ActionAid Ghana seeks to engage a highly motivated individual who will serve as Project Manager to implement project activities for the Providing Employment Opportunities for Young People in Ghana (PEOY) project. As the Project Manager, you will be responsible for the overall management and coordination of a livelihood project funded by Medicor Foundation. The aim of the project is to equip young people with the skills to generate an increased income and engage with government to influence decisions that will affect their futures

Job Purpose:

(State major reason for the position)

• The role is responsible for the overall management and coordination of a livelihood project aimed at equipping young people with skills and tools for income-generating activities.
• It involves stakeholder engagements, in line with donor contract, to achieve the stated objectives of the project.
• The role will also maintain regular communication, provide scheduled feedback to relevant stakeholders and exercise responsibility of overall supervision of project assets and the project team.

Key Activities

Strategic responsibilities

• Work with relevant national and local partners, stakeholders and collaborators to ensure project takeaways influences relevant policies on livelihoods and local governance.
• Develop annual critical pathways to ensure that project implementation plan leads to expected project outcomes and consistent with the Priorities and Key Result Areas of the ActionAid Ghana (AAG) Country Strategy Plan (CSP).
  Develop elaborate project strategies to enhance effective implementation towards achievement of stated project objectives.
• Work closely with National and Regional Programmes and Advocacy Teams to ensure that project takeaways are mainstreamed into programme work before project completion.
• Anticipate project risks and take steps to mitigate them.

Operational Responsibilities

• Conduct periodic reviews, reflections and planning meetings with communities, implementing partners and other stakeholders to inform project strategies.
• Lead in the development of tools, manuals and training resources needed to ensure successful project implementation.
• Lead in the organization and facilitation of project review meetings with the active participation of beneficiaries and all relevant stakeholders.
• Organise Project Management Team meeting every month to access and monitor the progress of the project, and also participate in Project Accountability Team meeting every quarter to give update on progress of project.
• Lead to conduct and validate pre-intervention assessments in target districts.
• Coordinate and supervise the implementation of all project activities to achieve their outputs, as indicated in the approved project document.
• Conduct relevant researches and disseminate information to relevant stakeholders.
• Actively participate in the Annual Planning and Budgeting process of ActionAid Ghana.

Staff and Resource Management Responsibilities

• Support to translate and communicate project standards and performance to staff and partners to improve programme quality and performance.
• Liaise with the finance unit to develop and institute cost effective strategies and systems to ensure optimum efficiency and effectiveness.
• Facilitate effectiveness and efficiency in the use of project financial resources in compliance with value for money principles, ActionAid’s Financial Policy and Procedures Manual and the donor’s financial guidelines.
• Collate and file relevant project documents on shared folders for future reference.

Fundraising responsibilities

• Identify emerging issues from project implementation and package them into concept notes for possible partnership funding.
• Develop documentation highlighting the challenges and lessons learned from the project and disseminate widely to position AAG as a learning organisation.

Partnership and Coalitions

• Sustain positive partnership and networking relationships with institutional partners in all the implementing districts in the three regions (Northern, Upper East,Brong-Ahafo) and other key stakeholders on the project.
• Provide strategic support to increase understanding and appreciation of changes in project agreements and direction.
• Monitor project partners’ activities and relationships to ensure compliance with set agreements and including safeguarding policies.

M&E

• Work with the Manager, Quality and Knowledge Management to develop M&E plan, design and implement monitoring and evaluation systems to document the output indicators of the project log frame.
• Undertake project baseline, monitoring and evaluation of project activities.
• Work with the Manager, Quality and Knowledge Management to develop M&E plan, design and implement monitoring and evaluation systems to document all the indicators of the project log frame including the tracking of change stories.

Donor reporting

• Prepare comprehensive quarterly reports (narrative and financial) for management information and decision.
• Actively participate in donor review and reflection meetings, and highlight project successes, challenges and mitigating measure to overcome challenges.
• Always Maintain positive relationships with the ActionAid UK Fundraising team and other donor organisations.
• Prepare and liaise with Head of Fundraising to ensure that quality narrative, financial and forecast reports of the project are timeously submitted to donor (s) as per the contract terms and deadlines.

Communication and Visibility

• Raise AAG’s profile through highlighting best practices that emerge from the project.
• Collaborate with the Manager, Communication and Public Relations, to roll-out the project’s communication and visibility Plan.

Safeguarding/ Child Protection Responsibilities

• Be abreast with ActionAid’s safeguarding policies, including our child protection and adults at risk policy and ensure full compliance with its provisions.
• Educate staff, co-applicants, beneficiaries and other stakeholders on the safeguarding policies and other regulatory frameworks of ActionAid Ghana.

Qualification Required & Experience

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION (State minimum entry educational/professional qualification required by the position).

•  A master’s degree in Project Management or relevant field with at least 3 years’ experience in senior management position.

TECHNICAL (State core job knowledge/skills required for successful execution of the job)

• Knowledge and proven experience in project management, especially related to livelihoods and youth development
• Advanced skills in lobbying, advocacy and campaign initiatives
• Knowledge of Human Rights Based Approach to project implementation.
• Knowledge of strategic management principles
• Knowledge of gender issues and power dynamics
• Knowledge of developing concept notes and proposal
• Knowledge of contract management principles
• Knowledge of training models and principles
• Advanced skills in writing quality reports and case studies
• Knowledge of M&E principles
• Knowledge of management principles and planning processes
• Knowledge of Micro-Soft Office applications and social media

MANAGERIAL (State core managerial knowledge/skills required for successful execution of the job)

• Ability and confidence to engage higher levels of external stakeholders such as government ministries, agencies, CSOs, donor organisations and local government structures.
• Ability to identify and evaluate alternative solutions to problems.
• Ability to take timely decisions.
• Ability to develop shared plans and monitor for achieving targets.
• Ability to motivate and provide coaching and technical support to team members when needed.
• Ability to make effective verbal and written presentations.
• Ability to write quality reports.
• Ability to facilitate meetings, focus group discussions and training sessions