COOPI is looking for a Project Manager in The Gambia

COOPI has started its experience in The Gambia in 2017 with several feasibility missions to assess migration patterns and youth vulnerabilities, their causes and devise possible solutions which led to the opening of its offices in December 2018, both by Banjul and in North Bank. Up to now COOPI has been working on tackling the roots causes of irregular migration through psychosocial support of returnees and livelihood support to young Gambians in the North Bank (NBR) and Central River Regions (CRR).

COOPI is intending to expand its work to support the implementation of Gambia’s National Social Protection Policy to enhance capacity of Government on social protection related issues, particularly to support vulnerable persons with severe disability through cash transfer in Central River Region. With this aim, COOPI is now looking for an experienced Project Manager to open the new base in Janjanbureh, CRR, and launch the 3-year project funded by the EU.

Context

With an estimated population of 2,1 million, The Gambia was ranked 174th country out of 188 of the UN Human Development Index and had a poverty rate of 48,6%, according to the Integrated Household Survey 2015/16 produced by the Gambia Bureau of Statistics. Even if the poverty rate is considered as stable, due to the population growth, the number of the poor increased by 0.15 million between 2010 and 2015/6. The Government of The Gambia has initiated the process of developing its first National Social Protection Policy.

The Project will intervene in CRR, one of the poorest regions in The Gambia, affected by food insecurity and chronic nutritional insecurity, high exposure to risks associated with climate change and alarming poverty rates. Data from 2015 show that in rural areas in The Gambia the poverty level is higher than in the urban ones. Moreover, the last general census done in the country was in 2013 and defined persons with disabilities only physically and from the age of 7 to age 69. The result of this census showed that physical disability increases with the age and a higher rate in the Central River Region. Based on the data provided in the 2013 survey, more than 5000 persons in the Central River Region has a physical disability. Hence, a need for a more integrated approach to support Government on its new Social Protection scheme and even more so to support people with disabilities in rural areas.

Role Purpose

Under the supervision of the Programme Manager the Project Manager based in Janjanbureh, CRR, is responsible for the project’s execution, in technical, economic/financial terms, and in terms of resources management on the field, in compliance with COOPI and the donor’s procedures. S/he ensures the expected results attainment in budget management.

Responsabilities

  • Activity planning and management: in cooperation with the project staff, s/he plans and monitors the activities’ progress, in compliance with the contract signed with the donor and with COOPI and the donor’s procedures.
  • Administrative and financial management: in collaboration with the Project Administrator s/he plans all expenditures to make. S/he regularly monitors all made expenditures. S/he supervises accounting and the project cash safe/bank account management and. In cooperation with the Project Administrator and in coordination with the Country Administrator s/he prepares the Purchases Plan. S/he ensures the organization and donor’s procedures respect when purchasing goods and services.
  • Reporting: in coordination with the Program Manager and with the Country Administrator, s/he ensures the preparation, in compliance with the deadlines, of all financial and narrative reports – interim and final – expected by the project. S/he is responsible for the preparation of all formal communication and contract modifications requests (ex. budget modification) of the projects he manages.
  • Staff Management: in coordination with the Program Manager and the Head of Mission and in compliance with the country’s rules/laws and with the COOPI’s regulation in The Gambia, s/he selects the local staff to be employed in projects. By making use of the organization’s tools he/she evaluates the local staff employed for projects and s/he participates to the evaluation of his/her own project, upon request by his/her direct supervisor. S/he coordinates and supervises the work done by all the project staff, in compliance with the organization’s security procedures. S/he is responsible for the initial and continuous training of the local staff under her/his responsibility.
  • Goods management: s/he is responsible of the correct management of all goods purchased for the project, both directly and purchased by other offices/field offices. For all goods purchased by the project he/she updates the inventory, in cooperation with the Country Administrator.
  • Institutional relations: in coordination with the Programme Manager, s/he keeps the relationship with the donors’ officers and collaborates closely with project’s partner. Together with the project’s staff he/she communicates with the beneficiaries, in compliance with the organization’s guidelines.
  • New projects’ writing: upon request by her/his direct supervisor, and cooperating with the project staff, s/he elaborates, writes and prepares all necessary documents to present new projects, in accordance with the organization’s processes and procedures.

Requirements

Essentials

  • Minimum 3 years experience in the field as project or programme manager or in a similar position;
  • Demonstrated field experience in setting up, implementing and monitoring cash transfer programs using varied modalities and delivery mechanism;
  • Cash transfer budget management experience including institutional donors (EU);
  • Management experience of operational aspects of cash transfer programming (design and implementation of SOPs, procurement and contracting);
  • Proficiency in written and spoken English;
  • Computer literacy, with high proficiency in the use of standard office software applications (e.g. Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint);
  • Valid driving license.

Soft Skills

  • Strong analytical and practical problem-solving skills;
  • Strong supervisory abilities, and demonstrated capacity of teamwork and of coordination with the relevant actors;
  • Very good inter-personal and writing communication skills;
  • Ability to organize work efficiently and deliver assignments in a timely manner often under time constraints.

Asset

  • Desired experience in working on projects for people with special needs;
  • Good knowledge of the context.

This vacancy is archived.

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