Project Coordinator, Liberia

Project Coordinator, Liberia

Medical Emergency Relief International (Merlin)

Health NGO

Closing date: 06 Sep 2009

Location: Liberia - Harper, Maryland County

Responsible To: Operations Coordinator

Responsible For: Managing 1 international staff and approximately 40 national staff

Works With: International staff: Health Coordinator

National staff: Merlin logistics and finance/admin teams, and County Health Team for Maryland.

Location: Harper, Maryland County, Liberia

Contract Duration: 12 months

Starting Date: September 2009

Salary & Benefits: £17,057 - £19,282 annual salary dependent on relevant experience, plus an annual cost of living allowance of £4,909, insurance cover, accommodation and flights.

Only short-listed applicants will be contacted. Due to the urgency of this position, applications will be short listed on a regular basis and we may offer this post before the closing date.

Please note that this is an unaccompanied position.

Merlin International Profile

Merlin specialises in health, saving lives in times of crisis and helping to rebuild shattered healthservices. Each year, Merlin helps more than 15 million people in up to 20 countries.

Context and Background

Merlin has been operational in various counties throughout Liberia since 1997 and has developed a good reputation as a key partner of the Ministry of Health and Social welfare (MOH&SW) in Liberia. The main focus of Merlin’s programme in Liberia at present is supporting the MoH&SW with the provision of quality primary and secondary level health care services and influencing policy at the national level. In the course of implementing its activities in Liberia, Merlin supports over 800 MoH&SW workers through incentive payments. Merlin actively collaborates with the MoH&SW, UN Agencies, local partner NGOs, and other INGOs and agencies such as Mentor Initiative and International Committee of the Red Cross.

Merlin’s activities include technical, capacity building and logistical support to the County Health and Social Welfare Teams (CH&SWTs) as well as capacity building health facility staff through training, mentoring and/or supervision to ensure improved quality of care in the supported facilities. In 2009 Merlin will be supporting 53 primary health care facilities in Montserrado, Maryland, Grand Bassa, Sinoe, Grand Kru and Grand Gedeh counties, and 4 hospitals in Buchanan, Zwedru, Greenville and Harper. Merlin also has a Reproductive Health/Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) team to mainstream maternal health promotion and HIV/AIDS prevention into all Merlin projects as a cross-cutting theme.

In December 2008 Merlin re-opened a midwifery training program in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County that had been closed throughout the years of conflict.

Merlin Liberia is working with the MoH&SW and CH&SWTs in each supported county to create a more coordinated strategy in line with the MoH&SW lead partner approach. As a first step towards this, Merlin is developing a Counterpart Strategy geared towards a closer, more efficient and effective collaboration with the CH&SWTs in the delivery of health services and the development of their managerial capacity.

Maryland County Health Project

Merlin’s current project in Maryland County supports health service delivery for the CH&SWT to run the JJ Dossen Memorial Hospital and 3 clinics. Another main focus is to empower the CH&SWT to ultimately manage the health services of Maryland without Merlin’s support. Merlin is initiating a new project in July 2009 in the adjacent county of Grand Kru and Harper will become a support base (primarily for logistics) for this new project in the coming months.

Main purpose of the role
To ensure that all aspects of the project cycle are implemented effectively for the Maryland County Programme

Overall Objectives (scope)
- Management of the project consistent with the project management cycle, program objectives, activities and indicators
- Management of an effective team at the location
- To ensure team safety and compliance with security regulations
- Representation of Merlin to the County Health and Social Welfare Team (CH&SWT), other NGOs, UN agencies, local government bodies and other relevant parties
- To ensure appropriate administrative, financial and logistical Merlin systems/ procedures are in place, maintained and adhered to so that all support functions are carried out effectively and efficiently
- Ensure partner implementation of projects in line with Merlin, DFID and MOH&SW guidelines

Responsibilities
Operational Management
- Work in partnership with the Health Coordinator and Field Logistician to strengthen the capacity of health facility staff, local health authorities and other partners
Be responsible for the effective and efficient management of the - field project consistent with the project management cycle, program objectives, activities and indicators
- Ensure the consistent use of Merlin standard procedures, systems and guidelines
- Initiate and maintain regular, minuted project team meetings and hold more detailed planning workshops periodically during the project cycle in conjunction with Grand Gedeh Programme team
- Preparation and compilation of monthly reports to HO Monrovia and donor reports to donors as per donor requirements
- Ensure monitoring systems are in place and that project reviews/ audits are undertaken periodically in conjunction with the team, the Country Operations Coordinator (Ops Co), local stakeholders and project partners
- Monitor the evolving humanitarian situation in the project region and consider strategic and immediate responses
- Interact regularly with the Ops.Co. to ensure project fulfilment and donor / Merlin compliance
- Travel as dictated by the needs of the project, security and staff etc

Security
- Responsible for ensuring team safety and compliance with security guidelines
- Ensure security guidelines are implemented and regularly updated
- Pro-actively monitor the political, military and security situation in the project area and respond accordingly
- The Project Coordinator (PC) is responsible for the execution of the project against the agreed objectives and within the agreed budgets; however, in carrying out these responsibilities the safety and security of the team are paramount
- Attend regular security coordination meetings and update the CD, Ops Co, and Log Co on the prevailing security and humanitarian environment

Programme Development
- Ensure all relevant authorities are included in the planning and implementation of projects as appropriate
- Draw up plans, proposals and budgets for new projects/ project extensions in conjunction with relevant operations, logistics, medical and financial staff and implementing partner organisations
- Pro-actively contribute to programme development and strategy especially the Counterpart Strategy being developed by the Country Team
- Together with the CHT, develop a joint County Health Plan for county health activity implementation and a capacity building plan for training and capacity building of the CHT and County Health Officer (CHO)
- . Work closely with the County Health Team in the capacity building of the County Health Officer (CHO), CHT and other MOH and SW staff

Logistics/ Finance/ Administration
- Ensure appropriate administrative, financial and logistical Merlin systems/ procedures are in place, maintained and followed, so that all support functions are carried out effectively and efficiently
- Maintain familiarity with DFID donor compliance issues, ensuring the project is compliant with donor and Merlin procedures
- Ensure regular communications systems are established and effectively maintained.
- Take overall responsibility for financial management and accurate control of the project budget through monthly monitoring of expenditure versus the budget reports
- Prepare and submit projected expenditures each month (cash forecasting)
- Document the project for transparency and future donor inspection/ audit
- Be responsible for overall line management of the field site’s logistical activities including procurement and construction in collaboration with the field logistician, construction manager and Monrovia staff
- Ensure Merlin complies with all legal and bureaucratic requirements in-country, with support from Merlin Monrovia

Human Resource Management
- In conjunction with other team members, optimise the use of human, logistical and financial potential
- Responsible for national staff selection. Where relevant, contribute to design of job descriptions and participate in staff recruitment/ dismissal
- Conduct staff appraisals for staff under direct line-management, and arrange for others to undertake appraisals of staff under their management
- Maintain good inter-team communications, engender good team dynamics, and take suitable action when problems occur
- Support team members professionally and monitor/ support stress management
- Ensure appropriate capacity development and training is carried out for all Maryland national personnel

Communication and Representation
- Participate in donor visits and relevant discussions with donors
- Represent the project/ Merlin to local government authorities, other NGOs, UN agencies and other parties as necessary. Ensure relevant parties are kept informed of Merlin activities as appropriate
- Ensure regular communication is maintained between the Harper field team members, the Merlin Country Management Team (CMT) in Monrovia, and other project sites.
- In discussion with the CD, and according to Merlin guidelines, be the project’s contact with the local media
- Ensure all relevant parties are kept informed on Merlin activities as appropriate (i.e. , (I)NGOs, MOH&SW, etc
- Provide leadership and coordination of other actors in the health sector as Lead Agency for health in Grand Kru County in liaison with the County Health Team (CHT)
- Contribute to local advocacy issues where they relate directly to health status, access to health care, humanitarian space and/or humanitarian standards, etc.
- Regularly attend meetings of the County Health Board and progress meetings of the CHT when invited

Grant Management
- Edit and compile donor and quarterly reports from partners
- Coordinate and work regularly with local and international partners
- Facilitate financial distribution to partners of allocated funds
- Monitor and support expenditure of budget by partners
- Provide logistical support where possible to partners to ensure fulfilment of objectives
- Coordinate all procurement done by Merlin on behalf of partners
- Act as focal point for communications between Merlin and partners in the project
- Ensure regular, minuted project review meetings with both management and field teams in the location

Other
- Provide coverage for other posts when necessary and carry out any other responsibilities as requested by the Ops Co

Person Specification
Essential Qualifications, experience and competences
- Relevant university qualification in management, social science or other relevant
- Extensive and relevant field experience in a humanitarian context, preferably in a co-ordination role, including the following experience:
o Project proposal, including logical framework development
o Project implementation, ensuring quarterly review meetings, report and proposal writing
o Personnel management
- Strong leadership skills, with a supportive and participatory management style
- Strong financial, logistics, human resource and administrative management
- Good computer skills and familiarity with MS Office software
- Strong problem solving and organisational skills
- Proven experience in security management, including developing and implementing SOPs and security guidelines
- A good team builder and able to live as part of a small team in a multi-cultural setting in a remote and challenging location
- Proven problem solving and organizational skills, flexibility and calm under pressure

Desirable Qualifications, experience and competences
- Previous experience of working in West Africa within health care projects.
- Previous experience of working with local government , particularly in a capacity
- building role
- Experience and understanding of public health
- Experience working with DFID, or knowledge of DFID compliance

How to apply

Please download an application form from our website http://www.merlin.org.uk Completed form should be emailed to applications@merlin-uk.org stating in the subject field the job title, country and reference number (if any).

Data Protection
Please note, on submitting your application, you are agreeing to Merlin holding and using the information that you have given for the purposes of recruitment and employment – should an offer be made. In order to process your job application, it may be necessary for your application to be sent to the Country Director (in the country you are applying for) for consideration. If you do not agree with this, please state so when applying.

Reference Code: RW_7UNMKR-91

Source: Reliefweb