Position Title       : Program Coordinator (PC)
Grade                   : C1
Person Assigned : To be selected
Project                 : Transforming the Future of Adolescent Girls through Education in Sindhuli (Ujjwalta)
Expertise             : Master Degree in Education, Sociology, Rural Development, Development Studies or equivalent degree with at least five years’ experience at similar capacity in relevant field. Or, Bachelor degree in Education, Sociology, Rural Development, Development Studies or other relevant degree with at least 7 years of experience at similar capacity of the development project especially education.
Duty Station       : HANDS Nepal, Sindhuli at project office at Kamlamai, Sindhuli with frequent travel to Kamalamai and Dudhauli Municipality
Contract type     : Annual with possibility of extension.
Working Area: Project schools, communities of target school’s catchments and municipalities i.e. Kamalamai and Dudhauli municipalities of Sindhuli district.
Reports to      : Directly to Chairperson of HANDS Nepal, Sindhuli for the project implementation and reporting. S/he should work closely with Project Coordinator of Plan International Nepal.

BACKGROUND :

Human And National Development Society (HANDS) Nepal, established in 2001, is a non- governmental, non-political, non-profit organization focused on integrated community development and natural resource management. With a vision of a prosperous, equitable, and ethical society, HANDS Nepal's mission is to implement initiatives fostering inclusive and equitable development. For over 24 years, the organization has promoted sustainable development, addressing areas such as governance, education, child rights, WASH, climate change, disaster risk reduction, health, and livelihoods. HANDS Nepal aims to empower marginalized groups, particularly women, children, and Dalits, to access basic needs and lead dignified lives. Through partnerships with multiple agencies and over 42 projects impacting more than 200,000 people across thirteen districts, HANDS Nepal strengthens local governments, promotes participatory governance, and ensures marginalized communities can shape their futures.

HANDS Nepal, Sindhuli has been working in long-term partnership with Plan International Nepal since 2012, focusing on education, child development, WASH, DRR/CCA, and more. Currently, the organization is collaborating with Plan International Nepal to implement the "Transforming the Future of Adolescent Girls through Education in Sindhuli (Ujjwalta)" Project for 3 years starting from July, 2024.

The core aim of the Ujjwalta project is to address these challenges by retaining girls in secondary education and enhancing the local education system in Kamalamai and Dudhauli municipalities of Sindhuli district. The project has following specific objectives;

• To ensure girls' retention in secondary level education in Sindhuli district.
• To strengthen local education system as inclusive and gender transformative to deliver quality and relevant secondary education.

The project purposes to target 30 schools and 19,240 participants, including students, teachers, parents, and local government officials, to create supportive environments for girls' education, the project focuses on building local partnerships, capacity building, community awareness, equity and inclusion, sustainability planning, and advocacy in Sindhuli' s educational landscape, ensuring long-term, sustainable change.

The Ujjwalta project will address the different social and systematic barriers including cross-cutting issues in education including School WASH, CCA, and DRR, which will enhance the project effectiveness. Gender disparities, driven by social norms, behavior and practice hinder to girl’s education and it requires gender-transformative approaches for equitable education. The project is designed with gender transformative approach in education. Further school WASH will also include the lack of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) facilities, impacting students' health and learning experiences, and inadequate Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM), which leads to absenteeism and dropouts among girls. Climate change impacts access to quality education especially to girls that necessitates to be addressed through climate-resilient education including climate smart learning environments. Hence, the Ujjwalta project adopts a holistic approach in education focusing girls and involving collaborative efforts among government bodies, NGOs, and local communities which will create a conducive learning environment to girls and ultimate girls will empowers for utilizing their full potentials.

HANDS Nepal is seeking a qualified and competent leader for the position of Project Coordinator (PC). The role entails providing overall project leadership, including technical expertise and project management responsibilities.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES :

The Project Coordinator is fully responsible for project cycle management from planning, implementation, monitoring, reporting and closure of the project with effective coordination with concerned offices and stakeholders of the project. In supervision from supervisor and in close coordination with Project Coordinator of Plan International Nepal, Eastern Regional Office, Janakpur, s/he will manage the project with quality delivery of interventions to achieve the project’s expected results. S/he will be responsible for the project leading at schools, communities, local governments and district level, coordinating and maintaining relationship with target schools, government’s representatives and officials and other relevant stakeholders.

Specific Roles

Planning, Implementation, Coordination and Leadership

• Lead as Program Coordinator of the project entitled ‘Transforming the Future of
• Adolescent Girls through Education in Sindhuli (Ujjwalta).
• Develop monthly, quarterly and annual plan of the project including detail implementation plan (DIP), project implementation guideline (PIG) and assess project risks with mitigation measuring including safeguarding risks.
• Coordinate with concern line agencies, local government authorities, communities and all local stakeholders to run the program smoothly.
• Ensuring continuous communication and sharing project information with concern stakeholders and participants and communities’ representatives regarding the implementation of works and in order to ensure a flawless progress of activities.
• Liaise with all project staffs to ensure that project interventions in timely with concrete project plan and budget as per finalized project documents.
• Develop strategies and plans that contribute to raising outline of project interventions.
• Develop capacity of project team and stakeholders by conducting capacity development program based on project theme.
• Liaise with the different organization implementing the similar project for effective implementation of the project and also to avoid the duplication of the events.
• Influence local government for ownership of intervention and reflect good practices and learning in policy and plan.
• Liaise and coordinate with stakeholders and the government to maximize the results intended through this project.

Program Management

• Ensure budgets are properly phased and aligned with appropriate WBS and program codes, and ensure expenditures of the project in proper charging line within tolerance limits or proper approval from partner.
• Follow up with transaction reports on monthly, quarterly and annual basis to ensure adequate burn rate aligning with the time spend.
• Ensure project delivery in proper way as per PIG and DIP.
• Responsible for the risk management, guidance, staff management during project implementation in the target locations.
• Ensure the project management tools and approaches based on the organizational operational policies and guidelines and partner’s policies and compliance.
• Ensure for managing the minimum standards of technical quality and services in all interventions of project activities.
• Ensure gender transformative approach of the project as per gender transformative marker of Plan International Nepal.
• Ensure risks associated with Safeguarding Children and Program Participants are identified and mitigation measures placed during implementation of project activities.

Financial Management

• Lead the financial management as project financial planner, monitor and controller
• Manage the project budget and ensure project expenditures are in-line with agreed project plan and budget.
• Ensure proper budget forecast, burn rate and efficiency by following
• organization’s financial policy and procedure along with ensuring partner’s policies and compliances.
• Ensure that project expenditures are undertaken in-line with financial policies and procedures and that available resource are optimally utilized.
• Identify program supplies needs and coordinate with the logistics team to put in place a sensible phased procurement plan.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting

• Conduct effective monitoring of each activity regularly which ensure to meet the goal and outcome of the project.
• Update, operationalize and lead in the systematic evaluation strategy in order to ensure the effective implementation of projects activities as per DIP.
• Ensure the project monitoring as per M&E plan, ensure properly the data base of the project and Quality Benchmarks of the project.
• Monitor project implementation to track progress against plan and per technical benchmarks and recommend corrective measures
• Ensure frequent field visit with preparation of monitoring report and properly supervise the project team.
• Incorporate the M&E staff’s comments and feedback for quality delivery of the project.
• Plan proper data management to keep track of the Monitoring, Evaluation,
• Accountability and Learning (MEAL) plan of project and ensuring this links to reporting requirements.
• Work with the team to identify and document project learning and success stories and disseminate learning across the sector.
• Ensure quality and timely reporting.
• Ensure effective communication between the organization, project teams and report immediately on any new developments, changes, financial aspects and important decisions and directives.
• conduct frequent field visits, gather required information though focus group discussions and key informant interviews based on the project objectives and requirement.
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned by Organization.

Requirements

• Education: Master’s Degree in Education, social science or related field. Or, Bachelor degree in Education, Sociology, Rural Development, Development Studies or other relevant degree.
• Experience: Master’s degree holder should have five years of experience with at least three years of experiences in education project as a project lead. Preference will be given to person having experience in Sindhuli district. For Bachelor’s degree holders, s/he should have at least 7 years of experience at similar capacity of the development project with at least three years of experiences in education field as a project coordinator or project lead.

Competence: 

Clear understanding of the education system, gender transformative, strategy of retaining girls in secondary education and enhancing the local education system, teamwork as well as good understanding of project monitoring, evaluation, research and learning and result based project cycle management.

SKILLS : 

• Strategic: Analytical, Critical thinking, negotiating skills, Innovative, problem solving and ability to build effective relations for influencing and team work
• Language: Ability to write clearly and concisely in English and Nepali
  
• Communication: Sound communication skills, managing work relationships (internal/external), coordination and networking.
• Proven IT skills: Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, M&E tools of Plan International Nepal.
• We strongly encourage to apply by female candidates, and candidates from minority groups, excluded castes and ethnicity, persons with disabilities and give priorities during the selection process.
• Two wheeler driving license holder will have an advantage