NGO Field Project Manager Job Vacancy

Vacancy: Field Project Manager

Sector: Cultural Heritage

Location: Mogadishu, Somalia

Closing Date: 18th May 2014

CISP (Comitato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo dei Popoli): Founded in Rome in 1983, today CISP (The International Committee for the Development of Peoples) is active in over 30 countries worldwide in Africa, South America, the Caribbean, Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

The head office is located in Rome, with a regional office for Kenya, Somalia and South Sudan in Nairobi Kenya. CISP opened its first office in Kenya in 1991 as logistic support to its projects in Somalia and South Sudan.

CISP considers the community's needs as a whole and adopts a comprehensive approach towards them, providing a range of interventions tailored to the context. So far, main Geographic Areas of intervention in Somalia have been Mogadishu, Ceell Dheer, Xarardere, South Galkayo and Dhusamareeb.

CISP’s priority Sectors of Intervention includes: Education, Health and Nutrition, Livelihood, Water and Sanitation, Protection, Gender, HIV/Aids.

Job Description

“Reviving culture, building peace in Mogadishu” is an EU funded project initiated in February 2014 in partnership with Oxfam, Somali Ministry of Higher Education and Culture and UNESCO.

The overall objective of the project is to strengthen NSAs' contribution to safeguarding and promoting Somali cultural heritage as a means to increase sense of citizenship, promote sustainable development and peace through support to valorisation of culture amongst the community.

This action intends to build capacity of NSAs to increase employment opportunities for youth through promotion of cultural heritage in Mogadishu. In particular reviving cultural dialogue and expression in Mogadishu through renovation and promotion of a cultural heritage site, enhancing peaceful dialogue through exchange, learning and access of Somali civil society to culture; improving access of youth and women groups in Mogadishu to income generating opportunities.

This intervention will address three main areas:

1. Building the capacity of non-state actors to take the lead in protecting and promoting the revival of Somali culture;

2. Supporting cultural understanding, unity, exchange and learning amongst education stakeholders and youth through a variety of arts and the adaptation of a proven culture and art archiving and promotion data base

3. Providing technical training to youth and managerial training to women to improve the income generating opportunities.

Bringing together all stakeholders, particularly civil society groups and government representative as members of the Management Board and the Mogadishu Cultural Heritage Taskforce, will support an inclusive participation in governance and decision making and provide a framework for joining promotion of the development and implementation of inclusive policies and practices around protection of Somalia’s cultural heritage.

The action will support the restoration of cultural heritage and reviving traditions as a means of preserving the past for the present and future collective memory and envisaging a component of modernity.

Key activities: Over two years this project will focus on increasing the ability of civil society groups and DoE to safeguard Somali cultural heritage through the establishment of a cultural heritage task force.

The initiative will support the rehabilitation and running of a cultural centre as a place for youth in Mogadishu to have a voice and learn more about their history through art and culture.

It will rehabilitate two blocks of the Somali Academy of Sciences and Arts with the involvement of unemployed youth that will have the opportunity to learn under local craftsmen new technical skills and gain employment. The centre will offer (self-) employment opportunities and carrier advisory services for youth and women.

Through the members of the Board responsible for the management and governance of the cultural centre and other civil society organizations and local artists, poetry clubs and competitions will be organized, together with arts workshops and events. Poems will be filmed and shared through the web among regions and with the Diaspora.

An existing cultural heritage archiving system, developed by CISP with EU funds in NIGER will be adapted for the cultural centre in Mogadishu.

Report to: Cultural Heritage Coordinator

Key Responsibilities

Planning
  • Create and execute project work plans and revise them as appropriate to meet changing needs.
  • Effectively apply CISP tools, methodologies and enforce project standards.

Day-to-Day Management
  • Understand the requirements of the project and ensure that work proceeds on-spec.
  • Analyse project needs as the project evolves, share challenges and best practices to be adopted.
  • Efficiently and competently manage problems - when things go off plan bring them back on plan or create a new plan with the assistance of key-stakeholders
  • Assemble assets/materials/equipment required for team/stakeholders to perform tasks and ensures proper use of the same.

Evaluation and Reporting
  • Constantly monitor and evaluate impact of the project,
  • Write progress reports for country coordinator, donor and stakeholders.
  • Ensure project documents are complete and stored appropriately

Project Accounting
  • Manage project budget, financial plan and monitoring of expenses
  • Prepare with CISP accountant monthly financial reports and fund requests
  • Ensure timely and accurate accounting, invoicing and monitors receivables for project.
  • Work directly with Account officer to reconcile accounts.

Communication
  • Facilitate team and client meetings effectively.
  • Hold regular monitoring meetings with Cultural Sector stakeholders
  • Keep project team well informed of changes within the organization.
  • Effectively communicate relevant project information to Country Coordinator.
  • Deliver engaging, informative, well-organized presentations and Trainings.

Develop visibility material
  • Technical advice and Liaison with stakeholders
  • Coordinate/carry out situation analysis, needs assessments, research studies, monitoring analysis, etc.

Identify/strengthen potential partnerships
  • Facilitate the development of monitoring and reporting mechanisms on a variety of levels eg formal data collection for advocacy, qualitative measures for programme development, information for donor reports, etc.
  • Hold planning, progress and review meetings with government counterparts and other relevant partners.
  • Represent the agency/organization in meetings and liaise with government officials and other actors, to advocate and promote programme goals and objectives, and communicate with major partners on policies.
  • Liaise with other agencies/NGOs/government bodies/donors to ensure coordination, implementation of common standards in the field.
  • Develop training programmes and assist in capacity building for staff and partners, possibly in priority thematic areas identified within the program.
  • Identify resources and advocate that they will be directed to gaps in funding or technical support.

Qualifications, experience and competencies
  • University Degree in relevant fields. MA/MSc/MBA preferred.
  • At least 2 years of progressively professional experience in management of EU projects (experience and interest for Cultural Heritage projects or related fields will be an added value).
  • Great passion for arts, cultural events, communication and media and knowledge of Somali cultural context.
  • Experience in working with communities and in particular with youth and women.
  • Experience in planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating projects.
  • Able to establish and maintain effective and meaningful working relations with different stakeholders.
  • Excellent spoken and written English with ability to write relevant documents and reports
  • Excellent skills in financial management and monitoring (in particular excellent excel skills)
  • Proven leadership, problem solving and conflict management skills
  • Proven ability to work in team.
  • Excellent communication skills
  • Innovative thinking and adaptability
  • Availability to live and work full time in Mogadishu.

How to Apply

Please send by May 18th 2014 a motivation letter and CV in English with your contacts including Skype, with at least 3 referees and their current telephone numbers and email addresses, to the following email address: camozzi@cisp-nairobi.org  

Please note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted for a written test and interview in Nairobi or through Skype.


Due to the urgency of this position, applications will be short listed on a regular basis and we may offer this post before the closing date.