Grants Officer

Job title: Grants Officer, Uganda

Free-text Job Title: Grants Officer, Uganda

Employment category:

Reporting to: Head of Programmes

Direct reports: N/A

Unit/department:  Programme

Location: Kampala (Uganda)

Authorization level: N/A

Overall purpose of the role:

The Grants Officer sits within the programme team and is responsible for quality control and support to country grants within the Uganda country portfolio, and for providing technical support and advisory to relevant colleagues across departments. The Officer will work closely with the Programme Development and Quality Coordinator, programmes and finance staff. The Grants Officer will work across the country grants including but not limited to: DANIDA Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA), Uganda Refugee Resilience Initiative (URRI), Anticipatory Humanitarian Action for Displacement (AHEAD) and the Refugee Investment Facility (RIF) to ensure effective grant administration, compliance and reporting.

Responsibilities

Grant support and administration:

• Quality control specific contracts/awards across the Uganda programme.
• Facilitate project kick-off and close-out meetings for projects, in line with DRC processes, ensuring relevant staff and partners are aware of their programmatic, financial and compliance obligations/requirements.
• Track grants processes and milestones for all regional/multi-country contracts/awards through the grants cycle ensuring relevant information and documentation are disseminated to relevant staff in a timely manner
• Review current grant progress against original plans and log frames, identify areas of concern and ensure remedial actions are taken.
• In collaboration with the Programme Development and Quality Coordinator, transition successful grant applications into the Grants Management System in DRC’s Enterprise Resource Planning platform (Dynamics) with reports, proposals, contracts and related milestones.
• Track processes and milestones for all contracts/awards through the grants cycle ensuring relevant information and documentation are disseminated to relevant staff in a timely manner.
• Support the tracking of donor financial disbursement against signed contracts and prepare requests for financial disbursements from donors as contained in the project agreements.
• Responsible for hard and soft copy filing of original signed project and administrative organizational documents.

Reporting

• With input from the relevant staff, contribute high quality progress reports for regional/multi-country contracts/awards as per donor and DRC requirements.
• In consultation with the finance department, assist in consolidating and/or quality control of reports, in relation donor requirements, original project proposal, and consistency in both narrative and financial reports
• Provide high quality review and assembly of programme documentation including drafting editing and formatting
• Provide through progress reporting, a continuous analysis of the achievements, facilitate project reviews, evaluation and audits
• Develop donors reporting timelines and requirements template; ensure it is updated at all time
• Timely dissemination of reporting tools and requirements and follow up to ensure internal and external reporting deadlines are respected

Compliance management

• In coordination with the Finance Manager and other relevant staff, support internal financial reviews to ensure that donor guidelines are implemented and followed, including financial, procurement and administrative aspects
• Carry out contract and grants training of staff through inception workshops, coaching and mentoring in setting up systems to monitor key accountabilities e.g. co-financing, exchange rates, interest and budget rules in line with contractual requirements
• Support the Partnership Officers to conduct and document periodic implementing partner reviews
• Support teams in the interpretation and operationalization of donor rules and regulations

Experience and technical competencies: (include years of experience)

• 2-3 years of professional experience in humanitarian or development contexts with grants and/or contract support responsibilities
• Proven experience in project cycle management, including planning and project development, budget management, quality assurance, and MEAL
• Extensive knowledge of ECHO, DANIDA, UN and other institutional donors and their compliance requirements with proven experience of successful contract management including consortium grants
• University degree or equivalent in Business Administration, Economics, Social Sciences, International Development or other relevant experience
• High degree of computer literacy, including in database management/information management
• Strong coordination skills and proven ability to manage partner/stakeholder dynamics
• Willingness to travel within Uganda and at times the region
• Excellent writing skills
• Languages: English and a Ugandan language

Desirable:

• Proven ability to work independently, with a clear understanding of risk escalation requirements.
• Proven ability to propose creative solutions to challenges, and proven ability deliver results within a flexible and adaptive framework.
• Commitment to gender equality

Education:

University degree or equivalent in Business Administration, Economics, or International Development or other relevant experience.

Find the definition of DRC’s Core competencies here

All DRC staff should master the 5 core competencies:

• Striving for excellence: you focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process
• Collaborating: you involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.
• Taking the lead: you take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.
• Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly.
• Demonstrating integrity: you act in line with our vision and values

Languages:

• Languages: English,
• Knowledge of Ugandan language/s

Key stakeholders: (internal and external)

• Regional Business Development Coordinator
• DRC staff at CO, RO and HQ
• Support functions: HOSS (finance, HR, SC and administration)
• Implementing partner colleagues