Programme Manager - Youth and Civil Society

Role purpose

Working closely with Director Programmes and Partnerships, the role will support in the design and development of our Syria programme portfolio - entailing civil society and youth development - by working with relevant partners, stakeholders and wider  target audiences in Syria and the United Kingdom (UK) to deliver successful country plan priorities. 

The post holder is required to ensure high impact and quality delivery of all projects through sound project management and financial sustainability. He/she should assist in income generation through the pursuit of full-cost recovery contracts and co-funded partnerships. 

Moreover, he/she should ensure regular and effective coordination with regional leads for coherence and alignment with country, regional and global strategy and outcomes for the British Council and that benefit is achieved for both Syria and the UK. 

The primary focus of the role is, therefore, to position our work on youth and civil society internally and externally, share knowledge and learning, communicate impact to key stakeholders and maximise the use of resources and value for money.

About us 

The British Council was founded in 1934 to create ‘a friendly knowledge and understanding’ between the people of the UK and wider world in order to enhance mutual prosperity and security, on the belief that greater trust and mutually beneficial relationships enable us all to better navigate the opportunities and challenges of a globalised world. We do this through cultural relations – making a positive contribution to the countries we work in by utilising the UK’s ‘soft power’ to build connections, create opportunities and engender trust. For the British Council this means sharing the cultural resources of the UK, such as art, sport, education, science, culture, language, innovation and creativity, and in doing so making a lasting difference to the UK’s international standing, security and prosperity. To achieve greater reach, impact and value for money we work in partnership with UK organisations and many others around the world.

The British Council manages international development projects worldwide, helping to create opportunities for people and societies to achieve positive change. As trusted international development partners, we work in a range of development sectors, including civil society, justice and security, education, skills and employability, and public sector reform. Working closely with governments, donor organisations, the private sector and civil society, we deliver value for money international development solutions that are both effective and sustainable.

Geopolitical/SBU/Function overview

In Syria, the British Council closed and suspended its operations in its Damascus office in 2012, having been present on the ground since 1943. Nonetheless, we have continued to deliver cultural relations programming in support of displaced Syrians through our neighbouring country offices and remotely through local partners still operating inside Syria. 

The current Syria Directorate is based in Beirut, Lebanon. It has a mandate to support host country offices to develop multi-country responses to the Syrian crisis, for overall coordination of the regional response to the crisis, and to develop viable long-term models and programmes for delivering impact back inside Syria.

Our vision is for young Syrians to feel less isolated and have greater access to opportunities to connect with the world and participate in conversations and learning experiences that give them hope for a better future. We are working towards this vision by initiating greater connections, knowledge sharing and collaboration between the people of the UK and Syria.

Our primary focus in the current context is supporting the long-term enablers of peace, security and recovery at the community level: values-based civil society organisations and networks, youth and women community leaders, artists, citizen journalists, social entrepreneurs, teachers and school leaders.

Our key priority areas for the next three years (2021) are as follows:

• To increasing spaces for reflection and exploration of UK and Syrian values, identity and culture. 
• To equip Syria youth and professionals with skills to improve their economic opportunities and employability
• To strengthen value-based youth led and civil society networks to influence social change and local peacebuilding

The post holder will be a member of the Syria programmes team based in Beirut. He/she will be held accountable for design and delivery of the British Council Syria programme portfolio focusing on youth and civil society.

Main opportunities/challenges for this role

This job represents an exciting opportunity to manage a growing programmes portfolio and closely engage with a variety of partners and stakeholders. At the same time, it entails working in a challenging and fragile contexts and projects implemented in areas where we are not physically present. As such, it is expected that the post holder is highly agile, adaptable, think politically and is capable of managing work remotely. Other challenges include ensuring the portfolio remains relevant and sustainable in a fast-moving external context where there is a considerable amount of competition for donor funding, as well as demonstrating value for money (being addressed through the new Research and Evidence Framework.).

There may be occasional unsocial / evening hours.

The role will involve travel in the region as part of portfolio management and business development activities. 

Main Accountabilities

Programme portfolio design, development and implementation

• Design, plan and monitor the implementation of projects with Syrian and UK audiences. This is done through working with Director Programmes and Partnerships, regional Strategic Business Units (SBU) leads and teams, UK advisors and external consultants and a wide range of local and international partners to meet country plan local, regional and global priorities. 
• Identify opportunities to support the British Council’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) policy, and consider all six areas of the EDI framework in planning, implementation and reporting of project activities in Society. 
• Contribute to the development of the portfolio – growing audiences, partnerships and income. This includes: a) Continuously developing the strategy based on current opportunities, our track record, local context, and partner/funder priorities; b) Diversifying partnerships to enable the British Council to reach a broader audience of stakeholders
• Work closely with the Marketing and Communications team to ensure that: British Council brand standards are upheld, effective marketing and communications plans are created and implemented, and that impact/ Key Performance Indicators are measured throughout.
• Provide quality content for communications material on programming for internal/external purposes.

Knowledge management and sharing 

• Ensure all projects have embedded monitoring and evaluation (M&E) processes and that evaluations are conducted in line with project requirements with lessons learned incorporated and disseminated through appropriate channels.
• Produce regular project reports and participate in relevant meetings i.e. with the programmes team, partners and other relevant stakeholders.  
• Ensure accuracy and contextualisation of key technical reports when applicable.
• Ensure project outcomes and impacts are measured and reported according to corporate standards including REF systems
• Proactively communicate our projects achievements to both internal and external audiences through a variety of channels so as to create positive impact for the UK and British Council. 
• Represent the British Council in relevant international /local conferences/forums

Financial and budget management 

• Ensure budgets and income targets are agreed annually with senior management and monitored on a monthly basis.
• Draft budgets and actively manage finances in line with British Council processes and standards: 
• Plan, forecast and monitor spending in line with agreed projects budget and expenditure 
• Prepare accurate, timely, realistic and feasible monthly cash projection in accordance to the approved activity plans. 
• Ensure effective financial management of assigned projects using SAP and off-system tools.
• Ensure, control and monitor the payment process to the contracted partners, suppliers and service providers.

Risk and compliance

• In coordination with Director Programmes and Partnerships, ensure that risks are identified, monitored and escalated to Country Director as appropriate – with agreed mitigation plans and actions. 
• Ensure that all projects meet relevant internal and external compliance and requirements (financial, HR, quality management, procurement, security, etc.). 

People management 

• Active line management of staff members reporting to this post in line with British Council processes and standards and contribute to a positive and inclusive working environment.
• Effective management of external consultants and technical experts as required for design, development and delivery of programme portfolio where applicable.  

Key Relationships

Internal

• Country Director 
• Director Programmes and Partnerships
• Business Operations Manager and Officer 
• Regional SBU Lead and UK advisors 
• British Council local, regional and UK programmes teams and SBU specialists
• British Council Project Managers and cross departmental teams (Marketing and Communications, Finance and Market Place)
• Human Resources Business Partners/Lebanon & Syria
• MENA Research and Evaluation Manager 
• MENA and UK Partnerships and Business Development Teams 
• Relevant colleagues in countries affected by the Syrian crisis such as project managers in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey  

External

• Local and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working on the Syria response inside Syria and in host countries
• Civil society activists and social entrepreneurs 
• Donors and agencies including European Union Delegation, United Nations agencies, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and British Embassy
• Media
• Consultants and sub-contractors 

Role requirements 

• Passport requirements/ Right to work in country    Must be able to work in Lebanon and to travel in the UK and MENA region.
• Direct contact or managing staff working with children?    No

Person Specification

Language requirements:
Essential 

• Arabic 
• English – (Level C1), Valid proof of level required (IELTS 7.5 or equivalent)

Assessment Stage

• Mandatory Aptis test in English (provided by British Council) if shortlisted candidate cannot provide proof of English

Qualifications
Essential        

• University Degree in relevant areas such as Development Studies, Political Science, International Relations, Business Management, Public Administration, Non-Profit Management.    

Desirable

• Postgraduate degree in relevant area such as Development Studies, Political Science and International Relations    

Assessment Stage

• Shortlisting 

Specific Knowledge & Experience
Essential

• At least 2 years managerial experience in developing and delivering projects on capacity building for civil society and youth. 
• Proven sector knowledge on youth and civil society
• At least two years proven experience and demonstrable success as a project manager in a conflict-ridden context. 
• Financial management 
• Proven experience of developing and managing a range of strategic partnerships
• Ability to influence senior internal and external stakeholders

Desirable

• Experience and/or demonstrable understanding of Syria or working in conflict affected contexts’
• Experience of writing winning proposals, policy related reports and speaking at events.

Assessment Stage

• Shortlisting and interview

British Council Core Skills

Managing projects (Level 4)
Leading medium-to-large and/or high risk projects, coordinating a diverse team with awareness of equality and diversity impact as part of the project specifications and handling changes in specification or plan to meet unexpected circumstances

Communications and influence (Level 3) 
Able to use a range of non-standard and creative approaches to inform, and persuade others, extending beyond logical argument to influence decisions and actions in a way which is inclusive and engaging.

Planning and organising (Level 2) 
Able to organise own work over weeks and months, or to plan ahead for others, taking account of priorities and the impact on other people.

Managing finance & resources (Level 3)
Monitors and controls an agreed budget within a defined area, producing reports and analyses and contributing to planning

Managing Risks (Level 2)
Has track record of identifying and highlighting risks and suggesting mitigating actions

Assessment Stage

• Shortlisting and interview 

British Council Behaviours

Creating Shared Purpose (Essential) 
Communicating an engaging picture of how we can work together

Connecting with others (More Demanding)
Actively appreciating the needs and concerns of myself and others

Working together (More Demanding)
Ensuring that others benefit as well as me

Being accountable (More Demanding) 
Putting the needs of the team or British Council ahead of my own

Making it happen (Most Demanding)
Challenging myself and others to deliver and measure better results

Shaping the future (Essential)
Looking for ways in which we can do things better

Assessment Stage

• Shortlisting and interview