BACKGROUND ON IMPACT INITIATIVES

Title: Regional Projects and Partnerships Support Manager

Location: Dakar, Senegal (with travel across West and Central Africa) covering the following countries: Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Chad, Central African Republic, Nigeria, Cameroon, DRC

Contract duration: 12 months

Start date: 01 February 2027

COUNTRY PROFILE

In addition to the restructuring process outlined above, the humanitarian situations in the region may be interlinked by cross-border dynamics such as the increasing effects of climate change or displacement patterns, and this requires information management actors to adopt a regional approach for a comprehensive overview of the dynamics affecting vulnerable communities.

Present in West and Central Africa since 2012, IMPACT currently has missions in Benin/Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Mali, Niger, Mauritania, Cameroon and Nigeria, implementing REACH and PANDA projects and aiming to develop synergies between them through a regional perspective.

FUNCTIONS

Under the management of the HQ PPS Manager, the RPPSM is responsible for supporting the identification, development and management of grants in the countries outlined above, as well as contributing to the development of the IMPACT regional portfolio and representation in the area. The ideal candidate would be eager to work within a dynamic and motivated team and would have a clear focus on project development as a tool to improve the efficacy of the humanitarian response in the region.

The priorities will be determined together with the Dakar-based Multi-Country Representative (MCR), the respective Country Representatives (CRs) in the area, as well as the Regional Coordinator (RC) for West Africa (based in Geneva).

The RPPSM will have functional management of the country-dedicated Projects and Partnerships Support (PPS) team (at the time of writing, DRC), and direct line management of the pooled PPS Assistant (PPSA), who covers PPS functions for the countries served by the multi-country hub. The RPPSM manages the PPS Department in Dakar, currently composed of one pooled PPSA and one Haiti-dedicated PPS Officer (PPSO).

The RPPSM is a decentralised team member of the Projects and Partnerships Support Team based in Geneva.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The RPPSM will manage the workflow of the regional hub PPS team, delegating workload appropriately to ensure tasks are carried out, and will proactively identify gaps and overloads and work with the MCR/CRs as well as the Regional Coordinator to ensure these are mitigated.

As the role also includes elements formerly handled at HQ level, the RPPSM will also be responsible for specific HQ-delegated tasks (including validation, training and technical backstopping).

1) Support to Positioning and Fundraising

All of the tasks below are in support of the MCR and the CRs of the concerned country missions as well as the IMPACT Regional Coordinator, and the RPPSM’s involvement may vary according to the profile, seniority and context.

Context Analysis

• Support the MCR and CRs in analysing the socio-economic situation, donor and funding trends, needs and gaps in the region, with a particular focus on large-scale trends such as climate, as well as regional crises such as the Sahel crisis.

• Regularly conduct stakeholder analysis for the region, including who does what and where.

• Alert the MCR, CRs and RC of gaps and emerging needs in order to trigger donor discussions/assessments in a timely manner.

Strategy development and Fundraising

• Contribute to the development of country and regional programme strategies in alignment with IMPACT’s global strategy and roadmap through engagement with external actors, context monitoring, and relevant focal points.

• Based on the IMPACT strategy, support the identification of regional and, where relevant (with the MCR and pooled PPSO), country-specific funding opportunities and donors to ensure funding continuity and support the diversification of IMPACT’s donor portfolio by tracking funding opportunities and, where relevant, engaging with donors and donor working groups.

• In line with IMPACT strategy and expertise, contribute to partner mapping to identify potentially relevant international and/or local partners (academia, think tanks, national and international NGOs, private sector partners, etc.) both at regional level and for country-specific cooperation.

External Relations

• In coordination with the CRs and country-dedicated PPSOs, support the overall cooperation with IMPACT’s sister organisation Acted (hosting IMPACT in some of its fields of operation) or other hosting partners, as relevant, in relation to project development and grants management across all countries of focus, ensuring communication is regular and timely and synergies are sought and built.

• Contribute to establishing, maintaining and improving active and regular working relationships with donors, IMPACT partners, NGOs, UN agencies, relevant working groups, consortia and academia in relation to project implementation and proposal development and, where relevant, act as point of contact for all formal/informal donor communication.

• Foster IMPACT representation in regional coordination forums in collaboration with regional staff including the IMPACT Regional Coordinator.

• In coordination with pooled PPSOs and country-dedicated PPSOs, maintain an up-to-date directory of donors, international and local NGOs, other partners and stakeholders.

• Contribute to setting up a standardised Funding Tracker (or similar tool) across the region, and ensure fundraising activities are tracked in it and updated regularly to log the latest negotiations and proposal possibilities with donors.

2) Grant Management

Proposal Development

• Oversee project proposal conceptualisation (problem statement, logframe), and the development of other fundraising documents (expressions of interest, concept notes) in line with IMPACT country and regional strategy and donor requirements and in close collaboration with partners and finance. This includes:

• Provide support if/where required to country-specific dedicated PPSOs and coordinate the involvement and support of pooled PPSOs in the region, and validate any proposal before submission to an existing donor.

• Liaise with the HQ PPS team on the submission of any proposal in the region by updating the global Project Cycle Management (PCM) follow-up tool, Ninox.

• Liaise with the RC, CRs, Research Managers, Operations Manager and other relevant departments to ensure proposals are relevant and technically sound, as well as with other internal stakeholders such as Finance for the budget and other budget-related documents (e.g. budget narrative).

• Coordinate validation processes with IMPACT HQ PPS for all proposals, new donors and partners.

• Coordinate timely responses to all donor comments on proposals in liaison with relevant staff in country, IMPACT HQ PPS and Finance teams.

Contracting

• In coordination with the RC, CRs and IMPACT HQ, review/negotiate contracts with donors, ensuring requirements are clear and understood.

• In coordination with the HQ PPS team, organise the incorporation of contractual elements into the Ninox database.

• Repeat both steps above for every contract amendment signed during implementation, so that Ninox always reflects the latest contractual terms.

Project Implementation and Follow-up

• Ensure the timely completion of grant-related processes such as monitoring and reviewing project records in Ninox.

• Ensure timely kick-off meetings are held involving all project components and focal points.

• Ensure project progress, key findings and success stories (including key M&E findings, where relevant) are documented and regularly updated.

• Ensure that all contractual obligations are clearly defined and communicated internally in terms of deliverables as well as narrative and financial reporting requirements, in close coordination with HQ PPS and (as relevant) with the partner’s Project Development (PD) and Finance departments.

• When any issue is identified that could prevent deliverables from being met within the agreed timeframe and budget, inform relevant staff in country and suggest potential solutions that would meet donor rules.

• Ensure ad hoc requests from donors are addressed in liaison with the CR, Programme and support teams.

• Implement and oversee the project-specific filing system for grant management and ensure it is regularly updated.

• Provide ad-hoc support to project implementation through troubleshooting and eliminating blocking points.

Reporting

• Oversee the development of quality project narrative and M&E reports (in support of donors’ requests), reflecting the progress and status of projects in a transparent, timely and professional manner, in liaison with IMPACT HQ PPS and finance. This includes providing capacity building to PPSOs in the region (dedicated and pooled).

• Validate all donor reports to be submitted in the region from pooled PPSOs and country-dedicated PPSOs, in liaison with CRs and MCR.

• Liaise with Programme teams when preparing reports, and with Finance to ensure coherence and alignment between financial and narrative reports by cross-checking data between the two.

• Organise the reporting requirements for a given month in coordination with country-dedicated and pooled PPSOs, and ensure smooth and regular communication with IMPACT HQ PPS, notably by actively flagging any issue or delay that may require additional attention and potential adaptation (e.g. amendment requests or programme adaptations requiring formalisation).

• Where relevant, ensure regular coordination with the partner’s Project Development and FLAT (Finance, Logistics, Administration and Transparency) departments at all stages of project development and implementation, including consultations for donor discussions, participation in project kick-off and lessons learnt meetings, and drafting of donor reports or amendment requests.

Partnerships

In close liaison with and under the supervision of the MCR/relevant CRs:

• In coordination with the HQ PPS team, organise the formalisation of partnerships with IMPACT’s hosting partners in given projects and country missions by following up on the subgrant agreement requirements, ensuring the Ninox database is up to date.

• Contribute to vetting and due diligence exercises of funding partners in liaison with HQ PPS.

• Contribute to identifying potential partnerships for providing operational and/or technical support for IMPACT programmes, both for funded and unfunded partnerships.

• In coordination with HQ PPS and partner’s FLAT departments, facilitate or take part in discussions with implementing partners, including due diligence and vetting, and formalising contractual modalities (outline of contracts).

• Ensure partners have a clear understanding of IMPACT policies, procedures, compliance, programmatic and financial reporting requirements.

• Where relevant, review partner reporting regularly and flag any issues in a timely manner to MCR and partner focal points, suggest potential solutions, and act as field point of contact for all formal/informal implementing partner communication.

3) Monitoring and Evaluation

• Ensure a clear M&E framework for each ongoing project is developed based on project proposals, implementation plans, and donor reporting requirements (including contractual monitoring and evaluation indicators to be tracked as part of activities).

• Ensure M&E policies and procedures are implemented, maintained and tracked for reporting purposes.

• Ensure that M&E findings and learning from previous projects (e.g., lessons learnt and best practices) are reflected and their recommendations are incorporated in future concept notes, proposals, donor reports and implementation plans.

4) Management and Internal Support

• Direct management of pooled PPS staff, including recruitment, training, conduct of appraisals and staff career management.

• Provide technical support to the country-dedicated IMPACT PPSO(s), including setting up regular meetings, and providing a forum for discussion of PD issues.

• Carry out in-person support missions to the countries covered by the position based on identified needs.

• Ensure the global SharePoint is updated with related proposal and project folders and documents, and keep track of Ninox database updates.

5) Communication

• Maintain a single channel of communication between the field and HQ Comms Team, coordinating comms requests and activities across the region, to avoid duplication of channels and the loss of information, and to improve the monitoring of contractual communication obligations.

• Ensure internal communication with Acted in case of an Acted-led contract.

• Share Comms products with donors and ensure traceability and filing for reporting obligations.

REQUIREMENTS

• Excellent academic qualifications, including a Master’s degree in a relevant discipline (International Relations, Political Sciences, Social Research, Economics, Development Studies, Law or similar), required.

• At least 4 to 5 years of relevant working experience. Experience in humanitarian settings, including field work, highly desirable.

• Familiarity with the humanitarian coordination system, and understanding of donor and governmental requirements, required.

• Excellent communication and drafting skills for effective reporting required.

• Proven knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint, Office 365 and the Adobe package, required.

• Coordination, organisational and planning skills required, including the ability to manage large workloads, meet deadlines effectively, and multi-task and prioritise in a complex environment.

• A self-starter with a proven ability to work independently.

• Solution-oriented, flexible, and open-minded, including ability to operate in a cross-cultural, complex and challenging security environment required.

• A sense of curiosity, the drive to improve the humanitarian sector, and ability to see the big picture.

• Fluency in English and French is required; Spanish is an asset.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

• For this position, salary between 3’060CHF and 3’120 CHF monthly (before income tax), etc as well as a monthly living allowance of 300 USD NB - IMPACT salaries are strictly determined by our salary grid depending on the grade of the position and the level of education of staff. A location-dependent security and/or isolation adjustment is then applied as a recognition that some staff are required to work in difficult places where living and working conditions are much more difficult than elsewhere.  

• Accommodation and food provided in the guesthouse.  

• Enrolment in Swiss private pension fund (Swisslife – approx. 9.975% of staff gross salary), health insurance, life insurance and repatriation assistance.  

• Flight tickets every 6 months & visa fees covered (in-country travel costs and professional expenses are fully covered).  

• Contribution to the luggage transportation: between 20 and 100 kgs, depending on the length of the contract (+ luggage and personal property insurance)  

• Annual leave of 36 days per year. Public holidays of the country of assignment. Family/compassionate leave when applicable.  

• Predeparture induction - 3 days at IMPACT Initiatives’s HQ in Geneva + one week pre-departure training in ACTED HQ in Paris, including a 4-days in situ security training; 

• IMPACT prioritizes the psychological safety of its staff and the health insurance provided covers, among others, up to 1000 € per year of psychosocial counselling fees.