Programme Lead Work and Enterprise

Programme Lead Work and Enterprise (full-time position) (re-advertisement)

BACKGROUND

Aga Khan Foundation Tajikistan (AKF Tjk) began activities in 1993, when it mounted a humanitarian response to acute food shortages in Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO) as a result of the collapse of the Soviet Union and subsequent civil war. The Foundation’s high-quality interventions within agriculture and food security, work and enterprise, climate resilience, civil society, health and nutrition, early childhood development and education are characterized by its long-term commitment to socio-economic development of Tajikistan. It has become a leader in implementing high-quality interventions to improve quality of life. AKF Tjk is one of Tajikistan’s most trusted and effective socio-economic development partners, supporting Tajikistan in the realization of its National Development Strategy and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. AKF Tjk’s programmes cover a broad geographical area encompassing over 38 districts in all four regions of Tajikistan – GBAO, Khatlon, Districts of Republican Subordination and Sughd – reaching nearly half million people annually. AKF Tjk implements its programming through its trusted partners, including the sister agencies of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN / the.akdn), local and international development actors.

AKF Tjk is seeking a highly qualified Programme Lead Work and Enterprise to lead the overall strategic direction, management, coordination, and reporting of work and enterprise programme portfolio theme at AKF Tajikistan. The incumbent will lead the Coalition of Employers (CoE) unit under the local impact project, that is 80% of his time he/she will work under the Local Impact project. In addition to that he/she will provide technical support and ensure quality assurance of all the work and enterprise projects and/or components. Manage the overall planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting of all the work and enterprise projects. Lead the technical design, development of work and enterprise concept notes, project proposals. Represent AKF Tajikistan work and enterprise portfolio at national, regional, and international fora.

He/she will report to the Head of Programmes of AKF Tjk and will be based in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Programme and projects development

Lead on technical design, theory of change, technical contents of work and enterprise related project proposals, concept notes and framing documents.
Ensure new funding opportunities are leveraged to advance priority initiatives, in coordination with AKF Tajikistan leadership and GPT colleagues.
In coordination with technical leads and MERLU, develop the logframes, performance measurement framework (PMFs) for new as well as ongoing projects if it does not exist or needs revision.
In coordination with partnerships unit, identify new funding opportunities, plan proposal development and provide timely technical inputs, content into concepts and proposals.
In coordination with technical leads and finance unit, develop cost effective budget, provide programmatic and technical inputs during the budget development.
Coordinate with partners and collect their programmatic inputs in project proposal, concept note development process.
Work closely with other AKF Tajikistan programme thematic leads to develop cross-sectoral concept notes and project proposals to integrate work and enterprise where relevant within ECD, education, health and nutrition, agriculture and food security, civil society, gender, etc.
Coordinate with relevant AKF Global Programme Team (GPT) members and incorporate their technical feedback, advice and inputs in proposals and concept notes.
Ensure that gender equality and women’s empowerment (GEWE), safeguarding, environmental protection, and disaster risk reduction are mainstreamed and adequately elaborated in the project proposal, concept notes and relevant documents.
In coordination with AKF GPT and Tajikistan senior management team, and other team members, review AKF’s work and enterprise programme direction for Tajikistan Lead the development of work and enterprise policy briefs to influence national policy and practices based on AKF’s learning experiences and evidence-based models.
Ensure climate resilience underpins all new project designs and activities across the portfolio.

Programme and projects management

Support emerging work and enterprise priorities, such as: the Coalition of Employers, to invest in youth recruitment and retention strategies; IT Parks development; youth competencies for the future of work, including via the Youth Entrepreneurship and Employable Skills programme; and value chain development (VCD) in Small Green Industrial Enterprises and community-based tourism.
Lead on AKF’s work related to Coalition of Employers (CoE) including the inclusive design, annual planning, facilitate timely and quality implementation of a work plan, effective budget utilization, activity tracking and monitoring, reporting and contribute to donor and government reports.
Cultivate and maintain a portfolio of wide-ranging institutional relationships and partnerships with potential and existing employers (corporations, SMEs, BPO firms, non-profit organizations) willing to provide gainful employment and growth opportunities for youth, with a focus on young women, and particularly those from rural and marginal communities.
Build integration of work and enterprise interventions across other areas of AKF/MSDSP work, including with agriculture and food security, climate resilience, Central Asian Poverty, health and nutrition, education and early childhood development.
Coordinate and develop work and enterprise theme related project(s) detailed implementation plan (DIP) which is line with grant agreement, donor approved project documents.
Monthly monitoring of projects’ implementation progress and budget spending.
Lead and support projects teams on developing and maintaining regular updates on projects level risks management matrix.
Provide technical support and advisory to project managers and team on work and enterprise priorities, good practices and future directions with support from AKF GPT.
In coordination with AKF MERLU and GPT, set the annual work and enterprise programme targets for AKF Tajikistan. Quarterly and annual review of the progress, provide presentations on actuals against the programme annual, quarterly targets per region and national level.
Ensure that gender equality and women’s empowerment (GEWE), safeguarding, environmental protection, disaster risk reduction are mainstreamed and adequately considered in projects planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting.
Provide leadership support and mentorship to direct supervisees as relevant to develop and foster competencies and leadership in roles.
Coordinate project/programme staff recruitment and capacity development with HR unit.
Ensure the complaint reporting mechanisms in place within projects locations with various range of channels for beneficiaries safely to report.

Monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning

Coordinate with MERLU and projects team to ensure that each project with work and enterprise component has adequate and timely updated monitoring and evaluation plan and its effectively, timely implemented.
Monthly and quarterly review of work and enterprise projects records update, actuals against targets in Awards Information Management System (AIMS). Coordinate with projects and M&E personnel to ensure that records and updates in AIMS are added timely and they are accurate.
Support MERLU in maintaining the programme level accurate data and information management.
Review and provide programmatic feedback, inputs in projects assessment and evaluation ToRs, reports produced by MERLU or external evaluators.
Document and share work and enterprise programme level best practices and lessons, including through AKF Connect and the Learning Hub.
Regularly study and be updated of the developments in work and enterprise sector.
Learn, explore, and share best practices, innovation, innovative and new approaches in programming
Plan and facilitate work and enterprise related knowledge management sessions, events.
Conduct regular field monitoring visits to AKF projects sites, provide de-briefing and share monitoring findings, recommendations in written.
Lead periodic work and enterprise reflection exercises to distill lessons for future programming.
Support MERLU in setting up of effective community and beneficiaries’ feedback, complaint reporting mechanism.

Coordination, communication, and reporting

Coordinate with relevant government ministries, agencies on AKF work and enterprise programme, projects. Consult and collect government ministries, agencies feedback, input during the design of new projects.
Actively participate and encourage team participation in work and enterprise community of practice.
Lead and coordinate amongst AKF implementing partners including AKDN and non AKDN agencies on work and enterprise programming, leading to enhanced collaboration between AKF, MSDSP, AP, AKFED IPS, UCA, FMFB, Tcell and other likeminded institutions in the economic domain.
Effectively represent AKF and AKDN in external, sectorial, thematic working groups, coordination meetings at national level on work and enterprise theme.
In coordination with communications officer, develop high quality communication materials including case studies, success stories, press releases, factsheets, photography, video materials/films on work and enterprise programme and publish and disseminate in relevant channels upon sign off from AKF leadership and donor.
Support partnerships team in donor communications and reporting.
Ensure that all work and enterprise projects have communications and visibility plans in line with AKF and project donor guidelines and are effectively and timely implemented.
In coordination with partnerships and finance units, support project managers and team in high quality donor reports preparation.
Lead on preparation and submission of work and enterprise programme level reporting and information sharing to government, AKDN representation office, AKF Geneva, GPT.

Other

Perform any other tasks, assigned by direct supervisor, which are relevant to the nature of the job.

QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

Education

Master’s degree in economic development sciences or other related disciplines.

Special skills & knowledge

Strong leadership and programme development, management, strategic vision skills and experience in oversight and implementation of the initiatives focused on work and enterprise.
Advanced knowledge and understanding of the situation, market trends, policies, strategies, and national plans to support the economic inclusion, particularly the enterprise development, employment with the focus on youth in Tajikistan.
Ability to create a sense of community and team among partners and staff members.
Ability to perform at a high level and diplomatically with a range of stakeholders (e.g., local provincial, national government, private sector, NGOs, donors, and beneficiaries).
Good knowledge, skills of planning, budgeting, managing, monitoring, and coordinating the projects.
Good knowledge and experience applying donor, AKF rules and regulations.
Strong leadership, administrative, management, communications, and presentation skills.
Excellent written and verbal skills in English, Tajik and Russian.
Strong interpersonal skills and ability to develop effective networking, partnerships with civil society, government, and private sector.
Good knowledge and experience in application of the Human Centered Design principles and methods in projects development process.
Strong knowledge and understanding of gender equality principles and integration in programme design, planning, budgeting, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
Good understanding of climate change and principles of climate resilience building through economic inclusion interventions.
Good analytical, writing and project design skills.

Work experience:

A minimum of 8 years’ experience in managing, leading, and providing technical economic inclusion programme expertise.
Experience in working with governments, bilateral, multilateral, and other development partners as well as private sector.
Experience in project cycle and financial management.
Experience in proposal development, donors reporting.

APPLICATION PROCESS

A cover letter (2 pages maximum) and resume (2 pages maximum) clearly demonstrating how applicants meet essential qualifications and asset criteria should be submitted to: AKF Human Resources Department at hr.recruitment@akdn.org with “Programme Lead Work and Enterprise” in the subject line by no later than 07 February 2023. Only full packages will be considered.

AKF strongly encourages qualified female applicants for this position. AKF seeks to ensure that male and female employees are given equal career opportunities and that staff members are able to keep an appropriate balance between work and private life.

For more information on the Aga Khan Foundation and Aga Khan Development Network visit: http://www.akdn.org.

AKF Tajikistan recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to equal opportunity, safeguarding of children from abuse and zero tolerance of sexual harassment.

DISCLAIMER

By sharing their cover letter and resume with AKF in response to this job application, applicants consent for AKF to keep this information on file for recruitment and human resources management purposes.