Signature Program Manager

The Signature Program Manager provides technical support on program implementation for all Heifer Uganda signature programs/projects in the field, including leading the planning, implementation, monitoring and ensuring that field level management is of the highest standards.

The Signature Program Manager will lead on integration of accelerate program focusing on technology and innovation within Heifer Uganda Signature program. S/he will also support program quality and compliance assurance while providing line technical support to project managers.

S/he will provide strategic oversight and guidance on program implementation, inputs for annual work plans, analysis of programmatic results, identification and resolution of challenges and program performance, application of lessons learned and best practices to improve program performance.

a. Bachelor’s Degree in Rural Development, Project Planning and Management, Agriculture, Agribusiness and Animal Science and other relevant qualification.

b. Seven (7) years of relevant experience in Program management, and community development work

The Signature Program Manager provides technical support on program implementation for all Heifer Uganda signature programs/projects in the field, including leading the planning, implementation, monitoring and ensuring that field level management is of the highest standards.

The Signature Program Manager will lead on integration of accelerate program focusing on technology and innovation within Heifer Uganda Signature program. S/he will also support program quality and compliance assurance while providing line technical support to project managers.

S/he will provide strategic oversight and guidance on program implementation, inputs for annual work plans, analysis of programmatic results, identification and resolution of challenges and program performance, application of lessons learned and best practices to improve program performance.

a. Bachelor’s Degree in Rural Development, Project Planning and Management, Agriculture, Agribusiness and Animal Science and other relevant qualification.

b. Seven (7) years of relevant experience in Program management, and community development work

A. Signature Program Management (25%)

• Responsible for providing operational support to managing the execution of signature program work, ensuring high-quality project implementation.

• Identify opportunities for integrating technology and innovation accelerate programs.

• Ensure that program/project set up, implementation and closure processes are compliant with Heifer program quality standards.

• Conduct routine program analyses, including regular review and use of monitoring data quality standard indicators to track progress against key indicators using performance metrics, and engage project managers to adjust plans as needed.

• Offers strategic and technical recommendations and ensure all programmatic issues are addressed in an effective and timely manner, including soliciting guidance from the SP technical Lead and Management.

• Supports the SP Technical team and Country Director in representations with local and national level meetings.

• Encourage and monitor use of developed tools and templates for project leadership to leverage to maintain high quality monitoring, reporting, and learning.

• Program team oriented on Heifer’s program management guidelines and provided guidance on continuous compliance.

• At least 2 Innovation and technology accelerate programs executed with the SP.

• Existing and new projects onboarded on IMPS with continuous use of the systems.

• Program analysis and performance conducted, and reports shared on a quarterly basis to support program quality improvement.

• Key program management issues documented and presented to SMT for further deliberation and actioning.

• Program capacity building initiatives developed and operationalized. Undertake two training programs for program team to improve their capacity in project management -PMP, MSD.

B. Program Planning and Budgeting (10%)

• Support all project teams to develop annual budgets and workplans consistent with project documents and donor contracts.

• Support teams in undertaking the necessary review and updating of the workplans and budgets to respond to emerging field implementation challenges and project review processes.

• Responsible for organizing quarterly and annual program reviews and planning meetings in liaison with the SP Technical Lead

• Supports Project Managers to ensure programmatic, budget, and contractual compliance, including donor reporting.

• Ensures program management compliance and quality management via IMPS.

• Project workplans and budgets (annual, quarterly and monthly) developed for all approved projects every financial year and implemented in line with project documents and workplans.

• Project teams supported to effectively manage partnerships between beneficiary groups and producer organizations.

C. Program Reporting (20%)

• Review regular quarterly, semi- and annual reports from the Program Managers and Project Coordinators and support them to comply with requirements of quality reporting and timeliness.

• Review donor reports from the Program Managers and Project Coordinators to ensure they comply with requirements in terms of quality and timelines and ensure these are of the highest standards.

• Compile quarterly Country Program Reports to provide oversight of the Country Program implementation.

• Compile the Heifer International Annual Board ends report.

• All project progress reports (quarterly, semi- and annual reports) from the Program Managers and Project Coordinators are compliant with expected quality standards and timelines.

• All donor reports from the Program Managers and Project Coordinators are compliant with expected quality standards. timelines and donor formats.

D. Business Development (20%)

• Contributes to new program design, ensuring alignment with best practices and learnings from the field.

• Support in review and conducting of economic analytics to ensure that Heifer Uganda SP interventions are appropriately designed and benefitting correctly targeted participants and creating the desired impact, permeance and presence with participants and stakeholders.

• Review partnership agreements and MoUs with key stakeholders (POs, districts, and private sector companies).

• Contextual program information provided to inform program design and re-alignment with new business plans.

• Updated economic analytics conducted in line with selected value chains and LIB.

• Effective designs and models are developed and incorporated in new projects in order to achieve the required scale and impacts.

E. Documentation and lessons learning (5%)

• Support country projects in developing and documenting lessons learnt and experiences for dissemination and sharing to inform future project development.

• Collaborate with the Information and Comms Manager and MELs Manager to conduct Program level CLAs.

• Lessons learnt from projects documented and disseminate to stakeholders before end of each project.

• Successful business models documented before end of projects for replication or scale up.

F. Any other duties as assigned by the supervisor (5%)

• This will be dependent on the specific duties assigned.