Background Information: The Agile and
Harmonized Assistance for Devolved Institutions (AHADI) is a five year USAID
program implemented by the State University of New York’s (SUNY) Center for
International Development (CID).
AHADI is funded by both USAID and DFID. The
program is designed to support Kenya’s vision and agenda for achieving the
promise of devolution.
AHADI has three main objectives:
1.
Targeted
counties provide higher quality services through improved governance.
2.
Improved
representation of citizen interests and oversight of targeted County Government
performance.
3.
Functionality
and effectiveness of the devolved system increased through intra-government
engagement and cooperation.
AHADI is primarily a Democracy Rights and
Governance (DRG) program focused on improving the governance of Kenya’s new
decentralized system.
It is an integrated governance program that
uses sector entry points to achieve both governance and sector outcomes.
These sectors include but are not limited
to good governance, resilience and economic growth, education, climate change
and disaster risk reduction.
The program is currently seeking a skilled, diplomatic, effective, and highly motivated
Position Title: Procurement
and Logistics Assistant Manager
Location: Nairobi
1 Position
Position Summary: The
Procurement and Logistics Assistant Manager will work closely with the
Procurement and Logistics Manager and the entire Procurement / Logistics team
in the AHADI Nairobi Office to ensure that program activities and operational
needs are supported to achieve the above noted program objectives.
The work of the Procurement and Logistics
Assistant Manager requires highly developed collaboration and networking
skills, exercise of discretion, judgment, and personal responsibility.
Reports to: Procurement
and Logistics Manager
Interrelationships: The incumbent
liaises with the other members of the procurement department, the Senior
Program Officer / Program Officers / Regional Coordinators / Senior Grants
Manger / Grants Mangers as appropriate in the course of his/her duties.
Key Responsibilities
·
Primary
deputy to the Procurement and Logistics Manager.
·
Assists
with procurement processes for all grant activities and AHADI operations
ensuring compliance with RF SUNY and USAID regulations, policies and
procedures;
·
Works
closely with procurement assistants to identify goods and services to be
procured for the project;
·
In
collaboration with the entire operations team, determines the most appropriate
procurement requirements;
·
Manages
procurement processes for all grant activities and AHADI operations;
·
Identifies
goods and services to be procured for the project;
·
Carries
out assigned procurement activities in accordance with USAID and State
University of New York procedures and regulations;
·
Ensures
the most appropriate procurement methods to ensure that compliance and
transparent processes are utilized;
·
Supports
programmatic and technical aspects of the program as needed, including but not
limited to, the following: seeking, contacting, and interacting with vendors,
NGOs, Government agencies, and private sector representatives;
·
Support
the Procurement/Logistics team with logistical support for delivery of goods
and services to grantees;
·
Coordinates
and arranges flights for all staff and manages accounts with the organization’s
travel agents;
·
Supervises
the preparation of project reports and deliverables from the procurement team,
and ensures that updates are provided on the status and progress of grantee
deliveries;
·
Provide
support to program teams on field trips ensuring that field level arrangements
are made to include flight reservations, accommodation, transportation,
communications and other services / goods as needed.;
·
Assists
visiting USG and RF SUNY staff members and other dignitaries as appropriate in
arranging travel and accommodation, in the scheduling and facilitation of
meetings and in providing updates and briefings on the evolving environment in
country.
·
Mentors,
Trains and develops the skills of new procurement staff members.
·
Performs
other duties as assigned.
Deputizing the Procurement Manager’s
Role:
The procurement and Logistics Assistant
Manager will support the Procurement Manager under the following
responsibilities:
·
Act
as the point of contact for procurement department in the absence of the
procurement manager.
·
Assign
procurement tasks to the Procurement officers as may be required from time to
time.
·
Ensure
that the procurement tracker is updated on a weekly basis.
·
Oversee
management of the inventory to ensure compliance with USAID regulations on the
same.
Personal Specifications
Essential
Education
·
University
degree in Business Administration or appropriate field.
Work Experience
·
Eight
- ten years’ experience working in a complex and challenging procurement or
related environment.
·
Experience
in logistics and coordination with travel agencies for flights.
·
Fluency
in written and spoken English.
·
Previous
experience working in a USAID funded project.
·
In
addition, must be flexible, willing to perform assigned and additional duties
and work irregular hours under unpredictable conditions.
Languages: English
language fluency required.
Skills and Abilities
·
Diplomacy
and negotiation when working with community and Government representatives.
·
Ability
to work in a multi-cultural environment.
·
Ability
to identify institutional needs e.g. capacity gaps and design appropriate
interventions
·
Project
cycle management.
·
Strong
interpersonal communication skills i.e. ability to build strong relationships
with partner counties.
·
Good
management skills.
Location: Nairobi
Travel: Regular
Position
Title: County Liaison Officer
5
Positions
Location: Mandera (1), Wajir (1), Garissa (1), Marsabit (1) and
Isiolo (1)
Position Summary: The County Liaison Officer is AHADI’s key program officer in the county.
Position Summary: The County Liaison Officer is AHADI’s key program officer in the county.
He
/ She keeps in touch with the officials of the County Government, citizens and
stakeholders supporting the implementation of devolution.
He/
She is the operational contact person on the implementation of all AHADI
support to the County Government.
The
CLO has detailed knowledge of the county, and has significant contacts with
Government and non-governmental actors.
He/
She has excellent representation, collaboration and networking skills and the
exercise of discretion, judgment, integrity and personal responsibility.
Reports to: Program Team Lead.
Qualifications:
Person
Specification
Essential
·
At least Bachelor’s Degree in the
social sciences. A degree in communication is an added advantage.
·
At least five years’ development
experience, preferably in the governance sphere. Working experience with County
Government an added advantage.
·
Excellent networking skills.
·
Good organizational and planning
skills.
·
A thorough understanding of how
County Government works.
·
Good written and oral communication
skills.
·
Ability to work independently with
minimum supervision.
·
Ability to build strong relationships
with partners
Desirable
·
Excellent contacts with County
Government officials.
·
Experience working with USAID/DFID
funded projects.
Key
Responsibilities
Program
Management
·
Using firsthand knowledge of the
context in the county, profiles key positions and is able to articulate the
main development challenges in counties.
·
Contributes to mentoring and other
program conceptualization, design, review and continuous improvement of
activities.
·
Advises the program team on the
operational dynamics and changing circumstances in the county, in order to
advance program implementation.
·
Contributes actively to the design of
mentoring and other activities and scheduling, including initial drafts of
proposals and Terms of Reference as an integral member of the program team.
·
Consults widely with the relevant
County Government officials for purposes of planning, implementation and
reporting.
·
Is the first port of call for county
level activities, and thus provides:
·
Detailed weekly and monthly requests
from the County Government.
·
Feedback to AHADI on proposed
initiatives and activities.
·
Management of AHADI team members,
development partner and guest itineraries and logistics in the county.
Representation
and Public Relations
·
Serves as the “face of AHADI” within
the county and promotes the mentor program.
·
Maintains positive and robust
relationships with Government and non-governmental actors to enhance AHADI’s
devolution support work.
·
Keeps the team lead appraised in
writing of changes in the context and recommended changes in programming.
·
In consultation with the team lead,
represents AHADI in activities and meetings organized by the County Government
and other devolution actors.
Monitoring
and Reporting
·
Submits weekly updates on the
operating context, highlighting any real or potential changes that may affect
implementation.
·
Develops monthly context analysis.
·
Develops technical monthly reports
using a template to be shared by the team lead,
·
Develops quarterly consolidated
progress reports in accordance with arrangements specified by the team lead.
·
Regularly tracks information about a
series of issues for monitoring and reporting purposes, including tracking the
movement of specific policies or governance procedures.
·
Follows-up with mentoring and
training participants to assess training impact.
·
Develops any additional program
documentation that may be requested for by the team lead.
Location: Respective field location
Travel: Regular
The
program is currently seeking skilled, diplomatic, effective, and highly
motivated Regional Program Officers
4
Positions
Locations
·
1 position - Regional Program Officer
for Nandi/Transnzoia – To be based in Transnzoia.
·
1 position – Regional Program Officer
for Kisii, Nyamira and Bomet – To be based in Kisii.
·
1 position – Regional Program Officer
for Machakos, Muranga and Kiambu – To be based in Kiambu.
·
1 position – Regional Program Officer
for Marsabit and Tharaka Nithi) – To be based in Tharaka Nithi.
Position
Summary: The Regional Program Officer
will work closely with the SUNY-AHADI program team lead to support
implementation of the program initiatives in a region comprising a cluster of
counties.
The
work of the Regional PO requires detailed knowledge of county government
(county executive and county assembly) operations, and highly developed
collaboration and networking skills and the exercise of discretion, judgment,
integrity and personal responsibility.
Job
Purpose: The post holder works closely with
County Government officials and non-state actors, as well as strategic
partners, to strengthen capacity for the implementation of devolution.
The
post holder supports the team lead at all stages of the project management
cycle.
Reports
to: Program Team Lead.
Role
and Responsibilities:
Program
Management
·
Contributes to conceptualization for
the one approach mentor PEM program and other AHADI activities, design and
review and continuous improvement.
·
In consultation with the team lead,
develop and ensure that program implementation mechanisms are carried out in
response to the priorities set for the assigned cluster of counties, are
delivered in a timely manner and provide value for money.
·
Oversee and coordinate with County
Liaison Officers.
·
Support all aspects of the mentor and
other AHADI program implementation as designed, including activity management.
This includes:
·
Development of cluster activity plans
for the approval of the team lead.
·
Identification of opportunities for
entry into various stages of county level governance and recommendation of
appropriate action.
·
Development of procurement requests
in line with system requirements in the AHADI program management mechanisms.
·
Development of consultant Terms of Reference
to respond to approved activities.
·
Management of consultants, and their
deliverables, including first level review of outputs to ensure quality
control.
Representation
and Public Relations
·
Serve as the “face of AHADI” within
the cluster of counties assigned.
·
Maintain positive and robust
relationships with government and NSAs to enhance AHADI’s devolution support
work.
·
Keep the team lead appraised in
writing of changes in the context and recommended changes in programming.
·
Attend activities, including meetings
organized by AHADI and by other strategic partners that advance AHADI’s work.
Monitoring
and Reporting
·
Collate and compile weekly and
monthly reports from the cluster of counties.
·
Develop monthly context analysis
reports for use by the team lead in program planning and briefing of Government
and donors.
·
Develop technical monthly reports
using a template to be shared by the team lead.
·
Develop quarterly consolidated
progress reports in accordance with arrangements specified by the team lead.
·
Regularly track information about a
series of issues for monitoring and reporting purposes, including tracking the
movement of specific policies or governance procedures.
·
Follow-up with mentoring and training
participants to assess training impact.
·
Develop any additional program
documentation that may be requested for by the team lead.
Personal
Specifications
Essential
Qualifications
·
A master’s degree in political
science, public policy, development studies (preferable), or any other related
field;
·
5-7 years’ practical experience of
working on a governance program funded by USAID or DFID;
·
Good organizational, diplomatic,
analytical and planning skills;
·
A deep understanding of devolution
and working with County and National Governments;
·
Good written and oral communication
skills, as well as interpersonal skills;
·
Ability to work independently with
minimum supervision;
·
Good oral and written reporting
skills are essential;
·
Ability to work in remote rural
locations and to travel extensively within project areas.
Skills
and Abilities
·
Diplomacy and negotiation when
working with community and Government representatives.
·
Ability to work in a multi-cultural
environment.
·
Ability to identify institutional
needs e.g. capacity gaps and design appropriate interventions.
·
Project cycle management.
·
Strong interpersonal communication
skills i.e. ability to build strong relationships with partner counties.
·
Good management skills.
Location: Respective field location as listed above.
Travel: Regular
How
to Apply
If
you possess the skills and qualifications as contained in the position’s
description, please send to hr@ahadi-devolution.org
(1)
a Cover letter
(2)
CV and
(3)
References from three Professional Referees, one referee should be a previous
or current supervisor.
Closing
date: October 6th, 2017.
Please
note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Kindly
put the position you are applying for as the subject line.
Applications
without the position as the subject line will not be evaluated.
SUNY-AHADI
is an equal opportunities employer.