Programme Development & Funding Officer - Sudan

Starting Salary: £31, 391 - £32,868 per annum

Contract: 12 months Fixed Term contract

Position Description

(Previous applicants need not apply)

Job Profile

To contribute to CAFOD’s involvement in Sudan in line with the agreed strategy, by engaging in programme development; securing institutional funding for CAFOD supported programmes and partnerships; and contract management.

The post-holder will be responsible for building effective working relationships with peers across the International Development Group, as well as with colleagues in the Emergency Response and Advocacy Groups, and the International Programme Funding Unit. This is in order to develop and maintain horizontal links between programmes, learning, innovation, good practice, and fundraising within and between regions or areas of work. The role has also several cross-divisional and cross-organisational functions linked to work with CAFOD’s Education, Communities & Supporters, Fundraising, Finance and Media teams.

While the Sudan portfolio will be allocated to the post holder, a degree of flexibility is expected and therefore the post-holder may be required to support other programmes and colleagues during particularly busy times or emergencies. Furthermore, his/her portfolio of countries/sub-regions may change/evolve over time to meet CAFOD’s and partners’ needs.

Accountability

This position reports to the Country Representative, Sudan

The position does not have any direct line management responsibilities.

Key Responsibilities

Programme development in line with the direction set by Sudan Strategy

• As guided by his/her line manager and taking into consideration his/her allocated portfolio), work with programme staff and partners in the design, development (and where appropriate, implementation) of high quality programmes and projects in line with the Sudan strategy and programme frameworks;
• Contribute to the development of resource development plans, as well as to identifying new funding opportunities through donor mapping exercises;
• Support regional or joint programme funding opportunities as necessary.
• Where necessary and in discussion with his/her line manager, participate in surge requests from other International Development or Emergency Response Groups as agreed by the Country Representative;
• Keep up-to-date with donor policy developments and trends, both within the relevant country/sub-region/sector, and more generally, and represent CAFOD in funding review groups/networks in the countries/sub-regions as appropriate.

Programme funding and partners’ fundraising capacity

• In agreement with partners and programme staff, assess existing partner capacities and systems to manage and implement institutionally funded programmes and, jointly develop programme and project funding proposals;
• Lead, co-ordinate or support the preparation of funding applications with donors such as: ECHO, DEC, SHF (Sudan Humanitarian Fund), FCDO, EC, UN, Comic Relief, Big Lottery Fund, etc.;
• Contribute to investing in partners’ capacities, by jointly identifying funding needs, developing plans to strengthen capacities, e.g. proposal writing, programme development, monitoring & evaluation, etc., or identifying sources of support.
• Support partners in accessing the tools and support required to secure and effectively manage institutional funding, as well as strengthening partner capacity in donor mapping and developing donor engagement strategies;
• To work with CAFOD’s Country Representative and Programme Manager on designing a partners’ institutional funding capacity strengthening initiative/strategy.

Contract Management

• Working with programme staff and partners to manage various contracts, including financial and narrative reporting, and monitoring and evaluation (including facilitating external evaluations) of institutionally funded programmes, in line with jointly agreed standards (Programme Cycle Management), donor requirements, and CAFOD’s value of Stewardship;

• Responsible for reporting to donors – including financial reporting and ultimately responsible for the quality of those reports before submission.

• Support programme staff and partners on the development of plans, accounting frameworks and work plans, etc.

Internal and external representation

• In agreement with the Country Representative develop, nurture and manage relationships with donor organisations, and create opportunities to share CAFOD’s programme experiences with donor staff;
• Communicate with other teams within CAFOD to ensure that the programme is well understood, and that information is available for fundraising and communication needs. This may involve participation in sessions/events with supporters, communities of practice, working groups, etc., as agreed with the relevant manager;
• Where appropriate, liaise with the International Programme Funding Unit to ensure coherent donor engagement strategies are developed and maintained;
• Work with partners to regularly assess the quality of the relationship, ensuring that effective communication channels are in place, and that funding-related issues are timely addressed;
• In agreement with partners, contribute to raising the profile of partners’ work with relevant donors in the region and/or globally.

Systems and compliance

• Effectively use CAFOD’s programme management information systems[1] to ensure programme and project information and documentation is up-to-date. This will include producing management information to support decision making;

• Ensure compliance with agreements, regulations and requirements attached to our work, including liaising with IPFU donor leads on donor compliance requirements.

This list of duties and responsibilities is by no means exhaustive and the post holder may be required to undertake other relevant and appropriate duties as required. This job description is subject to regular review and appropriate modification.

Safeguarding for Children and Vulnerable Adults

CAFOD recognises the personal dignity and rights of children and vulnerable adults, towards whom it has a special responsibility and a duty of care and respect. CAFOD, and all its staff and volunteers, undertake to do all in our power to create a safe environment for children, young people and vulnerable adults and to prevent their physical, sexual or emotional abuse. CAFOD is committed to acting at all times in the best interests of children and vulnerable adults, seeing these interests as paramount. Any candidate offered a job with CAFOD will be expected to adhere to CAFOD’s Safeguarding policy and sign CAFOD’s Code of Behaviour as an appendix to their contract of employment and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these documents.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references, and appropriate screening checks can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. CAFOD also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this Scheme, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms his/her understanding of these recruitment procedures.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

Understanding our context

• Understanding CAFOD: A good understanding of CAFOD as a member of Caritas and CIDSE will be important for fundraising processes
• Understanding international development: Understanding and experience of international development and programme management and quality standards within this context.

Working together

• Communicating**:** Able to communicate with colleagues and partners at a distance
• Looking outwards: Understanding of effective and values-based partnership work between northern and southern organisations and communities

Making change happen

1. Managing resources: the ability to prepare and monitor budgets, contribute to assessing the appropriateness of partner financial systems, and ensure compliance with, knowledge and understanding of financial
2. Achieving results: experience of developing successful funding applications for institutional donors; experience of participatory project design, and use of analytical tools.
3. Managing our performance: Experience of developing and implementing monitoring systems to track the effectiveness of programmes.
4. Taking the lead

Job-specific competencies

1. Understanding and first-hand experience of institutional funding work/projects, priorities, trends and donor conditions within the international development sector; ideally with first-hand experience of working with the EC.
2. Experience of using programme cycle management tools effectively to deliver work within an agreed programme framework.
3. Able and committed to working with and strengthen or complementing the capacity of partner organisations and colleagues.
4. Finance management and budgeting understanding and experience.
5. Ability and willingness to travel within insert country and/or to the UK (approximately for 3months per year), sometimes at short notice.
6. Thematic experience in one or more of CAFOD AREAS (Livelihoods & Food security, Participatory Governance, WASH, and Shifting the Power)

Desirable Criteria

1. First-hand work experience with a values-based partnership approach (between northern and southern organisations and communities).
2. Previous work experience with International NGO in a similar position
3. Experience in working with donors
4. Experience in back donor grant management
5. Knowledge of Arabic and the region will be an added value

Please click here for a full list of CAFOD’s Staff Benefits

Come and join us and help make a real difference in the lives of the world’s poorest communities.

CAFOD is an equal opportunities employer. Recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.

[1] CAFOD’s Institutional Contracts Database.

How to apply:

To read more and apply, please visit the CAFOD website by the closing date.