Program Development and Quality Manager

Job title : PDQ Manager

Line Manager : Head of Programmes (HoP)

Technical line manager

Duty Station : Yaounde with frequent field visits

Area of Operation : Adamawa, East, North, Far North, Southwest and Northwest regions

Duration : 1 year renewable

Type of contract : National / International

Salary & Benefits : M.G 1

Introduction

The Danish Refugee Council assists refugees and internally displaced persons across the globe: we provide life-saving assistance at the onset of a displacement crisis and support transitional and durable solutions in protracted displacement situations. We advocate at all times for the rights of displacement affected people and strive to build their agency. We work in conflict-affected areas, along the displacement routes, and in the areas/ countries where refugees and IDPs settle. By connecting and cooperating with local actors and systems, we strive towards responsible and sustainable solutions to displacement.

The Danish Refugee Council was founded in Denmark in 1956 and has since grown to become an international humanitarian organization with more than 7,000 staff and 8,000 volunteers. Based in Copenhagen (Denmark) and present in forty countries, the Danish Refugee Council is a non-profit-making, politically independent, non-governmental and non-denominational relief organization.

Our vision is a dignified life for all displaced. All our efforts are based on our value compass: humanity, respect, independence and neutrality, participation, and honesty and transparency.

1. Background

DRC has been operating in West and Central Africa since 1998. The DRC West Africa, North Africa, and Latin America Regional Office is based in Dakar, Senegal, and covers twelve countries outside of Senegal. The Cameroon country office opened end of 2017 and currently includes a coordination office in the capital Yaoundé, an area office in Buea covering the Southwest region, an area office in Meiganga covering the Adamawa and East regions, and an area office in Maroua covering Far North region.

DRC Cameroon implements several humanitarian, nexus and durable solutions projects, targeting IDPs’, refugees’ and host communities.

We are looking for an experienced professional, with excellent knowledge of humanitarian and nexus projects, to join our Programmes team in Yaoundé.

2. Purpose

The PDQ Manager is part of the coordination team of DRC Cameroon based in Yaounde and works in close collaboration with his/her colleagues from the Programmes team. He/She leads the Programme Development and Quality department, and directly manages the Grants trainee, the IM Specialist and the MEAL Coordinator.

The Program Development and Quality Manager is responsible for the coordination and management of key program processes, particularly in proposal development, ensuring timely reporting to donors and providing leadership to his/her team. The PDQ Manager contributes to increased quality by ensuring program coherence, adherence to program standards and appropriate learning from lessons learnt across the country program.

3. Duties and Responsibilities

Program Quality

• Manage the MEAL Coordinator and the IM Specialist. Provide guidance and oversee technical workplans and development of technical strategies and policies.
• Oversee the Grants Trainee – ensure timely compliance with all internal and external grants management requirements, including contractual compliance and reporting, and ensure staff have capacity to meet compliance and reporting requirements
• Support the MEAL Coordinator in the dissemination of program findings and research outcomes to donors, local authorities and to other humanitarian and development partners.
• Together with the MEAL Coordinator, develop a learning strategy for the country programme and integrate the learning questions in ongoing programming.
• Capacitate DRC and National partners teams to manage timely and quality completion of program deliverables and reports in accordance with donor guidelines.
• Provide support to project technical managers in the interpretation of donor guidelines in the implementation of project activities.

Programme Development

• Work closely with the Head of Programme, Technical Coordinators, Area Managers and Project Managers to ensure high quality and evidence-based programme design and proposal development responsive to the donor guidelines
• Coordinate and provide oversight to all aspects of the proposal development process from the development of a writing guide, proposal calendar, through to delivery and timely submission of proposals.
• Review proposals for consistency with the requirements of solicitations, requests or calls for proposals, predicting or preventing bottlenecks in the proposal development process and securing the necessary information to complete process.
• Ensure the proposal development process takes into consideration the mainstreaming of CHS, global cross cutting themes such as Age, Gender and Diversity, and lessons learnt from previous programming

External relations

• Engage and communicate with relevant donor counterparts and coordination bodies in Cameroon.
• Coordinate with the Communication department for the creation of quality communication and information products for donors.

Management:

• Provide strategic leadership and management oversight to the Programme Development and Quality department
• Directly manage a team of 3 people: MEAL Coordinator, IM Specialist and Grants Trainee.
• Accountable for achieving DRC’s strategic goals and objectives within the area of responsibility.
• Accountable for people management of direct reports. This includes hiring & firing, objective setting, probation, performance appraisal, development of staff, managing performance, etc.

In addition to the above, the Programme Development and Quality Manager may be asked to carry out other duties requested by the Head of Programme – but always in the scope of this job description.

4. Required Qualifications

Essential experience and technical expertise:

• Minimum 4 years of INGO experience in proposal writing, including conceptualizing and technical writing under strict deadlines with demonstrated success.
• Recognized leadership role in Program Development and Quality.
• Ability to work rapidly with staff in the field directly, and remotely in writing and where necessary revising concepts, proposals and reports.
• Capacity to work in a multi-sector team, including coordinating technical input into proposals
• Familiarity with requirements of key humanitarian donors and capacity to work in a multi-donor environment, including DANIDA, EU/ECHO, BHA, BPRM, CDCS among others.
• Good humanitarian and development programming skills, including capacity to prepare logical, coherent and consistent documents including log frames.
• Communication skills: excellent written and articulate oral communication skills, in English and in French.

Education

• Master’s degree in international development, economics, social science, or any other relevant field.

5. Required Skills & Qualities

• Core Competencies of DRC:
• Striving for excellence
• Collaboration and partnership development
• Taking the lead
• Communication
• Demonstrating Integrity
• Ability to work in a multinational and multicultural environment.
• Excellent writing, proof-reading, and communication skills.
• Excellent organizational and multi-tasking skills.
• Strong ability to adapt, take initiative.
• Interest for humanitarian sector and donor’s environment.
• Listening, analytical and synthesis skills.
• Excellent communication skills, as well as patience and politeness, are required.
• Exemplary sense of ethics in the workplace.

6. General regulations

• The employee shall follow DRC instructions on safety, confidentiality, and ethical guidelines, including the Code of Conduct and the Humanitarian Accountability Framework
• Employee should not engage in any other paid activity during the DRC contract period without prior authorization.
• Employee should not engage in any activity that could harm DRC.
• Employee should not give interviews to the media or publish project-related photos or other material without prior authorization.
• Employee shall return all borrowed equipment for the project to DRC after the end of the contract period or upon request.
• Employee shall respect beneficiaries and partners rights and dignity.