Act Change Transform (Act!) is a
leading Kenyan not-for-profit, non-governmental organization involved in
diverse development initiatives in Kenya.
Act!’s main programme focus is in
Environment and Natural Resources Management; Democracy and Human Rights and
Peace Building and Conflict Transformation. Our holistic approach to
development is delivered through capacity development.
Grants Officer
Ref: ACT/GO/16/2015
1.0 Job Summary: Reporting to the Grants Manager, the Grants Officer
will be based in Mombasa and will primarily ensure proper maintenance and
functioning of the SCORE grants management system.
This shall include monitoring the
grants making and management process from solicitation through to close out and
ensuring proper compliance with USAID regulations.
Key Responsibilities
Specifically, the Grants Officer will
be responsible for but not limited to:
2.0 Grants Making and Management
·
Support in the solicitation process
of potential SCORE grantees.
·
Carry-out pre-award assessments of
potential grantees to establish their level of capacity.
·
Prepare grant documents (Carry out
Anti-Terrorism checks, selection memos, negotiation memos, budget reviews,
grant agreements, modifications, closeouts and related correspondences).
·
Maintain SCORE grants financial
tracking systems and share relevant information with concerned parties as
appropriate.
·
Undertake regular financial reviews
and give appropriate recommendations to SCORE grantees on areas that need
correction or improvement in their systems and procedures.
·
Prepare grant modifications for
cost/program changes where need be.
·
Ensure the timely and proper
close-out of grants.
3.0 Reporting & Monitoring
(Financial and Programmatic)
·
Review financial reports from
grantees to ensure financial compliance against grant budget
·
Review cash requests from grantees to
ensure the amounts requested are reasonable and within approved budgets.
·
Review all grantee deliverables to
ensure grant compliance. Give feedback to grantees, as appropriate.
·
Assist in the compilation of data and
preparation of monthly, quarterly, and annual reports.
·
Regularly visit the grantees to
conduct compliance reviews and provide mentorship as necessary.
·
Ensure that all grantee expenditures
comply with the final and approved budgets (i.e. budgetary controls).
·
Conduct monthly reconciliations with
Finance to ensure grant and finance records are up to date.
4.0 Filing and Administration
·
Maintain and update hard copy SCORE
grant and working files. Slots within these files should be clearly labeled and
organized for ease of reference.
·
Open new grant file for every new
SCORE grant.
·
Ensure that all grant files are kept
under lock and key.
·
Scan all key grants documents and
have soft copies saved in the sever
5.0 Financial Management
·
Assist in budget preparation for the
CSOs consistent with their project proposals.
·
Prepare indicative budgets for all
planned new work.
·
In consultation with the finance
officers track budgets to ensure compliance with Act! and donor funding
guidelines and requirements.
Qualifications, Experience &
Personal Requirements
Academic qualifications
·
A Bachelor’s degree in Commerce,
Accounting or related business field.
Professional Qualifications
·
At least CPA III professional
certification or equivalent.
Experience
·
At least Three (3) years’ experience
supporting administration of grants and contracts.
·
Previous work experience in grants or
finance related field especially on USAID funded projects.
Essential Skills & Competencies
·
Willingness to travel extensively
within Kenya, work extended periods in the field and interact effectively with
local communities and willingness to learn new approaches.
·
Negotiation and problem solving
skills.
·
Good analytical, interpersonal and
communication skills.
·
Highly proficient in MS Word, Excel,
Access, Power-Point and applications and use of internet for research purposes.
Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting &
Learning Officer
Ref: ACT/MERL/17/2015
1.0 Job Summary
The MER&L Officer will be based
in Mombasa and will mainly be responsible for the active implementation of the
SCORE Program’s monitoring, evaluation reporting and learning systems,
including mentorship of partners.
This will mainly revolve around
managing information throughout the project cycle, ensuring that project design
takes into account data collection, analysis and utilization, supporting partners
track results at output, outcome and impact level, ensuring data quality in all
programs within the officers domain, compilation of partner reports into a
format that is consumable and integrating MER&L as an organizations
practice.
Key Responsibilities
2.0 Internal MER&L function
·
Contribute to the design and
continuous review of the SCORE program’s Monitoring and Evaluation Plan.
·
Oversee design of the program’s
database(s) to monitor and pro-actively track all performance indicators
established in the M&E plan.
·
Manage and conduct overall data
collection process of all project indicators as well as GIS coordinates for all
activity sites.
·
In liaison with other MER&L
manager and other SCORE program officers, design and deliver MER&L trainings
and mentorship to partners.
·
Develop and disseminate basic
MER&L training materials for program use, among staff and partners.
·
Preparation of the bi-weekly,
monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual program reports.
·
Coordinate and take lead on development
of success stories.
·
Participate in organizing and
conducting evaluation exercises.
·
Participate in setting program
performance targets in line with overall strategic goals of the program.
·
Take the lead role in tracking
grantees progress in achieving outcomes and impacts.
·
Participate in quarterly and other
scheduled program performance review meetings.
·
Share information and lessons learnt
with other program staff.
3.0 SCORE Team support
·
Collate and develop detailed
quarterly and monthly project work plans for the program and track
implementation of the same, on a monthly basis.
·
Support SCORE program manager to
coordinate program teams to ensure compliance with all reporting &
MER&L requirements of the program.
·
Review all quarterly reports
submitted by the program partners for compliance and data adequacy.
·
Develop a summary and analysis of
overall MER&L data each quarter in line with USAID’s reporting templates.
·
Prepare a summary of the partners’
needs and issues for follow up derived from quarterly reports and track
responses.
·
Provide direction in documentation of
“success stories” and other anecdotal information to enhance the overall
quality of performance reports to the donors.
·
Provide support in designing,
planning and delivery of all Program technical trainings.
4.0 Partners Support
Overall, provide accompaniment,
mentoring and training to program partner’s MER&L officers as appropriate
and on demand.
Specific support would include:-
·
Support the development of
Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting ad Learning (MER&L) processes, tools
and plans for partners and grant recipients.
·
Provide support to local partners and
grant recipients in the implementation of their MER&L plans through the
life of the project.
·
Ensure compliance in data management
and quality.
·
Assist partners in design and
implementation of mid-term and end term evaluations, in particular TORs,
consultants’ selection and quality control of process and final reports.
5.0 Qualifications, Experience and
Skills
The minimum required academic and
professional skills for the jobholder to perform successfully in this position
are:
·
Bachelors’ degree in appropriate
discipline e.g. social sciences, peace and conflict studies, anthropology,
development studies, statistics, communication etc.
5.1 Professional Qualifications
·
A Diploma or equivalent in Project
Management or relevant qualification in Monitoring and Evaluation will be an
asset
5.2 Experience
·
At least 4 years’ experience in
project management.
5.3 Essential Skills
·
Thorough knowledge of
socio-economics, socio-anthropology and/or proven ability in participatory
methods and processes.
·
Ability to work in a fast paced
environment requiring multi-tasking.
·
Knowledge of policy influences and
institutional practices.
·
Knowledge of statistical software
applications.
·
Excellent analytical skills.
·
Good writing and reporting skills.
·
Conversant with and experience with
the culture of the Coast region.
Energy Specialist
Ref: ACT/EGS/18/2015
1.0 Job Summary
Reporting to the Program Manager, the
Energy Specialist (ENRM) will be based in Nairobi and will be responsible for
providing technical support on energy as well as ENRM advocacy
programming.
The post holder is primarily
responsible for providing leadership on mainstreaming energy issues within the
Environment and Natural Resources Management Platform ensuring responsiveness
to the context and making certain that all initiatives are based on sound external
analysis.
Key Responsibilities
2.0 Program Management
·
Provide technical leadership on Act’s
energy portfolio, ENRM energy concerns for all of Act!’s programs, support and
improve climate mitigation and resilience energy related initiatives;
·
Streamline energy project development
and investment processes by developing initiatives within the program and
project designs to respond to energy concerns;
·
Provide advisory services to all Act!
partners on Environment and Natural Resources Management within the context of
energy;
·
Ensure that all ENRM initiatives on
energy and reporting take into account the environmental concerns and linkage
with livelihoods;
·
On a weekly basis and monthly basis,
track, assess and analyze the environmental context of Kenyan and energy
dynamics;
·
Provide technical support to NRM
Energy networks through the sharing of best practices and policy advocacy;
·
Continuously review the mainstreaming
of Energy considerations in program activities and reporting of success
stories;
·
Actively inform the ENRM platform and
specifically the CRM Facility on local and international innovations and debate
particularly on energy initiatives as relates to climate change and local
adaptations;
·
Coordinating and providing ground
support and linkages between CRM partners, government ministries, CSOs and the
private sector and any relevant partners;
·
Assist in the design of suitable IEC
materials to educate and sensitize partners on critical developments in the
Energy Sector through advocacy activities;
·
Participate in the selection of
appropriate partners for Act!’s ENRM interventions;
·
Contribute towards Energy program
component design, planning, implementation and evaluation.
·
Support partners in the development
of effective ENRM energy projects and programs.
3.0 Financial management
·
Contribute to the budgeting process
for all proposals submitted within the ENRM platform on energy initiatives.
·
Work closely with the Grants team in
providing up to date reports on partner performance.
4.0 Capacity development
·
Work closely with the Capacity
Development Manager in delivering programs that are responsive to Act!’s
Capacity Development approach;
·
Adequately analyze the Organizational
Capacity Assessment (OCA) data and submit draft report (analysis) and raw data
to the organizational capacity development team;
·
Identify, design and deliver
appropriate ENRM-energy related capacity building interventions, to target
partners and grantees.
5.0 Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting
and Learning
·
Ensure that all energy concerns are
adequately tracked through the project cycle and interventions are as
responsive as possible;
·
Carry the responsibility and be part
of the team concerned with donor reporting on Energy concerns across programs;
·
Support program reporting, peer
learning on key cross-cutting issues within programs, and keep abreast of
changing sector knowledge and best practice;
·
Participate actively in contributing
to documentation of “success stories” and other anecdotal information to
enhance the overall quality of performance reports to the donors;
·
Contribute towards the design and
operationalization of Platform level MERL plans;
·
Track partners’ progress through the
M and E on line system, document and advice as required.
6.0 Representation and networking
·
Establish and maintain regular
contact with energy beneficiary groups and partner organizations and to liaise
and co-ordinate with the appropriate Government and Non-governmental bodies
whenever appropriate to ensure successful project progress;
·
Represent the program and Act! at
meetings, forums and processes to stay up to date with unfolding events or on
advocacy and energy issues and ensure that Act! is best placed to advise donors
and other stakeholders;
·
Maintain an electronic and physical
database of all energy strategic actors relevant to Act’s work in liaison with
the data base administrator.
·
Any other duties as called upon by
the CRM Programme Manager.
7.0 Qualifications, Experience and
Essential Skills
The minimum required academic and
professional skills for the jobholder to perform successfully in their job:
7.1 Academic Qualifications
·
A university degree (preferably
post-graduate) related to environmental science, natural resource management,
engineering or comparable fields of study.
7.2 Professional Qualifications
·
Post graduate qualification in
project/ program design, development and management.
7.3 Experience
·
At least 6 years’ relevant working
experience in development organizations of progressively responsible experience
in one or more of the areas of energy, renewable energy, energy efficiency, and
climate change policy and Low Emission Development (LEDs).
·
Past experience in several of the
following energy fields; Biomass to energy (biogas and solid), Carbon finance,
Small Hydro, PV for grid connection, Wind power, Solar power, mitigation and
adaptation, (LEDs) will be preferred.
7.4 Essential Skills & Competencies
·
Broad knowledge of environment and
natural resource management issues in Kenya, particularly related to renewable
energy and climate change.
·
Strong analytical and report writing
skills as well as excellent presentation and facilitation skills.
·
Self-driven and able to deliver
results with minimum supervision.
·
Willingness to travel extensively
within the region, work extended periods in the field and interact effectively
with partners and willingness to learn new approaches.
·
Ability to work in a multi-disciplinary
and multicultural environment and with partners at all levels.
·
Highly proficient in Ms Word, Excel,
Access, Power-point and the use of Internet for research.
How to Apply
If you meet the requirements as
contained in the description, please submit (1) a detailed and current CV; (2)
an application cover letter demonstrating why they qualify for this
opportunity, quoting your current and expected gross salary.
All applications should be submitted
electronically to hr.admin@act.or.ke quoting the reference number (For example
ACT/EGS/18/2015).
Only candidates short-listed for
interview will be contacted.
Deadline for applications submission is 5:00pm Friday 27th November 2015