The role of an Integrated Projects Officer (IPO) is to manage projects and sponsorship delivery at the Program Unit (PU), while ensuring a seamless integration and quality of both deliverables in line with the Country Strategy. The role will design, implement monitor and report on progress of project activities and sponsorship production in line with detailed implementation plan and sponsorship annual schedules. The role is intended to manage partnerships (county government, national NGOs, corporate agencies etc.) and sustain a working relationship with sponsored families and local partners to deliver quality and timely sponsorship communications accompanied with a demonstrated participation of sponsored families and benefitting from the diverse projects supported in the PUs.
Accountabilities And Main Work Activities
Planning, strategy and policy
Ensure sponsorship and program work directly contributes to the outcomes for girls and young women are realised and that girls take lead in advocating for their rights
Design and implement projects that are gender transformative and aligned to the Country and Global strategies.
Promote children rights in sponsorship and ensure Plan’s policy on safeguarding the rights of children and young people is adhered to by all associates.
Build relationship with relevant staff to ensure all logistics and procurement processes are in conformity with Plan policies, procedures and standards
Oversee sponsor visits as per Plan International policies.
Facilitate consultation, participation and feedback to the community in relation to Plan programs and policies.
Programme and project design, implementation, reporting and influencing
Promote participation of children, girls and communities in project cycle to explore and challenge gender norms.
Ensure sponsored families and community participation in the project design, planning and implementation.
Contribute to resilient responsive interventions through needs assessment analysis and stakeholder engagement.
Influence stakeholders to address the varied and complex root causes of the issues that impact girls' lives.
Facilitate access to relevant and accurate information on the projects to sponsored families, government officers and other community stakeholders
Contribute to gender sensitive responses/intervention through continuous data collection during project implementation.
Consolidate/write project periodic reports in line with the laid down donor requirements and Plan standards.
Working in Partnership and resource mobilisation
Continued participation on flagged business development calls by providing necessary information to qualify proposals.
Management of partners to effectively support sponsorship processes and program delivery. Track and monitor contractual obligations of all partners. This includes ensuring compliance to child sponsorship commitments and achievement of KPIs.
Facilitate authentic community led beneficiary targeting processes and reporting on interventions being undertaken.
Uphold the principles of Building Better Partnerships
Enhance effective data storage of child sponsorship documents at field level.
Facilitate consultation, participation and feedback to sponsored families in relation to Plan programs and policies.
Engage and maintain cordial stakeholder relationships throughout the project cycle for effective project delivery and achievement of sponsorship commitments.
Maintain a high level of external communication and contact at the community and county levels. This is to facilitate the implementation of the project and sponsorship activities effectively.
Build and strengthen working relations with local structures (local administration, schools among others) and ensure their participation and support to child sponsorship and other program activities.
Engage and influence different technical working groups at sub-county level
Quality improvement and standards
Deliver timely and quality child sponsorship communications/products as per monthly and quarterly production schedules.
Operationalise procedures of data quality assurance during collection and submission of child sponsorship communications.
Ensure each sponsored child is tracked on yearly basis (to check on their wellbeing, education and health) and submit reports on quarterly basis.
Monitor and evaluate performance of child sponsorship partners as per signed agreements.
Work with the Program team and the M&E team in documenting project achievements and lessons learnt.
Facilitate and coordinate joint reflection sessions with sponsored families, communities and other stakeholders to inform programming/improve on quality of interventions.
Financial Responsibility
Develop monthly activities and budget plans as per approved work plan and ensure all activities are on track with appropriate scheduling, quality and timelines.
Monitor expenditures by interventions and ensure compliance with approved budget.
Review expenditure reports on a monthly basis.
Risk Management
Develop risk assessments for all projects & sponsorship and put in place mechanisms to mitigate/manage the risks during the implementation phase.
Continually manage all safeguarding risks in both program and sponsorship.
Capability building and People Management
Assess local partners’ capacity gaps in delivery of program and sponsorship work and develop capacity building plans for mutual development.
Internally resources and establish external linkages/referral for capacity development of the local partners
Build the capacity of local partners, sponsored families and community volunteers on child sponsorship policies and guidelines.
Work closely with the sponsorship partners to ensure adequately skilled volunteers are recruited and performance managed as per monthly set targets.
Contribute to documentation and sharing of best practices with all stakeholders
Other duties
As assigned by the supervisor
Safeguarding Children and Young People (Safeguarding) and Gender Equality and Inclusion
Understands and puts into practice the responsibilities under Safeguarding and GEI policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), ensuring that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.
Leads the orientation of programme staff to ensure that they are properly inducted on and understands their role in upholding Plan International’s safeguarding and GEI policies;
Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in project design, during implementation and as principles applied in day-to-day work of Programme team;
Ensures that Plan Kenya contributes to Plan International’s global efforts to ensure safeguarding and GEI, including making sure that relevant reporting and data are submitted.
Technical expertise, skills and knowledge
Qualifications/ experience essential:
A Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences or Development Studies.
At least 3 years’ experience in project management in various thematic areas/child sponsorship programming and disaster risk management.
Demonstrable experience designing and managing gender transformative projects
At least 2 years’ experience managing partners
Hold personal values, ethics and attitudes which are in alignment with the principles of the Plan’s
Motorcycle riding skills and experience
Qualifications/ experience desirable:
Strong report writing skills
Community facilitation, networking, partnership development and management skills
Good communication, negotiation and advocacy skills
