Program Officer _ Catch -Up Clubs

Job Description

Role Purpose:

The Program Officer is accountable in ensuring the quality and timely implementation of the advocacy and campaigns agenda and the local fundraising initiatives of the Catch-up Clubs (CuCs) Program. S/he will lead in the planning and strategizing to ensure the program is being implemented as planned and/or adjust strategies and approaches when needed to adapt to the program context and situation. The post holder will also provide technical guidance to Program Assistants on community and stakeholder engagement in the impact areas of the CuCs. This includes consolidation and engagement of stakeholders and CSOs for program sustainability.

He/she will engage in regular coordination and consultation with the Program Assistants in General Santos City and Municipality of Maasim; provide technical inputs during planning, implementation, and completion of the program; monitor the implementation and progress of program activities; coordinate and collaborate with stakeholders and partners; and ensure timely completion of deliverables based on Save the Children’s tools and standards.

Key Areas Of Responsibility

• Programming / Project Implementation
• Provides primary support to Program Coordinator in planning, organizing and working on the detailed implementation and financial plan of the program. This includes monitoring of the DIP. S/he implements activities that support the completion of the CuC project goals and objectives in coordination with the Program Assistants and Program Coordinator for CuCs;
  
  

b .Develops activity proposals that details rationale, target beneficiaries, activity design, expected outcomes, and activity budget;

• Ensures timely activity reporting with analysis and follow-through plan illustrated;
• Regularly provides technical inputs to all ongoing program activities with proper documentation;
• Ensures results-based implementation, monitoring, evaluation and documentation of outcomes of program interventions highlighting their impact on children and their families, as well as the estimation and reporting of total reach
• Contributes to the development of concept notes related to play-based learning.
• Networking, Partnership and Advocacy
• Leads the development of advocacy and other communication messages related to play-based learning and child protection for the CuC program in close coordination with the Program Assistants and Program Coordinators of CuCs;
• Ensures that SCP’s advocacy messages are effectively communicated to key stakeholders in the program areas;
• Develops linkages with different stakeholders such as local government units, national and local government agencies, civil society organizations, and the private sector towards building a support network for the CuCs in the area;
• Serves as resource person on play-based learning in Save the Children GSCO;
• Coordinates closely with other Save the Children staff such as program coordinators, community development officers, and community mobilizers across offices;
• Attends government sponsored workshops, trainings, conferences related to education and child protection.
• Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL)
• Ensures proper documentation of CuCs program activities and archiving to ensure institutional learning is embraced. Set-up mechanism to meet standards in quality and timely reporting requirements of Save the Children donor and strategic partners;
• Conducts regular monitoring of program activities using Save the Children tools and standards, and pursue innovative way of enhancing the program delivery when necessary;
• Ensures data and information collected in the program sites are regularly collated and analyzed for use in program and strategy development and advocacy;
• Regularly analyzes feedback from program stakeholders including children, adolescents, young people, parents, families and local service providers and officials, generated from SCP’s accountability mechanism;
  
  

e Actively culls out reflections from the program stakeholders and contributes to generating lessons and insights from program implementation that can be used to improve program design, strategies and approaches;

• Supports the Program Coordinator in preparing periodic reports for submission to the donor and for collation with the GSCO’s contribution to the SCP’s regular reporting process.
• Capacity Building / Technical Coordination
• Leads in the contextualization of training and session materials in coordination with the Program Assistants and Program Coordinator for CuCs;
• Provides support on the proofreading of CuCs packaged materials for advocacy and campaigns.
• Emergencies
• Supports the Emergency Response Team in GSCO such as in conducting assessments providing technical assistance on specific thematic area. Inputs should focus on education and child protection issues and concerns that may be often overlooked during rapid assessments.
• Administration
• Secures filing of program documents;
• Ensures the appropriate use and security of assets and equipment assigned
  
  

Others

• Contributes to the wider achievement of goals for children under the overall context of Save the Children in the Philippines by participating in planning and coordination meetings as requested.
• Performs any other duties and tasks commensurate with the responsibilities and level of the post.
  
  

Qualifications And Experience

• At least 3 years of work experience in community development work.
• Experience in project monitoring for at least 2 years.
• Demonstrated critical thinking and possesses a can-do attitude in situations of ambiguity to deliver expected results.
• Proficiency in technical writing including concept note development and donor report writing.
• Degree relevant to the job description, particularly education, social sciences, social work and development, etc.
• Preferably with experience in working with indigenous cultural communities
• Residence in the program area and ability to speak the local dialect is a big advantage
• Demonstrated competencies in community mobilization, coordination and partnership preferably with experience on rights-based project/program implementation
• Willingness and ability to travel within the General Santos City and Sarangani, and within South Central Mindanao when necessary
• Understanding/familiarity of Save the Children’s programming on child protection
• Computer literate (MS excel, power point and word).

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