Program Quality Manager, Cordaid DRC

City/location:

Goma

Organization:

Catholic Organization for Relief and Development Aid

Introduction

Cordaid works to end poverty and exclusion. We do this in the world’s most fragile and conflict-affected areas. We engage communities to rebuild trust and resilience and increase people’s self-reliance. Where poverty, conflict and exclusion divide societies, we connect people and communities. Cordaid is one of the leading Civil Society Organizations in the Netherlands, working in fragile contexts on Health, Resilience, Private Sector Development, Humanitarian Aid and Security & Justice. Cordaid has over 500 staff, working at Global Office in the Netherlands and in offices across the most fragile countries in the world. Within Cordaid we work on the basis of trust, accountability, cooperation and solution orientation.

For the Cordaid Country office in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Cordaid is looking for a Program Quality Manager based in Goma. Cordaid has been operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for 40 years, successfully implementing programs in Health, RBF, Education, Community Resilience, Lobby and Advocacy, Emergency and Security and Justice. The DRC 2020 budget is nearly 70 million USD. Cordaid DRC employs over 200 national and 8 international staff operating out from Kinshasa, Bukavu, Gemena, Kananga, Goma and Bunia. Cordaid has also 12 sub-offices around the country. Position and Responsibility The Program Quality manager will lead the development, management and implementation of Eastern DRC high-quality programs that are needs-driven and evidence-based, adhering to Cordaid program quality standards. The Program Quality Manager will supervise Health, RBF, and Security/Stabilization Program Managers, ensuring compliance with Cordaid and donors’ requirements by effectively leveraging support from MEL, technical advisors and management quality staff. The Program Quality Manager will play a key role in the overall leadership and management of the Cordaid DRC country programs especially in Goma, Bukavu and Bunia. Her/his day-to-day responsibilities will include direct supervision and support to the program and operation staff. S/he will ensure smooth management of Goma office, representation and program quality as well as business development. The position will be based in Goma, Province of North Kivu, but will require some travel to other Eastern DRC offices based on the priorities and competing needs. The Program Quality Manager will work closely with the Country Director, Finance director and the Program Director, all based in Kinshasa.

Specific Tasks and Objectives

Program Quality/Management

Set high standards for program quality (adhering to CORDAID standard), ensuring CORDAID programs are innovative, dynamic, needs-driven, and results-oriented;
Oversee and ensure representation for 3 offices in Eastern DRC;
Ensure implementation of Eastern DRC programs;
Ensure effective use of internal systems and processes;
Ensure proactive and ongoing compliance with CORDAID and donor policies;
Ensure high quality and timely reporting;
Ensure timely and appropriate project expenditures in line with financial plans and efficient use and stewardship of project material sources;
Conduct regular field visits to project sites to monitor progress, meet with partners, local government, and beneficiaries and address implementation and relationship issues in the field;
Support the learning agenda of Cordaid DRC;
Provide management, guidance, monitoring and technical oversight on programs/projects.

Growth

Actively network and stay abreast of local trends in programming and funding and help identify strategic opportunities;
Contribute to the development of competitive, evidence-based project design/proposal development.

Supervise and Develop Program Staff

Supervise project leaders/managers in Eastern DRC;
Manage effectively talent. Provide coaching, strategically tailor individual development plans, and complete performance management for direct reports;
Ensure timely and appropriate project expenditures in line with financial plans and efficient use and stewardship of project material sources;
Provide timely and thoughtful coaching, feedback, performance evaluation, and professional development for all direct reports, while making sure that they do the same for their direct reports;
Promote the ongoing development of program staff skills (in technical and non-technical topics).

Partner Capacity Building and Support

Represent Cordaid within consortiums on operational level;
Work with project leaders to identify, accompany, and empower a diverse network of local implementing partner organizations;
Lead capacity building of partners;
Put mechanisms in place to ensure that partners are involved in all stages of the project cycle and that communication is frequent and fluid.

Monitoring and Evaluation, and Learning (MEL)

Ensure the implementation of and adherence to CORDAID MEL policies and procedures in Eastern Congo programs;
Work with project leads and MEL staff to ensure ongoing collection and documentation of lessons learned and best practices and that these are disseminated to all programming staff and incorporated in new project design;
Work with MEL staff and project leads to develop effective MEL plans, including appropriate methodologies and tools to strengthen the quality of data collection, analysis and reporting on project indicators;
Support project leads and MEL staff to plan and coordinate base line, mid-term and final program evaluations in compliance with donor requirements and MEL standards;
Help ensure regular use of systems.

Head of Office/Base Managers

Serve as Head of Office of the Cordaid Goma office;
Ensure smooth management of Goma office in finance, logistic, security;
Monitor performance management of all direct reports, ensuring direct reports perform sound performance management of their own direct reports as well as those at other levels on the team;
Maintain regular communication with Cordaid leadership to coordinate the work of the Goma office with attention to their needs and performance, while ensuring communication and coordination throughout the country program consistent with the functioning of a cohesive organization;
Ensure representation of Cordaid in relevant cluster meetings by qualified staff.

Qualifications

Master degree in relevant sector (international relation, economics, development, public administration);
At least 10 years of relevant working experience. Experience in L&A, security, stabilization, health and RBF is key;
Sound theoretical knowledge and experience of technical assistance to Government is a plus;
A good knowledge of the DRC health, justice and or education sectors;
Experience as a Program Manager or Coordinator in similar environments with previous experience in complex (multi-actor, donor-funded) projects;
Experience in capacity building of Government entities highly required;
Ability to build, guide and manage a team of core staff;
Strong communication and facilitation skills, including the ability to establish good working relationships, to transfer skills and knowledge, and to provide technical assistance to key actors;
Fully proficient in the following software applications: Windows, Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint;
Proficient in French and English;
Preparedness to regularly travel to the operational areas.;
A flexible and pragmatic working attitude.