ROLE PURPOSE

Plan International is a rights-based development and humanitarian organisation with the purpose to strive for a just world that advances children’s rights and equality for girls.

Plan International engages people and partners to:

• Empower children, young people and communities to make vital changes that tackle the root causes of discrimination against girls, exclusion and vulnerability;
• Drive change in practice and policy at local, national and global levels through our reach, experience and knowledge of the realities children face;
• Work with children and communities to prepare for and respond to crises and to overcome adversity;
• Support the safe and successful progression of children from birth to adulthood.

Plan is independent of government and has no political or religious affiliation. Plan has been building powerful partnerships for children for 80 years and is now active in more than 70 countries.

Plan International started operations in Guinea-Bissau in 1995 and has since established two Programme Units (PUs) in Bafatá and Gabú (Eastern part of the country). Since August 2016, Plan International has been implementing a maternal and child health programme covering Bafatá and Tombali, which means experience working outside affiliated areas/communities. The main focus of operations since 1995 has been to work alongside children, youth and their communities to address the structural and root causes of poverty, inequality and exclusion. Plan International Guinea-Bissau works at community level and National level to develop inclusive participatory, child friendly interventions and policies to ensure long term change by promoting the rights of children and especially girls to Education, Health, Protection and building Resilience for sustainable livelihoods.

The goal of Plan International Guinea-Bissau’s Country Strategy 2023 – 2028 is to ensure social justice for vulnerable girls and youth through inclusive and participative education enabling them to make informed decisions in a secure and thriving environment to drive positive impact in Guinea-Bissau

Dimensions of the Role

• Leadership, management and development of Guinea-Bissau team in full compliance with local law and Plan policies and standards.
• Lead the implementation of the Country Strategy, and the Annual Planning and Budgeting exercise.
• Ensuring high quality programme work is delivered with the maximum involvement of children as actors (see Plan CCCD approach).
• Accurate and timely disbursement of the agreed Country Office Budget including all donor commitments.
• Growing and managing a grant portfolio so that funds can be raised in a timely manner for key project responses.
• Ensuring readiness to emergencies is built into all programme planning, and lead emergency response interventions when needed.
• Representation of Plan, its work and its values to the authorities and key decision-makers
• Maintain good working relationships with Government authorities ensuring the compliance with laws and regulations whilst achieving Plan´s strategic priority goals.
• As a member of the Regional Leadership Team, the Country Director of Guinea-Bissau is expected to contribute to the overall learning and strategic direction within the region.

Accountabilities

1. Plan’s work in Guinea-Bissau will be delivered by a motivated 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-transformative approaches in line with Global and Country Strategies.
• Management of individuals across the team to ensure full development of potential through induction, performance management and compliance in all core policy areas, including Gender and Child protection.
• Staff numbers and structures will be designed and kept at a level that is efficient and cost effective.
• Work environments will be managed to reduce risk from health and safety and security hazards.
• Generate solutions for identifying competent staff to deliver country objectives.

2. Plan’s work will be guided by accurate and timely work-plans and budgets that can be used to create impact and efficiency:

• Deliver an accurate and timely Annual Plan and Budget
• Develop work-plans from Country Strategy documents and on the basis of ongoing environment analysis
• Creation of accurate phased budgets for all programs and projects.
• Efficient and fully compliant financial management in the allocation/budgeting, disbursement and accounting for all resources.

3. Plan’s work will be relevant to the needs of the most vulnerable children and particularly girls, in Guinea-Bissau:

• Country Strategy is being used regularly as yardstick and guiding document to achieve the agreed strategic objectives.
• Emergency preparedness analysis ensures Plan is ready to respond to predictable emergency conditions.
• Effective and swift emergency response programs and interventions are launched in time of need.
• The location of programme work is regularly reviewed to ensure that existing sponsorship communities receive regular benefits as per the Sponsorship Commitments and 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 Guinea-Bissau.
• Country leadership and staff are well aware of the country security situation and protocols and Standard Operating Procedures are developed and implemented giving due consideration to security and safety of staff and visitors.
• The Child-Centred Community Development approach is intrinsic to all programme work.
• The Country Office meets performance against organisations management standards at all times including Audits and Risk management.

4. Plan’s work will be well funded and the portfolio continues growing:

• Representation to donor agencies locally and thorough tracking of potential funding sources will result in timely knowledge of funding opportunities in a planned manner
• Exploitation of funding opportunities and proposal development in partnership with Plan’s member organizations 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 and Plan´s priorities and methodologies.

5. Plan’s work in Guinea-Bissau 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 (local leaders, donor representatives in the country, INGOs locally and internationally) regularly promotes the issues being addressed and the work addressing them.
• Initiate and engage in extensive collaboration and consultation with local and central authorities, INGOs, national NGOs and local communities.

• Timely and engaging external communications keeps Plan at the forefront of the issues affecting children in Guinea-Bissau.
• Sharing Plan Guinea-Bissau’s experience and collaborating with other countries of the region in a shared service approach regarding the technical and operational aspects of our programs and interventions.

DEALING WITH PROBLEMS

• 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.
• Monitoring and addressing any changes in the legal and political environment in the country with respect to Government expectations and requests.
• 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.

GENERAL ACCOUNTABILITY

1. Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Child Protection (CPP) and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI) are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.

Key relationships

Internal:

• Regular contact with other Country Directors, especially in Regional Leadership Team.
• Collaboration with other Country Offices through technical and operational hubs and mutual shared service agreements.
• The Regional Office Management Team.
• Departments in IH who may guide and advise on Global Standards for our operations.
• National Office program departments around funding opportunities.

External:

Plan Guinea-Bissau works in partnership with a number of local and international organizations to advance the cause and interest of children. Plan is also a member of various thematic groups and works closely with government, UN and donor representatives in Guinea-Bissau.

Additionally, all relevant Government ministries and authorities at national and regional level.

Technical expertise, skills and knowledge

Essential

• Relevant University degree in development, social science, business administration or related field.
• A minimum of 5 years of exercising leadership functions with increasing responsibility in an international environment related to development.
• Demonstrable knowledge, as a result of study, training or practical experience, on the key debates in development and emergency response methods and effectiveness, particularly about rights-based programming for child rights.
• Experience and understanding of the concepts of sustainable community development and participatory approaches and practice in development interventions.
• Proven understanding of “gender in development” concepts and the promotion of girls’ rights in the context of relevant International Conventions (Convention of the Rights of the Child, Convention for the Eradication of Discrimination against Women) and the Global Goals (SDGs).
• Knowledge of Guinea-Bissau political-economy context and sensitivities, Guinea-Bissau the geopolitical factors affecting child-poverty in the country and the political, social and environmental opportunities for change is an advantage
• Knowledge of the donor context in the country/region/globally and requirements of donor compliance and financial management
• Knowledge of programming in difficult environments with good understanding and appreciation of the historical, security context, political environment, economic, social/religious and humanitarian context in Guinea-Bissau or a comparable environment.

Desirable

• Proven skills in the development and management of effective and motivated teams, including distance management
• Effective working with and through partners
• Proven negotiation skills with Governmental and non-Governmental actors
• Communications, comfortable with the media, presenting and arguing a case
• Proven analytical skills in isolating priorities and tackling them
• Excellent written skills in English for the development of proposals and the review of reports.

Plan International’s Values in Practice

We are open and accountable

1. Promotes a culture of openness and transparency, including with sponsors and donors.
2. Holds self and others accountable to achieve the highest standards of integrity.
3. Consistent and fair in the treatment of people.
4. Open about mistakes and keen to learn from them.
5. Accountable for ensuring we are a safe organisation for all children, girls & young people

We strive for lasting impact

1. Articulates a clear purpose for staff and sets high expectations.
2. Creates a climate of continuous improvement, open to challenge and new ideas.
3. Focuses resources to drive change and maximise long-term impact, responsive to changed priorities or crises.
4. Evidence-based and evaluates effectiveness.

We work well together

1. Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
2. Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
3. Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.
4. Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.

We are inclusive and empowering

1. We empower our staff to give their best and develop their potential
2. We respect all people, appreciate differences and challenge equality in our programs and our workplace
3. We support children, girls and young people to increase their confidence and to change their own lives.

Physical Environment

Based in the country office located in Bissau with extensive local and some international travel, requires ability to travel frequently to remote areas.

Level of contact with children

Mid contact: Occasional interaction with children

HOW TO APPLY?

This position is opened for all applicants and females’ candidates are highly encouraged to apply. The successful candidate should be immediately available. To apply, click on the link below and send by September 1st 2023:

Your application should include:

• A comprehensive cover letter
• A comprehensive and clear CV that includes the contact of four (4) of your professional referees, one of whom should be your current employer.

Females’ candidates are highly encouraged to apply