Area Coordinator - Uganda | ReliefWeb

I. Background on ACTED

ACTED is a French humanitarian NGO, founded in 1993, which supports vulnerable populations, affected by humanitarian crises worldwide. ACTED provides continued support to vulnerable communities by ensuring the sustainability of post-crisis interventions and engaging long-term challenges facing our target populations, in order to break the poverty cycle, foster development and reduce vulnerability to disasters. Our interventions seek to cover the multiple aspects of humanitarian and development crises through a multidisciplinary approach which is both global and local, and adapted to each context. Our 4000 staff is committed in to responding to emergencies worldwide, to supporting recovery and rehabilitation, towards sustainable development.

Our teams in the field implement some 380 projects in 35 countries covering the following sectors emergency relief, food security, access to health, education and training, economic development, microfinance, advocacy, institutional support, and regional dialogue, cultural promotion.

Based on considerable experience addressing the needs and situations of vulnerable communities, ACTED contributes to the international agenda towards reaching the Millennium Development Goals, through a wide range of partnerships, innovative initiatives, and campaigns.

II. Country Profile

Capital Office : Kampala

National Staff : 108

International Staff : 7

Areas : 2 (Northern Uganda, Karamoja)

On-going programmes : 9

Budget : 2.4 M €

ACTED has been active in Uganda since May 2007, both in the northern region and Karamoja. In the North, ACTED supports the early recovery process with a specific focus on the needs of returning populations displaced by years of conflict. It also expands access, retention, equity and quality of primary education. In Karamoja, the focus is enhanced food security and resilience to disasters, especially droughts, as well as improving the primary education sector.

ACTED focuses its intervention on strengthening livelihoods through improved resource management, conflict mitigation and capacity building. In Northern Uganda, as internally displaced persons (IDPs) have returned home and gained access to land, ACTED is working with farmers on infrastructure and capacity development to rebuild agricultural livelihoods. In the Karamoja/Pokot area, ACTED responds to severe food insecurity caused by the drought in the Horn of Africa, providing support to agro-pastoral communities to increase their purchasing power and protect their assets, reducing vulnerability to natural disasters. As part of its integrated cross-border strategy between Uganda and Kenya, ACTED maintains its community-driven disaster risk reduction (DRR) focus and promotes conflict mitigation to ensure peaceful and sustainable access to shared resources.

In 2013, ACTED maintains a strong focus on this approach and looks at extending it further along the border with Kenya. ACTED continues working with community-level structures and initiatives such as the APFS, the CDMCs or the DEWS to continue building the communities’ resilience to disasters.

III. Job Duties and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Country Coordinator, key responsibilities will include:

Internally:

• Management of a local and expatriate staff team;


• Close supervision and monitoring of the finance, administration and logistics teams;


• Supervise program budgets and evaluate financial program effectiveness;


• Management and supervision of ACTED’s programmes in Karamoja/Pokot North and their timely implementation according to financial and programmatic frame;


• Facilitate program development, through conceptualization, design, proposal and program initiation;


• Build and/or improve systems to supervise and manage the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of programmes;


• Monitor security situation in the region and oversee implementation of ACTED security procedures;


• Internal reporting to Country Coordination;

Externally:

• Demonstrate vision and leadership in building a coherent strategic direction for the area, in line with ACTED Uganda’s overall strategy;


• Liaison with all external stakeholders: donors, partners, the government, including local authorities, and communities;


• To advocate for our beneficiaries and ensure that their interests are taken into consideration by all external stakeholders.


• To act as a catalyst with all stakeholders to coordinate existing and new programmes;


• Facilitation of needs assessment;


• Fundraising and project/proposal development;


• To ensure external reporting requirements for projects are met.

IV. Qualifications required

**A)*****Essential*

· Masters Degree;

· At least 3 years of field experience in program management and coordination;

· Familiarity with the aid system, and ability to understand donor and governmental requirements;

· Excellent communication and writing skills;

· Able to coordinate and manage staff and project activities;

· Strong organizational and supervisory skills;

· Proven ability to work creatively and independently both in the field and in the office;

· Being a strong team player and adept at creating a strong team spirit;

· Ability to organize and plan effectively;

· Ability to work with culturally diverse groups of people;

· Ability to travel and work in difficult conditions and under pressure;

**B)*****Desirable*

· Experience in conflict affected areas and difficult living conditions, ideally in Africa

· Knowledge on issues related to early recovery, IGA and/or infrastructure rehabilitation

V. Conditions

• Salary defined by the ACTED salary grid; educational level, expertise, hardship, security, and performance are considered for pay bonus


• Additional monthly living allowance


• Free food and lodging provided at the organisation’s guesthouse/or housing allowance (depending on contract length and country of assignment)


• Transportation costs covered, including additional return ticket + luggage allowance


• Provision of medical, life, and repatriation insurance + retirement package