Strategy Action Plan Coordinator | Jobs in Uganda - 2015

Job DescriptionJob Title: Strategy Action Plan Coordinator

Department: Operations/Support

Location: Uganda, Kampala

Background/IRC Summary: The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is an international nongovernmental organization founded in 1933. The IRC works in 28 countries providing relief, protection and resettlement assistance to refugees and displaced population. IRC was registered in Uganda in mid 1998 and implements rehabilitation activities in the sectors of Child and Youth Protection and development, and women protection and empowerment. IRC Uganda has a head office in Kampala, field offices in Kitgum, Karamoja and in Kiryandongo.

During 2014, the IRC conducted an organization wide consultative process to prepare a new 5-year plan that defines the IRC’s mission, vision and strategy for 2015-2020. The foundation of the IRC strategy is our mission: to help people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. As an organization, we are committed to assessing our progress against this mission by whether we make measurable improvements to the lives of the people we serve. Progress will be measured in terms of achievements in improving beneficiaries’ health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power while emphasizing the need to narrow gender gaps with regard to each of these outcomes. The strategy also sets out a new vision for the IRC as the organization seeks to make impact as both an operational leader and a thought leader: The IRC will lead the humanitarian field by implementing high-impact, cost-effective programs for people affected by crisis and by using our learning and experience to shape policy and practice.

Within the IRC Uganda program, the next step in this process is to develop a country-specific Strategy Action Plan (SAP) that will contextualize and operationalize the IRC global strategy in order to best meet the needs of our clients. Accordingly, the IRC Uganda team is recruiting a dynamic, well-organized SAP Coordinator to facilitate the development of this plan. The process will involve the use of established tools and guidelines that follow a three-stage process involving diagnosis, prioritization, and delivery.

Job Overview/Summary: The Strategy Action Plan Coordinator (SAPC) will provide project management support to the Country Director (CD) in advancing the IRC Uganda Strategic Action Plan (SAP). The SAPC will be responsible for maintaining work plans and engagement plans as needed, liaising with key process stakeholders, both internal and external to the IRC, managing project inputs, and providing support on drafting final products.

Major Responsibilities:

Project Management

Design, plan, and lead SAP development activities as laid out in IRC SAP Guidelines, including but not limited to Context Analysis, Portfolio Review, Analysis of Current State of IRC Programming and Operations, Prioritization Exercises, Establishment of Program Development Priorities, Drafting Strategic Objectives, and Identification of Operational and Management Implications of the SAP

· Maintain project work plans and stakeholder engagement plans

· Track progress towards deliverables, flag and raise issues and recommendations to CD as needed.

· Support the CD and Steering Committee (SC) in coordinating the engagement of various stakeholders in the process

· Co-facilitate SAP Steering Committee meetings with CD

· Plan and if necessary facilitate internal SAP meetings and workshops

· With the CD, participate in regular SAP focal point calls with HQ

· Lead Part 1 of the process (including data analysis and report writing)

· Co-facilitate/contribute to Part 2

· Produce Draft 1 of the strategic plan document

· Ensure SAP is aligned with overall organizational strategy

Communications

· Maintain communications with Steering Committee and internal stakeholders feeding into the SAP process

· Communicate regularly with Regional Strategy Support Coordinator to ensure country program SAP process is on track with the rest of the region

· Circulate updates, drafts, and other communications as necessary to steering committee, regional staff, or HQ-based strategy team as needed

Writing & Editing

· Write SAP sections, specifically for Part 1, 2 and 3, depending on rate of progress (with inputs from relevant sector heads and CD)

· Draft SAP update emails to staff for CD to send

· Review and edit SAP drafts

Job Requirements:

Education:Master’s degree in organizational development, planning, social science, or other relevant subject.

Work Experience:Minimum five (5) years’ work experience developing organizational plans, preferably in a post-conflict setting

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

English language fluency
Strong written and oral communications skills
Exposure to strategic development processes
Strong research/contextual analysis background with quantitative and qualitative data collection, management, and analysis skills
Demonstrated ability to multitask, manage projects, lead meetings and follow through for results against firm deadlines
Ability to analyze and solve problems in a consultative manner
Impeccable time management
Ability to support others to reach their goals
Expert competence in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook)

Standards for Professional Conduct

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.