Consortium Grants-Program Management Coordinator [GPMC]

Introduction

The Danish Refugee Council assists refugees and internally displaced persons across the globe: we provide emergency aid, fight for their rights, and strengthen their opportunity for a brighter future. We work in conflict-affected areas, along the displacement routes, and in the countries where refugees settle. In cooperation with local communities, we strive for responsible and sustainable solutions. We work toward successful integration and – whenever possible – for the fulfillment of the wish to return home.

The Danish Refugee Council was founded in Denmark in 1956 and has since grown to become an international humanitarian organization with more than 7,000 staff and 8,000 volunteers. Based in Copenhagen (Denmark) and present in forty countries, the Danish Refugee Council is a non-profit-making, politically independent, non-governmental and non-denominational relief organization.

Our vision is a dignified life for all displaced. All our efforts are based on our value compass: humanity, respect, independence and neutrality, participation, and honesty and transparency.

Background

Danish Refugee Council (DRC) has had an operational presence in Nigeria since 2015. DRC Nigeria is the largest DRC country mission in the West Africa region and one of the largest DRC country missions globally. Currently, DRC delivers life-saving assistance and protection to vulnerable, conflict-affected populations including internally displaced persons, returnees, and host communities in the areas of armed violence reduction, humanitarian mine action, livelihoods, nutrition and food security, protection, shelter, and non-food items (NFI) and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in 30+ Local Government Areas (LGAs) across Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states in northeast Nigeria.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Danish Refugee Council’s (DRC) BHA-funded consortium ‘Stronger Communities through Stronger Protection Environment in Northeast Nigeria,’ is a two-year consortium project that aims to deliver an integrated, multisectoral and area-based, humanitarian assistance to displacement-affected communities in Borno state, Nigeria in partnership with four international NGOs and two national NGOs.

Consortium GPMC is a key position in Consortium Management (CMU) to support Consortium programme implementation that complies with donors’ rules and the organization’s standard, is highly qualitative, and evidence based. The Consortium GPMC provides technical support to the COP and CMU in (1) achieving objectives of the CMU, (2) coordinating the quality and progress of the implementation of the consortium, (3) coordinating and ensuring functioning of the governance structure, (4) preparing material for cooperation and coordination with consortium stakeholders and donors, and (5) remote external representation of the consortium. The Consortium GPMC closely coordinates with DRC grants and programmes across DRC and the Consortium Partners. This role provides institutionalized support and/or technical guidance to DRC and Consortium Partners in donor compliance and Project Cycle Management. This role requires a blend of programme management expertise, grants management knowledge, strong coordination skills and interpersonal abilities.

The main responsibilities and tasks of the Protection Coordinator:

Programme Management:

• Support project implementation: support all Consortium partners to plan and implement activities according to the agreed-upon project plan, timeline, and budget.
• Support Coordination: Facilitate effective collaboration and communication between the six consortium partners to ensure smooth implementation and synergy by participating in coordination mechanisms and meetings and tracking and facilitating accomplishment of agreed actions, including follow-up on these actions.
• Monitor progress: work with the MEAL TWGs to track project progress against indicators and targets, to consolidate any identified challenges or deviations, and recommend corrective action. Support any third-party monitoring process.
• Monitor quality: Track the quality of project implementation by monitoring compliance to donor requirements, technical standards, in Protection, FSL, WASH, Shelter, Health and Nutrition, localization and recommend best practices.
• Risk management: Identify and assess potential risks to the project, recommend mitigation strategies, and monitor risks throughout the project lifecycle.

Grants Management:

• Sub-grant management: Manage the sub-granting process, including developing/revising sub-grant agreements, reviewing partner budgets, and monitoring partner compliance to the SGAs by leading coordinating, scheduling, facilitating, and follow up of monthly grant meeting and ensuring action points from meetings are monitored.
• Compliance: Guide partners to ensure compliance with BHA regulations and internal DRC and partner policies related to financial management, procurement, and reporting through providing presentations and sharing timely and up-to-date key documents on important contractual stipulations, donor compliance, and deadlines
• Financial management: in collaboration with the Consortium Operations WG, specifically the finance teams, support the tracking of financial management of the project, including budget monitoring, forecasting, and financial reporting and participate in monthly budget follow-ups (BFUs), documenting and following up BFU actions.
• Capacity building: Provide training and support to partners on grants management, financial procedures, and donor compliance and disseminate grants management tools and resources to build the consortium capacity to comply with the Project Cycle Management (PCM), grant management guidelines and donor regulations.
• Recording: Ensure timely and accurate maintenance of Consortium files on DRC’s SharePoint, Insite, along with accurate and timely maintenance of the Grants Management System (GMS) on Dynamics in line with country office compliance. Ensure all donor submissions are documented.

Reporting

• In collaboration with the COP, consolidate partner reports and review and submit timely and accurate reports to the donor, ensuring consistency across submission documents highlighting key achievements, challenges, and learning.
• Plan and coordinate donor reporting processes compiling, editing and providing feedback to ensure the development of high-quality reports, plans and other related key documents timely submissions, complying with donor reporting requirements.
• Send monthly grant reminders to consortium partners detailing upcoming deadlines, reporting requirements including templates, and internal review timelines.
• Design and facilitate the implementation of programme quality tools, including reporting processes and responsibilities.
• In close collaboration with MEAL technical Working Groups, support documentation of lessons learnt, best practices and proven innovations in programme design, implementation, monitoring and reporting to improve programme design and implementation strategy.

Partnership management:

• Support the management and facilitation of partner sub-awards including communication, report coordination, and monitoring of partner spending to ensure compliance within the financial stipulations of the sub-award.
• Working with the Localization WG across the consortium, facilitate the implementation of consortium partner assessment and organization capacity development (OCA/OCD) process, tracking agreed OCA/OCD actions are executed and documented for successful partnership management.
• Support the programme and support team in partner capacity strengthening with particular focus on grant management as well as donor regulations and relationships.

Other

• Prepare necessary documentation, such as reports, presentations and organizational documentation, to share with Consortium stakeholders, including briefings for external entities.
• Work with Consortium partners document identified solutions to compliance-related issues or findings.
• Identify areas and provide solutions to improve operational efficiencies in related areas.

In addition to the above, the GPMC may be asked to carry out other duties requested by the COP but always in the scope of this job description.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3-5 years of international grant and programme management within development/humanitarian sector.
• Excellent knowledge of donor rules, regulations, and procedures of donors including but not limited to US funding.
• Proven experience in successfully submitting reporting packages.
• Proven experience in capacity strengthening and training of staff and partners.
• Full professional proficiency in English with the capacity to produce well-written products for formal reporting and communication.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Ability to deliver concrete results in an environment where you don’t line-manage teams. Therefore, position requires a high level of organization, diplomacy and negotiation skills, while being firm on producing results
• Strong organization and planning skills, with excellent attention to detail.
• Broad understanding of donor rules and regulations
• Expertise with non-profit budgeting is required.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Skilled in obtaining information necessary to accomplish duties.
• Able to meet deadlines while managing and prioritizing competing demands.
• Problem analysis and solutions-oriented way of working.
• Able to quickly research, learn and disseminate new knowledge and information.
• Able to communicate clearly and in a timely manner.
• Able to adapt quickly, with an openness to learn and ask questions.

Note: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position

Education: (include certificates, licenses, etc.)

Master’s degree in political science, international development, economics or other relevant fields is desirable

Languages: English (fluent)

General Regulations

• The employee shall follow DRC instructions on safety, confidentiality and ethical guidelines, including the Code of Conduct and the Humanitarian Accountability Framework
• Employee should not engage in any other paid activity during the DRC contract period without prior authorization
• Employee should not engage in any activity that could harm DRC or the implementation of any project during the DRC contract period
• Employee should not give interviews to the media or publish project-related photos or other material without prior authorization
• Employee shall return all borrowed equipment for the project to DRC after the end of the contract period or upon request

1. Required Skills & Qualities

• Core Competencies of DRC:
  • Striving for excellence
  • Collaboration
  • Taking the lead
  • Communication
  • Demonstrating Integrity
• Ability to work in a multinational and multicultural environment
• Proactivity, with a sound commitment to teamwork and with a spirit of genuine collaboration
• Excellent communication skills, as well as patience and politeness, are required
• Multi-tasking and Organizational skills is a must
• Adaptable and Flexible
• Proven analytical and critical thinking skills
• Exemplary sense of ethics in the workplace
• Team-oriented & good sense of humor

Key stakeholders: (internal and external)

• Steering Committee
• Chief of Party and CMU
• Area-based teams
• Finance department
• Programme Coordination Team
• Consortium partners: INGOs, LNGOs, coordination fora, etc.