Deputy Chief of Party Project Concern Zambia

About PCZ

Project Concern Zambia is a local Zambian NGO that was established in 2019.  PCZ work focuses on contributing to the achievement and sustenance of HIV epidemic control and addressing the upstream vulnerabilities that impede progress towards this achievement such as poverty and inadequate access to education particularly among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW). PCZ work also focuses on strengthening community health systems to sustainably address co-morbidities in children and adolescents that might further hinder progress towards HIV epidemic control and sustenance such as Tuberculosis (TB)/HIV, COVID-19/HIV, malnutrition/HIV, and other common child and adolescent health issues.  PCZ leverages the existing community ecosystem and collaborates with grassroot community-led organizations, the local government, and the private sector to serve targeted populations.

PCZ is looking for a Deputy Chief of Party for the upcoming USAID Stop GBV now grant, to be implemented in target districts. The position is contingent upon award, and approval of the candidate by the donor.

Position Summary:
The Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) is a key position and requires an exceptional individual who can provide expert overall guidance and management to the Stop GBV Now program. The DCOP Deputy Chief of Party is responsible for leading the program to develop, implement and report on innovative, sound, evidence-based, data-driven and cutting-edge strategies line with Government of Zambia and PEPFAR/USAID frameworks and guidelines. S/he takes responsibility and accountability of program implementation fidelity, ensuring that all program activities are implemented as designed and agreed upon with USAID, and urgently conducting course correction for any noted deviations from plans or anticipated outputs.

Duties and Responsibilities

–Provide strategic technical leadership and guidance to the program

• Lead the development of sound program work plans in line with national line ministries’ guidance and PEPFAR/USAID country operational plans and implement the work plans with a high degree of fidelity.
• Lead the program in the conceptualization and development of sound, innovative and cutting-edge GBV strategies/activities to achieve set program objectives, goals and targets.
• Lead the development of all GBV minimum package standards, prevention, management systems, client flow systems, protocols, and best practices for implementation at all levels of the GBV care pathway.
• Lead the development of the program budgets for all activities in the workplan and monitor the implementation of such a budget to ensure the program is implemented in a cost-efficient manner.
• Lead the monitoring of program implementation activities through participation in strategic technical program meetings, data review meetings, implementation site visits, and internal and external SIMS visits.
• Provide technical support to Consortium partners on the design and implementation of the program through sub-recipient work plan and budget reviews, periodic report reviews, compliance reports reviews, capacity gap analysis, SIMS visits, random spot checks, data review meetings and such other strategies.
• Develop and implement performance standards and performance management/monitoring tools for consortium program staff and efficiently manage the program function to deliver the required outputs and outcomes.
• Champion the timely scale up and implementation of all best practices and evidence generated from operations research and deep dives to achieve uniform program results across all geographies.
• Participate in technical program meetings and build relationships with USAID, USG partners and other line ministry partners working on other key programs relating to GBV.
• Support the line ministries at national level with development of technically sound GBV program strategic plans, operational plans, guidelines, job aids and SOPs, and harmonize these with those of PEPFAR/USAID.
• Present evidence from program implementation at national, regional, and international conferences.

–Manage program resources in an efficient manner to ensure achievement of targets

• Oversee the use of program resources in line with PCZ’s policies, the grant agreement, and in compliance with the USAID rules and regulations as applicable.
• Manage data driven and justified identification of essential program positions, develop job descriptions for positions and motivate for the filling of positions in a timely manner.
• Lead the development of on boarding and capacity building material for all positions within the program.
• Oversee the recruitment, orientation, capacity building, deployment, time and attendance management, performance management and performance appraisal of all human resources deployed within the program and ensure that such human resources meet the quality needed to achieve targets.
• Work with the HR department to maintain a low vacancy rate of all program positions.
• Conduct monthly budget variance analysis, provide justification for any observed variances and remedial actions to closely align program implementation with budgets.
• Produce monthly financial projections aligned with planned activities in the work plan, and drive program implementation in tandem with the set projections.
• Oversee the timely requests and acquittals for resources in line with financial management policies and other relevant SOPs to support program implementation.
• Oversee the timely submission of accurate administrative documents and reports used in program implementation (vehicle logbooks, asset verification checklists, petty cash certificates etc) in line with relevant SOPs.

–Support, supervise and performance manage the implementation of all program activities at all levels of the healthcare system within the organization.

• Train, mentor, coach and conduct competency assessment, sign-off, performance management and performance appraisal of provincial and/or district program staff on their delegated responsibilities.
• Support the provincial and/or district program staff, and sub-recipient key program personnel in rolling out and implementing the minimum package standards/best practice for GBV at all levels.
• Drive the consumption and use of MEL generated information products by provincial and/or district program staff, and sub-recipient key program personnel to ensure data driven/evidence informed GBV program implementation at all levels.
• Conduct regular, structured, and documented spot checks, field visits and random internal SIMS visits to verify and ascertain the fidelity of implementation of program activities and minimum care packages/best practices.
• Conduct joint site visits with line ministries and PEPFAR/USAID to ensure common understanding of challenges and jointly conceptualize solutions for implementation at all levels.

– Lead the development, documentation, and communication of technical program reports.

• Develop program reporting templates and quality standards for all program activities for implementation at all levels of the organization.
• Consolidate reports from provincial and/or district staff, and sub-recipient key personnel on all program implementation activities for the Chief of Party and senior management.
• Coordinate and develop contractual technical reports (weekly, monthly, quarterly, annual, COP reports etc) to USAID and ensure that such reports represent the true picture of program implementation as verified through field visits.
• Guide and assist provincial and/or district staff, and sub-recipient key personnel on documentation and recording of program best practices for internal and external stakeholders.
• Provide regular program reports to national level line ministries and support regular reporting at provincial and district levels.
• Develop program reports for dissemination to external stakeholders including peer-reviewed journal articles, abstracts, and presentation at local, regional, and international conferences to enhance program visibility and recognition.

Qualifications and Experience required
At a minimum, the Deputy Chief of Party must have the following qualifications and experience:

• Bachelors degree in health or social sciences AND master’s degree in social science, public health or other relevant degree related to project’s outcomes.
• At least 10 years of demonstrated technical management of large, complex, donor-funded health programs or GBV programs within non-governmental organizations in a developing country context, especially USG-funded programs.
• Previous experience as program manager at provincial level or higher for at least 3 years on a PEPFAR-funded DREAMS and OVC projects or similar programs with a strong GBV component.
• Demonstrated leadership in achieving targets and implementing accountability systems for staff to course correct deviations from planned performance.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing, and;
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with technical level government officials, donors, and multilateral organizations.