Bangladesh: Program Director Suchana

ROLE PURPOSE:

Suchana is a 6 year £48 million comprehensive and multi-sectoral programme to prevent chronic malnutrition in under-2 children in Bangladesh. The project is funded by DFID and EU. The aim of the program is to break the inter-generational transfer of malnutrition through economic and cultural determinants in two districts of Sylhet division. Recognising the importance of supporting nutrition well before a child is born, and before girls become mothers, the programme will adopt a lifecycle approach, with a focus on adolescents and newly-weds. It is driven by a catalytic consortium, comprising Save the Children (lead), iDE, HKI, WorldFish, icddr,b, RDRS Bangladesh, Center for Natural Resource Studies (CNRS) and Friends In Village Development Bangladesh (FIVDB) who prioritise sustainability and scalability. Findings from a randomised control trial research and impact evaluation will be used to advocate for strengthened nutrition governance through capacity building.

The Program Director, Suchana is a senior position of the program, will be based in Dhaka and report to Chief of Party/Team Leader, Suchana, under Child Poverty Sector.

The overall responsibility of this position is to lead and provide strategic guidance to the program technical team for ensuring high quality design, planning, managing, and scale up of program interventions in all selected geographical areas within the agreed timeframe. With support from Chief of Party/Team Leader, Deputy Programme Director and Program management Committee (PAC), S/he will be responsible for ensuring coordination between all technical, implementing and strategic partners including other relevant department of SCiBD to support delivery of program components (all 5 pillars of Suchana) in a coordinated and coherent manner. S/he will also be responsible for ensuring coordination between all relevant government line ministries, UN organizations (UNICEF, FAO, WFP etc) and all other strategic partners/key stakeholders such as CSA for SUN, REACH, NNW to complement national responses to chronic under-nutrition while avoiding duplications of efforts. S/he will lead technical discussions with donors and coalition members, identify areas of revision/re-calibration as per program need, and support PAC to take collaborative decisions and actions to move forward. S/he will be coordinating closely with other Directors, Senior Manager-Communication & Advocacy and will support Chief of Party/Team Leader, Advisor Government Relations in identifying key advocacy issues, developing advocacy strategy and conducting advocacy at the national and sub-national level to improve policies and practices related to nutrition.

S/he will participate in planning and developing new programs based on the previous lessons learned and best practices in order to mobilize resources for the Sector and overall portfolio of Save the Children International, Bangladesh.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: Chief of Party/Team Leader, Suchana

Dimensions: 50% at Dhaka office and 50% at field office during 1^st year of implementation. After that 60% at Dhaka office and 40% at field office for the rest of the program period.

Staff directly reporting to this post: Deputy Programme Director

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY: (List down 5-7 primary responsibilities in order of importance i.e. the most important responsibility will come first and so on. For each responsibility, list downs 3-5 specific tasks to fulfill that responsibility. Include managerial, financial, technical and strategic responsibilities. For supervisory positions, performance management of supervisees will be a must.)

1. Key Area 1: Overall responsibility for management of program technical components and implementation toensure quality, coherence and relevance of a set of multi-sectoral and multi- dimensional program interventions to achieve Suchana goal

· In collaboration with technical leads of Suchana coalition, Programme Director (PD) will take lead in developing and operationalizing a comprehensive and integrated program management system including technical guidelines and associated tools to ensure quality, coherence, and relevance of program interventions delivered under all 5 components/pillars of Suchana.

· Take lead in developing and operationalizing an intensive program orientation plan to build shared understanding about the Suchana goal, objectives, strategies and approaches among all key stakeholders (Suchana coalition members including implementing partners, government and local government actors, private sector and community) who will be directly and indirectly involved in program implementation and monitoring.

· Provide strategic guidance divisional and district level program management and implementation teams to ensure coherent delivery of nutrition specific and sensitive interventions by Suchana coalition in collaboration with government, local government, private sector and community.

· Conduct periodic monitoring and progress review of program implementation on the ground and ensure technical excellence and coherence of program interventions by supporting consistent use of common and agreed technical guidelines, tools and approaches across coalition members and strategic partners in particular government and local government actors.

· Lead technical discussions and represent Suchana in relevant forums such as meetings and/or workshop with donors, coalition members, relevant government stakeholders (ministries/line departments), UN organizations, civil society network, private sector and/or any other key stakeholders.

· Coordinate with other sub thematic areas within Child Poverty Sector (e.g. Social protection & Resilience and EYE) to optimise the project purposes and objectives;

· Support Deputy Programme Director (DPD) to develop and detail out a comprehensive program implementation strategy (including tools and guidelines) in collaboration with Suchana coalition.

· Take lead in developing a detail work plan in collaboration and consultation with Suchana coalition and identify key technical and management issues that need to be further developed and tested during the inception phase.

· Ensure management of high quality programming, annual work plans development and budgeting processes for the project.

· Support Suchana coalition, Team Leader and Sr. Manager-Communication and Advocacy in identifying advocacy issues, developing advocacy strategy and conducting advocacy jointly with national level advocacy groups (UN REACH, CSA for SUN) to influence policy decisions related nutrition, social protection, child marriage and/or any other issues that directly and indirectly contribute to chronic under nutrition.

· Ensure consistency in advocacy and/or BCC related messaging to government, local government, private sector actors and beneficiaries across all geographical areas at national and sub-national level.

· Develop, review and finalize periodic technical reports for donors and other relevant stakeholders such as government, Suchana coalition members and SCi HQ.

Key area 2: Lead a group of Technical Directors and Sr. Managers and ensure quality, coherence and timeliness of technical supports provided by them to the field team

· Manage a group of technical Directors and Sr.Managers based at national (Dhaka) and field level, support developing a joint workplan and provide strategic guidance to ensure coherence and coordination between various technical supports provided by them to the field based technical experts and implementation team.

· Manage performance of Dhaka based technical team, review work plan and progress against set targets and milestones, and if needed propose recalibration/readjustment of program interventions to be approved by PMC

· Take lead in developing and executing a comprehensive skill development/training plan for all relevant technical staff members both at national and sub-national (divisional and district) level.

· As a member of sr. management team, support Program Advisory Committee (PAC) and Program Management Committee (PMC) in taking judicial decisions by providing regular updates and crucial program information/data with analysis, evidences.

Key area 3: Provide technical support and strategic guidance to program M&E and MEAL system

· Work closely with Sr. Manager Research and knowledge management and provide strategic guidance to identify key knowledge areas/themes for further development and research, support developing broader strategy for knowledge generation and management such as sharing and dissemination of key learnings across all key stakeholders (both internal and external).

· Reviewing lesson learnt and best practice documentation prior to external sharing.

· Work closely with Suchana MEAL team to identify and agree on a set of key performance/success indicators and milestones to be monitored over the life cycle of the program and beyond.

· Support developing and implementing a comprehensive and effective Suchana MEAL system including tools and guidelines.

· Ensure that Suchana system is aligned with SCiBD global MEAL system so that knowledge and learning generated through Suchana MEAL and contribute to SCi global theory of change in addition to achieving Suchana goal.

· Support Suchana M&E and MEAL team to analyse and interpret data generated through the system on regular basis and ensure use of learning into key program decisions related to either program design (re-calibration of interventions) and/or implementation strategies/approaches.

· Support Suchana MEAL Manager and Manager, knowledge management to set up an effective and rigorus system that collect and analyse timely information, generate knowledge and evidence and promote learning within and beyond Suchana.

· Ensure that collected data/information are analysed, reviewed and shared with Program Senior management team on timely basis and actions are taken to ensure quality of technical interventions and management decisions.

Key Area 4: Representation,Coordination and Networking with key players (nutrition actors in the country and abroad) to complement concerted efforts and influence policy decisions to address chronic malnutrition in Bangladesh and beyond

· Ensure coordination between Suchana coalition and a wide range of key stakeholders (government ministries and their respective line departments, UN organizations, civil society members, and private sector) to avoid duplication, complement concerted national efforts and leverage both financial and programmatic benefits of Suchana to address stunting in program areas and beyond.

· Work closely with designated person from coalition members and strategic partners to ensure that ministries’ capacity building plan to improve multi-sectoral coordination is developed and executed as planned in program proposal.

· Assist Team Leader/CoP, government relations manager, and Suchana coalition in establishing maintaining coordination within and between all relevant ministries (MOHFW, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock, Ministry of Social welfare, Ministry of Women and Children affairs, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development) by providing evidence based information generated from the field and support decision-making related to key policies and practices.

· Attend national and international meetings, seminars, workshops and relevant forums to represent Suchana coalition and SCi and contribute development discussion related to stunting.

· Assist Team Leader/CoP to coordinate with other sectors/departments/thematic area to mobilize additional resources/top up funding for the sector and SCI.

· Assist Team Leader/CoP to coordinate with Save the Children UK HQ, home office/regional office in order to ensure timely technical assistance and/or to resolve any other major management, financial or partnership management issues.

· Assist Deputy Team Leader/CoP in grant management as and when required.

Key Area 5:Coordinate and oversee HR at Dhaka and field level

· Oversee that program is implemented in a cost-effective manner, within the budget framework.

· Contribute in creation of a gender equitable, women friendly, sensitive work environment.

· Coach and mentor program staff to improve their programming and analytical skills, which include skills in project planning, management, communication and monitoring activities.

· Coordinate with HR on staff hiring, placement for field offices.

· Keep updated JD for operational staff.

Contribute to implementation of Bangladesh 3 years Country Strategic Plan (CSP: 2016-2018)

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

ESSENTIAL

Working Experience: At least 10-12 years of experience including 5 years in management position, preferably in developing and managing multi-sectoral programs including monitoring and evaluation as well as managing partnership with a range of technical, implementing and strategic partners.

Job related knowledge and experience: Sound knowledge and experience in the field of maternal and child health and Nutrition, livelihood and economic development of poor and extreme poor population, gender and women empowerment, social protection and advocacy at national and sub-national level. Knowledge about M&E system, tools and techniques.

Skills: Skilled in team management; coordination with a broad range of key stakeholders including donors, government and civil society members and national scale program management through partnership and direct implementation; good communication skill; commitment and enthusiasm to learn and advance learning.

• Leading and inspiring others,

• Delivering results,

• Developing self and others,

• Problem solving and decision making,

• Innovating and adapting

  DESIRABLE

  Academic: Master’s Degree, preferably in Social Science/Nutrition or relevant discipline.

  Additional professional certificates: (Post graduation degree and/or diploma in the similar disciplines)

  Attitude:

  To work in team

  To protect children in connection

  To be non-discriminatory and gender sensitive

For detailed job description and to apply online, please visit: http://bangladesh.savethechildren.net