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Country Director Mali

Location:  This position is based in Bamako

Reports To:  Regional Director

5 year contract

The salary range for this role will be US$60–80,000 per annum depending on experience.  This is an accompanied position and full expat benefits will be available.

 

Dimensions of Role:

  • Leadership, management and development of Mali team comprising of over 140 staff in full compliance with local law and Plan policies and standards. 
  • Direct reports include: the country management team of over 10 staff.
  • Accurate and timely disbursement of the agreed Country Office Budget including all donor commitments. The county budget for this financial year is about US$ 9 million; grant sponsorship budget ratio is 50%.
  • Current sponsorship caseload is 30,340 enrolled children.
  • Growing and managing a grant portfolio so that funds can be raised in a timely manner for key project responses. Currently key partnerships exist with the following donors USAID, CIDA, EC and The Global Fund.
  • Ensuring high quality programme work is delivered with the maximum involvement of children beneficiaries (see Plan CCCD approach).
  • Ensuring readiness to emergencies in built into all programme planning
  • Representation of Plan, its work and its values to the authorities and key decision-makers
  • As a member of the Regional Management Team, the Country Director of Mali is expected to contribute to the overall learning and strategic direction within the WARO region.

Typical Responsibilities - Key End Results of Position:

Plan’s work in Mali will be delivered by a cost-effective and efficient team, skilled in their area of expertise and compliant with the expectation Plan has of all staff:

  • Creation and management of high performance teams delivering excellent technical work, using child-centred and gender-sensitive approaches in line with Global and Country Strategic Plans.
  • Management of individuals across the team to ensure full development of potential through induction, performance management and compliance in all core policy areas.
  • Staff numbers and structures will be designed and kept at a level that is cost effective.
  • Work environments will be managed to reduce risk from health and safety and security hazards.

Plans work will be guided by accurate and timely workplans and budgets that can be used to create impact and efficiency

  • Development of workplans from CSP documents and on the basis of ongoing environment analysis
  • Creation of accurate phased budgets for sponsorship and other funded work
  • Efficient and fully compliant financial management in the disbursement of all resources

Plan’s work will be relevant to the needs of the most vulnerable children in Mali

  • Country Strategic Planning analysis is ongoing and very well informed using locally and internationally available sources of information.
  • Emergency preparedness analysis ensures Plan is ready to respond to predictable emergency conditions.
  • The location of programme work is regularly reviewed to ensure new communities are reached when appropriate.
  • The programme is registered with the relevant authorities and compliant with local law and MoUs exist with concerned ministries giving due recognition to Plan and its work in Mali.
  • Country leadership and staff are well aware of the country security situation and programmes are developed and implemented giving due consideration to security sensitivities.
  • CCCD is intrinsic to all programme work

Plan’s work will be well funded and growing

  • Representation to donor agencies locally and proposal development will result in timely knowledge of funding opportunities in a planned manner
  • Exploitation of funding opportunities in partnership with NOs and in line with agreed strategy.
  • Delivery of grant and sponsorship work on time with clear measurable impact on children and in full compliance with donor requirements.

Plan’s work in Mali will be recognised locally and internationally as effective and relevant to the needs of highly vulnerable children

  • Representation of the work to all key stakeholders (advisory group, local leaders, workshops, cluster groups, INGOs locally and internationally etc) regularly promotes the issues being addressed and the work addressing them.
  • Timely communications work keeps Plan at the forefront of the issues affecting children in Mali.
  • Contributions to journals debating key elements of Plan’s work.
  • Sharing Mali’s experience with other countries of the region regarding the types of programming used and their impact

Dealing with Problems:

Complexity of problems handled & the degree of investigation, analysis, & creative thinking required to solve them

  • Quick ability to understand the complexity of Plan’s business model, organisational structures and decision-making processes.
  • Dealing with security/emergency conditions – the Country Director has to be actively involved in having security information and providing clear guidance for the safety and security of staff, assets and programmes.
  • Flexibility to support other Country Offices across the Region.
  • Sponsorship requests – this includes finding out new ways of managing sponsorship, retention of sponsors and children.
  • Ability to establish and sustain partnerships with community based organisations (e.g. Community Councils), government partners and national and international institutions sand NGOs.

Communications and Working Relationships:

Internal:

  • Regular contact with other Country Directors, especially in Regional Management Team and Regional Office Management Team
  • Programme Department in IH who may guide and advise on Programme Standards
  • NO program depts.

External:

  • Other INGO leaders and networks. Collaboration agreements exist with teh following organisations: UNICEF, World Vision, Red-Cross, World Food Programme, OXFAM, Save the Children, Stromme Foundation, Freedom from Hunger etc.
  • Government, UN and donor representatives
  • Community Councils, national NGOs and other civil society organisations

Knowledge, Skills, and Behaviours Required to Achieve Role’s Objectives:

Knowledge

  • Demonstrable knowledge as a result of study, training or practical experience on the key debates in development and emergency response methods and effectiveness
  • Knowledge of Mali; the geopolitical factors affecting child-poverty in the country and the political, social and environmental opportunities for change is an advantage
  • Knowledge of the requirements of donor compliance and financial management
  • Knowledge of programming in volatile environments with good understanding and appreciation of the historical, security context, political environment, economic, social/religious and humanitarian context in Mali or a comparable environment.

Skills

  • Proven skills in the development and management of effective and motivated teams, including distance management
  • Effective working with and through partners
  • Communications, comfortable with the media, presenting and arguing a case
  • Proven analytical skills in isolating priorities and tackling them
  • Fluent in English and French

Behaviours
Striving for high performance

  • Strongly drives performance forward in area of the business for which they are responsible
  • Involves others in setting and achieving goals
  • Creates strong sense of purpose within own part of the business and with stakeholders
  • Holds self and others to account to deliver on agreed goals and standards of behaviour

Strategic thinking and innovation

  • Sets strong strategy in own part of organisation
  • Makes a strong contribution to wider strategy
  • Sees contribution of own part of the organisation in wider Plan and external context
  • Balances future vision with practical delivery
  • Interrogates work effectiveness and searches for finds better ways of working

Decision making and risk management

  • Alert to risks inside and outside the organisation ready to make judgements to manage risk and take responsibility for judgements

Influence and communication

  • Effective communicator using clear messages drawn from Plan’s work
  • Cross-culturally adept
  • Ready to work to influence leaders in governments, international bodies, partners and communities
  • Can reach out and influence large groups of people
  • Can communicate with children and young people

Building effective teams and partnerships

  • Collegiate, acting as a team player in the country and across the region even if this results in adjustment of own priorities
  • Develops mutual trusting relationships with complex partnerships that have excellent business outcomes

 Developing people

  • Supports learning and a sense of mutual purpose in diverse teams
  • Sets a strong learning culture in their part of the organisation
  • Uses opportunities across Plan to develop others

Self awareness and resilience

  • Remains calm and positive under pressure and in difficult situations
  • Plans own learning and development
  • Aware of impact on others and adjusting own behaviour accordingly
  • Has a positive impact on those around them
  • Leads major change while keeping staff and partners on board

Physical Environment and Demands:

Based in the country office located in Bamako with extensive local and some international travel. Ability to travel frequently to remote areas

Level of Contact with Children:

Mid contact:     Occasional interaction with children

How to Apply

Please submit a full CV and a comprehensive cover letter setting out your reasons for applying for the post and outlining the qualifications experience knowledge and skills that you feel you can bring to the role to:- directors@plan-international.org

The closing date for applications is Tuesday 3rd January 2012

Please quote reference number WA024

Reference and background checks will be carried out in conformity with Plans Child Protection Policy. Plan operates an equal opportunities policy and actively encourages diversity, welcoming applications from all areas of the international community.