About CARE

CARE is a global leader within a worldwide movement dedicated to ending poverty. We are known everywhere for our unshakeable commitment to defending the dignity of people. CARE works around the globe to save lives, defeat poverty and achieve social justice. We seek a world of hope, tolerance and social justice, where poverty has been overcome and all people live with dignity and security. We put women and girls in the centre of our work because we know that we cannot overcome poverty until all people have equal rights and opportunities. CARE has been working in Uganda for over 50 years, and in 2019/2020, CARE improved lives of 2.6 million people (62% women). Our ambition for the next five years is to reach 10 million people, through our life-saving, resilience building and gender transformative programs. CARE Uganda current portfolio is approximately $8 million annually, funded through a combination of institutional donors like the European Union, ECHO, DANIDA, ADA, UN Agencies like UNFPPA and UNWOMEN, foundations like Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and private donations. CARE Uganda’s new business plan (2021-2025) aims to grow the annual portfolio to approximately $10-12 million, reaching 10 million people by 2025. The portfolio will focus on Livelihoods, Climate Resilience, GBV, SRH and Emergency. In addition to gender equality, resilience and inclusive governance which is the core of CARE programming, the new business plan pays attention to disaster preparedness, urban programming, and humanitarian-development nexus.

Project SUMMARY

CARE International in Uganda with funding from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) is launching a new initiative to "Test and Build Women Empowerment Collectives (WECs) in Uganda".  The primary outcome of the initiative is to support strategic policy, regulatory and programmatic initiatives that will advance government buy-in to drive the scale up of a WECs agenda in Uganda. Through this initiative, CARE will identify and strengthen key entry points in the policy and programming space that the GoU can leverage to build momentum around scaling WECs in Uganda. To do this, CARE is partnering with the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MFPED) and Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD). The initiative will contribute to policy and enabling environment, and management execution capacity levers by driving forward the following key areas: enhancing non-prudential supervision of Self Help Groups (SHGs) through UMRA Registration Guidelines, development of a comprehensive SHGs policy framework, and transforming large scale livelihood platforms into a comprehensive WECs platform through research and evidence based documentation. In addition, this program will support research and generation of robust evidence in order to provide clarity on all the WECs across the country and a baseline for governments future WECs programming. 

To achieve this overarching goal, this initiative will advance five specific objectives:

1. Support the Uganda Microfinance Regulatory Authority's (UMRA) finalization of the savings groups’ registration guidelines and implementation plan;
2. Strengthen the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development's ability to develop and finalize the national Self-Help Group (SHG) policy framework through a consultative process; 
3. Strengthen the understanding and programming channels for a Technical Assistance Facility for WECs with Government of Uganda stakeholders;
4. Support the evidence generation, research to policy publication and dissemination efforts of the Project for Financial Inclusion in Rural Areas (PROFIRA) initiative.
5. Support the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development's Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme (UWEP) by strengthening and embedding improved monitoring, research and implementation approaches in the second phase of UWEP;

Job SUMMARY

The Project Manager (PM) provides overall leadership of the initiative. The PM is responsible for providing strategic direction, project management oversight, and technical leadership on program quality and learning (PQL). The PM is responsible for partnership management, strategic engagement of stakeholders, and people management of the staff working on this initiative.  The PM will ensure that the initiative is gender transformative and achieves the best value for money.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

Responsibility #1: Project MANAGEMENT Oversight (PMO)

The PM is responsible for ensuring timely delivery of planned deliverables as per approved proposal, budget and grant agreement. This will require the PM to secure required staffing, partnerships, consultants, volunteers, equipment and other resources on time.  This will require the PM to provide effective oversight for planning, implementation and regular reviews of all implementation plans and budgets, providing timely remedial actions. It will require the PM to ensure proper management of sub-granting process and supervision of implementing partners as per CARE’s award and sub-award policy. It will require the PM to ensure effective budget management oversight including effective budget planning and monitoring of budget utilisation to ensure a culture of zero tolerance to overspends and underspends and ultimately, zero No-Cost Extensions (NCEs). It will require the PM to ensure effective risk management across, where risks are clearly defined and managed using appropriate risk management system and tools.

Responsibility #2: Program QUALITY assurance and LEARNING (PQL)

The PM is responsible for program quality, accountability and learning, ensuring the project delivers high quality results empowering women and girls. This will require the PM to embrace and embed CARE quality markers (gender, resilience, governance) across the project cycle, regularly monitoring and reporting progress using the established MEAL system including quarterly program dashboards and other reporting systems like PIIRS.  It will require the PM to maintain a solid PQL field footprint and consistent field presence across locations where the initiative is implemented across the country. It will require the PM to establish and implement effective reporting mechanisms which allows the project to report progressively and account for their resources to donors, government of Uganda, beneficiaries and CARE: this will include individual monthly reports from staff as well as quarterly and annual donor reports. The PM will ensure the quality, transparency, timeliness and consistency of these reports and the reporting mechanism. The PM will ensure quality engagement at PQL platforms including monthly Program Review Meetings (PRMs) and quarterly PQL workshops. It will require the PM to define the research, evaluation and learning agenda and ensure that the research is robust, evaluations are rigorous and learning is intentional and continuous. It will require the PM to effectively manage a growing body of knowledge and credible evidence generated through research, evaluation and learning, and to use the knowledge and evidence to inform design of new initiatives, inform strategic debates or discourse and influence development policy, practice and programs. It will require the PM to ensure robust communications and visibility across different platforms like CARE shares, social media using quality content.

Responsibility #3: Strategic ENGAGEMENT and NETWORKING (SEN)

The PM is responsible for external engagement, representation and influencing systemic change at the highest level using different platforms, networks, alliances and coalitions. This will require the PM to constantly review the initiative strategies, approaches and models to ensure the initiative is protecting and empowering women and girls and aligned with GOU priorities, regional and global development landscape including global goals and CARE International vision 2030. This will require the PM to regularly represent the initiative within CARE global networks and across different external platforms including Technical Working Groups and INGO coordination mechanisms and especially with Women’s Organisations and networks at national and international level. It will require the PM to regularly engage with and maintain strategic relationships with current and potential donors, relevant GOU line ministries, INGO and local NGOs implementing similar programs. It will require the PM to regularly engage with and maintain strategic relationships with research, evaluation and learning partners. It will require the PM to engage and maintain influential relationships with advocacy coalitions, social media platforms and mainstream media. It will require the PM to bring credible knowledge and evidence from the initiative to inform strategic discourse, policy debate and advocacy initiatives positioning CARE and its partners as evidence-based and data-driven actor within the sector. It will require the PM to produce think pieces, research papers and publications to inform and influence strategic and technical debates/discourse within the sector, especially on how this initiative is contributing to gender transformation and empowerment of girls and women. This will require the PM to establish a structure for external engagement and mechanism for reporting back to ensure feedback is shared and applied across CARE.

Responsibility #4: Human Resource MANAGEMENT (HRM)

The PM is responsible to hiring, training and retaining a gender-balanced, competent and motivated team of professional staff, consultants and volunteers by establishing a collaborative team culture, high team performance standards and transparent team performance management practice using appropriate combination of reward, recognition and reprimand. As CARE ambassador, the PM is required to ensure gender equity and diversity within the team and nurture CARE’s core values and code of conduct. The PM will promote continuous learning and professional development of the team through on-job learning, relevant exposures and appropriate stretch assignments. The PM will ensure transparent and visible work flow across the team through Microsoft TEAMs, outlook calendar and other appropriate platforms. The PM will ensure that annual performance goals and regular evaluations are conducted in a timely manner.

Responsibility #5: Project Steering and Coordination (PSC)

• Establish project governance mechanism including Steering Committee (SC) and Project Management Unit (PMU) to ensure effective project steering and coordination.
• Serve as Chairperson of the Project Management Unit (PMU) and ensure regular monthly meetings take place, are well documented and agreed upon actions followed-up;
•  Serve as Secretary of the SC to prepare and document SC meetings and to follow up on agreed upon actions; Ensure SC Chairperson calls for SC meetings with heads of partner agencies;  
• Ensure effective mechanisms for information sharing and cooperation with other complementary initiatives with which the GATES funded project will collaborate (e.g. financial services actors, agricultural actors), including organizing regular coordination meetings with them;
• Ensure effective mechanisms for joint planning, integrated implementation, joint & participatory monitoring and management between partners;
•  Support effective mechanisms for information sharing and cooperation among partners and other key stakeholders at all levels;

Responsibility #6: Promote Gender Equity and Diversity and Safeguarding Practices (5%)

• Practice a behaviour consistent with CARE core values, and promote gender equity and diversity goals;
• Play a leadership role in identifying and implementing initiatives that enhance CARE’s commitment to gender and diversity.
• Ensure that CARE Safeguarding policies and procedures are adhered to by all and the staff that S/he supervisors both directly or indirectly
• Ensure that staff and related personnel under your jurisdiction are familiar with the following organisational policies and procedures and can identify when needed how these may have been breached; The CI Safeguarding policy, Protection from Sexual Harassment, Exploitation and Abuse and Child Abuse, The anti-discrimination and harassment policy, The code of conduct and the organizations Values.

Responsibility #7: Any other duties assigned from time to time (5%)

• Any other duties incidental to the role or assigned by supervisor.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

Essential:

1. Master degree in development relevant field of study from reputable institution is “a MUST”
2. At least 10 years of relevant field experience with reputable international organisations
3. Experience managing similar programs with similar complexity and context.
4. Experience in gender transformative approaches, including specific experience in working with and empowering women and girls in emergency or conflict or disaster settings.
5. Experience in developing emergency program strategies, approaches and models.
6. Experience in emergency program design, proposal writing, resource mobilisation. 
7. Experience in managing a diverse and complex team of emergency professionals.
8. Experience in networking and strategic relationships management in emergency setting. 
9. Conceptual abilities, strategic thinking and analytical writing skills. 
10. Good communication, presentation, public speaking, discussion and negotiation skills.
11. Good research, evidence-generation, policy debate and advocacy skills.
12. Organizing skills and capacity to multi-task in rapidly changing and fast-paced environments;
13. Knowledge of and demonstrated personal commitment to relevant organizational codes of conduct including anti-fraud and anti-corruption, safeguarding etc
14. Leadership and interpersonal skills and proven experience influencing others without necessarily directly managing them;

Desired:

• Professional training and experience in project management, Monitoring and Evaluation.
• Professional training in budget management, people management and communications.
• Professional training in research, analytical writing, advocacy and policy influencing.
• Professional experience in working with young people, displaced & refugee communities.
• Professional experience in economic empowerment models including financial inclusion.
• Professional training and experience in gender equality women and girls’ empowerment

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Excellence: Sets high standards of performance for self and/or others; successfully completes assignments; sets standards of excellence rather than having standards imposed; ensures interactions and transactions are ethical and convey integrity.

• Integrity: Maintains social, ethical, and organizational norms; firmly adheres to codes of conduct and ethical principles inherent to CARE.

• Communicating with Impact: Diplomatically, logically and clearly conveying information and ideas through a variety of media to individuals or groups in a manner that engages the recipient / audience and helps them understand and retain their message.

• Facilitating Change: Supports and manages the change process at CARE Uganda by developing a culture affirmative of change; encouraging others to seek and act upon opportunities for different and innovative approaches to addressing problems and opportunities; critically analysing evolving and fluid situations; facilitating the implementation and acceptance of change within the workplace; actively engaging with resistance to change.

• Strengthening Partnership: Identifying and utilizing opportunities within and outside of CARE Uganda to develop effective strategic relationships between one’s area and other areas/departments/units or external organizations to achieve CARE’s objectives.

• Management Excellence: Makes the connection between values and performance. Influences the performance of others, and ultimately, the performance of the organization. Sets direction, coaches & develops, promotes staff wellness & safety, practices & promotes compliance, models gender equity & diversity, communicates effectively.

• Developing Teams: Using appropriate methods and a flexible interpersonal style to help build a cohesive team; facilitates the completion of team goals.

• Diversity - Promoting, valuing, respecting and fully benefiting from each individual’s unique qualities, background, race, culture, age, gender, disability, values, lifestyle, perspectives or interests; creating and maintaining a work environment that promotes diversity.

• Adaptability- Expected to well adjust with the country, the CO operating environment and with the Program team to function effectively and efficiently

• Coaching - Ability to demonstrate to enhance skills and capacity of staff working in the field and office for them continue to serve CARE in the future program activities