Program Development and Quality Director

Job Description:

To lead the development of high quality programmes across all funding streams that bring about transformational change. Ascertain that field implementation of evidence-based practices occurs with consistent technical rigor and is measured with standardized tools so that the sum of all interventions translates into impact at national scale. To lead World Vision Lebanon (WVL) in survival, adaptive and longer-term programming that responds to all situations of fragility using appropriate designs and evidence-based practices. To lead the development of WVL’s strategy, including the pathways of change,  programme and technical approaches, to help move the most vulnerable children and their communities towards sustainable outcomes of well-being. Collaborate with the grants acquisition unit to ascertain that acquisitions and proposal designs remain aligned to country strategy and donor priorities. Provide strategic leadership and guidance in MEAL processes and standards.

Major Responsibilities:

Technical Quality & Support:

• Lead the national-level technical specialists, ensuring holistic, quality designs across all funding streams according to prioritized child well-being and donor objectives, national level pathways of change, appropriate and contextualized evidence-based practices, and indicators for sustainability. All designs should respond to the specific situation of fragility for targeted communities.
• Lead or ensure the development of sponsorship and PNS-funded technical programmes in coordination with relevant technical specialists, Field Operations, MEAL team, and the Sponsorship Transformation Leader.
• Work with flexibility and agility to ensure technical specialists are available to organizational needs, including grant designs, with timeliness and efficiency.
• Ensure surge support is obtained, in consultation with the regional office, from additional internal or external resources such as the regional office, GC HEA, Technical Service Organisation or consultants.
• Ensure appropriate external representation of technical specialists at the national and international level in coordination with the Resource Acquisition & Development (RAD) team and the Coms/Public Affairs Manager. External engagement should include donors, partners, host governments, academia, and other appropriate humanitarian fora.
• Ensure WVL’s capacity is expressed through technical briefs and capacity statements for use with external engagement and donor positioning.
• Ensure the role of faith in programming is identified and leveraged through faith oriented evidence-based practices, partnership with faith and interfaith partners, and inclusion of principles of transformational ministry in the programme approach used by front line staff.

Programme Quality:

• Lead WVL office in developing, understanding and using a “programme approach” that is consistent with WV’s identity, relevant for the Lebanese context, facilities good programming, and empowers communities by:
• listening, assessing and engaging the local context;
• acting appropriately for the specific situation of fragility;
• Mobilizing partners and civil society; and evaluating effectiveness
• Ensure and maintain the quality of relief, adaptive and longer-term programming in alignment with the WV International’s and donors’ standards and guidelines that contributes to child well-being objectives and outcomes and prioritized Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Ensuring the application of the right based approach in programming and recognising girls and boys as right holders and ensuring that they are continuously consulted and their inputs are incorporated in the design of interventions.
• Ensure that all MEAL processes are being executed effectively as per WV International’s and donors’ standards, expectations and guidelines
• Ascertain that standardized means of verification and measurements are applied for outcome and output level indictors for each evidence-based practice, so that impact on child wellbeing can be measured at national scale.
• Establish annual change and transformation targets at outcome level. Determine and make arrangements for complementary research that may be required to study specific contributions to improved child wellbeing as a result of WV’s programmes.
• Lead the development and the implementation of WVL’s strategy, including the development of the strategy level pathways of change, programme approach and technical approaches that are relevant across all funding streams
• Lead WVL in the development of survival, adaptive, and longer-term programming through the use of designs and evidence-based practices that address root causes, increase resilience, transform systems and relationships, increase social cohesion, and respond to all situations of fragility for vulnerable children
• Participate in the overall leadership of WVL by working as an active member of the core team

Staff Management:

• Oversee the work of the PD&Q team and ensure responsibilities are delivered based on the integrated business plan with efficiency between the work of technical specialists, the MEAL team and the GAM team.
• Ensure optimization of subordinates’ potentials through coaching, on-the-job training, and capacity building.
• Effectively manage the performance of direct reports ensuring performance agreements, regular performance discussions, and annual appraisal are done and that risks are appropriately managed. Address performance or behavioral issues when they arise.
• Foster an organizational culture that values collaborative work efforts, motives and empowers individuals while placing organizational goals above self.

Perform other duties as required:

• Attend and participate in capacity building trainings locally and internationally
• Attend and participate in WVL’s spiritual nurture and other organizational events
• Responsible of own security and actively contribute to a positive security culture
• Abide by the security policies and procedures and report any incidents or breaches to security manager
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Line Manager

KNOWLEDGE/QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE ROLE:

• At least 5-7 years of experience in senior program development role with an international NGO including proven experience in project design and submission of winning proposals
• Experience in development work using an approach of facilitation and empowerment of local communities.
• Master’s degree in community development, development management, international development, sociology or other related fields
• Understanding of development work, especially child-focused community development concepts, approaches and processes
• Good knowledge and understanding of key aspect of development work including education, child protection, livelihood, and WASH as well as resilience, integration of advocacy and disaster management in programming
• Knowledge of major donor requirements and funding sources
• Demonstrated leadership skills such as coaching / mentoring
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to empower the team
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, including report-writing and proposal writing skills
• Ability to engage with governmental, NGO and other senior leaders.
• Excellent relationship building and people management skills
• Thorough understanding of development principles
• Good understanding of SPHERE, WV and other international relief standards