Solution Fund/Grants Manager at DAI Kenya - Development Alternatives, Inc.

The purpose of the Western Kenya Water Program (WKWP) is to increase the availability of, and access to, water services in Western Kenya, while enabling better management of water resources. The GOK’s goals for devolution and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals will drive our implementation of the Program, and we will thus focus on enabling county-wide approaches, supported by accessible models, tools, and data necessary for water security. We will employ an efficient and collaborative approach that makes best use of the natural, human, and financial resources available in Kenya across the public and private sectors.

From the Program Description in the Request for Application (RFA), we have identified the following three goals for the Western Kenya Water Program:

• To increase the ability of selected county governments and service providers to deliver good quality, reliable, and safe water services to urban, peri-urban, and rural populations.
• To strengthen the systems within which providers operate—including governance, financing, and WRM—building a foundation for continued, sustained improvements in country water services.
• To support sector inclusivity, by helping to create channels for increased participated and meaningful engagement of the private sector, women and youth.

Objectives of the assignment

The Grants Manager will play a pivotal role in managing and implementing the Solution Fund guided by the WKWP work plan. The Grants Manager will oversee the design and management of the grants funds including the In-Kind Grants with Repayments program and the Solution Fund to cost-share activities with the private sector. S/he will be responsible for adherence to the project’s Field Operations Manual (FOM), USAID regulations, contract requirements and limitations, grant policies, procedures, controls, and reporting systems. The individual will proactively coordinate with all staff on planning and implementing grants through open communication, proactive market research, and price analysis.

Tasks & Responsibilities

Management

• Responsible for providing training, guidance, and direction to project grants staff on planning, implementation, and compliance of grant policies, procedures, and instructions.
• Use the FOM to ensure that policies, procedures, and/or practices are being met.
• Responsible for ensuring documentation requirements are met with various departments i.e. technical, grants, and finance.
• Supervises Grants Team.

Planning and Implementation

• Oversees grants management in coordination with the Grants Team.
• With guidance from the Finance and Operations Lead, develops and implements the use of the WKWP grants manual.
• Participates in work planning and activity planning to align the grants program with overall project activities.
• Leads the development of timeline and details required for any activities needing grants; conduct market search and price analysis in coordination with technical staff.
• Coordinates with staff requesting grants to prepare Request for Applications (RFAs) to solicit applications and assess the capacity and readiness of potential grantees.
• Manages the evaluation and selection committee process for grantees.
• Prepares the required approvals to ensure compliance with internal and external contract and policy requirements.
• Prepares grant agreements and amendments, explaining terms, conditions, roles, and responsibilities. Ensures that identified weaknesses in initial grantee assessments and related requirements are incorporated into the agreements explicitly/clearly with the required monitoring and actions on the part of the grantee.
• Organizes kickoff meetings and apprises grantees of the responsibilities, requirements and policies and procedures to be followed during the life of the grant.
• Ensures post award grant management in accordance with relevant regulations and generates reports of status of grant activities, such as forecasting payment, inventory, amendments, close outs, and sector specific data (i.e. monthly and quarterly reporting).
• Coordinates with Finance and Technical Teams to ensure on-time deliverables, payments, and cash flow requests by monitoring milestones and payment schedules.

Compliance

• Provides training, guidance, and direction to project staff on planning, implementation, and compliance of grants policies, procedures, and instructions, specifically their role in the process.
• Reviews grants for completeness and appropriateness with the work plan.
• Ensures all required documentation is uploaded in the grants database TAMIS.
• Reviews grant milestones and requests for payments against grant agreements to ensure compliance.
• Trains on and enforces policies and procedures to prevent improprieties, intentional and unintentional.
• Leads the audit of grant files no less than annually.
• Other tasks as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; degree in business or related field preferred.
• At least 8 years of professional experience, including increasingly responsible grants experience, preferably with international donor-funded organization.
• Familiarity with USAID rules and regulations required.
• Previous experience with DAI policies, procedures, and systems (TAMIS) preferred.
• Ability to solve complex technical, managerial, or operational problems and evaluation options based on relevant information.
• Strong communication skills - both written and oral – in English and Kiswahili