With over 70 years of experience, our focus is on helping the most vulnerable children overcome poverty and experience fullness of life. We help children of all backgrounds, even in the most dangerous places, inspired by our Christian faith.
Come join our 33,000+ staff working in nearly 100 countries and share the joy of transforming vulnerable children’s life stories!
Job Description
Job Title: Life Project Officer
Key Responsibilities
Project Planning and Implementation
- Lead in developing LIFE project annual work plan, and overall project implementation at the AP level in line with set out targets for the year.
- Ensure that all LIFE project activities (livelihood, food security, child protection, faith & development and cross cutting themes) are carried out in a timely manner per approved work plan and milestones agreed.
Carry out needs assessment and reviews in communities to determine development interventions that are required and are consistent with WVG strategic plan/LIFE TP
- Support formation and strengthening of local level advocacy groups (CVA) to support community advocacy actions for the improvement of basic sector service standards.
- Support formation of a local CP&A groups comprised of informal and formal CP actors in the community; coach CP&A group members to foster genuine ownership of group action plans for sustainability
- Facilitate CP&A group development of shared action plan to address violence against children
- mechanisms in the cluster (Area programmes).
- Coordinate and ensure successful implementation of ITAW/EVAC and end child marriage Now it takes us all campaign in the cluster (Area Programmes).
- Lead the implementation of appropriate project models/approaches (BSL, S4T, EWV CFC, CPA, CVA, CoH CP) to achieve LIFE project objectives and ensure program sustainability through community empowerment, stakeholder capacity building and collaborative relationships.
- Build capacity of Development Facilitators, volunteers, communities, Churches and partners in LIFE project models.
- Conduct periodic project reviews with staff and stakeholders at district levels.
- Collaborate with project partners and other stakeholders in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of project activities to ensure the achievement of project objectives.
- Participate in children mapping and monitoring processes in communities to ensure the participation of RC and their families in LIFE Project Implementation activities.
- Provide LIFE Project implementation activity brief including, photos and Videos, on RC participation for entry into Sponsorship System.
- Facilitate communication between RC and their sponsors and ensure that Child Sponsorship Key Performance indicators, including the production of Sponsorship 2.0 child and community contents, are met timely in the AP.
- Integrate Child Monitoring into LIFE Project Implementation and provide the report for entry into the Sponsorship System.
- Plan and co-ordinate logistics together with Cluster Manager and supply chain co-ordinator for project activity implementation at the AP/Cluster level.
- Support the integration and implementation of F&D core project models for effective programming.
Procurement and Financial management
- Support in preparation of procurement plan and budget for project activities
- Ensure the timely preparation and submission of disbursement and procurement requests.
- Requests for project activity implementation and procurement
- Liaise with Supply Chain to ensure that input supplies and other materials are procured/delivered in a timely manner.
- Timely submission of all project costs and prompt payment of partners
- Monitor budget and expenditure and liaise with Cluster Manager to take necessary action.
- Ensure implementation of Audit and Risk Assessment recommendations in LIFE projects and their impact areas within the cluster
- Ensure that project finances and assets are managed in line with donor requirements.
- Ensure the timely procurement and value for money of all contracts.
Resource Acquisition for Grants & PNS
- Identify problems and opportunities within your AP and formulate them into concepts and proposal for donor
- Participate in the development of concept notes/proposals for resource acquisition
- Deliver quality programming to ensure strong technical branding/niche created from LIFE interventions
- Build and strengthen relationship with private sector players or donors to explore funding opportunity
- Generate evidence of work from the field to attract donor funding
Partnering, Networking, External Engagements
- Identify and build strategic linkages, relations, collaborations and networks with partners and other stakeholders in planning and implementation
- Ensure the establishment of effective relationships with beneficiary communities, local authorities, District and Municipal Assemblies and other partners to ensure Project sustainability.
- Ensure the mobilization and engagement of the faith community to ensure participation of children and their families in F&D related activities.
- Conduct capacity assessments and facilitate institutional capacity building for partners/stakeholders at district and regional levels to support project implementation
- Represent WV Ghana at relevant sector meetings of stakeholder (internal and external)
- Support activities of Child Parliament/kids clubs activities
- Promote the LIFE project interventions through effective communication with government, local authorities, the media, communities and other stakeholders.
- Establish effective partnerships/relationship with zonal or district level stakeholders, networks, coalitions, farmer groups or CVA working groups to transform dialogue among them
Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, Learnings & Reflection and Knowledge Management
- Conduct monitoring and joint monitoring visits to project interventions to assess progress of work against targets and provide technical backstopping to activities in areas where improvements are needed.
- Lead periodic review of LIFE project to regularly update key partners and promptly report any deviations
- Identify emerging project risks and apply mitigation measures and escalate where necessary
- Supports is the Faith and Development Coordinator in the monitoring processes of the Faith and Development activities in the AP communities.
- Ensure the documentation of lessons learned, best practices, human interest stories for sharing at internal and external knowledge sharing forums, WV Partnership and funding partners
- Coordinate all evaluation activities such as baseline, midterm, and end line assessments
- Support in data collection on LIFE indicators through periodic and annual assessment of LIFE project at AP Level
- Facilitate and report (monthly, quarterly, semi-annually and annually) on LIFE TP and F&D integrated activities, outputs and outcomes in APs communities.
- Coordinate and report CVA-CP activities of the AP
- Monitor CP&A group functioning, implementation, and organizational capacity
- Coordinate and support the operations of effective reporting and referral CP systems
Other Responsibilities
Perform other tasks as required by management.
Qualifications: Education/Knowledge/Technical Skills and Experience
Minimum Qualification required: BSc Degree in Agriculture Science, Development Studies, Natural Resource Management, Environmental Science, Agronomy, Social Sciences, Social work, Community development, International development or in any other relevant field (A Master’s Degree will be an added advantage)
- At least five (5) years development related working experience in project implementation, with at least two of which should be related to livelihood, food security, child protection
- Experience in external engagement including donors, government
- Experience working with multi-stakeholders.
- Experience in project and budget management
- Strong development facilitation skills and experience in participatory approaches.
- Strong partnering, conflict management, and consensus building skills
- Excellent communication skills (oral and written), presentation and reporting skills.
Skills
Other Competencies/Attributes:
- Ability to maintain effective working relationships with staff and key partners.
- Community mobilization and participatory engagement
- Experience in development facilitation to catalyze, connect and build capacity of community groups / partners
- Coaching, facilitation and training
- Good observation, problem solving, analytical and critical thinking
- Innovation and adaptation: exploring opportunities and finding creative but practical solutions
- Communication: presenting and sharing knowledge, influencing skills, cross-cultural, diplomacy,
- Relationship building: building trust, transparency, openness, creating good will, especially in relation to establishing and maintaining a good relationship with stakeholders
- Capacity to work under pressure and manage stress levels.
- Team player, strong interpersonal skills.
- Project cost management and time management
- Monitoring, reporting and proposal writing skills
- Competency in the use of MS Office suite, Outlook 265, Microsoft Teams, Zoom
- Community development, action learning and participatory engagement
Knowledge
- Community mobilisation and empowerment principles and approaches
- Good understanding of (BSL, S4T, EWV CFC, CPA, CVA, CoH CP) models
- Project logic frameworks
- Working knowledge of programs/projects cycle management will be great.
- Adult learning principles and approaches
- Knowledge on Child Protection, Community Action Plans, and Creating Community Child Protection Committees (CCPCs)
- Community mobilization and empowerment principles and approaches
- Understanding Local power structures and its dynamics