Organization: Catholic Relief Services
Country: Honduras
Closing date: 06 Jan 2017
Job Title: Chief of Party I-Food For Progress
Division: LACRO
Location: Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Reports to: Head of Programs
FSLA: Exempt
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Note: Position is contingent upon approval of proposal**
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About CRS: **
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is an international non-governmental organization supporting relief and development work in over 90 countries around the world. CRS programs assist persons on the basis of need, regardless of creed, ethnicity or nationality. CRS works through local church and non-church partners to implement its programs.
Job Background/Summary:
Since its start in 1959, Catholic Relief Services Honduras has grown into a diversified and innovative program, leading the way in promoting holistic human development for the creation of a just and peaceful society. The program focuses in an integrated way on three sectors: water-smart agriculture, education, and at-risk youth. CRS also supports activities in water infrastructure, and in disaster prevention and mitigation activities. A common theme across all programs is capacity strengthening of local partners and influence-building.
Over the years, CRS Honduras has built a solid reputation for bringing water to poor and isolated rural communities, and for tackling other development challenges, ranging from health to agriculture, peacebuilding, infrastructure, microfinance, and education. Among its array of projects, CRS Honduras is implementing a USDA-funded Food for Education project, which serves over 50,000 students in all public schools in the department of Intibucá. In recent years, CRS has developed expertise in “water-smart agriculture” using coffee as a major crop contributing to climate resilience and livelihoods of smallholder farmers. This background places CRS in a competitive position for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA-FAS) global call for proposals under its Food for Progress program (FFPr). The Food for Progress (FFPr) program aims to improve agricultural production and expand trade of agricultural products in developing countries, including Honduras where the focus is on coffee, beans and horticultural products.
The Chief of Party (COP) will provide the vision and overall leadership to the program team. S/he will be responsible for overseeing the overall management of the project including the quality of programmatic implementation (including monitoring, evaluation and learning) and administrative elements of the project, including the coordination of all consortium partners, and monitoring the budget. S/he will also serve as the primary point of contact to USDA as well as public, private and non-government stakeholders.
The COP is responsible for ensuring compliance in USDA grants including oversight of partner budgets, finance and administration, and reporting to USDA. The COP is responsible for ensuring that project results are achieved on time and on budget, including strategies for phase out and sustainability; and that the budget is expended as planned.
The COP will be a senior leader from the agricultural development sector. As such, s/he will ensure that the project contributes to the thought leadership of the industry and consolidates CRS as a leading agency in the agricultural sector in Honduras. The COP is also responsible for leveraging this position for future growth within this sector for the agency.
The candidate will operate within the organizational structure of CRS while coordinating the roles and activities of staff from other consortium member organizations in the implementation of the program interventions. The successful candidate will also be responsible for representing the FFPr Program to major stakeholders, especially USDA and key relevant ministries within the country.
Job Responsibilities:
Program Quality
- Lead the design and implementation of the FFPr Project with an innovative program lens, designing pilot solutions to existing development issues.
- With key program staff and stakeholders, ensure program’s strategic objectives and results are fully accomplished and meet expected technical quality standards through annual and quarterly activity planning and budget forecasts.
- Ensure that vision and plans for the program are innovative and are in line with CRS agency and country program strategies.
- Lead quarterly technical review of implementation plans for the project and ensure appropriate actions are taken to meet implementation timelines and commitments.
- In collaboration with program staff, provide guidance and technical oversight to partners and other collaborating agencies to ensure that best practices and lessons learned are documented and disseminated.
- Coordinate with M&E department to oversee the design and implementation of the program’s monitoring and evaluation system, using appropriate forms, procedures, and tools for data collection and analysis as the basis for measuring, documenting and reporting of project performance and outcomes.
- Ensure that M&E lessons learned from results of program monitoring and evaluation are incorporated into the design and execution of program activities to meet stated objectives and needs of the beneficiary populations.
- Integrate project interventions with other CRS programs as appropriate through linkages with other service providers.
- Ensure that processes are anchored in CRS ProPack methodologies, Integral Human Development (IHD), the Justice Lens, the Gender Lens and CRS Partnership principles.
Management
- Ensure staff compliance with all CRS administrative and operational procedures and policies, as well as applicable donor regulations.
- Approve program expenditures, budget adjustments, and cost modification requests to donors.
- Carry out quarterly financial tracking and reporting system, review the budget comparison report to ensure that spending and program implementation is aligned while analyzing the progress toward program goals and against burn rates.
- Proactively identify and address financial issues and concerns in concert with other staff and partners to ensure adherence to financial guidelines and maintain transparent systems and records.
- Ensure accurate and timely reporting of program finances and progress status, review actual financial performance against the budget and take corrective action to ensure that program expenses match the execution of activity plans and accurate effort reporting.
Representation and Communication
- Seek out opportunities to represent CRS programming in international circles and highlight the innovative work under FFPr.
- Publish on program results.
- In collaboration with CRS supervisor, act as primary program contact to donor and other local and international stakeholders, and be responsible for addressing all program matters.
- Represent CRS at external meetings with international and domestic stakeholders.
- In specific instances, prepare and deliver presentations of the project ongoing activities, challenges/opportunities, and results achieved.
- Strengthen linkages with existing and potential partner agencies.
- Oversee the development and implementation of program communication strategies and materials, including compliance with donor’s branding and marketing requirements as well as CRS marketing and communication procedures.
- Collaborate effectively and regularly with regional/HQ management and technical advisors, especially with regards to sharing and reviewing important communication with USDA.
Human Resources
- Manage recruitment portfolio for the program, in collaboration with Human Resources Department and CRS country program management, orient, and support the professional development of supervisees, providing timely, respectful feedback.
- Conduct periodic reviews of staff performance in keeping with CRS’ performance management system and mentor staff to ensure high levels of motivation, commitment, capacity, and teamwork.
- Supervise and coach a team of CRS and consortium staff to meet program objectives.
- Oversee the management of the relationship with partner organizations, ensure regular communication and organization of review/planning workshops.
- With program staff, lead the identification of performance gaps and training needs of CRS and partner staff and ensure the design and delivery of high quality training, technical assistance, and administrative and financial support to all partner agencies, including the selection and coordination of consultants.
Scope: Supervises the FFPr Project team members including the Deputy Chief of Party, Head of Operations and MEAL Coordinator
Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff):
These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.
- Serves with Integrity
- Models Stewardship
- Cultivates Constructive Relationships
- Promotes Learning
Competencies Relevant for the Specific Position (include those that are applicable):
These are rooted in the mission, values, and principles of CRS and used by each program manager to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve the desired results:
- Proven commitment to agricultural development from a climate smart approach.
- Proven commitment to working in partnership to influence systems and structure for greater impact.
Key Working Relationships:
Supervisory: Deputy Chief of Party, Director of Operations, MEAL Coordinator
Internal: Country Representative, Head of Programs, Resource Management Coordinator, Deputy Regional Director, Regional Technical Advisors, HQ specialists (in PIQA & IDEA)
External: All project partners, Government officials, public and private sector stakeholders, donors, industry experts, local/international NGOs, and local and international Catholic agencies.
Background, Experience & Requirements:
Education and Experience:
- Post-graduate level degree in agricultural sciences, agricultural economics or other relevant field (PhD preferred).
- At least 10 years’ experience in management or coordination of projects, preferably in community development projects and improving the quality of Coffee, Dry Beans, and Horticulture.
- Experience in implementing programs aimed at improving agricultural productivity and expanding trade of agricultural products.
- Experience in establishing and building capacity of agricultural cooperatives, training farmers in improved animal and plant production, providing microfinance to farmers, developing agricultural value chains and market linkages to private sector actors.
- Prior experience of US government funding and knowledge of USG rules and regulations.
- Demonstrated experience in developing and implementing large-scale program budgets and work plans.
- Extensive experience in implementing programs in coordination with local partner organizations, including faith-based organizations and local church structures. Experience managing partner relationships using participatory methods.
- Proven ability to work effectively and collaboratively with a range of key program stakeholders, and managing complex relationships with actors from the private and public sectors, donors and other collaborating agencies.
- Demonstrated ability and experience in leading large, multicultural teams, facilitating the production of results and resolving sensitive and complicated work issues with staff and host country counterparts at all levels.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite, including Word, Excel and Outlook.
- Basic knowledge of statistical packages and GIS databases preferred (Access, MS Project, SPSS, etc.)
- Valid driver's license
- Knowledge of CRS Partnership strategy and Partner management experience an advantage
Personal Skills
- Proven leadership, and ability to build and motivate diverse and talented teams
- Proven experience in building and maintaining institutional linkages
- Ability to work to meet deadlines in multiple tasking environments
- Excellent organization, planning and analytical skills; detail oriented
- Ability to think critically, effectively manage change and problem solve
- Excellent communication and inter-personal skills, with demonstrated strength in relationship management
- Ability to be flexible, persistent, and diplomatic and to gain respect among staff, local community leaders, church and secular partners, as well as local government ministries and donor organizations.
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively as part of a multi- cultural team, but be self-motivated and accountable for program implementation and work independently if needed.
Required/Desired Foreign Language
Fluency in English & excellent English writing skills especially with the ability to produce quality written reports for the donor in English on a timely basis. Professional level fluency in oral and written Spanish also required.
Travel Required
Ability to travel nationally and internationally as required up to 70% of the time
Internal applicants are strongly encouraged to apply within first 10 days of posting
NOTE: All interested applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. at the time of application
EOE/M/F/D/V
How to apply:
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