Working in 50 developing countries across Africa, Asia and the Americas, Plan’s stated Global Strategic Goal (2011-15) is to reach as many children as possible, particularly those who are excluded or marginalised, with high-quality programmes that deliver long-lasting benefits. Plan aims to achieve this goal by working in partnership with others and through high performing teams whose behaviours reflect the corporate values. Plan has a global income of around $800m.
Each Country Program is led by a Country Director (CD) who must develop strategies at country level that align with Plan’s global vision and purpose within the prevailing context of that country as it impacts on children. The CD is the sole representative and leader of Plan in this country and carries the responsibility for Plan’s reputation there as a legally compliant, effective and responsible organisation, unafraid to challenge injustice and discrimination against the poorest and most vulnerable children.
Plan Bangladesh currently works in 7 key focus areas:
- Quality Primary Education
- Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition
- Child Protection (Street Children, Child Marriage, Child Trafficking and Protecting Human Rights)
- Youth Economic Development
- Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
- Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change
- Children’s Participation
Future key challenges for Plan Bangladesh as it rolls out its new Country Strategic Plan will include a shift in focus to more marginalized populations, implementation of a redesigned urban program, an expansion of partnerships, an increase in grant funding, ongoing vulnerability to disaster, political insecurity and establishing an organisaitonal structure which delivers the desired results.
Dimensions of Role:
- Managing the Country Office Budget. Plan started its operations in Bangladesh in 1994 and since then has been contributing to the development of Bangladeshi children. Presently about 50% of the total budget comes from grants with Sponsorship funding projected to remain steady over the next five years. Currently the annual budget is approximately 13.5 million USD which is expected to increase over the next five years due to an expansion in grant funding.
- Managing Plan’s programmes. Ensuring that the objectives of the Country Strategic Plan are met. Over the next five years, Plan intends to concentrate its interventions in 5 Program Units and 1 Project Office with over 32,000 sponsored children and their families. However, there will be a gradual shift to poorer areas, thus phasing down from its oldest PUs will be a strategic requirement.
- Expansion of Plan program in poorer regions of the country and undertaking advocacy work for the rights of Bangladeshi children. Currently,
- Managing a major grant portfolio including relationships with key donors such as USAID, AusAID, AECID, CIDA, EU, DFID and SIDA, Coca Cola, SCB and other corporate donors.
- Leadership, management and development of Plan Bangladesh team comprising of over 270 staff. 8 staff directly report to the CD and make up the core country management team (see organogram at the end of the document).
- In addition to the core CMT positions, the Country Director in Bangladesh also supervises two international staff responsible for managing large grant-funded projects; the Missing Child Alert Project Coordinator and the Chief of Party for the Protecting Human Rights Project.
- Leadership and management of large-scale organisational change.
- The post is responsible for all work that takes place for Plan in Bangladesh including responsibility for the delivery of work and as Plan’s in-country representative to government and non-government partners. The Country Director is also responsible for managing relationships with the donors, local partners and communities.
- As a member of the Regional Leadership Team, the Country Director of Bangladesh is expected to contribute to the overall learning and strategic direction within the Asia region. This includes sharing experience of program development and learning and working in a poor security and disaster-prone environment.
Typical Responsibilities - Key End Results of Position:
1. Plan’s work will be relevant to the needs of the most vulnerable children and youth in Bangladesh
- The Country Strategic Plan July 2010 – June 2015 will be delivered;
- Emergency preparedness and response is a key program and the CD will need to ensures Plan Bangladesh ready to respond to emergency conditions in a timely and effective manner;
- The location of programme work is regularly reviewed to ensure new communities are reached and existing communities are phased-out from in a responsible, transparent and sustainable way when appropriate;
- The programme is registered with the relevant authorities and compliant with local law and MoUs exist with concerned ministries giving due recognition to Plan and its work in Bangladesh;
- Country leadership and staff are well aware of the country security situation and programmes are developed and implemented giving due consideration to security sensitivities.
2. Plan’s work in Bangladesh will be delivered by a cost-effective and efficient team, skilled in their area of expertise and compliant with the expectation Plan has of all staff:
- Creation and management of high performance teams delivering excellent technical work, using child-centred and gender-sensitive approaches in line with Global, Regional and Country Strategic Plans;
- Management of individuals across the team to ensure full development of potential through induction, performance management and compliance in all core policy areas;
- Staff numbers and structures will be designed and kept at a level that is cost effective and efficient;
- Work environments will be monitored to mitigate risk from health, safety and security hazards;
- Creation of budgets and disbursement of all resources will be efficient and compliant with relevant internal and external policies and procedures.
3. Plan’s work will be well funded and growing
- Identification and exploitation of funding opportunities in partnership with NOs and in line with agreed Resource Mobilisation strategy;
- Delivery of programs, grant and sponsorship responsibilities on time with clear measurable impact on children and youth and in full compliance with donor requirements.
4. Plan’s work in Bangladesh will be recognised locally and internationally as effective and relevant to the needs of highly vulnerable children and youth
- Representation of the work to all key stakeholders (advisory group, local leaders, workshops, cluster groups, INGOs locally and internationally etc) regularly promotes the issues being addressed and the work addressing them;
- Timely communications work keeps Plan at the forefront of the issues affecting children and youth in Bangladesh;
- Sharing Bangladesh’s experience with other countries in the region/globally regarding programming in insecure and disaster-prone environments.
Dealing with Problems:
- Complexity of Plan – organisational structures and decision-making;
- Dealing with emergency conditions – the Country Director has to be actively involved in having security information and providing clear guidance for the safety and security of staff, assets and programmes;
- Flexibility to support other Country Offices;
- Sponsorship requests – this includes finding out new ways of managing sponsorship, retention of sponsors and children.
Communications and Working Relationships:
Internal:
- CMT and all Plan Bangladesh staff
- Regional Office
- National Offices
- IH
External:
- Government relations are important and need to be well maintained particularly with the host Ministry of Home Affairs.
- Other INGO leaders and networks,
- Cluster group members Government, UN and donor representatives
- Plan Bangladesh is also working with many national and international NGOs. In addition, Plan Bangladesh has strong partnership with districts government and line departments.
Knowledge, Skills, and Behaviours Required to Achieve Role’s Objectives:
Knowledge
- Demonstrable knowledge as a result of study, training or practical experience on the key debates in development and emergency response methods and effectiveness;
- Knowledge of Bangladesh; the geopolitical factors affecting child-poverty and the situation of youth in the country and the political, social and environmental opportunities for change is an advantage;
- Knowledge of the requirements of donor compliance and financial management;
Skills
- Proven skills in the development and management of effective and motivated teams, including distance management and capacity development of national staff;
- Effective working with and through partners;
- Communications, comfortable with the media, presenting and arguing a case;
- Proven analytical skills in identifying any significant issues, communicating and addressing them;
- Ability to establish robust operational systems and structures;
- Excellent written skills in English for the development of proposals and the review of reports. Local language skills are an advantage.
Behaviours
- Self motivated leader with the passion for social justice;
- Person of strong integrity that is an example to others;
- Even tempered, patience, with a sense of humour is highly desirable;
- Creativity and innovation, especially in motivating and influencing others;
- Problem analysis, judgement, handling ambiguity and decision making with limited data
- Commitment to continuous improvement with the overall aim of optimising the quality and impact of Plan’s programmes Bangladesh.
Qualifications and Experience:
- Proven and extensive senior management experience leading complex development programs in South Asia.
- Proven and extensive experience of providing leadership through complex change programs.
- A post graduate degree in relevant field.
- Demonstrate experience in areas outlined in KSB above.
Physical Environment:
- Based in the Country Office, located in Dhaka, with extensive local and some international travel. An ability to travel to remote areas and live in difficult and insecure conditions is essential.
Type of Role: 5 year fixed term contract
Location: Dhaka with extensive local and international travel (40%)
Reports to: Regional Director
Salary: US$62,000 to $72,000. This is an accompanied position and a full expat package will be available.
Closing Date: Wednesday 26th June 2013
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