Programme Coordinator at Water & Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP)

About the role

The Programme Coordinator provides efficient coordinated delivery of the Kenya programme through the project managers in Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru and Kisumu and where possible through aligned research, influencing and policy development. This position will oversee the resources for effectively implementing the Kenya portfolio of work and for strategically aligning research with implementation to enable policy development which will strengthen the Kenya WASH sector

Overall purpose

A Programme Coordinator ensures the effective and efficient delivery of a WSUP country programme. The role provides operational leadership of country programme by ensuring planning and delivery of results and compliance. They will work effectively with the Country Programme Manager to support the overall strategic direction of the programme and with the Task Force to ensure projects and programmes are developed, managed, and delivered in a cost efficient and timely manner, in accordance with their project design. They will work closely with the Secretariat functions, particularly with regards to project design, monitoring and reporting, embedding research the learning.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS
Strategic Planning & Execution

• Work with the Country Manager (CM) to develop strategic direction and appropriate planning for the country programme which aligns well with those for the organisation globally and provide a strong basis for in-country achievement of business plan targets.
• In coordination with the CM build and maintain relationships with in-country service providers, government, national and international development partners, and private sector representatives and funders.
• Through awareness raising and by being a role model, create in the team of a culture of learning and reflection, building on both implementation and research.

Country Coordination

• Lead in planning and delivery of WSUP’s national institutional programme activities in Kenya.
• Promote effective coordination and support to Project Managers (PMs) and the Sanitation Lead, to achieve highly integrated programme direction and delivery.
• Coordinating all project/programme budgets by ensuring timely preparation by the project leads and submission of finance projections and expenditure reports to funders.
• Pursue potential future funding opportunities in-country and globally in coordination with the CM and WSUP P&C team, especially in drafting of proposals and bids.
• Ensure learning is shared within country and with other WSUP country programmes.

 Country Programme Management Support

• Manage and support the Project Managers to execute project tasks and as delegated by the CM from time to time to directly execute specific tasks.
• Approve expenditures and requests as occasionally and formally delegated by the CM within his/her level of authority.
• Ensure contracts are issued to WSUP’s and donor standards /in-country /funder requirements and are managed effectively.
• Be the first point of reference for the Project Managers on procurement processes and ensure adherence to procurement procedures while keeping the CM appraised.
• Ensure and support the PMs and other colleagues in the updating of programme activity planning and scheduling. Keep the CM and Task Force regularly appraised and request supportive action on delivery of tasks in all locations.
• Work with the project leads to identify and mitigate project implementation risks.

Progress Reporting

• Oversee and ensure PMs regularly review project plans and progress against funder commitments and projected milestones, and with the Project Leads recommend corrective action where required.
• Take responsibility for the provision of accurate Kenya programme activities quarterly and other funder reporting in coordination with the Programme Monitoring and Evaluation Officer and the PMs.

Research and Policy influencing

• Work with the CM to develop and implement WSUP Kenya’s sector influence strategy.
• Ensure high-level and effective coordination between i) WSUP’s research work and ii)
• WSUP’s sector influencing/advocacy work in Kenya.
• Provide technical leadership in reviewing sector policy initiatives, policy documents, laws, guidelines and circulars.
• Coordinate capacity building initiatives to staff from key mandated institutions to effectively drive wider impact and influencing in Kenya.
• Provide Policy support across project technical areas to align research and evidence agenda to WSUP theory of change and sector influence.

Other tasks

• Other duties as commensurate with the role as agreed with the Country Manager.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

• Evidence that applicants meet the essential criteria will be assessed by the following methods:
• Application (A) Interview (I) and Test (T) as indicated below.

Essential Qualifications and experience

• Strong experience in managing projects funded by international agencies (A)
• Significant experience of Water, Sanitation, Hygiene (WASH) for low income urban areas (A, I)
• Track record of delivering programme goals within deadlines and budgets in or with the private sector (A, I)
• Demonstrable track record of effectively building key external and internal relationships at community and governmental level (A, I)

Knowledge

• Good understanding of programme management and its governance (I)
• An understanding of the practical realities and cultural dimensions of working in the assigned country (A)
• A good understanding of the urban WASH sector and the enabling and commercial drivers that may be key to success (A, I, T)
• Understanding of corporate strategy and approaches (I)

Skills and abilities

• Ambassadorial and stakeholder management skills (A)
• Ability to work alongside corporate sales, product & service delivery strategies to LICs (A, I)
• Programme management skills including planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, financial management and sustainability (A,I,T)
• Empowering others to strengthen their capacity and capability through mentoring and coaching (I)
• Excellent planning and time management skills, able to work well under pressure and prioritise a challenging workload (I, T))
• Demonstrable commercial awareness; highly analytical (I, T)
• Able to identify, prioritise and manage areas of risk (I)
• Good communication skills; able to communicate complex concepts in a clear and concise way to non-technical managers both in writing and verbally and to provide professional advice confidently and tactfully (I)
• Able to communicate effectively in written and verbal English (A, I)
• Motivating and developing teams, including performance management and appraisals, preferably in a multi-disciplinary context (I)
• Collaborative approach to partnership working in a cross-cultural context; a team player, with strong problem-solving ability (A, I)
• Proficient user of Microsoft Office suite including Word, Excel, etc (I)

Desirable Qualifications, experience, knowledge, skills

• Charity or not-for-profit sector experience (A, I)
• Knowledge of managing funder grants, such as USAID or EU (A)