Project Manager - Dawric

Job Description         Job Title Project Manager Directorate or Region MENA Department/Country Programmes and Partnerships, Lebanon Location of post Beirut, Lebanon Pay Band Grade F Reports to Director Programmes and Partnerships Duration of job Two years   Purpose of job This position is located in British Council Lebanon.  The Project Manager will be responsible for the day to day implementation and management of the project. The postholder is also responsible for planning, implementing and monitoring all project activities. These duties will include, but not be limited, to the following:   Oversee financial management including budget, forecasting and reporting of the project with British Council finance colleagues. Line-manage one Project Coordinator post based in British Council Lebanon. Manage the work of the project implementing partner on national level and the local level (local NGO, municipalities, committees) in the target areas ( five areas, 20 municipalities). Collaborate with appropriate stakeholders and ensure that all project components are implemented to required standards and in line with project objectives. Contribute to project financial and technical reporting in line with plans and timetables agreed with Client. Ensure compliance with the EU communication and visibility guidelines.   Context and environment The European Union funded Promotion of Gender Equality in Lebanon Project, entitled DAWRIC:  Direct Action for Women: Reform, Inclusion and Confidence seeks to promote gender equality on the national and community level, building the capacities and skills of women to become actors of change using a comprehensive approach targeting chiefly women’s political and economic participation.  More specifically, the project aims to build the capacity of women and broad-based support for their active involvement in public life to: Combat poverty among Lebanese women Ensure gender equality in political life and decision-making processes   DAWRIC will: -       train members of community based organisations trained as community facilitators, increase  knowledge and awareness of  these community members on gender sensitisation and increase capacity of women in English language skills, vocational skills and entrepreneurship skills so that women can be  actively involved in local decision-making processes supported by local communities. -       Support the implementation of Social Action Projects, enhance the capacity of municipality members on gender mainstreaming in local government (and promote the establishment of women’s committees in order to establish greater connection between concerns of urban poor/rural women and the strategies of local authorities). -       Support the technical capacity of civil society representatives on coalition building and advocacy so they are better able to progress women’s participation in public life. -       Train partner non-governmental organisations on action research methods and carry out action research and publish  strategies for promoting women’s participation in public life, increase knowledge of journalists on gender in media in order to better design and manage  ‘Women’s participation in public life’ advocacy campaigns’ through evidence-based data.     Accountabilities, responsibilities and main duties:   Project/Programme leadership & management Conduct prior coordination for meetings held with partners and relevant stakeholders on national level Set criteria, identify and select local organisations and municipalities in five areas in Lebanon to implement the capacity building and form the municipal local committees Extensive sensitisation and agreements with communities, local government, local NGOs and national relevant government ministries Prepare monthly and weekly plans in line with the detailed project schedule and plan. Ensure that all terms and conditions agreed with the project partner are followed up and implemented. Provide orientation to the project coordinator, selected experts, consultants and implementing partner and all relevant stakeholders about the overall project design and methodologies. Represent the project at relevant meetings where project achievements and future plans are shared and discussed. Prepare monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual project reports in line with British Council standards and donor standards and timelines. Participate in progress reporting meetings to clients and with partner organisations Provide quality control and where appropriate draft reports to partners and stakeholders Produce regular reports for Programme Director. Proofread documents to be shared externally.   Monitoring and evaluation Ensure that the project M&E plan and work plans are properly coordinated with M&E specialist and implemented accordingly Conduct regular field visits to have direct observation of the project sites Check and manage staff and implementing partner’s performance, and provide feedback and guidance to the project team on the field visit findings Ensure project documentation is obtained, filed, maintained properly and updated Ensure follow-up for success stories and lesson learning. Facilitate M&E visits and project reviews and provide feedback as well as required inputs for M&E reports.   Financial management Prepare accurate, timely, realistic and feasible monthly cash projections  in line with approved activity plan Ensure financial management, control, compliance and reporting of the project, including arrangements with partners, are compliant with British Council and EU policy and procedures Provide justification and proper explanation for any requested amount that may cause variance to the approved budget   People management Manage a full time Project Coordinator in line with British Council corporate HR processes Manage external consultants, trainers and evaluators in line with project requirements.     Customers & stakeholders Coordinate project activities with relevant ministries, donors and national stakeholders at a  national level Ensure the project implementing partner is coordinating the project activities with the media Provide required presentation of the project to the relevant meetings of stakeholders In coordination with Director of Programmes and Partnerships provide required presentation and handle project related correspondence with the relevant department of the government and the donor Ensure proper coordination is maintained with other actors with possible similar activities in order to avoid probable duplications and overlapping actions   Risk & Compliance Ensure adherence to British Council and EU quality standards, process and procedures. Deploy appropriate client and commercial knowledge and experience to identify and resolve complex problems and define workable business solutions in instances where problems or issues arise, to ensure the British Council and its client’s interests are protected. Ensure that risks are identified and monitored by the team and actions are agreed on to address any transpired risk and escalated as appropriate,   Equality, Diversion, Inclusion Ensure that all aspects of project activities reflect the British Council values and adhere to its Equality, Diversity and Inclusion principles.   Key relationships: Internal: Director Programmes & Partnerships Assistant Director, Programmes and Partnerships British Council local, regional and UK programmes teams and education/society sector specialists British Council cross-departmental teams (Marketing and Communications, Finance and Resources, Exams, Customer Service) Country Director External Senior officials in government ministries especially Ministry of Interior and Municipalities,  Ministry of Social Affairs Companies/organisations/NGOs providing needed services Local and international NGOs working in the society sector/mainly gender related issues Donors and agencies including DFID, EU Delegation, UN agencies, FCO and British Embassy Media   Other important features or requirements of the job (e.g. travel, unsocial/evening hours, restrictions on employment etc.) Working hours are variable according to events and can include evenings and occasional weekends.  The role includes representing the British Council at external events where appropriate.  On certain days it may be necessary to work longer hours to cater for key deadlines. Please specify any passport/visa and/or nationality requirement. Post holder must be eligible to work in Lebanon.  When required, successful candidate needs to secure, at his/her own cost and liability, the appropriate work and residency permits and any other required document, as well as any renewals thereof, from the Lebanese competent authorities. Please indicate if any security or legal checks are required for this role. In line with local legislation                                                                                                   Person Specification     Essential Desirable   Assessment stage Behaviours Being Accountable (Most): Putting the needs of the team or British Council ahead of my own   Connecting with others (More): Actively appreciating the needs and concerns of myself and others.     Interview   Creating Shared Purpose (More): Communicating and engaging picture of how we can work together.   Making it happen (Most): Challenging myself and others to deliver and measure better results.   Working Together (More) establish a genuinely common goal with others.   Shaping the Future (Essential); looking for ways in which we can do things better     Required for the role but not assessed during the application stage   Skills and Knowledge Planning and organising level 3 - Plans ahead: Organises own work over weeks and months, or plans ahead for others, taking account of priorities and the impact on other people. Managing Finance and Resources level 3: Supports budget management - Monitors and controls an agreed budget within a defined area, producing reports and analyses and contributing to planning. Managing projects level 4 – leads smaller projects: Analyses requirements with the sponsor/stakeholders, defining the specification, planning, revising, implementing and evaluating on small-to-medium scale and/or low risk projects. Using technology level 3 - Operates as an advanced user: Works as an advanced practitioner in the use of office software and/or British Council standard and social media platforms and trains or coaches others in their use.   Written and spoken English (C1 Level)     Fluent in written and spoken Arabic   Knowledge of the donor and partner sectors within Lebanon                                             Good command of written and spoken French     Shortlisting/ Interview           Shortlisting/ interview         Shortlisting/ interview             Shortlisting/ interview           Interview and test (if no certificate can be provided)   Shortlisting Experience Experience of managing Development Contracts for major international donors e.g. EU, DFID Proven ability to develop and manage relationships with partner, stakeholders and clients Financial administration, including planning, management, monitoring and reporting Experience of managing teams to ensure successful delivery of projects Excellent organisational skills; ability to manage and prioritise tasks Must have good attention to detail, all work must be checked Excellent relationship-building skills and the ability to interact effectively with diverse groups Ability to professionally represent British Council to other organisations Computer literacy with good knowledge of MS office applications Experience of working with projects in post conflict situations Experience in the EU contracting, procurement and financial rules Experience in gender related projects       Shortlisting Qualifications University degree or Masters in Social Science degree preferably in subjects such as Social Work, Education, Political Science, Sociology, Economics, etc. At least 7 years of relevant work experience in delivering complex projects and continued project management development Project Management qualifications Shortlisting