The Save the Children Fund, commonly known as Save the Children, was established in the United Kingdom in 1919 to improve the lives of children through better education, health care, and economic opportunities, as well as providing emergency aid in natural disasters, war, and other conflicts. After passing a century, which it celebrated in 2019, it is now a global movement made up of 29 national member organizations which work in 120 countries.

Scope

Report to: Save the Children Ethiopia Deputy Director of Program Implementation 

The cash consortium director will lead the CMU and be the operational link across partners for monitoring, reporting, representation and timely information sharing. S/he will be responsible for the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of project activities and results achievement; ensure the planned harmonization of the Cash approaches and methodologies (and accountability systems)  is realized; will act as a facilitator in the Steering Committee and is the technical lead the Consortium Cash working group; maintain regular communication with the Ethiopian CWG, other relevant national authorities and the in-country ECHO TA; coordinate the preparation of harmonized narrative reports and be the ultimate responsibility for their quality, comprehensiveness and consistency; ensure that visibility requirements are met and IEC materials harmonized.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY :

• Manage the Consortium Management Unit (CMU) team, made of one Finance manager (100%LoE), MEAL Senior manager (100% LoE); and one Grant Officer (50% LoE).
• Lead the strategic development and implementation of Programs of the ECC through continuously improving programming methodologies and herniation techniques for enhanced Program delivery by the consortium members.
• Takes leadership on the strategic, programmatic and technical elements of the cash assistance (CVA) and ensure projects are designed well, delivered on time and on budget, are appropriately monitored, evaluated and delivered ensuring compliance with internal and donor requirements
• Oversee the implementation of monitoring and evaluation and learning systems in ECC Program, in line with Save the Children Program polices, standards and strategies
• Ensure the Ethiopia Cash consortium program is consistent with the country strategic plan and in line with the donor, government and cash working group strategy and guidelines.
• Ensure the effective and professional management of donor relationships and grants and support the development of high-quality proposals for the Consortium, to complement the ECHO Funding.
• Provide ongoing mentoring, support and advice to ECC Program and MEAL team and to the wider ECC team
• Key relationship holder with the donor, cash working group, and cash consortium members
• Ensure integration and coordination among the various Consortium member agencies contributing to the overall goal of the Consortium through strengthening inter-agency collaboration.
• Ensure high-quality reporting (both internal and external) with accurate, reliable information and that reports are prepared and submitted in a timely manner according to the reporting timelines.
• Strengthen the multisector team’s technical capacity of the team for effective project management through the identification of training needs and putting in place capacity building and mentoring strategies.
• Ensure that all expenditure of the project is in line with activity and financial forecast and that all expenditure complies to Donor
• With support from the CMU finance manager and SCI Country finance team, review monthly Award, assess spending rates and budget forecasts for all consortium members.
• Ensure gender and other quality markers are mainstreamed in each step of the implementation (starting from planning, beneficiary selection, disaggregated data during reporting and in the continuous implementation)
• Organize regular Consortium member meetings for dissemination of information on the project and discussion of how to strengthen elements of the project through collaboration
• Lead the Project Steering Committee, the Partners’ Implementation Unit, and the Consortium Technical Working Group.
• Ensure the visibility of the consortium members among humanitarian, donor and government partners throughout the project.
• Frequent travel to Program locations across Ethiopia as required for training, monitoring and coordination with consortium partners

Monitoring, Evaluation Accountability, and Learning (MEAL)

• Ensure that programming meets high standards in terms of design, monitoring, and evaluation through ECHO’s Project Cycle Management System, Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS)accountability commitments, Program Quality Guidelines, and PME Framework
• Ensure that Program launch meetings, Program reviews evaluations are in line with the organization’s and donors’ requirements
• Ensure that Program learning is captured through sound monitoring systems, with specific attention to harmonized post-distribution monitoring (PDM), and that it is used to improve and adapt Programs
• Request technical advisors’ inputs as needed and ensure that the outcomes of technical advisor visits, evaluations, and other recommendations are documented, tracked and implemented.
• Ensure focus is maintained on cost-efficiency and coordinate the production of technical updates on this.
• Develop the Accountability Framework and provide management and technical support to the Consortium MEAL Coordinator and MEAL Technical working group.
• Promote joint planning and monitoring among partners and Programs  and ensure integration and effective learning
• Ensure that reviews are documented and evaluations reports are in line with the SCI and donors’ requirements

Team management.

• Upholds SCI and consortium’s values at all times, demonstrate self-accountability while making decisions, and managing resources, In line with the accountability framework depicted the project proposal (Consortium governance), holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities – giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and taking appropriate measures to manage underperformance.

Representation and Networking:

• Engage with and support national and regional level networks relevant to increasing ECC’s learning and improving Program implementation; provide for potential funding/consortium work
• Represent ECC at Ethiopia Cash Working Group Meetings and/or Work Streams, and other relevant coordination fora, in coordination with the Cash Consortium members
• Ensure that relationships and formal agreements with the government are maintained and updated as appropriate

BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)

Accountability:

• holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modeling Save the Children values
• holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities – giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.

Ambition:

• sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same
• widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• Future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

Collaboration:

• builds and maintains
• effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters
• values diversity, seesit as a source of competitive strength
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.

Creativity:

• develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• Willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:    Honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity

REQUIREMENTS

QUALIFICATIONS

• Master’s degree in development or other Project Management, social sciences, or related fields. Experience:

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS 

• Recommended 12 years of relevant progressive experience, out of which 5 years in managerial positions. experience in a humanitarian environment including significant field operations experience running both emergency & development programs is required Skills/Ability required:
• Significant management experience working in emergency response or fragile state contexts.
• Direct experience in implementing cash assistance Programs, market analysis, and economic recovery.
• Previous experience in managing highly technical teams in CVA implementation
• Previous experience working as a Consortium manager would be preferable
• Previous experience in project management
• Experience of and commitment to working through systems of community participation and accountability
• Demonstrated monitoring and evaluation skills
• Ability to work both in an advisory and a hands-on implementation capacity
• The ability to speak and write Amharic and other local languages is preferable