Deputy Country Lead, Cfye Senegal.

Project Overview

The Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE) is a 7-year and €134 million programme funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that aims to create a prosperous future for 230,000 young women and men in the Middle East, North Africa, Sahel & West Africa and Horn of Africa regions. The Fund will be supporting initiatives in 12 focus countries that will offer youth, in particular young women, opportunities for work that is demand-driven and productive, offering a stable income and safe working conditions, and that is contributing to their personal development and social protection.

The portfolio of projects is selected from business cases that were proposed by private sector, civil society and knowledge institutions. Each business case has outlined scalable solutions for creating more and better jobs and income generating opportunities for youth. Solutions in particular focus on an integrated approach that addresses the shortcomings on the demand side (jobs) and supply side (skills) and bridging the mismatch between these two in the labour market.

Job Overview

The Deputy Country Lead will be responsible for supporting CFYE’s Implementing Partners (IPs) in Senegal. In this role, the Deputy Country Lead will closely work with the existing Country Lead for Senegal.

The Deputy Country Lead will work directly with a selection of IPs on Project Management, Project Administration, and Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) related activities. He/she will support the Country Lead to ensure that IPs receive target technical support in their impact monitoring efforts and data analytics. This includes monitoring the progress of the IPs’ projects, supporting them with technical and financial reporting, mobilizing (additional) technical assistance, and any other needs that may arise. Although the Country Lead has final responsibility for the portfolio’s performance, the Deputy Country Lead will play a crucial supporting role to this end.

While most communications with CFYE headquarters will go through the Country Lead, the Deputy Country Lead will also – where required- directly liaise with the Central Team (including Fund Management, Technical Assistance, Monitoring Evaluation and Learning, Financial Management, Communications, and Project Delivery).

Primary Duties And Responsibilities

The responsibilities and duties of the Deputy Country Lead include the following;

• In case of any in-country events, support the Country Lead and Central Delivery team in their organization.
• Applicants must have demonstrable experience supporting programme partners to develop and apply MEL processes and tools, using both qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques.
• Support the quarterly progress review meetings with each Implementing Partner (IP), and document minutes, observations, and reflections, including external conditions and local external factors relevant to project implementation.
• Liaise with MEL Advisor and/or country lead to monitor and evaluate the impact of IPs’ projects in accordance with the CFYE MEL system and validate documentation tied to Outputs and Outcomes for disbursements.
• Technical Assistance Delivery:
• Relationship Management:
• Support Country Lead in TA planning to the IPs: assist in drafting the TA assignment (Scope of Work), requesting approval from the central team.
• Guide the IPs in the preparation of financial information and supporting documents as part of the Quarterly and Annual Review -Process and internal reviews or external project audits.
• Support the Country Lead and the Fund’s central team in project operations and management including periodic review of progress against the due diligence improvement plan, Results Planning (both outputs and outcomes), as well as other areas identified by the team.
• Portfolio and Project Delivery Administration:
• Support the realization of any Contract Amendments.
• Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL):
• Support recruitment and on-boarding of the TA service provider.
• Support the Implementing Partners on any queries related to invoicing and contractual payment processes.
• Alert the Country Lead and Finance Management Team when issues arise in relation to financial management that require a response from the fund management team; and
• Any other duties as may be assigned from time to time.
• Work with Implementing Partners to ensure the documentation of key project documents (work plan, risks register, budget, reports, etc.) is complete, meets the CFYE requirements, and has been uploaded in the CFYE IT system.
• Support the Country Lead in the development and implementation of the country delivery plan following the timely planning as per the country workplan.
• Support the periodic review and provide guidance to individual Implementing Partners on their progress including due diligence improvement plan and Results Planning (mostly activities - outputs).
• Support the Country Lead in ensuring high-quality TA delivery.
• Liaise with the IPs and Finance team on invoicing and contractual payment processes.
• Support daily management of TA implementation (receipts, transport, Q&A, Sorting out travel arrangements in Egencia) as well as TA service provider management (Timesheets & invoice management for TA).
• Support IPs to prepare knowledge and communications material and present learnings during learning events or other Learning and Innovation Agenda events, where relevant.

Level Of Effort And Reporting

The Deputy Country Lead will report to CFYE’s Country Lead for Senegal. However, she/he will need to work and coordinate closely with other members of the Challenge Fund Team, as and when demanded by assigned tasks.

The position will be a full-time employment role, initially for one year with the possibility for an extension.

Required Qualifications

Minimum Requirements: 

• Proven experience with project management and performing related administrative tasks.
• Senegalese national, work experience in Senegal, and based in Senegal.
• Relevant technical work experience in one of the following areas; youth employment, private sector development, and/or business consulting.
• Relevant Academic qualifications in a related field such as Business Administration, Economics, and Finance.
• Proven knowledge of Monitoring & Evaluation concepts and experience engaging with and coordinating M&E activities.

Core Competencies

• Comfortable working with Microsoft Office and preferably Salesforce.
• Ability to work successfully as part of a team. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English. Fluency in Arabic is preferred.
• Good organizational and planning skills.
• Good knowledge of financial reporting principles.
• Strong affinity with youth empowerment, gender, and social inclusion, and decent work.
• Strong Project Management skills.
• Sound problem-solving and decision-making skills.

Deadline: 05 July, 2023.

Company Overview

About Palladium - Palladium is a global leader in the design, development and delivery of Positive Impact – the intentional creation of enduring social and economic value. We work with governments, businesses, and investors to solve the world's most pressing challenges. With a team of more than 3,000 employees operating in 90 plus countries and a global network of over 35,000 experts, we help improve economies, societies and, most importantly, people's lives.

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