Programme Manager- Supporting the Education of Marginalised Girls (Nepal) - Mercy Corps

Tracking Code: 218543-927

Job Location: Kathmandu, Bagmata, Nepal

Position Type: Full-Time/Regular

Job Description

Position contingent upon funding

PROGRAMME /DEPARTMENT SUMMARY:

The Programme Manager - Supporting the Education of Marginalised Girls (STEM) will lead the implementation of a proposed 3-year, £1.4 million DFID-funded programme focused on marginalised girls in the Far Western Region of Nepal to Enrol in school,Learn and pass exams, and begin to Earn their way from school to work.  The STEM programme will enable 9,398 marginalised Dalit and Janajati girls ages 10-16 to change their attitudes or behavior, with 5,535 completing a full cycle of education (or an appropriate equivalent) and demonstrate learning. A key strategy to ensure this level of learning is the creation of after school and out of school (OOS) Girls Clubs.  These clubs will reach 7,161 marginalised girls grades 5-10. STEM will assist 1,633 OOS girls to either return to formal education or enroll in Non-Formal Education (NFE) while assisting girls to obtain training around financial literacy, vocational training and apprenticeships, among others; select successful girls will be linked with financial institutions to provide start-up business for potential business-starting or –expanding loans.  In addition to marginalised girls, STEM will work with boys, teachers, parents and community members to ensure that girls have a supportive environment and champions that promote their education. STEM is innovative in its design to facilitate the mobilisation of existing and new Public Private Partnerships (PPP) that engage with and support existing, and where necessary create new, sustainable community structures that will make the education of marginalised in-school and out-of-school (OOS) Dalit and Janajati girls more efficient, equitable and effective.

GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:

The Programme Manager will provide overall leadership, management and strategic vision to the implementation of the STEM programme, managing staff, overseeing involved and detailed monitoring and evaluation, supervising international and national partners and resources to ensure that the programme meets performance-based targets on-time, within budget per DfID requirements and represents strong Value for Money (VfM).  The Programme Manager will supervise key programme staff and ensure accountability to Mercy Corps policies and donor rules and regulations.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Programme Implementation

• Ensure STEM implementation is responsive to marginalised girls, their families, their communities, primary and secondary schools and implementation partners and aligns with Mercy Corps principles, values and strategic plan.  
• Ensure the STEM team adheres to Value for Money principles as outlined in Mercy Corps’ DfID proposal (i.e. economy, efficiency, effectiveness and equity).
• The Programme Manager will ensure programme funds are spent efficiently and maximised so that activity milestones are met as per the workplan.
• Monitor adherence to grant agreement, Mercy Corps and DfID policies and procedures and relevant external rules and regulations.
• Oversee performance of sub-grantees and private sector partners.
• Conduct frequent field visits to all project sites in Kailali district of Nepal. 
• Fundraise from private sector partners for programme co-financing.

Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) and Reporting

• Facilitate the achievement of performance-based targets and outcomes and lead efforts to design effective, proactive, and iterative M&E systems following DfID’s logical framework.
• Oversee the scope of work, deliverables and overall quality of work of STEM’s external evaluation partner.
• Oversee the scheduling and production of formal and informal reports on all aspects of the programme in a timely and efficient manner.
• Ensure programme data is used for learning by holding and leading semi-annual program workshops with all programme partners. 
• Document achievements/impact of innovative programme components of the programme
• Ensure that M&E team members focus on assisting programmes to generate practical information that can be used for ongoing programme analysis and decision-making while also capturing results at the impact level.

Representation

• Represent Mercy Corps at government, donor, NGO and other relevant events in the field, in close coordination with the Mercy Corps Nepal Country Director and Director of Programmes. 
• Coordinate activities with consortium partners, subgrantees, local government and other implementers, as well as with other Mercy Corps programmes.
• Proactively form relationships with private sector actors and to complement DfID funding.

Team Management

• Create a work atmosphere conducive to professional growth and development of excellent personnel at all levels.
• Implement and ensure all team members, including partners, are effectively using the performance planning and management system, establishing performance expectations and regularly providing constructive feedback. 
• Promote accountability by conducting staff annual performance reviews and ensure that supervisory staff do the same.  
• Contribute to country team-building efforts and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes.

Programme Support Operations

• Coordinate with programme and finance and administration/logistics staff to ensure operational systems are in place to support field activities including logistics (transport, warehousing and asset management), procurement, security, administration and human resources.
• Propose design of new local policies as needed and in accordance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations.

ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING:

As part of Mercy Corps’ agency-wide Organizational Learning Initiative, all team members are responsible for spending 5% of their work time in formal and/or non-formal professional learning activities.

ACCOUNTABILITY:

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: Direct supervision of: Programme and Technical staff/officers and M&E Officers

REPORTS DIRECTLY TO:  Mercy Corps Nepal, Director of Programmes

WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: Director of Programmes,Finance Manager, Logistics/Procurement Manager, other programme managers in-country, HQ Programme Operations Team members, Mercy Corps Technical Support Unit (TSU) team members

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

• MA/S or equivalent in education, management, social sciences, international development or other relevant field.
• A minimum of 3- 5 years in a management role.
• Strong understanding of DfID VfM principles and compliance issues.
• Strong written and oral communication skills in English required, including report development, writing and editing.
• Strong management skills, with good understanding of relevant cross-cultural issues.
• Experience managing education programmes and especially those targeted at girls education is required.  
• Experience working in South Asia, especially Nepal, is preferred.
• Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively with team members.
• Demonstrated experience working with country-level ministries and government officials, Ministry of Education experience is preferred.
• Experience coordinating with private sector actors to leverage complementary funding and increase scale of activities.

SUCCESS FACTORS:

The successful Programme Manager will combine exceptional management skills and experience in maintaining DfID and partner relationships with a focus on innovative interventions to enroll and retain marginalised Nepali girls in school.  S/he will have an outstanding ability to develop, implement and manage innovative and complex programmes within the current and future programme structure of Mercy Corps in the region, while also having the ability to synthesise complex data and information to form cogent analysis of what’s working, what’s not, why and how to move forward creatively. S/he will also have proven experience with cross-cultural teams and capacity building, individual staff development, and strong mentoring skills. Multi-tasking, prioritising, problem solving and simultaneous attention to detail and strategic vision are essential.

The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.

LIVING CONDITIONS/ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS:

The Programme Manager will be based in Kathmandu and manage programme activities in the Far Western Region of Nepal.  This is an accompanied position.

 Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

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