Position/ Job Summary 

The Country Manager, Kenya plays a key role in Solidaridad East & Central Africa's comprehensive and solutions-based approach to deployment through a high level of strategic leadership, innovation and effective advocacy. The Country Manager is ultimately accountable in the country for all aspects of Solidaridad’s work, leading the consolidation and at the same time... development of the programmes, continuing the process of developing solid impact measurement mechanisms, strengthening accountability initiatives, and ensuring that the financial management and organizational setup is adapted to the operational context. The Country Manager sets direction, leads, maintains team morale, safety and welfare, while managing resources, delegating specific duties as necessary, and maintaining oversight and accountability.

Objective

The Country Manager is responsible for leading the development, implementation, monitoring, and learning of the activities of the Solidaridad country office.

Position in the organization

The Country Manager reports to the Managing Director of Solidaridad Eastern and Central Africa Expertise Centre. The Country Manager provides leadership to all employees of the country team.

Key Result Areas

Management of the Country Office and Country Teams


Management of the country office in close collaboration with the regional operations team.
Management country teams.


Fundraising and Proposal Development


Identify opportunities for fundraising in partnership with the fundraising teams in the Solidaridad Eastern and Central Africa Expertise Centre, REC Europe and develop tangible proposals.
Identify and pursue opportunities to mobilize resources in support of Solidaridad's priorities and/or advocate for public and private sector stakeholders to scale Solidaridad's demonstrated intervention models in the country.
Identify and secure opportunities for co–funding from the private sector.
Build strong partnerships with international donors in the country.
Ensure all new funding proposals have a strong linkage with the new global strategy of Solidaridad, including linkages with at least one of the new innovation topics (impact investment, climate innovation, landscapes innovation, gender, IT in agriculture).


Partnership Development and Management


Convene and build relationships with domestic government, private sector, donors, civil society organizations, and others with a presence in the country, to build and nurture country-level partnerships deemed essential to Solidaridad's mission in the country.
Serve as primary point-of-contact to donors in the country, furnishing them with required reports, day-to-day communications, and timely insights on program challenges and breakthroughs in a manner which maintains their positive engagement with the program.
Engage and build strong relationships with key stakeholders in the agricultural sectors, such as producers, associations, traders, NGOs, research institutes, government, and private companies.
Relay feedback from Solidaridad's partners, especially the government and development partners to other parts of the organization.
Develop and formalize partnerships with government institutions and the private sector linked to the various initiatives.
Take responsibility as main account manager to maintain good relationships in the current programme portfolio with key government institutions (Ministry of Industry, Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries), private sector associations and other relevant institutions in the country (IFC, ILO).


Program Management Project Portfolio


Ensure that new program initiatives are being established in the country in an effective and professional manner, in close collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
Overall coordination of projects, including steering project commodity teams and main communication towards relevant donors.
Support in the preparation of annual plans, project proposals and reports to be submitted to Solidaridad Eastern and Central Africa Expertise Centre, REC Europe, and international donors.
Ensure that professional (result chain led) M&E systems are in place to effectively monitor the performance and indicators of all supply chain initiatives.
Advise and report to the regional management of Solidaridad Eastern and Central Africa Expertise Centre on further design and development of the country strategy, direction, ambitions and vision in line with the Multi-Annual Strategy Plans (MASP).
Ensure that professional communication materials are in place and (with support from the regional and global communication teams) stories are being published about the work in the country in trade forums, conferences, social media, magazines, and websites.
Provide support in hosting incoming trade missions or incoming visits from Solidaridad, partners, and international donors.


Monitoring Deliverables


Develop and submit annual country reports and plans to the Managing Director for approval, demonstrating and showing the growth of the country office in the country in terms of the program portfolio, funding secured, partnerships developed, and HR capacity.
Quarterly meetings in Kenya to present to the Managing Director and teams the progress of the country's activities in the country.


Deliverables


Country programs coordinated and run smoothly in line with objectives ensuring growth targets are met in line with the (Multi-)Annual Country Plans (MACP) and Solidaridad Network Ambitions 2020.
Country projects of Solidaridad in the country are successfully implemented in good collaboration with main partners.
Projects monitored continuously and reported at predetermined intervals agreed with the Solidaridad Eastern and Central Africa Expertise Centre in Kenya and international donors.
New concept notes and funding proposals written, evaluated, and approved to fund new supply chain initiatives in the country.
Ensuring and leading the growth and expansion of the country office in country and country teams in a professional manner.


Knowledge and experience


Relevant academic level education, Master or higher – in relevant fields e.g. Agriculture, Public Policy, Development Studies, Project Management, Strategic Management, etc.
Eight (8) years’ experience – managing sustainability projects at a senior level in the region.
An understanding of the policy environment, issues, and stakeholders in the agriculture and/or agribusiness sector in East and Central Africa.
Experience of leading and managing small teams.
Experience setting up new projects and programmes
Fluent in spoken and written English, other language skills proficiencies desirable.
Knowledge of strategic, human resource, financial and quality management.


Specific job requirements


Ability to identify and pursue strategic initiatives which provide the greatest value and sustainable impact. Balance long and short-term tradeoffs, communicate clearly and precisely the strategic goals and the strategies for achieving them.
Demonstrate ability to mobilize, focus, align, and build effective groups to enable them to conceptualize and achieve collective objectives. Exhibit drive and commitment to Solidaridad's mission. Help others understand how their daily work contributes to Solidaridad's mission and inspire others to proactively meet Solidaridad's strategic objectives in partnership with clients.
Maintain high personal integrity and provide support for professional development efforts linked to business objectives.
Develop the capabilities of Solidaridad through the acquisition of top talent and development of staff as per the organization's stated objectives.
Demonstrate knowledge of the customers served by Solidaridad, competitors, suppliers, and the regulatory environment. Provide a balanced, responsive and proactive approach to meeting client needs, encourage staff to understand client needs and concerns, ensure provision of customized services and products as appropriate. Respond promptly and effectively to client and market needs. Add business value based on your own understanding and service of the customers and the market in which they work.
Demonstrate drive for improvement of organizational results, based on well-rounded understanding of general business principles and own activities' commercial and financial implications. more

Objective
The Project Officer is responsible for implementing the project activities in a timely and professional manner, according to objectives, goals and indicators and in line with organisational requirements and based on beneficiary needs. The Project Officer implements the project activities to ensure that Solidaridad projects are delivered on time and produce the desired results.
Position... in the organisation
The Project Officer reports to the Project Manager or Senior Projects Manager at national and regional level and works closely with the Country (Projects) Manager at country level. The Project Officer works closely with the Head of Programmes, Senior Project Officers, Project Associates, innovation theme advisers and the quality function team.
Result areas
Project Planning

Support the preparation of project work plans, budget and time schedules for implementing the project activities.
Support the identification and planning of technical activities and requirements to implement the project as per organisational standards.

Project Implementation Follow-up

Coordinate and implement day to day project activities with beneficiaries and partners in field ensuring that technical quality and standards are considered and respected during project(s) implementation.
Ensure project activities are on time, target and budget, using effective monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems to reach desired impacts.
Assist the Project Manager to trouble-shoot any project challenges during project implementation.
Provide regular and timely updates on progress and challenges to the Project Manager and other team members.

Documenting and Compliance

Keep records of all the project activity documents, in particular beneficiary list, completion certificates, attendance sheets, etc.
Help maintain a beneficiary master database containing all beneficiary registration and baseline information, as well as the project activities from which the beneficiaries benefitted ensure the data is protected from misuse in line with Solidaridad’s data protection policy.

Beneficiary Engagement and Accountability

Adhere to Solidaridad’s Code of Conduct and treat all beneficiaries with respect and without any distinction or discrimination based on nationality, race, ethnicity, tribe, gender, religious beliefs, political opinion or disability.
Support the selection of beneficiaries benefiting from the project activities.
Communicate Solidaridad’s Complaints and Response Mechanism target communities and participate in solving complaints related to the project in coordination with the Project Manager.

Internal Coordination

Participate in project coordination meetings with the project team.
Develop project communication materials for internal coordination.

External Coordination and Stakeholder Engagement

Undertake communication and liaison activities to actively consult and involve beneficiaries, key informants, actors, partners and stakeholders in all stages of project design and implementation.
Cultivate good relations with key actors – local, regional and international, including government authorities and non-government organization actors, through regular attendance at technical meetings and bilateral meetings.
Identify opportunities to collaborate and coordinate efforts with other organizations to ensure our activities build upon - rather than replicate - the work of others.

Partner Management

Provide support to partners in project implementation and ensure timely and qualitative implementation of projects by partners in line with Solidaridad’s and donor requirements.
Participate in review meetings with partners, with particular attention given to the relationship aspects of partnership collaboration, and ensure that any issues or disputes are resolved in a timely manner.

Security

Ensure that each member of the project field team is aware of security issues, policies, standard operating procedures (SOPs) and they follow them accordingly.

Human Resource

Ensure that project field staff understand and are able to perform their roles and responsibilities.
Follow-up the work plans and day-to-day activities of the project field staff.
Ensure a positive working environment and good team dynamics among project team members.
Ensure capacity building among project team members.

Logistics

Contribute to the development of project plans (e.g. procurement, logistics etc.), when assigned.
Send accurate and precise order forms in a timely manner to the quality function team.
Ensure proper management and use of the project assets and stocks.
Plan field team movements based on available fleet and applicable policies.

Finance

Forecast monthly cash requirements for the month’s project activities and submit to the Project Manager.

Quality Control

Assess the project activities undertaken and ensure efficient use of resources.
Undertake regular field visits to provide technical guidance and supervision, as well as regularly monitor the progress of the project activities.
Assist with monitoring project activities implemented by field staff and partners (if any).
Document lessons learned and best practices and share them with the Project Manager and the Regional Communications Officer, so they can be reflected in project planning, communication materials and decision making.

Grant Management

Ensure adherence to donor procedures.
Support the Project Manager in the preparation of progress and final reports, ensuring the quality and accuracy of technical information for activities.
Participate in communication activities through the regular collection of pictures and stories related to project activities.
Participate in businessl development processes through the provision of expert programmatic advice related to contextual knowledge.

Knowledge and experience

Relevant academic level education, Master or higher – in relevant field (e.g. Agriculture, Public Policy, Development Studies, Social Science, Project Management, Strategic Management etc.). 
At least three (3) years’ experience working with projects funded by international agencies or development partners.
Demonstrable experience in project design, planning and implementation.
Experience with proposal writing and technical report writing.
Experience in designing and facilitating workshops and seminars would be desirable.

Specific job requirements

Ability to work independently and as a member of a team to implement projects and local partners to effectively meet project needs.
Ability to work effectively with governmental and non-governmental organizations and local communities in carrying out project objectives.
Excellent reporting skills and ability to relate sensitively to diverse groups.
Self-driven and able to deliver results with minimum supervision.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Excellent critical, creative thinking and analytical skills.
Experience in program administration, operating procedures, oversight and monitoring.
Ability to work with database applications.
Knowledge of project funding procedures and guidelines.
Ability to work in diverse situations. more

SUMMARY OF POSITION
The primary role of the Access to Finance Intern is to support Solidaridad East and Central Africa projects on access to finance for farmers, Cooperative, Small and Medium Enterprises. The individual (Intern) will be responsible directly (or in a support role) for the timely delivery of a variety of Access to finance activities. The individual will work under the direct... supervision of the Access to Finance Officer. This internship opportunity is for a three to six months term. 
Roles and responsibilities.
Business acceleration: Support the accelerator project through provision of business advisory services to entrepreneurs so that their companies become investment ready using tailored solutions. Specific tasks include;

Keep track of entrepreneurs progress under the tailored solutions
Assist in managing client emails on a timely basis 
Monitor the activities in the program to ensure timely completion 
Support with the evaluation process for both entrepreneurs and coaches applications for consideration into the program
Support in the development, printing, signing, coordination and custodian of letters of agreement for entrepreneurs in the program
Support Administration in planning and organizing trainings for entrepreneurs 
Performing other duties as assigned

Impact Fund (PlusPlus Crowd funding)

Support in scouting of new Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
Undertake first screening and onboard the new clients
Support in loan appraisal and due diligence process
Monitor assigned portfolio
Performing other duties as assigned

Access to finance component in Projects 

Support in the development of concepts and proposals 
Support in profiling potential financial partners across project countries
Conduct light due-diligence on potential financial partners and support the negotiation process and finalization of the partnership agreements.
Actively participate in the periodic program planning, review and reflection meetings
Support research, assessments, evaluations and monitoring surveys in projects
Support in documenting the impact of access to finance components in projects
Monitor and follow-up on the delivery of activities as per project plan and budget
Performing other duties as assigned

Communication and Visibility

Work with the project staff and the Communication team to identify best practices on access to finance for internal and external dissemination.

Reporting Structure: 
The intern will report directly to Access to Finance Officer. The intern will also work very closely with the impact investment (PlusPlus), innovation and Project teams.  The projects include Growth Accelerator, From Climate Victim to Climate Heroes, Reclaim sustainability, Passport to Coffee Export (PACE), LISEC JOBS, TRACE Coffee and any other project that require support from time to time.
Expected Qualifications & Skills  

The intern should have a first degree in Business studies, Social sciences, or a related field. 
Strong analytical and attention to details 
Excellent interpersonal skills and external relations;
Excellent organizational skills and coordination skills
Independent, adaptable, flexible and hardworking; more

Main objective of the function
The Climate Change & NRM section supports country project teams to drive change through actionable climate information and innovative practices that positively impact our farmers and workers within our commodity value chains.
Organizational position
The position will provide daily support and assistance to advance this objective through various tasks and... responsibilities as outlined below.
Roles and Responsibilities

Provide assistance in the collation and build-up of content for the ECA Climate Strategy, Related articles to support Climate Positioning in ECA, and the Climate smart best practice portfolio, borrowing from Solidaridad’s ECA projects success stories.
Support to carry out continuous up-to-date environmental scan of potential climate finance partners across the ECA countries to inform deliberate profiling, mapping and onward engagement strategies.
Support to scout for tools that could be customized to improve our work around climate change, ecosystem and sustainability measurement
Assist to undertake project related climate vulnerability assessments where applicable and compile detailed reports

Key Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Environment, Natural Resource Management, Climate change or related disciplines.
At least 1 year relevant experience and or demonstrable knowledge in environment, climate change and/or resilience would be a strong advantage
Have proficient computer skills
Academic coursework in conducting related primary and or secondary research
Strong analytical and writing skills with the ability to summarize research data into meaningful findings
Ability to work efficiently, independently, and be detail-oriented.
Working knowledge in (written and spoken) English is required for this assignment. Capable of working in a dynamic, intercultural, and multi-stakeholder setting. more

Roles and Responsibilities

Provide strategic guidance and support to various departments to achieve high performance.
Designing and maintaining clear operational guides to ensure consistency of international operations standards.
Identifying, reviewing and resolving any problems in the organisation processes and systems.
Working with unit leads, to learn departmental needs and goals.... Delivering reports to unit leads and management teams to provide insight into the overall operational efficiency of the organization.
Performing a risk evaluation: Evaluating the company’s previous handling of risks, and comparing potential risks with criteria set out by the company such as costs and legal requirements
Establishing the level of risk the company are willing to take
Preparing risk management and insurance budgets
Risk reporting tailored to the relevant audience. (Educating the board of directors about the most significant risks to the business; ensuring business heads understand the risks that might affect their departments; ensuring individuals understand their own accountability for individual risks)
Ensuring that all operational and compliance policies and procedures conform to local country regulations and organisational policies and standards.
Facilitates communication and flow of information between and among countries with leadership, and other business units of the organisation.
Supporting with contracting and client relationship management activities, where applicable.
Support the Managing Director to oversee strategic business planning and initiatives from development through successful execution in collaboration with regional and country level teams ensuring a connected rhythm of strategy, planning, and review processes followed by all business units and countries.

Key Qualifications

Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, Administration, Project and Programme Management, Operations or Social Sciences.
At least 7 - 10 years’ experience in administration and/operational management, logistics, administration, management of operational systems, and project management.
Understanding and experience of a regional office administration systems and processes.
Manage multiple projects simultaneously while meeting deadlines.
Strong organisational and ICT skills and attention to detail.
Strong (written and oral) communication and interpersonal skills.
Ability to work independently and in a team environment.
Intercultural sensitivity, excellent communication skills, and the ability to work with a wide range of stakeholders.
Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
Very good networking and representation skills, proactive and entrepreneurial attitude
Willingness to travel within Africa and internationally (on occasion).
Certification in Lean, Six Sigma, or other process improvement methodology (an advantage)
Excellent command of English. Knowledge of a second language (e.g. French) would be an advantage. more

Gender Analysis:
With reference to Solidaridad Gender Inclusivity Buckets Book (to be provided) a gender analysis shall be conducted following the Step 1 on stakeholder analysis. The consultant will utilize gender analysis tools to identify the gender issues, and social inclusion/exclusion issues in relation to P2P pathways. And suggest strategies to address them using a gender transformative... approach. A simplified gender analysis matrix has been developed to inform project design and ideally with the participation of key local stakeholders/partners. The matrix provides guidance and step-by-step instructions on how to complete the matrix as well as the analysis of the information captured.
Problem Analysis:

After having mapped the project’s key stakeholders and their relationships/influence, as well as analyzing the specific gender considerations in the project’s context through a gender analysis, the program team should be ready to identify the overarching main problems the project wants to address.
The main problem we are trying to address through this coffee project is coffee productivity and markets mainly as a result of low production volumes, weak storage, conservation and distribution infrastructure, and low access to affordable inputs (seeds and fertilizer)among many.

Indicator Framework:

This will involve selection of key indicators for project monitoring aligned with generic programme indicators provided in the project document. Initial basis of these indicators will involve the collection of information which allows the project team to track progress on targets and systems change over the duration of the project.

Responsibilities of Consultants/Scope of Work

The composition of the survey team is left up to the consultant/ organization based on their internal system, ideas, and logic. However, Solidaridad recommends that the team comprise one Team Leader (TL) to coordinate/conduct the overall study and liaise with Solidaridad.
To collect information from the field using an adequate number of Field Enumerators (FEs). Supervision of the fieldwork and the quality (reliability and validity) of the data/information collected from the field is the primary responsibility of the TL. The TL will work closely with Solidaridad M&E Officers, Gender Officers, and report directy to Country Managers. In each step and process, consultation with the Solidaridad team is vital. more

Stakeholder Analysis:
Stakeholder analysis ensures that project interventions consider all stakeholders in the project’s target areas and increases the chance that projects will ‘do no harm’ and hopefully create positive change for excluded stakeholders. In general - the more stakeholders involved in the project’s design/implementation, the more successful and sustainable the project results will... be.
The stakeholder analysis should aim to accomplish the following:

Map the key stakeholders and their interests (supportive or unsupportive) in the project
Note the relationships and power dynamics between different key stakeholders
Assess the relevance of the project to each stakeholder as well as their influence on the project
Identify if/how to engage stakeholders

The stakeholder analysis matrix (to be given to the consultant) can be used to synthesize the information gathered for the analysis. Based on the stakeholder mapping, the project team should decide which stakeholders the project interventions should prioritize and how they should be engaged to strengthen inclusive impact.
Gender Analysis:

With reference to Solidaridad Gender Inclusivity Buckets Book (to be provided) a gender analysis shall be conducted following the Step 1 on stakeholder analysis. The consultant will utilize gender analysis tools to identify the gender issues, and social inclusion/exclusion issues in relation to P2P pathways. And suggest strategies to address them using a gender transformative approach. A simplified gender analysis matrix has been developed to inform project design and ideally with the participation of key local stakeholders/partners. The matrix provides guidance and step-by-step instructions on how to complete the matrix as well as the analysis of the information captured.

Problem Analysis:

After having mapped the project’s key stakeholders and their relationships/influence, as well as analyzing the specific Gender considerations in the project’s context through a gender analysis, the program team should be ready to identify the overarching main problems the project wants to address.
The main problem we are trying to address through this Gol project is sustainable production (minimum use or zero use of mercury, formalization and legalization, traceable ASM chain) as well as sustainable markets.

Indicator Framework:

This will involve selection of key indicators for project monitoring aligned with generic programme indicators provided in the project document. Initial basis of these indicators will involve the collection of information which allows the project team to track progress on targets and systems change over the duration of the project.

Responsibilities of Consultants/Scope of Work

The composition of the survey team is left up to the consultant/ organization based on their internal system, ideas, and logic. However, Solidaridad recommends that the team comprise one Team Leader (TL) to coordinate/conduct the overall study and liaise with Solidaridad.
To collect information from the field using an adequate number of Field Enumerators (FEs). Supervision of the fieldwork and the quality (reliability and validity) of the data/information collected from the field is the primary responsibility of the TL. The TL will work closely with Solidaridad M&E Officers, Gender Officers, and Country managers. In each step and process, consultation with the Solidaridad team is vital. more