The International Rescue Committee’s (IRC) Kenya country program provides life-saving and developmental services that empower vulnerable local and refugee communities, enabling them to lead secure, productive, and healthy lives. Collaborating closely with national and county governments, community organizations, and partner NGOs, the IRC operates across health, nutrition, protection, livelihood, education, and WASH sectors, in Turkana, Garissa, Samburu, West Pokot and Nairobi counties. The IRC responds to emergencies such as drought in Garissa and Turkana counties, supports refugees in Hagadera and Kakuma Refugee Camps, and implements urban programming for livelihoods in Nairobi's informal settlements.
Scope
The Senior Coordinator for Program Quality works closely with and under the supervision of the Deputy Director of Programs (DDP) to design and deliver on high quality, innovative programs in close coordination and collaboration with other Senior Program Coordinators. The role has a particular focus on driving program quality and strategy, leading the technical coordinators in implementing high quality projects with particular attention to enhance program integration, strategic alignment with country, and global technical policy and guidance and supporting expansion of IRC work. S/he will ensure timely and effective program delivery and coordination in all IRC program locations. The SPCQ will provide a focus on outcomes, client responsiveness, and represent IRC programs to major stakeholders, relevant government authorities and other program partners. The position directly supervises the technical Coordinators for health, nutrition, WASH, Education, ERD, Protection and WPE.
Responsibilities
Program quality and development
Provide leadership to Program Technical Coordinators in setting priorities and delivering outcome focused programs which align with Strategy Action Plan.Ensure that program design is evidence based and uses theories of change that place crisis-affected people and their voice at the center of IRC's response, and lead program integration to support this.Maintain a situation awareness in the country and monitor changes in the context that will be relevant or consideration in program adaptation. Alongside our existing focus on humanitarian programming, analyze gaps and needs, and help to drive a new focus on early recovery programming in appropriate geographic areas, working across the humanitarian-development nexus. Feedback from beneficiaries is strategically used to adapt programming and organizational policies were applicable.Review all programs implementation through periodic field visits and ensure that program implementation strategies are compatible with overall program goals and objectives.Coordinate with other Technical Coordinators on appropriate management, compliance, and performance standards, as well as effective systems for knowledge and risk management.Formulate integrated programming initiatives that complement the other IRC sectors and promote integration/ main streaming of GEDI-responsive approaches.Support to improve quality of specialized services available in country in addition to contributing to the standardization of protocols and procedures.Support the use of global technical resources to promote program quality and holistic approaches, Work closely with Technical Advisors to benchmark programming to global standards and that of relevant institutions and statutory bodies, ensure application of best practices, review and advance protection sector programming policies and guidance. Along with program staff and the Technical Unit/Advisors, support the development of Standard Operating Procedures and Guidance Notes for program activities. Promote quality by setting up quality assurance mechanisms and providing technical supervision of program staff.Ensure that donor reports produced by the programs team effectively demonstrate the impact of IRC’s interventions.The position is responsible and will provide leadership to the program team for IMPACT delivery and adoption of the IMPACT standards across program design and implementation, in coordination with MEAL and with other departments in the country program.Project Management
Provide overall leadership to the technical team ensuring strategically coherent program direction, well-managed growth, and compliance with IRC and donor regulations.Continually seek out ways to build the capacities of team members, individually and collectively.Conduct regular travel to the field to support program implementation review and provide technical guidance to the implementation teams.Business Development
In coordination with the Sr. Grants Coordinator provides leadership to the technical coordinators and coordinator quality assurance for the proposal development process for all proposal development activities.Conduct strategic engagement with key stakeholders, donors, and other funders in collaboration with the DDP and DDGA and represent the IRC Kenya with humanitarian donors including accompanying strategic donors on field site visits.Monitoring Evaluation, Accountability and Learning
In coordination with the MEAL Coordinator:
Provide guidance, strategies, and tools to ensure that programming choices are based on needs assessment findings (primary & secondary data) and analysis, input from communities, partners, a thorough understanding of context, technical standard methodologies, and operational viability.Provide direction on implementation of accountability mechanisms for beneficiary feedback and review sector M&E and accountability data with grants, program implementation staff to identify areas for operational improvement. Ensure that the stated goals and objectives for the programme are met with strong monitoring and evaluation (M&E) follow up, including design of robust M&E plans, lead the technical inputs to assessments design/adapt for education program development.Develop methodologies and tools to strengthen the quality of data collection, analysis, and reporting and any required operational research, with technical support from Technical Advisors as needed. Ensure that ethical and sound data collection and information management systems are in place with associated information sharing protocols for education in emergencies (EiE) analysis, planning, evaluation, and advocacy. Provide technical guidance on confidential and safe data collection, case identification, safe information sharing and referral mechanisms in line with internationally recognized best practices. Review donor reports in collaboration with Technical Coordinators and the Technical Advisors.Review and adoption of data and inputs to the Annual Statistics activities Enhance the use of Program Indicator Dashboard (PID) and other MEAL-related technology for program implementation.Partnerships
IRC Kenya has committed in its SAP to spend 8% of funding through local partners by FY2024. The program delivery unit facilitates this process by ensuring the specific tasks under this component of the role and in coordination with the Partnership Coordinator include:Contribute to achievement of goals related to the SAP partnerships ambition including identification and onboarding of Strategic PartnersEmbody and model IRC values related to partnerships (partner as equals, partner first etc.) and lead this approach in implementation of IRC projects across the project locations. Enable development and maintenance of strategic partnerships with local organizations.Representation and Advocacy
In coordination with the DDP/DDGA, actively develop and maintain effective working relationships with stakeholders including local communities, donors, government actors, UN agencies, international and local NGOs, and other relevant actors. Liaise with county and national governments, donors, NGOs, and other operational partners in Kenya via attendance at meetings, consultations, and other forums.In coordination with the SPCI, assist in organizing donor visits by supporting staff in the smooth design and running of field visits.Staff Management and Development
Coach direct reports with the aim of strengthening their technical and management capacity, exchanging knowledge within the team, and providing professional development guidance.Supervise and mentor direct report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting performance objectives, providing regular and timely performance feedback, and providing documented semi-annual performance reviews.Promote and monitor staff care and well-being; approve and manage all leave requests to ensure adequate coverage.Lead and model successful adherence to IRC’s Global HR Operating Policies and Procedures.Champion Staff and Clients safeguarding policies in the workplace at all levels.Country Program Management
Actively participate in and contribute to strategy discussions, including SAP revision processesStay updated on new IRC priorities, policies, or process updates and ensure Grants & Partnerships and MEAL units are informed of any changes.