Cash Consortium Director at Save the Children

Save the Children

Position: Cash Consortium Director

Job Time: Full-Time

Job Type: Contract

Place of Work: Addis Ababa, Addis Abeba - Ethiopia

Posted date: 5 days ago

Deadline: September, 30/2024 (11 days left)

CHILD SAFEGUARDING:

Level 2: either the post holder will have access to personal data about children and/or young people as part of their work; or the post holder will be working in a ‘regulated’ position (accountant, barrister, solicitor, legal executive); therefore a police check will be required (at ‘standard’ level in the UK or equivalent in other countries).

Project Summary

Save the Children leads the Ethiopia Cash Consortium. Consortium members include Danish Church Aid, the Norwegian Refugee Council, Action Against Hunger, the Danish Red Cross, and the Ethiopia Red Cross Society. The Ethiopia Cash Consortium (ECC) implements a large humanitarian cash assistance program (multi-purpose cash assistance) complemented by systemic support to the ECWG, funded by ECHO.

The overall objective of the project is to support the response to critical humanitarian needs in Ethiopia through Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA). The project is part of the broader efforts to enhance social protection, and the Consortium will exploit complementarities with other social support networks. The multi-purpose cash assistance consortium pursues coordinated response, realizing harmonized approaches to beneficiary overlaps, standardizing assistance packages across project locations, including harmonized financial service providers (FSPs), cash delivery modalities, project monitoring, and maximizing overall reach at scale in targeted hot spot locations via cost-efficiency.

The Consortium will be managed by a Consortium Management Unit (CMU), which will be operational from project start. The overall function of the CMU is to (i) coordinate technically sound delivery of project activities by all Consortium Partners; (ii) provide leadership in developing and delivering harmonization of technical activities and budget reporting; (iii) ensure that continued emphasis is put on cost-efficiency; (iv) actively represent the Consortium in the National Cash Working Group (CWG); and (v) ensure the production of solid evidence, to be shared with the National CWG.

Scope

Report to: Save the Children Ethiopia Deputy Director of Program Implementation

The cash consortium director will lead the CMU and be the operational link across partners for monitoring, reporting, representation, and timely information sharing. S/he will be responsible for effectiveness and cost-efficiency of project activities and results achievement; ensure the planned harmonization of the Cash approaches and methodologies (and accountability systems) is realized; will act as a facilitator in the Steering Committee and is the technical lead the Consortium Cash working group; maintain regular communication with the Ethiopian CWG, other relevant national authorities and the in-country ECHO TA; coordinate the preparation of harmonized narrative reports and be the ultimate responsible for their quality, comprehensiveness, and consistency; ensure that visibility requirements are met and IEC materials harmonized.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY :

• Manage the Consortium Management Unit (CMU) team, made of one Finance manager (100 %LoE), MEAL Senior manager (100% LoE); and one Grant Officer (50% LoE).
• Lead the strategic development and implementation of Programs of the ECC through continuously improving programming methodologies and herniation techniques for enhanced Program delivery by the consortium members.
• Takes leadership on the strategic, programmatic, and technical elements of the cash assistance (CVA) and ensures projects are designed well, delivered on time and budget, are appropriately monitored, evaluated, and delivered ensuring compliance with internal and donor requirements
• Oversee the implementation of monitoring evaluation and learning systems in the ECC Program, in line with Save the Children Program policies, standards, and strategies
• Ensure the Ethiopia Cash consortium program is consistent with the country's strategic plan and in line with the donor, government, and cash working group strategy and guidelines.
• Ensure the effective and professional management of donor relationships and grants and support the development of high-quality proposals for the Consortium, to complement the ECHO Funding.
• Provide ongoing mentoring, support, and advice to the ECC Program and MEAL team and to the wider ECC team
• Key relationship holder with the donor, cash working group, and cash consortium members
• Ensure integration and coordination among the various Consortium member agencies contributing to the overall goal of the Consortium through strengthening inter-agency collaboration.
• Ensure high-quality reporting (both internal and external) with accurate, reliable information and that reports are prepared and submitted promptly according to the reporting timelines.
• Strengthen the multisector team’s technical capacity of the team for effective project management through the identification of training needs and putting in place capacity-building and mentoring strategies.
• Ensure that all expenditures of the project are in line with activity and financial forecast and that all expenditure complies with the Donor
• With support from the CMU finance manager and SCI Country finance team, review monthly Awards, and assess spending rates and budget forecasts for all consortium members.
• Ensure gender and other quality markers are mainstreamed in each step of the implementation (starting from planning, beneficiary selection, disaggregated data during reporting and in the continuous implementation)
• Organize regular Consortium member meetings for dissemination of information on the project and discussion of how to strengthen elements of the project through collaboration
• Lead the Project Steering Committee, the Partners’ Implementation Unit, and the Consortium Technical Working Group.
• Ensure the visibility of the consortium members among humanitarian, donor, and government partners throughout the project.
• Frequent travel to Program locations across Ethiopia as required for training, monitoring, and coordination with consortium partners.

Monitoring, Evaluation Accountability, And Learning (MEAL)

• Ensure that programming meets high standards in terms of design, monitoring, and evaluation through ECHO’s Project Cycle Management System, Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS)accountability commitments, Program Quality Guidelines, and PME Framework
• Ensure that Program launch meetings and program review evaluations are in line with the organization’s and donors' requirements
• Ensure that Program learning is captured through sound monitoring systems, with specific attention to harmonized post-distribution monitoring (PDM), and that it is used to improve and adapt Programs
• Request technical advisors' inputs as needed and ensure that the outcomes of technical advisor visits, evaluations, and other recommendations are documented, tracked, and implemented.
• Ensure focus is maintained on cost-efficiency and coordinate the production of technical updates on this.
• Develop the Accountability Framework and provide management and technical support to the Consortium MEAL Coordinator and MEAL Technical working group.
• Promote joint planning and monitoring among partners and Programs and ensure integration and effective learning
• Ensure that reviews are documented and evaluation reports are in line with the SCI and donors' requirements

Team management.

• Upholds SCI and consortium’s values at all times, demonstrates self-accountability while making decisions, and managing resources, In line with the accountability framework depicted in the project proposal (Consortium governance), holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and taking appropriate measures to manage underperformance.

Representation and Networking:

• Engage with and support national and regional level networks relevant to increasing ECC’s learning and improving Program implementation; provide for potential funding/consortium work
• Represent ECC at Ethiopia Cash Working Group Meetings and/or Work Streams, and other relevant coordination fora, in coordination with the Cash Consortium members
• Ensure that relationships and formal agreements with the government are maintained and updated as appropriate

BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)

Accountability:

• Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modeling Save the Children values
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance, and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, take responsibility for their personal development, and encourage their team to do the same
• Widely shares their vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• Future-orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members, external partners, and supporters
• Values diversity, and sees it as a source of competitive strength
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• Willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates the highest levels of integrity

QUALIFICATIONS

Master's degree in Development or other Project Management, Social sciences, or related fields. Experience:

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• Recommended 12 years of relevant progressive experience, out of which 8 years in managerial positions. experience in a humanitarian environment including significant field operations experience running both emergency & development programs is required Skills/Ability required:
• Significant management experience working in emergency response or fragile state contexts.
• Direct experience in implementing cash assistance Programs, market analysis, and economic recovery.
• Previous experience of managing highly technical teams in CVA implementation
• Previous experience working as a Consortium manager would be preferable
• Previous experience of project management
• Experience of and commitment to working through systems of community participation and accountability
• Demonstrated monitoring and evaluation skills
• Ability to work both in an advisory and a hands-on implementation capacity
• The ability to speak and write Amharic and other local languages is preferable

Additional job responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.

Equal Opportunities

The role holder is required to carry out the duties under the SCI Equal Opportunities and

Diversity policies and procedures.

Child Safeguarding:

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Health and Safety

The role holder is required to carry out the duties under SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.