Programme Officer

Job Description

Position Summary

The programme officer will support the research and programme team in grant administration including, coordinating and communicating with grantees, partners and monitoring of deliverables for the project. They will also be responsible for the contracting process. The ideal candidate will have knowledge and experience in a similar capacity in an international development organisation, and will be self-motivated with exceptional relationship management and coordination skills.

Main Responsibilities

Serve as grants administrator for 3ie-funded grants for impact evaluations, systematic reviews, replication studies, proposal preparations, and/or formative research and evaluations, including:

Communicate with grantees on administrative, procedural, and contractual issues;

Manage contracts with external project advisors and reviewers; and Track grant timelines and deliverables and notify other programme team members about

Grant reporting Prepare grant-specific reports on timelines, deliverable status, payment status etc. periodically.

Respond to ad-hoc requests for grant related information;

Provide monthly and/or quarterly reports for organizational reporting on grant status;

Maintain a comprehensive database of grant status and financial records of all grants; and Participate in monthly, quarterly reporting and annual review.

Grant coordination and monitoring Track and monitor deliverable dues dates. Escalate issues as needed with the technical

lead or director due to delays, incompleteness in documentation etc. by grantees; Follow-up with grantees, schedule field visits as needed;

Disseminate deliverables to all stakeholders (internal and external);

Track responses as per the timeline and secure approvals as needed.

Coordinate between teams and the grantee to facilitate approvals and timely disbursement of payments;

Respond to queries, resolve issues for grantees on a timely basis.

Guide programme associates on the responding to queries, and assist in resolving issues for grantees on a timely basis.

Ensure the smooth operation of all matters related to the planning, management and monitoring of the grant life cycle.

Manage outputs and activities for grants: Prepare reports for technical lead and/or director and for funders; Assist in the development of program policies and procedures and the writing of external programme documents (e.g. requests for proposals, request for qualifications, announcements, review forms, etc.);

Organize and manage logistics for programme events, such as selection panel meetings, advisory group meetings, programme-sponsored conference sessions and workshops (e.g. matchmaking, inception, pre-completion);

Provide assistance to technical lead to track and manage the programme budget; Invite external reviewers for application screening and set these up in the grant management system;

Track and follow-up with external reviewers to ensure timely reviews; Check reviews for adherence to guidelines and facilitate the payment process for each reviewer; and Notify applications on selection or rejection status.

Monitor helpdesk activities and drive

Pre-requisite stage management

Coordinate with other 3ie teams, including the evaluation office, finance and the strategic communication office to secure inputs on technical design, project milestones, budgets, dissemination plans and so on during the pre-requisite stage of the grants; and Submit responses from potential grantees to respective 3ie units. Facilitate process for timely finalization.

Contract management and grant amendments

Post internal approvals, prepare contracts (grant agreements) and secure sign-off from grantees and the executive director;

Prepare tracking sheets with timelines, payment schedule linked to deliverables, approval status and other details;

Translate and update grant related information and key documents on the grant management system. Initiate grant amendments (Letter of Variation) as and when required.

Qualifications and Skills

Master s degree from a reputed institute, preferably in social sciences, development studies or related fields.

At least seven to eight years of experience in project management and grant management in the development sector.

Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite, particularly Excel.

Basic understanding of grant management software, strategic communication approaches and tools.

Experience with grant management (or similar relationship management) tools and practice, programme planning and monitoring, costing, budgeting and contracting.

Understanding of the development sector and experience of working in a multicultural set-up.

Essential Skills

Strong written and spoken communication skills. Excellent relationship management skills and the ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Attention to detail, ability to undertake analytical and strategic thinking.

Exceptional planning and organization skills, with a proven ability to multitask and meet deadlines.

Must possess interpersonal and multi-cultural sensitivity.

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Keyskills :
reportingnetworkingdocumentationmanagement systemproject managementresolving issuesorganization skillssocial sciencesstage managementgroup meetingsgrant coordinationcontract managementtechnical designresearchmanagement skillscapacity buildi