Chief of Party - Role profile
Location
Nairobi, Kenya
Department
International
Reports to (Job
Title)
Country Manager
Salary Band
A
Matrix manager (if
applicable)
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Competency level
4
Role definition
Role purpose
To lead, manage and deliver a highly complex and strategic USAID funded CASE-OVC cooperative
agreement for a consortium led by Christian Aid. The Chief of Party is responsible for providing
leadership in project implementation and delivery of desired results in accordance with the cooperative
agreement, USAID rules and regulations, and Christian Aid policies. The role holder will lead the project
management team ensuring responsiveness to the donor and other stakeholders, provide high-level
oversight ensuring the project resources are allocated and used effectively and in a manner that makes
maximum contribution to project objectives. S(he) will engage in work planning, resource allocation,
granting, monitoring and evaluation, research, performance management, communication and new
business case development.
Key outcomes
•
Effective project management in liaison with implementing partners ensuring quality controls,
accountability, and compliance within the framework of the cooperative agreement, USAID’s rules
and regulations, and Christian Aid policy and procedure for all project tasks.
•
Effective risk management including proactively identifying any risks, issues, and capacity gaps and
effectively manage them or seek support for solutions.
•
Successful representation of Christian Aid and the project’s best interests to government officials,
other partners and USAID in Kenya.
•
Effective people management ensuring highly skilled staff are recruited, properly inducted,
empowered to provide leadership and decision-making within a team setting, and effectively
managed to perform to a high standard and meeting their objectives.
Role agility
Expected travel per annum
Over 75 days
On call/unsocial hours
Choose an item.
Surge capacity for emergency responses Choose an item.
In order to respond to ever changing demands within the environment, Christian Aid operates within an
agile framework (both in workforce and operational) that requires from all employees, a high level of
responsiveness and adaptiveness to processes and structures making flexibility and a project based
working approach the norm. To sustain this system, managers may/will agree further details of specific
tasks and duties as part of the performance agreement. Any reasonable duty may be assigned that is
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consistent with the nature of the job and its level of responsibility, and employees may be required to
change the focus of their role from time to time.
Role context
The Chief of Party is a key position for directing and managing a multi-million USAID funded CASEOVC cooperative agreement awarded to a consortium led by Christian Aid in Kenya. S/he has the
overall responsibility for coordination of all project activities and staff and will have the principle
responsibility for representation of the project to USAID local mission and to key stakeholders
including Government of Kenya officials, partners, among others.
The goal of the Comprehensive Assistance, Support and Empowerment of OVC (CASE-OVC) in
Central, Eastern and Part of Rift Valley project is to contribute toward ensuring OVC are thriving
and resilient within their contexts by improving the welfare and protection of children affected by
HIV/AIDS in the target counties. The project will work towards the following sub-purposes: (1)
Improved health and social status of OVC and their families (2) Enhanced economic resilience,
care giving and protection capacity of households and care givers (3) Strengthened formal and
informal protection systems that are responsive, inclusive and accountable to the needs of OVCs.
The Chief of Party is based in Kenya and is responsible for running the Management Unit and
providing high-level leadership and oversight.
Role requirements
Relationships
External Holds primary day to day in country relationship with the USAID and Pathfinder International
alongside the Kenya Country Manager who holds the primary contractual relationships on behalf of
Christian Aid . Maintains and proactively builds relationships with other relevant external stakeholders
including other OVC projects, government etc. The role holder will coordinate technical work and
ensure support for activities and implementing partners. Establish scopes of work for consultants,
subcontractors, and short term technical assistance; identifying capacity gaps in programmatic areas
which will require additional technical expertise, capacity improvement, and personnel.
Internal The role holder will report to the Country Manager and equally maintain direct and close liaison
with various Christian Aid teams including the contracts and compliance, finance, internal audit,
communications, programme funding, and policy teams.
Decision making
Budgetary/savings responsibility
The post holder is required to make decisions relating to the leadership and management of the team,
decisions will range from recruitment to day to day line management to ensuring the team is working
towards the cooperative agreement’s strategic focus and impact with each individual satisfactorily
contributing. Responsibility for overseeing overall budget, monitoring expenditure, and evaluating
impact. Responsible for agreeing and overseeing Service Level Agreements and contracts with
resource organisations.
Analytical skills
Highly complex work involving a number of different factors or facets that relate both to own area of
work and is likely to have cross-functional implications. Expected to take account of the wider and
longer term consequences of own and others ideas, recommendations and decisions and take the
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strategic view at all times. Risk assessment is an important part of developing the solutions to problems
that arise. Innovation is fundamental to developing solutions to emergent problems, barriers and
challenges in a way that ensures targets are met.
Responsible for evaluating and documenting progress, managing design and evaluation teams,
evaluating sub-contractors’ activities through consultative meetings and site visits, working out solutions
to keep the activity on track and providing overall guidance and direction focusing the team on achieving
agreed targets and communicating long-term strategic objectives;
Responsible for creating and managing a performance monitoring and evaluation program including
data gathering, trend analysis, project milestones and effective preparation of written project reports to
USAID, stakeholders, Kenya Country Programme and HQ.
Developing self and others
Number of Direct reports 5
Overall people management responsibility 16
Typically has direct responsibility for developing, coaching and motivating colleagues in the team
including those who report in through others. Ensures optimal management of staff performance within
Christian Aid’s policies and sytems using the performance agreements, performance reviews and
development of performance improvement plans where necessary
Role related checks
Child protection clearance Enhanced Counter terrorism screening Required
Person specification
Applied skills/knowledge and expertise
Essential
• At least ten years’ experience in managing complex orphan and other vulnerable children (OVC)
projects, or related social services projectss of similar scope and size, including experience in social
service systems strengthening.
• The candidate shall have at a minimum a Master’s Degree in social sciences, public health,
management, business administration, or a related field.
• Demonstrated state-of-the-art experience as senior staff in at least three of the following areas: child
protection; household economic strengthening; social protection; education; health and nutrition
including HIV/AIDS care and support; social service systems strengthening; quality
improvement/quality assurance; M&E; and operations research.
• At least five years demonstrated experience and skills in partnership building, especially with the
GOK, donors, private sector, NGO and local community organizations.
• Experience in program management and administration, financial management, award compliance
and sub award management, and tracking activity performance and costs.
• Strong management and communication skills, strategic vision, leadership qualities, professional
reputation, ability to create synergies where applicable, interpersonal skills, and written and oral
presentation skills to fulfill the diverse technical and managerial requirements of the activity
description.
• Professional level of oral and written fluency in the English language
• Strong writing and communication skills.
Desirable
Experience as Chief of Party on USAID funded OVC projects
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Extensive knowledge of USAID rules and regulations
Digital/IT competencies required
Word, Excel, PowerPoint
Intermediate
Web content design &
development
Intermediate
Internet based collaboration
tools and video calling
Basic
Social Media
Intermediate
Data Visualisation
Advanced
DATE CREATED
16/05/2017
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