Programme Field Coordinator - Strengthening Resilience Project

Role purpose

The post holder will provide support in the implementation and quality assurance of the Strengthening Resilience project - community component by working with partner universities, stakeholders, consultants and youth in all over Lebanon and from the UK to meet the British Council’s strategic objectives.

This is a complex programme funded by the EC using the PAGODA tool.

While the project in Lebanon aims to support the development of Lebanon’s Preventing Violent Extremism National Action Plan and help build the capacity and capability of the PVE Unit – PVE Working Group, the community component of the project aims to build individual resilience and sense of citizenship of youth, engage them in community development and enhance their role in political participation. The programme aims to strengthen the resilience of individuals and communities against extremist narratives and reduce the appeal of violent extremist groups.

A significant part of the role will be to plan, implement, monitor and evaluate the execution of SRII project to meet the needs of youth participants and achieve the project objectives and outcomes in line with the project proposal and framework and ensure compliance around British Council and client requirements.

About us

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We create friendly knowledge and understanding between the people of the UK and other countries. We do this by making a positive contribution to the UK and the countries we work with – changing lives by creating opportunities, building connections and engendering trust.

We work with over 100 countries across the world in the fields of arts and culture, English language, education and civil society. Each year we reach over 20 million people face-to-face and more than 500 million people online, via broadcasts and publications. Founded in 1934, we are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter and a UK public body.

Geopolitical/SBU/Function overview:

The British Council has been in Lebanon since 1946.  As the United Kingdom’s international organisation for education and cultural relations, we are building on the British Council’s respected and trusted brand by expanding existing programmes and developing new opportunities with government and key stakeholders across the public, private and NGO sectors.  We employ 50 staff, including five regional and five Syria post and our portfolio spans our main sectors of English, Education, Society and Arts. 

The Programmes team within British Council Lebanon manages all aspects of business development and delivery.  Working closely with colleagues across British Council (regionally, locally and in UK), the team is responsible for ensuring the quality and consistency of projects and programmes, meeting the expectations of partners.  This includes:  managing all aspects of delivery, compliance, risk and finances across the portfolio.

This post holder will be a key member of the SRII Lebanon team, reporting to the Project manager and closely working with SRII regional team, as well as the different stakeholders; with the aim of:

- ensuring the use of relevant tools, process and strong working/mentoring relationships are applied to ensure compliance around British Council and client requirements.

Main opportunities/challenges for this role:

• To plan, implement, monitor and evaluate the execution of SRII project through working with the Project Manager, regional SRII colleagues, local partners, stakeholders, professionals and consultants to meet the needs of youth participants and achieve the programme/project objectives and outcomes.
• Management and communications with different stakeholders including governmental actors, partner universities, CSOs and contractors

Main Accountabilities:

A) Project implementation & quality assurance

• specifying selection criteria for partners
• conducting one to one meetings with partners to brief them about the project
• participating in the selection of partners
• overseeing and monitoring the outreach process and selection of youth by partners
• Planning and coordinating the Active Citizen activities including Tot, planning for training and cascade training and ensuring deliverables and targets are met
• Planning and scheduling of awareness sessions on PVE within universities or CSOs
• Following up with partner focal points on the community consultations
• Planning and scheduling World Cafés
• Following up and monitoring the planning and implementation Social Action Projects
• Produce procurement requests as per British Council policy
• Monitor the implementation and progress of the project according to objectives, plan of action, budget and record progress
• Work with M&E manager to monitor and evaluate on going activities and that impact indicators are measured throughout
• Conduct regular compliance reviews/“health checks” on field

B) Build relationships & capacities of the partners

• Building and maintaining constructive relationships with partners in order to facilitate the project’s implementation processes effectively
• Managing relationship with partners from contract development to activity implementation with assurance of deliverables agreed with British Council
• Providing partners with unified tools for follow up and reporting
• Ensuring that the partners submit supporting documents in compliance to BC policies and standards

C) Financial and resource management

• Liaising with partners to ensure proper documentation of finances and financial reporting
• Updating cash flow on monthly basis and ensuring effective financial management of assigned projects using SAP and off-system tools
• Reconciling financial expenditure on a monthly basis
• Liaising with the local Finance team to ensure Essential Finance standards are met

D) Team working

• Coordinate with projects team to ensure efficient planning and implementation
• Liaising with Project Manager on project design, deliverables, achievements and risks (including budget and target monitoring)
• Liaising with Project Support Officer for support on logistics
• Liaising with Marketing and Communication to ensure proper visibility and branding

Key Relationships:

Internal

• Project support officer
• Project Manager
• Business support/security team
• British Council local, regional and UK SRII team
• British Council cross-departmental teams (Marketing and Communications, Finance)

External

• Partner universities
• Partner CSOs and NGOs
• Local stakeholders
• Media

Passport requirements/ Right to work in country: 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.

Direct contact or managing staff working with children? Yes

Notes: 

• The post holder will understand and make decisions which are affected by to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) legislation and policy. Additionally he/she will exploit opportunities brought by diversity and build them into all planning.
• The post holder will understand the importance of child protection and ensure polices and processes are in place to offer maximum protection of young people at all relevant events and venues and ensure compliance with BC Child Protection policy.

Language requirements

• Proven Written and spoken English and Arabic.
• Good command of written and spoken French

Qualifications

• University degree in related area: Community development, Social sciences, Business management, Administration, non-profit Management. 
• Relevant project management qualification including Association of Project Management – Practitioner Level and / or Association of Project Management – Managing Successful programmes (MSP) qualification at introductory or practitioner level or equivalent

Role Specific Knowledge & Experience

Successful experience in delivering complex projects.

§ Experience of working across a divided and fragile culture

§  Experience in managing partnerships with universities and local CSOs

§ Sound IT knowledge and ability to use IT systems

§ Budget Management

§ Effective interpersonal, communication and influencing skills (including managing complex and numerous internal and external stakeholders )

• Good understanding of the Socio Economic and Culture context of Lebanon as well as government, academia and Civil Society in Lebanon.

• Relevant experience managing EU projects

• Experience of delivering projects relevant to themes of conflict, peace building, stability and or violent extremism

Role Specific Skills

•  2 years of solid project management experience and track record of successful delivery of projects to agreed financial targets.
•  University degree in related area: Community development, Social sciences, Business management, Administration, non-profit Management.  Or professional qualification
• Experience in managing projects having implementing partners
• Experience in working with CSOs and universities on youth issues (desirable)

• Experience in working in conflict sensitive areas (desirable)

British Council Core skills

Managing projects (L3)

Communicating and influencing (L3)

Planning and organising (L2)

Analysing data and problems (L2)

Managing finance and resources (L3)

Using technology (L2)

Managing risk (L3)

Managing accounts and partnerships (L3

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 (more 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