesses, marketing and outreach, and financial inclusion.
• Ensure innovative digital technology platforms linking HerHub providers are developed and integrated into local financial institutions to promote women-owned businesses.
• Ensure inclusive financial and business development services and products are developed for women and rolled out.
• Promote increased access to markets and opportunities in agri-business and green business for women.
• Partnership Management, Communication, Coordination, and Influencing Policy: Foster and maintain productive and professional relationships with and between all project partners and stakeholders (women entrepreneurs and beneficiaries, government, private sector and non-profit and others as identified).

Expected Outcomes:

• Manage sub-grants provided to diverse implementing partners, ensuring partners receive adequate support to deliver quality programming and reporting.
• Engage multiple partners and stakeholders to facilitate the delivery of gender-responsive services and products across the five main services areas of HerHubs.
• Facilitate the provision of services, improve linkages and build the capacity, particularly of local actors, to offer gender-responsive, sustainable support to women entrepreneurs
• Foster strong coordination and collaboration with women entrepreneurs through open and transparent communication, participation and joint decision-making, and respect for their agency and technical expertise.
• Provide strategic and feminist leadership within the project’s governance structures.
• Cultivate a positive relationship with the donor agency (Global Affairs Canada) in Ghana and relevant government departments and the private sector.
• Support the WISE team to closely with Local NGOs, CSOs, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Environmental Protection Agency, Association of Ghana Industries and others to analyse internal and external evidence and data to build WISE thought leadership, establish clear policy positions and use these to identify opportunities to challenge and strengthen policy and legal frameworks at national and regional levels.
• Support the WISE team to use Plan International’s expert voice, evidence-based positions, and illustrations of successful programme interventions to inform and engage policy makers via key media and social media outlets.
• Best practices and lessons learned are documented, shared, and integrated into programming.
• Work with program staff and technical advisors to identify the technical support needs of the project and ensure this support is provided.

Team Leadership:

Lead and manage a team of professionals to ensure high levels of motivation, commitment, capacity and teamwork. 

Expected Outcomes:

Roles, responsibilities and expectations are clearly communicated and understood by the full project team and tasks are appropriately delegated.
Internal planning meetings are organized regularly to provide direction and guidance.

Team members are mentored and coached to achieve their full potential and results of the project.

Staff performance reviews are conducted in line with Plan International Ghana’s performance management system.

Ensure that Plan International’s global policies for Child and Youth Safeguarding, Child Protection, 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, their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures. 

Communications and Working Relationships:

The Project Lead will be responsible for ensuring the productive and functional relationships with the project team, project partners including private organizations, civil society organizations, government departments, as well as Global Affairs Canada, and the wider Plan International Ghana and Plan International Canada teams. 

High contact with Plan International partner organizations to manage sub-grants and ensure compliance;
Maintains medium contact with other staff from the Program Unit and country office to offer support for understanding and implementation of the WISE related activities.

Knowledge, Skills, Behaviors, and Experience Required to Achieve Role’s Objectives:

Qualification and Experience

• Advanced degree in relevant field such as Project Management, Agriculture Economics, Development Studies, or other related social science fields.
• A minimum of 7 years of relevant professional experience in leading complex development projects that delivers high quality economic empowerment programming and gender transformative results. 
• Strong understanding and proven application of project cycle management.
• Proven experience in directly managing a diverse team including technical and finance staff ensuring high levels of motivation, commitment, capacity and teamwork. 
• Proven experience managing effective partnerships with private sector, government and non for profit in driving and pioneering economic empowerment solutions that improve cost-effectiveness and challenge traditional models, approaches and partnerships to promote socio-economic well-being of women in Ghana.
• Proven experience in Agricultural Value Chains, Enterprise Development, Green Businesses and Financial Inclusion
• Progressive experience working for INGOs in increasingly senior level management positions.
• Capacity building experience in project design, implementation, reporting, and evaluation.
• Demonstrated behaviours needed by the postholder to successfully perform the role:
• Passion for gender transformative programming and women’s economic empowerment, mission driven work and personal values aligned with Plan International.
  Commitment to working transparently and with integrity.
• Inclusive and empowering approach to leadership and project management.
• Strong negotiation and influencing skills, natural ability to manage diverse opinions and agendas, finding win-win solutions in a respectful manner. 
• Demonstrated creativity and willingness to innovate.
• Flexible and adaptable work style to respond to an evolving context.
• Proven leadership, inter-personal and cross-cultural skills, and ability to build and motivate teams.
• Ability to work under pressure, prioritize and meet deadlines.
• Promotes high performance by all staff
• Communicates clearly and effectively

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