Project Coordinator Peace, Youth and CSO Empowerment & Swahili Culture – Kenya

WeWorld is looking for one (1) project coordinator for the EU co-financed project “Kujenga Amani Pamoja (Building Peace Together)”.

Place of work:

Project Coordinator based in Kwale County

Contract information:

Position/Contract Type: Full-time – National Employment Contract

Contract duration: 12 months (including 3 months probationary period), with possibility of extension

Provisional start date: August 2024

Description of the organization

WeWorld is an independent Italian non-governmental organization that works on development cooperation and humanitarian aid projects in 25 countries around the world, including Italy. The NGO carries out 128 projects that reach over 2.4 million direct and 12.3 million indirect beneficiaries. Children, women and young people, agents of change in every community, are the protagonists of WeWorld’s projects and campaigns in the following areas of intervention: gender equality, prevention and fight against violence against women and children, migration, humanitarian aid (prevention, relief and reconstruction), food security, water and sanitation, health, education and learning, socio-economic development, environmental protection, education for global citizenship and international volunteering.

Project summary

WeWorld received a grant from the Delegation of the European Commission in Kenya for the cross-border action “Kujenga Amani Pamoja (Building Peace Together)” which will take place in the border areas of Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique. The overall objective of the action is: “Aware and mobilized young women and men living in the coastal border areas of Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique act as peacemakers and agents of positive change.” The action recognizes the peace-oriented cultural characteristics of Swahili culture and calls on youth networks and organizations to actively practice and disseminate knowledge on peacemaking, conflict prevention and the promotion of inclusion practices. The project will be implemented in Kwale County in Kenya, in the Tanga and Mtwara regions in Tanzania and in the Cabo Delgado and Nampula provinces in Mozambique.

Main objectives of the position

The Project Coordinator is directly responsible for the overall management of the project in full compliance with the organisation’s and donor’s procedures, including planning, implementation and monitoring of activities. He/she will be entrusted with oversight of all logistical, financial, human and operational resources dedicated to the project, in close collaboration with the Country Representative in Kenya and the Kenyan Project Team and under the direct supervision of the Project Manager (based in Tanzania) and the Finance Team (Country and Regional Team). He/she will report to the Project Manager and maintain effective relations and coordination with all project stakeholders at country and regional levels in Kenya.

Main responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Project Manager, the Project Coordinator acts as the project contact in the assigned region and ensures excellent implementation of project activities in terms of impact, reporting and timeliness. Focus areas include the following:

Project management, monitoring and reporting

• Plan and implement project activities in accordance with the project design and schedule.
• Directly monitor project activities carried out by partner organizations and staff, including baseline/final survey and research, CSOs/CBOs mapping, beneficiary identification, trainings, debates, round tables, awareness-raising events and media campaigns.
• Coordinate all aspects of financial, administrative and logistical management of activities at the state and district levels, ensuring that operational plans, donor requirements and WeWorld procedures are known and followed.
• Ensure that all project documents are available (attendance lists, MoUs, meeting minutes, contracts and agreements, activity reports, etc.).
• Support the development of work plans and ensure effective coordination, timely and high quality implementation and monitoring of project activities to deliver deliverables according to standards, schedule and budget.
• Lead and/or participate in project meetings and support their organization.
• Support Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) through routine and accurate collection and reporting of information on project progress and achievements (including documentation of best practices and lessons learned for further sharing within the consortium and with other relevant stakeholders).
• Support the preparation of reports to be submitted to, among others, the donor, headquarters and local authorities.
• Support the implementation of visibility measures and ensure compliance with WeWorld and donor policies.
• Support the identification and formulation of new concept notes and project proposals to support project co-funding and beyond the project lifetime.

Networking and coordination

• Build strategic networks with local communities, civil society organisations, media actors and local authorities at district and regional levels.
• Ensure coordination of project activities with all relevant stakeholders (especially local partners and staff) at district and national levels.
• Maintain relationships with relevant stakeholders and authorities locally, at district and state level
• Ensure that reports are submitted to local authorities in accordance with government procedures.
• Represent the organization and consortium at district and state stakeholder meetings as well as relevant cluster meetings.

Since job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the Project Coordinator may be required to perform additional tasks that broadly correspond to the main responsibilities listed above.

Qualifications, skills and experience

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline, e.g. development studies, political or social sciences, media studies
• Excellent communication skills (written and oral) and reporting skills in English
• IT skills, especially MS Office, web and social media skills
• Proven leadership skills and excellent interpersonal/networking skills, ability to collaborate with government, private sector and civil society
• Proven organizational skills and the ability to effectively manage multiple tasks
• Monitoring and evaluation skills
• Demonstrates integrity with respect to the NGO’s values ​​and ethical standards
• Demonstrates sensitivity and adaptability with regard to culture, gender, religion, race, nationality and age
• Professional experience: at least 3 years experience in a similar position with local/international organizations, government or relevant organizations in development projects

Assets

• Previous experience in the target region
• Previous experience in peacebuilding projects and conflict sensitive approach.
• Adaptability to changing project priorities
• Valid driving license (type B).