Overview
BACKGROUND
Creative Associates International Inc. is a dynamic and fast-growing professional services firm that specializes in international development in the areas of education, democratic transitions and stabilization in post-conflict environments. Based in Washington, DC, the firm has a field presence in 30 countries worldwide with a strong and diverse portfolio that includes global contracts with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and other clients including the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Defense. The firm has earned a solid reputation among its clients and missions worldwide and is well-regarded by competitors and partners alike.?
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
In close coordination with the U.S. Embassy and USAID, the initial goal of the USAID/OTI program will be to contribute to the USG response to address the root causes of migration from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. This includes increasing community and institutional resilience to negative shocks.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Program Development Officer (PDO) will be responsible for the development, implementation, and close-out of a portfolio of activities. The PDO will work with in close collaboration with Senior Management (including USAID/OTI) and external stakeholders to identify, prioritize and design activities that will respond to community development priorities to further the objectives of CARI program. The PDO will be expected to liaise with various levels of stakeholders, including government officials, civil society organizations, the private sector and community actors and must therefore possess and display strong leadership and representational skills. The PDO, working with a small multidisciplinary team, will be charged with oversight of project activities to ensure that all tasks are completed within timeframe and budget parameters defined during project design. The PDO will be expected to report daily to and receive guidance from Senior Management.
REPORTING & SUPERVISION
The Program Development Officer (PDO) reports to the Chief of Party.
Responsibilities
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
Primary responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:
- Responsible general oversight of a portfolio of projects. The geography of targeted communities as well as type of programming is expected to change frequently over the course of the program.
- In concert with senior management, advice on programmatic design of new projects, including identification of potential local partners and beneficiaries, monitor implementation to ensure timely completion and adherence to budget and administrative and programmatic closeout throughout the portfolio of activities.
- Take a leadership role in the program’s learning process by feeding information in a timely manner on political and security developments in the PDO’s target area.
Develop activity-level Theory of Change (TOC), thinking strategy about the contribution of each activity to the overall program objective.
Draft project ideas with estimated budgets and present them in internal Activity Review meetings for yellow-light consideration.
Develop and maintain positive working relations with grantees, local partners, stakeholders, and beneficiaries in target communities. and ensure relevant stakeholders are included.
Provide assistance to potential local partners and grantees in the design of activities to include brief description of activities to be implemented, objectives, timelines for implementation, expected results and plan for how activity will be monitored and evaluated (objectives, expected results, indicators, timeline, etc.) with the support of M&E and Grants teams.
Lead the design and development of grant proposals, works with the grant team to manage grant implementation, ensure Creative and OTI policies, procedures, and practices are followed.
Prepare program and budget information with support from Procurement staff during grant development.
Track the implementation of each grant activity in consultation with the COP and to ensure alignment with strategic program direction. Propose and implement corrective actions and solutions to ensure proposed project outcomes are achieved. Conduct political analysis, impact assessment, and participate in strategy development to advance the program goals.
Monitor activity implementation through desk review of reports, regular site visits when possible, and triangulation with external sources of data on activity.
Champion all Creative and USAID/OTI procedures and manuals (e.g., Activity Management Guide; Activity Cycle Flowchart; Field Procurement Guide; and Operational Communications, Emergency, Information, and Physical Security Plans).
Attend focus group discussions and program activities to derive lessons learned to inform future project activities.
Conduct site visits to generate grant ideas with grantees, monitor activity implementation, and conduct impact assessments.
Enter grant data, develop reports and evaluation reports into the Database to conform to grant information requirements.
Supervise timely and accurate reporting and deliverables.
Other duties as assigned by the Chief of Party. Qualifications
REQUIRED SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS:
- High school diploma required. Bachelor’s degree in social sciences or related field desired.
- At least 4 years of general work experience and 2 years of relevant experience in the design, implementation, and management of community development projects, community participation, preferably in communities with nonprofit organizations in Honduras.
- Experience in one or more of the following sectors required: community mobilization/participation, conflict mitigation and resolution, civil society strengthening, youth engagement, etc.
- Fluency in Spanish, with medium level English language skills required.
Previous work experience with international donors/NGOs.
Previous work experience in research methodologies and project monitoring and evaluation.
Must have existing work authorization for Honduras.
Skills and Abilities
Take initiative and be able to manage a complex portfolio of activities with supervision.
Ability to work in teams to develop ideas or grant projects.
Good organization skills and ability to maintain and foster relationships with staff and implementing partners.
Excellent communication and facilitation skills, patience and a willingness to spend time translating the needs of communities into strong development projects.
Capacity to understand and analyze national, regional, and local political contexts and to design grants that relate to current political contexts.
Ability to work under short deadlines and efficiently handle multiple tasks.
Attention to detail and the ability to function well in a team.
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