Website Swisscontact
JOB OPPORTUNITY
Swisscontact, established in 1959 in Switzerland, is a leading partner organisation for the implementation of international development projects. The organisation promotes inclusive economic, social, and ecological development to make an effective contribution towards sustainable and widespread prosperity in developing and emerging economies. It strengthens the competencies of people, improving their employability, increases the competitiveness of enterprises, growing their business, and fosters social and economic systems, promoting inclusive development.
Swisscontact, registered as an International Non-Governmental Organisation in Nepal, has been operating since 1991 and is currently implementing six development programmes across all seven provinces of Nepal.About Sahaj – Nepal Agricultural Market Development Programme (NAMDP) Phase II
The Nepal Agricultural Market Development Programme (NAMDP), Phase II (December 2020 to November 2024), also known as Sahaj, operates under a bilateral agreement between the Government of Nepal and the Government of Switzerland. Sahaj is a Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) project, implemented by a consortium of Swisscontact (as the lead agency) and the Center for Environmental and Agricultural Policy Research, Extension and Development (CEAPRED). The programme focuses on the Koshi Province. Sahaj follows a market systems approach, which includes facilitation between market actors, as well as financial and technical support for improved access to services and innovation of agri-business in The Koshi Province. Public-private partnerships between municipalities and private sector actors, as well as an enabling policy framework for services and innovation in the Koshi Province’s agricultural market system are central elements of Sahaj. The promotion of Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI) as well as Federal State Building (FSD) are transversal themes. The Sahaj portfolio will increase demand for smallholders’ produce, including them in value-added supply chains, and building resilience in rural communities through higher employment
and income.
For the remaining period of Sahaj’s Phase II, Swisscontact is looking for an experienced and committed team leader.
Senior Manager – Quality Assurance and Knowledge Management (1)
Location: Biratnagar, Nepal
Reports to: Team Leader, NAMDP
Time: 100% (8 hours a day and 5 days a week)
Duration: One year with the possibility of extension
Purpose of the Job
The Senior Manager – Quality Assurance and Knowledge Management is responsible for the overall coordination and quality control of systemic interventions aligned with the project’s vision. By employing market systems approach, S/he provides strategic guidance to the programme implementation team and ensures that interventions are complementary and effectively target selected market systems. Her/His role is to guide the identification of scalable interventions that yield results, quality assurance of the interventions and capture knowledge and lesson learned from different components of the project.
Essential Functions and Responsibilities
The Senior Manager – Quality Assurance and Knowledge Management will be responsible for the programme quality assurance and knowledge management. Her/his major tasks include:
1. Programme Management and Quality Assurance
- Lead and manage the Monitoring and Results Measurement (MRM) and Communication team.
- Provide strategic guidance to the implementation team to ensure practical operationalisation and implementation of the strategic objectives across component and sectors.
- Apply system thinking. Support teams to observe and analyse a system of interconnected & interdependent actors and firms, identifying key leverage points and create opportunities for the actors.
- Gather evidence (through qualitative and quantitative assessments) on interventions that needs to be scaled up and can create sustainable impact and for those interventions that are not scalable. Provide technical inputs in scaling up or closing such interventions.
- Coordinate with the different sub-component of the programme such as agriculture services, non-agriculture services, Business Enabling Environment and MRM for actively fostering cross learning and knowledge exchange between them.
- Assisting the Team Leader in ensuring team members have skills, experience, and training appropriate to their role.
- Ensuring project processes are rigorously applied by Managers (for design, planning, implementation, learning and Monitoring and Evaluation).
- Ensuring that design and implementation of interventions are consistent with the market systems development (MSD) approach.
- Ensuring project activities are progressing according to annual work plan and timeframes and support evidence-based adaptation when required.
- Ensure GESI, Federal State Building and climate change aspects are well-integrated while designing and implementing the programme.
2. Knowledge Management
- Capitalises programme’s experiences and contributes to the further learning and development of concepts within the context of the programme document. Support communication team on developing cases studies and lesson learnt documents.
- Capture knowledge and support Team Leader to disseminate developments in relevant areas of professional interest.
3. Reporting and review meetings
- Review and provide quality feedback on intervention design documents of specific activities, that aim to harness innovation in service provision. Ensuring responsibility and quality of the work of the programme team.
- Compile Yearly Plan of Operations (YPOs), (semi-)annual progress reports and bimonthly reports.
- Lead in organising quarterly intervention review and semi-annual sector review meetings with team and donor.
4. In addition,
- Complying with the admin, finance and HR manual of Swisscontact and other relevant requirements of Swisscontact and SDC.
Key Competencies
- Minimum 10 years’ experience in managing programmes in the field of private sector development, market systems development, and/or value chain development.
- Master’s degree in relevant discipline.
- Strong technical skills to support the application of systems and design thinking across the team.
- Practical knowledge of how agricultural and non-agricultural markets and relevant support functions/services work with ability to bring innovative perspectives and act strategically.
- Innovation thought leader with an entrepreneurial spirit.
- Ability to make connections; establish, shape, and maintain strong relationships with the grassroots innovators’ ecosystem in the region (including early-stage start-ups, ventures, corporate and strategic investors and development partners).
- Excellent communication and report writing skills in English
- Strong analytical skills to think critically, can analyse data and provide logical solutions to solve complex problems.
- Excellent financial, managerial and organisation skills
Conditions and Environment
- This will be applicable in accordance with the Swisscontact Staff Manual.
Application Procedures:
Please submit an online job application form clicking link below.
https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/f2d7e34be65947f393513767383ef728
Deadline: Latest by 11:59 PM Nepali time on June 28th, 2023.
Swisscontact Nepal shall not entertain any phone inquiries or other such solicitations for the position. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the selection process. Swisscontact Nepal reserves the right to reject any or all applications.
Swisscontact Nepal promotes workforce diversity and applies positive discrimination to candidates from discriminated groups (Women, Dalit, Janajati, Madhesi/Terai and other minority communities).