Director Programs | - 2015

Reports to: CEO

The Director Programs takes the lead in ensuring that our client’s programming and legal empowerment activities result in sustainable improvements in the lives of vulnerable women and children; using the law as a tool of social justice and transformation. The Director of Programs is responsible for overseeing all aspects of Programs and Legal Aid Clinics; ensuring that all activities are adequately resourced and managed effectively.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:
· Significantly contribute towards the strategic and operational management of the organisation, aiming to bring about sustainable improvements in the wellbeing of vulnerable women and children
· Keeping up to date with national and international priorities and monitoring & reviewing data from program activities and legal clinics in order to identify social injustices and develop strategies to mitigate such injustices
· Proactively researching strategies for bringing about societal change; networking with other organisations and individuals who have successfully promoted societal transformation in order to learn new approaches and best practice
· Serve as a member of the Senior Management Team, participating in strategic and operational planning, contributing personal insight concerning the needs for societal transformation in Uganda and expertise in the development and management of Programs
· Providing the Board with agreed measurement data and reports (including a quarterly review of planned interventions with the outcomes anticipated along with M&E summary reports and regular updates on the progress of strategic litigations); attending Board meetings and participating in governance discussions
· In charge of developing policies, procedures, systems and techniques that will enable the organisation comply with best practice in Program management
· Responsible for contributing to the day-to-day management of the organisation through attending monthly Senior Management Team meetings and implementing actions arising
· To design programs that transforms the attitudes and behaviors of key stakeholders and result in improvements in the wellbeing of vulnerable women and children
· Carrying out research in order to accurately identify those key stakeholders who significantly influence the ability of women and children to enjoy their rights as equals
· Working closely with stakeholders in order to understand their starting points and rationale; gathering data and carrying out research as appropriate
· Ensuring that trends to keep projects relevant to communities, government and other stakeholders are mapped professionally
· In charge of designing interventions to change attitudes and behaviours; ensuring that social injustices are clearly identified and strategies to mitigate such injustices are devised and implemented
· Involving members, staff and partners in developing detailed project plans in line with the overall program strategy and budget; ensuring the ‘buy in’ of all stakeholders involved
· Ensuring that efficient and effective M&E tools are developed and baseline studies conducted
· Regular review of the results of M&E activities on an ongoing basis, determining the extent to which sustainable benefits have been accomplished and taking desired actins
· To ensure that strategic alliances are sought and developed so that stakeholders work together effectively to maximize benefits to vulnerable women and children and enhance our collective capacity for influence and impact
· Managing the Program team to ensure that the following activities are properly coordinated and implemented:
· Opening up and updating the stakeholder register in order to identify individuals, organisations and institutions with whom relationships need to be built; strengthening the relationship with those already partnering with the organisation
· Organising and/or participating in stakeholder coordination meetings in order to harmonise plans with others for better implementation
· Organising and/or participating in other high profile events (e.g. national events) and networking opportunities
· Establishing and developing close working relationships with strategic partners; contributing to the process of drawing up working contracts as appropriate
· Ensuring that progress reports are given to stakeholders; celebrating successes, learning from our mistakes and creating a lessons learnt log
· Overseeing the development of advocacy campaign plans by the program staff
· Forming or joining coalitions with strategic partners for joint advocacy or other joint activities
· Taking opportunities to push forward the organisation
· Keeping up to date with standards of the profession and expectations concerning personal behaviour and values; at all times acting accordingly
· To ensure the availability of the resources necessary to accomplish plans
· Clarifying the resourcing implications of plans, people, logistical and financial; agreeing proposed plans and budgets with the CEO
· Supporting the CEO in liaising with donors and producing funding proposals
· Establishing teams for the delivery of each project; getting the right people with the right competences onto the team for efficiency and effectiveness
· Adjusting plans according to the resources that become available; and including preferences of donors
· Ensuring that donor requirements for accountability and reporting are complied with at all times
· Being proactive in keeping donors and participating members informed and taking every opportunity to build good long-term relationships with them
· To participate in the development and implementation of the organization’s Influencing, advocacy & strategic litigation plan
· Participating in the development of a plan, bringing personal expertise drawn from carrying out research into topical human rights issues; especially those pertaining to women and children; best practice in societal change management; results from the Program team’s M&E activities; recognition of themes of issues encountered during the Program team’s activities
· Taking a personal role, as agreed, in Strategic litigation / legal advocacy for women’s rights; Development of nation-wide IEC Campaigns; Lobbying and/or training government policy makers; Top level media liaison; Conducting research and presenting findings to policy makers; Contributing to policy making and other decision making debates relating to legal reform
· To lead the Program Team, in a manner that empowers them to accomplish the organization’s strategic objectives and work according to best practice
· Communicating a clear and exciting vision for the work of the organisation and for the Program Team’s role in bringing about societal transformation
· Ensuring that each team member fully understands the outcomes that are expected of them and that they are aware of best practice in program delivery; ensuring that they behave in a way which will maintain good relationships with donors, partners and other program stakeholders
· Ensuring that work is planned and organised in a way which will meet project objectives in the most cost effective manner possible; ensuring that team members are given appropriate workloads and are working efficiently
· Supporting team members to enable them to give of their best e.g. by encouraging and praising good performance, coaching, assisting them to prevent or resolve problems, providing resources, tools, equipment and any other required logistical support
· Responsible for monitoring and reviewing performance and, in particular, holding team members accountable for meeting project objectives and behaving in accordance with best practice; taking decisive action in the case of poor performance
· Ensuring that team members are adequately trained and developed for their roles e.g. by analysing training needs, coordinating with the Director Finance & Administration to organise the delivery of training or coaching
· Perform any other duties as requested by the CEO

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
· The ideal candidate for the Director Programs must be a qualified lawyer who holds a relevant Master’s degree
· At least seven (7) years ‘experience in programming
· Previous experience of working in legal aid or development
· Proven management and Leadership experience in a reputable organisation
· Working knowledge of advocacy and M&E mechanisms
· Past exposure and experience of advocacy and networking
· Rights based and gender related work experience
· High capacity for strategic thinking