Team Leader Program Delivery at Plan International November, 2021

The Organisation

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls.

We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it’s girls who are most affected.

Working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children.

We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. And we enable children to prepare for – and respond to – crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.

We have been building powerful partnerships for children for over 80 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries.

BACKGROUND

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. Plan has over 80 years’ experience and works in more than 75 countries across the world. We strive for a just world, working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners.

Plan International has been working in Tanzania since 1991. Our work supports marginalised children and youth, especially adolescent girls, to grow up physically and mentally healthy and ready to shape their future. We create an enabling environment and empower girls to be active drivers of change in realising their rights. We prioritise working with local partners, and ensuring all of our works are evidence based.

role PURPOSE

The Team Leader Program Delivery (TLePD) is responsible and accountable for the effective and efficient leadership of all Plan International Tanzania (PIT) program delivery, through the provision of day-to-day technical and operational support across different thematic activities in both grants and sponsorship. S/he will be expected to provide strategic direction and the management of program delivery, driving culture, capability and transformation across Program Units (PUs). S/he will work closely with the operation as well as program quality teams to deliver integrated solutions to accelerate program planning, budgeting and delivery. Align program planning directly to the overall Country Strategic Plan (CSP) and appropriate Areas of Global Distinctiveness (AoGD), both in terms of project delivery frameworks, governance and interfaces with the other functional areas of PIT. Lead, manage and develop program delivery team and provide clear direction and support in the development and delivery of the program results and risks identified and appropriate mitigation against non-delivery activities to ensure timely delivery of activities and budget with maximum effectiveness to achieve desired results and long term sustainability. Reporting to the Director of Programs, S/he has supervisory responsibility to the Program Unit Managers (PUMs), Sponsorship Manager and Head of Partnership.

Dimensions of the Role

• Provide strategic leadership to the PU offices to innovatively implement and delivery of the programs targets and result in line with CSP and appropriate AoGD.
• Lead and develop creative and innovative program delivery management systems for each project and ensure they are inclusive and gender transformative.

• Effectively supervise a dynamic team of staff, provide coaching, strategically tailor individual development plans and complete performance assessment.
• Ensure best practices in project management are continually developed and used with appropriate project management frameworks in place,
• Ensure program reviews are regularly and effectively conducted to drive plan and monitoring the delivery progress to the agreed quality level.
• Lead and Support local implementing partners’ capacity building initiatives so as to deliver quality programming.
• Conduct risk assessments in the program delivery, plan the mitigation and escalate to the management.
• Identify and deploy the technical skill sets, resource levels and systems to deliver projects, including the engagement of external resources as required.

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
• Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of Safeguarding policies.

• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding children and young people and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI) are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring Plan and Partner’s staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures

Accountabilities

Key Result Area 1:  Lead in the strategic planning and delivery of high quality evidence-based, Inclusive and gender transformative activities which are in line with Country Strategy Plan (CSP) and Areas of Global Distinctiveness (AoGD).

Indicators for success:

• Lead the relevant PU offices and ensure that plans and implementation of the program activities are in-line with the country approved budget.  
• Lead and support PUs offices in the annual planning process and make sure all proposed activities are in line with CSP and AoGD.
• Ensure that all grant and sponsorship funded projects are implemented to a consistent high standard, on time and to the approved budget.
• Review all programs delivery procedures and guidance identifying gaps and establishing benchmarks, to ensure effective and result based program implementation.
• Contribute to the PIT Program department budgeting including forecasting and alignment with PIT program priorities and resource mobilization.
• Support PUs offices to develop and effectively implement joint action with the government and implementing partners for advocacy and influencing work.
• Oversee, review and ensure high quality and timely reporting.

Key Result Area 2: Lead and monitor program delivery requirements and value propositions through working closely with program quality team to align program key results with designed indicators.

Indicators for success:

• Ensure regular monitoring and periodic evaluations of major program interventions to promote learning and improvement in all major thematic areas.
• Ensure delivery of high quality, evidence based and innovative programs that aligned to the Monitoring and Evaluation Framework.
• Drive continuous improvements of program delivery to warrant effective utilization of project resources;
• Enhance the capacity of implementing partners and stakeholders on program delivery;  

Key Result Area 3: Contributes to the comprehensive funding strategy and support the fundraising initiatives of the PIT thematic programmes

Indicators for success:

• Support business development team and National Organisations in the development of high quality concept notes and proposals as well as seeking of new opportunities
• Ensure strong coordination with Business Development Team to ensure quality PU inputs to major grant and SP funded projects.
• Good relationship established with new and existing proposed stakeholders for upcoming resource mobilisation opportunities.

Key Result Area 4: Provide leadership and technical support to the staff and implementing partners, to be able to deliver quality and sustainable changes to the children and their communities.

Indicators for success:

• Lead and coach PUMs, and other relevant project managers within Program Implementation to achieve the targets of the annual plans.
• Support in the Identification of key implementing and strategic partners with whom Plan can work to leverage meeting its CSP objectives;
• Develop the appropriate work mechanisms ensuring that the relevant functions within PIT program delivery and implementing partners are jointly working together.
• Work closely with the program quality team to ensure periodic monitoring and review of planned activities and reports.
• Ensure sponsorship projects’ implementation is aligned with the CSP as well as with Sponsorship Commitments;
• Lead the continuous review of the PUs capacity to ensure they are well staffed to deliver the quality implementation of the projects in a cost effective manner.
• Develop the appropriate partners’ management framework that strengthen their delivery capacity
• Build and foster relationships with local government officials and partners to strengthen our relationship.

Key Result Area 5: Create an enabling working environment that model our value-based leadership framework underpinned by our feminist leadership principles.

Indicators for success:

• Take appropriate measures ensuring PU staff are well motivated and supported to contribute to the mission and vision of the organization
• Across different department units to foster excellent teamwork and high performing staff;
• Support team members to gain the necessary skills through learning and development in key areas of programme, finance, logistics and human resources management
• Establish, communicate and monitor standards of performance and behaviours of the team through development of Individual Accountability Plans (IAP), and key performance indicators (KPI’s) and provide honest feedback of performance.
• Consistently promote high standards through personal example and roll out through the team so that each member of the team understands the standards and behaviours expected of them
• Succession plans are in place to ensure staff retention within PUs.

Key Result Area 6: Ensure that all project expenditures are on time and according to the budget (within permissible variance limits) and oversee and guide any budget reforecasting and reallocation exercises that are required.

Indicators for success:

• Work with the finance team to ensure that project budget enables delivery as designed;
• Monitor project performance and budget utilization and advise on corrective measures;
• Oversee the coordination in the budget, preparation, consolidation, analysis and timely submission’;
• Ensure the timely implementation of grants and sponsorship budgets. The creation of POs and closing of grants in SAP is done expeditiously;
• Ensure that all grants/sponsorship projects have opening/launch, regular grants and projects monitoring and closeout workshops/meetings;

Key relationships

Internal:

• This position works closely with the Operations department (Medium)
• This position works closely with the Business Development Unit (high)
• This position works closely with the Program Unit Managers (PUMs) (Medium)
• This position works closely with the Influencing, Communications, and Advocacy (low)

External:

• This position works closely with the local government (Medium)
• This position works closely with the implementing partners (Medium)

Technical expertise, skills and knowledge

Required experience and Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Social Science, International Development, Project Management or any relevant field. 
• Minimum of 5 years work experience in program management position with progressive responsibilities in the international NGO.
• Demonstrated experience on right based approaches, gender equality and inclusion in programming.
• Excellent track record of providing organisational and leadership support to ensure the effective and efficient delivery of programs and projects.
• Excellent interpersonal, networking and negotiation skills with staff, stakeholders and partners with motivation for high quality service delivery.
• Ability to think clearly and analytically, setting priority, solving problems and making timely and appropriate decisions.
• Strong communication capabilities with excellent proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Experience of planning, budgeting and executing complex strategies
• Track record of successfully managing multiple large-scale projects
• Strong understanding of systems used to track performance.
• Strong background in development and resource mobilizations skills.
• Demonstrated record of working in inter-disciplinary teams, partnership building and the desire to work in a collaborative environment.
• Experience using MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, information and budget management systems, and knowledge sharing networks.

Essential:

Knowledge

• In-depth knowledge of quality result based program delivery
• Knowledge of gender analysis and assessments, including approaches, methods, and frameworks;
• Demonstrated knowledge in developing and leading gender-transformative programming
• Knowledge in leading a diverse team and in context of multiple stakeholders with complex relationships
• Demonstrated knowledge to successfully planning, delivery and monitor project activities with rigorous timelines and deliverables
• Knowledgeable of Tanzania Adolescent girls and gender challenges and possible solutions.

Skills

• Excellent communication skills, with outstanding analytical and writing skills ability
• Excellent organizational skills with a willingness to assume responsibilities and take initiative;
• Demonstrated leadership, and people management skills
• Strong process and time management skills and ability to motivate others to develop and practice these skills.
• Strong critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills with ability to make sound judgment and operationalize innovations.
• Strong relationship management skills and the ability to work effectively with culturally diverse, cross-disciplinary, and geographically disperse groups.

Behaviours

• Hardworking with capacity to work independently with minimum supervision
• Honest, integrity, open and transparent personality.
• A team player and working towards achieving a team goal
• Persuasive and be able to respect all groups of people and able to work with different cultural settings
• Motivated, energetic and strives to develop and support others
• Working for the best interest of the organization and children
• Appreciate of child rights and gender equality

• Proactive, resourceful, solutions oriented and results-oriented
• Positive and pragmatic approach to achieving results

Desirable

• Data-driven, detail-oriented, self-starter with excellent analytic skills
• Strong program management, presentation, team-building and interpersonal skills
• Commitment to Adolescence girls’ development and a values-driven work environment.
• Operate in a high-pressure deadline-driven environment with minimal supervision

• Experience with rights based approaches in project development and implementation.
• Experience in civil society capacity building and partnership development
• Experience managing staff, including demonstrated experience in staff training, coaching and mentoring.
• Experience in designing and monitoring evidence and result based programming

Plan International’s Values in Practice

We are open and accountable

• Promotes a culture of openness and transparency, including with sponsors and donors.
• Holds self and others accountable to achieve the highest standards of integrity.
• Consistent and fair in the treatment of people.
• Open about mistakes and keen to learn from them.
• Accountable for ensuring we are a safe organisation for all children, girls & young people.

We strive for lasting impact

• Articulates a clear purpose for staff and sets high expectations.
• Creates a climate of continuous improvement, open to challenge and new ideas.
• Focuses resources to drive change and maximise long-term impact, responsive to changed priorities or crises.
• Evidence-based and evaluates effectiveness.

We work well together

• Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
• Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
• Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.
• Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.

We are inclusive and empowering

• Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
• Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
• Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.
• Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.

Physical Environment

• Working environment will include both typical office environment and field environment
• The position requires regular field travels, at least 25% of the work time

Level of contact with children

Mid contact: Occasional interaction with children during reflection meetings, evaluations, and research

Location: Dar es Salaam

Reports to:  Director of Programs

Grade: E

Closing Date: 30th November, 2021