Project Officer – Smart Up Factory Job Careers – Plan International

Organization: Plan
International
Duty Station: Uganda
Reports to: Youth
Engagement Manager
About US:
Plan International
was founded over 75 years ago and is one of the oldest and largest children’s
development organizations (non-profit / INGOs) in the world. We work in 50
developing countries across Africa, Asia and the Americas to promote child
rights and lift millions of children out of poverty. Plan’s vision is of a
world in which all children realize their full potential in societies that
respect people’s rights and dignity. Plan is independent, with no religious,
political or governmental affiliations.
About Smartup Factory Project:
The Smart up project
is expanding knowledge and opportunities of youths and stakeholders through
innovation, mentorship and access to youth friendly spaces in Kampala,
Alebtong, Gulu, Kamuli and Tororo districts. In addition project seeks to focus
innovation and mentorship to address barriers affecting girls and women in
particular to realize their full potential. This is expected to ultimately
increase youths and especially girl’s possibilities to productive and
sustainable livelihoods, Girls empowerment and contribute to economic growth,
cross-sectoral partnerships and address community challenges
Job Summary:  The Project Officer will be primary focal
person in charge of the Smartup factories in Northern Program Area specifically
based in Either Gulu or Lira, guiding and coaching the youth champions &
youth mentors so that they are highly motivated to create and come up with
innovate ideas. The officer will be responsible for the day to day running of
the Factory in Gulu and Alebtong including any additional hubs to that maybe
created in those locations, including developing schedules for the activities,
being the contact person; ensure control, monitoring, and utilization of
equipment and other related items. She/he will be regularly engaged with Plan
to ensure proper integration of the Factory in other projects and with other
partnerships. The Project Officer is overall accountable for day to day running
of innovation centres in their locality. He/she will work with the project team
including mentors, youth champions, and other Plan staffs engaged in YEE.
He/she will participate in project planning, monitoring and review. The Project
Officer belongs to the YEE Team and promotes coordination and integration
within the YEE thematic area and other projects implemented within Plan
International Uganda.
Key Duties and Responsibilities: 
Project set up and
project planning
  • Creates an atmosphere of inspiration, can-do mentality and safe and
    supportive environment.
  • Take lead in supporting development and nurturing of innovations
    developed and under ideation
  • Effectively build and manage functional relationships with youth
    champions and mentors.
  • Provide leadership at the Smart up Factory.
  • Responsible for providing support to innovation hubs in Northern
    program areas.
  • In charge of linking Smart up development to other Plan projects,
    partners and organization aligned to youth development.
  • Support testing and development of technology based processes
  • Support identification of mentors training needs
  • Responsible for implementation of Sol5 technology
  • In charge of identifying capacity gaps and their addressing through
    capacity building of the youth champions.
  • Ensure the safety and control of the Factory premises and equipment.
  • In charge of tracking youth participation in the Factory and level
    of satisfaction with the services provided, including Management
    Information System.
  • Produce a detailed annual plan and quarterly update plan.
  • Responsible for the Management of Project Outline.
  • In charge of documentation of the activities, lessons learned and
    areas for improvement, including case studies on quarterly basis.
Staff Management
  • This position does not manage any staff however, has the
    responsibility of managing all youth mentors and youth champions within
    the hubs where he/she is based working hand with hand with other project
    staffs.
Project
Implementation
  • Execute the project according to the project plan.
  • Liaise with the MER team to develop forms and records to document
    project activities.
  • Set up files to ensure that all project information is appropriately
    documented and secured.
  • Monitor the progress of the project and make adjustments as
    necessary to ensure the successful completion of the project.
  • Establish a communication schedule to update stakeholders including
    appropriate staff in the organization on the progress of the project,
  • Ensure that the Programme Quality Policy and Procedures are followed
    in his/her project.
  • Ensure gender equality related action plans are planned, implemented
    with clear gender transformatory outcomes.
Partnership
Management:
  • In collaboration with the respective PAM and Partnership
    Manager  Manage the relations with
    the  local governments where the
    Smart up Factory/ district hubs are implemented
  • Identify potential CSOs that can collaborate with Plan international
    Uganda in achieving YEE objectives as stipulated in the country strategy.
  • Ensure all legal documentation is in place before bringing partners
    on board.
  • Ensure that the partners follow all the requirements stipulated by
    the donor.
Project Monitoring
and Evaluation and Control
  • Participate in measuring the project progress and identify
    appropriate corrective action in situation where the project’s performance
    deviates significantly from the plan.
  • Participate in writing quality reports to donors following the donor
    compliance guidelines.
  • Follow the communication protocols with donors, Project Manager and
    the Resource Mobilization team and provide information as outlined in
    funding agreements.
  • Manage all project funds according to established accounting
    policies and procedures, ensuring value for money and strong
    accountability.
  • Ensure that all financial records for the project are up to date.
  • With support from Finance Department, participate in preparing
    financial reports and supporting documentation for funders as outlined in
    funding agreements. Ensure consistency between narrative and financial
    reports.
  • Ensure that the project deliverables are on time, within budget and
    at the required level of quality.
  • Evaluate the outcomes of the project as established during the
    planning phase.
  • Optimize the use of the SAP system to manage project outputs,
    budget, and expenditure and project closure.
  • Manage project risks, ensuring they are effectively tracked and
    reported. Manage audit process and follow up audit action list.
Advocacy,
Influencing and Visibility
  • Represent Plan International at district and regional level to
    implement the advocacy.
  • Facilitate young people to take a lead role in advocacy initiatives.
  • Support with technical documentation of evidences from the project
    and write stories of change when required.
  • Ensure close technical and operational collaboration and
    coordination with Government Agencies &  YEE Net works
End of Project
Transition and Project Integration
  • Implement all the transition activities to ensure proper closure of
    the project (lessons learned, financial and contractual closure
    activities, etc.)
  • Promote full integration of the Smartup projects with other
    initiatives implemented in the same location in close coordination with
    the Programme Area Managers.
  • Participate and provide valuable input into the technical network
    meetings.
  • Support the Resource Mobilization Unit and the National Programme
    Manager in developing proposals that may facilitate the continuity of the
    project.
Dealing with
Problems:
  • Building and sustaining smooth working relationships with project
    stakeholders.
  • Compliance to donor requirements and ensuring quality and timely
    project outputs and communications
Child Protection
Policy Responsibilities (mandatory for all staff)
  • Adhere to the Child Protection Policy, Code of Conduct and reporting
    any CPP issues.
  • Responsible for the implementation of the CPP standards as they
    apply to area of responsibility plus the development of actions to address
    identified gaps and monitoring their effectiveness.
  • Ensure that all Plan International partners, visitors and associates
    in his/her area of responsibility are provided with, are made aware of and
    have signed and returned a copy of the child protection policy. Inform the
    partners, visitors and associates that they must comply with the policy in
    all contacts and communications with children during their visit.
  • Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Child
    Protection (CPP) and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI) are fully
    embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy
    including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable
    to their area of responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to,
    ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their
    responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of
    Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns
    are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.
Sponsorship
Commitments Responsibilities
  • Design and support implementation of programmes that are aligned
    with the Sponsorship Commitments, ensuring that the interventions benefit
    Sponsored Children.
Key Result Areas:
  • Project Implementation – take lead in project implementation
    planning, making sure the process is, regular, participatory and gives
    opportunity to the project key stakeholders to input, learn and reflect
    together , dealing with issues and creatively integrating the different
    elements of the project plan, including gender transformatory outcomes.
  • Mentors Management – this position supervises all mentors under the
    project.
  • Partnership Management – manage the relationships with partners
    involved in the implementation of the Smart up project with support from
    the Programme Area Managers; and support their capacity building
    process. 
  • Budgets/Assets – responsible for project implementation following a
    properly approved budget lines and ensure all the assets from the project
    are in proper custody.
  • Project Monitoring, Evaluation and Control – participate in
    measuring the project progress and help in identifying appropriate
    corrective action in situations where the project’s performance deviates
    significantly from the plan. Report to donors following the donor
    compliance guidelines.
  • End of Project Transition – implement all the transition activities
    to ensure proper closure of the project (lessons learned, financial and
    contractual closure activities, etc.)
  • Advocacy, Influencing and Visibility –represent Plan International
    at district to implement the advocacy interventions related to smart
    up.  
  • Resource Mobilisation – Support efforts to mobilise resources for
    youth economic interventions.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
  • The applicant for the Plan International Project Officer – Smart Up
    Factory job vacancy must hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Adult and community
    Education, social innovation and technology,  Social Sciences, Social Work and Social
    Administration,  Development
    studies, or Entrepreneurship
  • Three years’ experience with a minimum of 2 years’ experience in
    implementing of employability, Innovation and youth engagement
    interventions for young people preferably with an International
    Non-Governmental Organization and/or private sector.
  • Knowledge of current innovation environment and technology practices
  • knowledge of Youth empowerment and development agenda  including existing networks, CSOs and
    government stakeholders
  • Excellent project implementation t and team leadership skills
  • Demonstrated skills and experience in report writing, donor
    compliance and budget management.
  • Influencing and skills in working with advocacy networks at national
    and district level.
  • Effective with digital access and utilization skills
  • Commands usage of current technology trends and experience in
    software development is a plus.
  • Knowledge and dynamic in working with vulnerable young girls and
    boys.
  • Promotes working together 
    among project staff and providing vision to the youth mentors
  • Establishes effective partnerships with external organizations.
  • Mentors all young people in the hubs
  • Excellent communication (verbal and written) and interpersonal
    skills, with ability to work with people from diverse cultures
  • Proven computer skills and knowledge of Microsoft software including
    MS Word processing, Power point presentation, Excel spreadsheets, e-mail
    and web based research.
  • Experience of gender mainstreaming, gender equality and inclusion in
    YEE 
Skills/Competencies
  • Communicate Effectively: Speak, listen and write in a clear,
    thorough and timely manner using appropriate and effective communication
    tools and techniques. Strong verbal communication skills, including
    networking, negotiating ability and influencing others.
  • Creativity/Innovation: Develop new and unique ways to improve
    operations of the project and to create new opportunities.
  • Lead: Positively influence others to achieve results that are in the
    best interest of the organization.
  • Make Decisions: Assess situations to determine the importance,
    urgency and risks, and make clear decisions which are timely and in the
    best interests of the organization.
  • Organize: Set priorities, develop a work schedule, monitor progress
    towards goals, and track details/data/information/activities.
  • Plan: Determine strategies to move the organization forward, set
    goals, create and implement actions plans, and evaluate the process and
    results.
  • Solve Problems: Assess problem situations to identify causes, gather
    and process relevant information, generate possible solutions, and make
    recommendations and/or resolve the problem.
  • Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work with people
    from diverse cultures, ability to lead and motivate people to work in
    teams
  • Good understanding and ability to use participatory approaches for
    involvement of stakeholders and creating program ownership.
  • Excellent skills of working with children, facilitating child
    participation and gender equality.
How to Apply:
All suitably qualified
candidates should apply online at the link below.
Deadline: 1st February 2019
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