Project Development Officer

Mission 

Under the supervision of the Country Project Development Manager, the Project Development Officer will support project development, fundraising, reporting, external and internal communications, and grant management, in line with Acted’s country strategy.

the role will actively contribute to the integration of Acted’s 3ZERO approach (Zero Exclusion, Zero Carbon, Zero Poverty) across the project cycle, ensuring that proposals and donor engagements systematically promote inclusive, climate-sensitive, and sustainable programming.  

This includes mainstreaming climate adaptation and mitigation considerations across Acted’s priority sectors and supporting the development of initiatives that strengthen resilience, reduce environmental impact, and address the root causes of vulnerability. 

OBJECTIVES 

The Project Development Officer will contribute to the strategic positioning and resource mobilisation of Acted’s mission by supporting the design, development, and management of high-quality projects aligned with country priorities and donor requirements.  

The role aims to strengthen Acted’s fundraising performance, ensure timely and compliant grant management, and enhance internal coordination and external engagement. In line with Acted’s 3 ZERO approach (Zero Exclusion, Zero Carbon, Zero Poverty), the Project Development Officer will support the integration of inclusive, environmentally responsible, and climate-sensitive approaches across the project cycle, contributing to the development of sustainable interventions that address immediate needs while strengthening long-term resilience.

FUNCTIONS 

Fundraising 

Context Analysis 

Analyse the country’s socio-economic situation, (donor) trends, needs and gaps 

Regularly conduct stakeholder analysis, in particular who does what and where (3W) 

External relations 

Maintain active and regular working relationships with donors 

Maintain active and regular working relationships with other NGOs, UN agencies, clusters, working groups, Alliance2015, consortia and academia 

Regularly update a directory of donors, international and local NGOs, other partners and stakeholders 

Contribute to the reporting to national and local authorities as required by ACTED registration/legal status in country 

In the absence of Technical Coordinators, represent ACTED in key clusters and working group meetings 

Fundraising and proposal development 

Identify funding opportunities; 

Contribute to the identification of potential relevant international and/or local partners (private sector partners, national and international NGOs, think tanks, academia, etc.) to be included in proposals 

Liaise with AMEU to contribute to the ToRs of assessments to be conducted for proposal development and to request their input in the logframe development (esp. formulation of SMART indicators) 

Contribute to the development of fundraising documents (be it expression of Interests/ Concept Notes/ Proposals) in line with ACTED country strategy and donor requirements and in close collaboration with ACTED HQ GMU (Grant Management Unit) and finance 

Liaise with Area Coordinators, Project Managers and Technical Coordinators to ensure that proposals are relevant and technically sound 

Integrate learning from previous interventions (e.g. lessons learnt and best practices) into new proposals 

Involve FLATS teams in the development of fundraising documents, particularly finance for the budget and logistics in case of specific donor procurement rules 

Contracting 

Contribute to addressing in a timely manner all comments by donors on proposals in liaison with relevant staff in country and ACTED HQ GMU and finance 

Read thoroughly all contracts before signature, seeking ACTED HQ GMU and finance advice when required 

2. Grant Management 

Contract follow-up 

Ensure that contractual obligations (including visibility requirements) and reporting deadlines are known and met by Programme, AMEU and FLATS team 

When any issue is identified in meeting deliverables in the given timeframe and budget, inform relevant staff in country and seek ACTED HQ Program Department advice on potential solutions that would meet donor rules 

Reporting 

Participate in and take minutes of kick-off and close out meetings for each project 

Write quality narrative reports, reflecting the progress and status of projects in a transparent, timely and professional manner, in liaison with ACTED HQ GMU and finance, which will contribute ultimately to steady cash inflow 

Work in close relation with AMEU to incorporate AME data (incl. data on input, process, output, outcome and impact indicators, lessons learnt and best practices) in reports and review M&E reports from AMEU 

Liaise with FLATS teams when preparing reports, especially with finance to ensure greater coherence between financial and narrative reports by crosschecking the matching of data in the narrative and financial reports 

Contribute to the monthly update of the Reporting Follow Up (RFU) and ensure smooth and regular communication with ACTED HQ GMU 

Ensure ad hoc requests from donors are addressed in liaison with the CD, programme and support teams 

Partner Follow-up 

Liaise with partners when required to develop relevant grant agreements in close coordination with ACTED HQ GMU and finance 

Ensure partners report to ACTED in a timely and qualitative manner as per the requirements of the grant agreement 

3. Management and Internal Coordination 

Staff Management (if any) 

Manage a Project Development Intern and/or Assistant(s) if any, following up the work plans and day-to-day activities 

Mentor the PDI and/ or PDA with the aim of strengthening their technical capacity 

Internal Coordination and Communication 

Facilitate interdepartmental communication and information sharing from the Base, to the Area, Capital, and even up to the regional and HQ offices by taking minutes of the various ACTED coordination meetings 

Ensure these meeting minutes are sent monthly to HQ 

Keep ACTED HQ GMU and finance updated on latest developments, opportunities and challenges so that GMU can best advice on the way forward 

Filing 

File properly contractual project documents both in hard and soft copies 

Update regularly the Resource Centre at the office with appropriate and relevant external and internal resources 

4. External Communication 

Contribute to ACTED external communication strategy by feeding regularly ACTED HQ Communication Department with informal updates on projects, a flash news, pictures, articles on projects progress and/or specific events for ACTED communication tools, including, but not limited to, ACTED Newsletter, websites and ACTED Annual Report 

Ensure the update and design of in country communication and visibility tools and publications, their dissemination and availability to ACTED teams, as well as the capitalization of media and pictures of the mission.

Personal and TECHNICAL SKILLS 

Preference will be given to candidates with experience or strong technical understanding of climate adaptation and mitigation approaches, including the ability to integrate climate and environmental considerations into project design, proposal development, and donor reporting, in line with Acted’s 3 ZERO approach and priority sectors such as Agriculture and Food Security, the Blue Economy, and sustainable WASH programming. 

Expected skills and qualifications 

Master Level education in a relevant field such as International Relations or Development 

Project management experience (management, planning, staff development and training skills) in development programs 

2-5 years previous work experience in a relevant position 

Proven capabilities in leadership and management required 

Excellent skills in written and spoken English 

Strong negotiation and interpersonal skills, and flexibility in cultural and organizational terms 

Ability to work well and punctually under pressure