Position Title: Project Officer - Sub Award (JEOP) Duty Station: Addis Ababa
Contract duration: Indefinite period contingent upon funding of the JEOP Reports To: Deputy Chief of Party/Operations
Job Summary:
The Project Officer will be the principal liaison for the Joint Emergency Operation (JEOP) between Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and its local Church partners, which include, but are not limited to the Hararghe Catholic Secretariat (HCS) and the Meki Catholic Secretariat (HCS). Activities include overall coordination, management and implementation of JEOP Title II food aid resources allocated for HCS, MCS and any other CRS local partners, such as regular monitoring of JEOP activities; and reporting to various departments on utilization of funds and appropriate implementation and ensure that program resources are used for the intended purposes and assess progress against agreed JEOP objectives. The Program Officer is also responsible for building the capacity of HCS, MCS and other local partners on the bases of the identified capacity gaps/needs. The Program Officer will maintain and facilitate a constructive relationship between CRS/Ethiopia, HCS, MCS and other local partners and pertinent governmental organizations in relation to the successful achievements of the JEOP. The Program Officer will closely work with partner program and finance staff and help clear liquidation documents on the spot. The Program Officer will strengthen partner’s grant management capacity, improve communication and enhance effective delivery of JEOP implementation to meet the level of donor expectations. The Program Officer reports to the Deputy Chief of Party for Operations (DCoP/Operations) and carries out the following duties & responsibilities:
I. Overall Responsibilities:
Act as a focal person for JEOP and liaising between the Core Management Team and CRS’ local partners implementing JEOP;
Facilitate field activities, such as early warning data collection and analysis, distributions and Monitoring & Evaluation activities, coordinating with the Core Management Team and local partner program management teams;
Provides support to partners’ JEOP commodity management, financial management and budgeting process;
Provide support to partners’ on PREP process and weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual reporting writing
Build capacity of local partner staff on commodity management and enable them manage the JEOP program effectively.
II. Specific Duties and Responsibilities:
Leadership & Management:
Serves as point person between local partners and JEOP;
Ensures that JEOP implementation meets government, CRS and donors planning, programming, monitoring, reporting and financial requirements including program quality and standards;
Facilitates development of annual and quarterly plans with local partners and JEOP management with corresponding budget breakdowns;
Identifies needs, gaps and challenges in project implementation and brings to the attention of JEOP management as required;
Liaises between CRS’ local partners, CRS’ Logistics Department, CRS’ Program Department and JEOP management to coordinate smooth implementation of program activities, including SILC activities, early warning data collection, monitoring and evaluations and any other JEOP program and management activities;
Ensures that all program deliverables are met in a high quality and timely fashion;
Develops and maintains strong collaborative relationships between local partners and CRS/Ethiopia;
Liaises with local partners and relevant government offices to support and facilitate program implementation, information exchange and compliance with government requirements.
Financial Management:
Proactively manages all funding under any projects that are allocated to local partners (as one programmatic budget);
Work closely with the local partners to review and explain budget levels, timelines, allowability, etc. and plan quarterly/yearly expenditures;
Ensures that all advances to local partners of different projects/grants are released on time;
Works with local partners to prepare financial documents and verify whether that they are accurate, valid, and are supported by necessary attachments;
Reviews Accounts/Fund balances of all projects related to local partners on a monthly basis using CRS’ Finance Department’s monthly BRMF;
Process routine grant management documents, including periodic reports and payment requests following applicable rules and procedures;
Responds to issues that arise during grant agreements and program implementation including financial reporting, issuing modifications, oversight of compliance with terms and conditions and resolution of disputes, and resolving audit findings;
Ensures preparation and submission of complete and accurate financial reports and cash requests to CRS/Ethiopia on a timely manner;
Oversees project budget development and undertake regular analysis of project expenditure, and lead the preparation of budget amendments/modification;
Maintains separate files for each partner, complete with all the necessary documents. (Approved Project Budget, Budget amendments, grant agreements, grant modifications, information on opening and closing dates of project.);
Works closely with partners to ensure the timely, accurate liquidation of project advances in accordance with approved budgets and USAID requirements;
Coordinates grant closure activities with the respective project/grant manager and ensures that expired grants are fully closed out within 90 days limit;
Coordinate with the Resource Accountability Manager to ensure that all expenditure requests are consistent with budget allocations, quarterly planning with CRS policy and USAID requirements, and bring any irregularities to the attention of requesting staff and the DCOP;
Ensure the existence of adequate internal control systems for commodity management and reporting in both CRS and its partners; and
Assist Resource Accountability Manager in audit-related activities.
Commodity Management:
Ensures that food allocations to local partners are released from logistics in a timely manner;
Ensures that Warehouse management, Inventory management, Detail review of food distribution documents and proper documentation are done as per JEOP minimum standards;
Follows up on food movement from CRS to local partners’ distribution centers;
Liaises between CRS’ local partners, CRS’ Logistics Department, CRS’ Program Department and JEOP management to coordinate smooth implementation of program activities, including food distributions;
Ensures that monthly Commodity Status reported is submitted to CRS program/logistics on time;
Ensures that commodities dispatched to local partners are transferred on time and best use date is properly tracked;
Supports partners in achieving minimum standards for commodity management using JEOP Minimum Standards for Commodity Management as a guideline;
Facilitates weekly distribution status updates from local partners to JEOP management.
Capacity Building:
Serves as technical support person for local partners and assists in strengthening capacity through training, networking, exchange visits, sourcing guidelines based on identified needs;
Assists local partners in the overall program supervision, project planning, program implementation, data collection, documentation and reporting as required/needed;
Monitoring and Reporting:
Prepares performance and financial reports & ensures the timely submission of all the reports and responses to CRS/Ethiopia based on the quarterly plan & allocated budget, & participates and actively engages in the identification, documentation and dissemination of success stories, lessons learned and best practices;
Working closely with local partner staff, devises and installs simple monitoring systems to allow for tracking and reporting of beneficiary numbers;
Coordinating with the JEOP M&E Coordinator, visits local partners’ operational areas to conduct regular monitoring and periodic evaluation;
Provides information on the appropriateness, effectiveness and relevance of JEOP funded projects to pertinent bodies of the agency;
Directs and monitors the implementation of activities to ensure that activities are performed to a high professional standard, effectively implemented and fulfill CRS/Ethiopia requirements;
Carries out other responsibilities given by his immediate & other supervisors;
Job Requirement
Minimum Requirement:
Education: MA/MSc or BA/BSc Degree in a relevant field
Experience: 4 years of relevant experience is required for MA/MSc; Or 6 years of relevant experience is required for BA/BSc
Competencies /Knowledge, Ability and Skill:
Knowledge of USAID grant management, regulations, systems and procedures is an added value
Strong program, commodity and financial management skills are required as well as experience with establishing and maintain relationships both internally & externally
Proficiency of written and oral communications in English, Amharic, Oromiya and other local languages
Commitment to frequent field travel throughout eastern and central Oromiya
Must be able to work with diverse groups & cultures
Ability to meet deadlines with high workloads & pressures
Good communication skills, drive for results, flexibility, efficiency and creative thinking
Strong computer skills are mandatory
Agency-wide Competencies for all CRS Positions:
These are rooted in the mission, values, and principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve the desired results. *Serves with Integrity *Models Stewardship *Cultivates Constructive Relationships *Promotes Learning
Relationships
Reports to Deputy Chief of Party/Operations
Works closely with Resource Accountability Manager, Deputy Chief of Party for Commodity Management & Compliance, SILC Officer, Head of Logistics, Deputy Head of Logistics, Finance Department, Early Warning Coordinator, and JEOP M&E Coordinator.
This job description provides an overview of the position advertised. It is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties and responsibilities associated with the position.