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ACTED India Base Manager

Department: Coordination
Position: Base Manager Contract duration: 6 months Location: Kolkata, West Bengal - India Starting Date ASAP

I. Background on ACTED

ACTED is an independent international, private, non-partisan and non-profit organization that operates according to principles of strict neutrality, political and religious impartiality, and non discrimination.

ACTED was created in 1993 to support populations affected by the conflict in Afghanistan. Based in Paris, France, ACTED now operates in 30 countries worldwide, with over 200 international and 4000 national staff. ACTED has a 100 million € budget for over 340 projects spanning 8 sectors of intervention; including emergency relief, food security, health promotion, economic development, education & training, microfinance, local governance & institutional support, and cultural promotion. For more information, please visit our website at www.acted.org

II. Country Profile

Capital Office : Delhi National Staff : 4 Areas : 1 (West Bengal) On-going programmes : 2 Budget : 0.4 M

ACTED launched its mission in India at the beginning of 2005 in emergency response to the Tsunami. 2010 saw a continuation of ACTED India’s mandate to assist the most vulnerable communities affected by disasters, with the opening of a project in a new geographical area, the delicate and disasterprone Sunderbans delta flood-Affected in Hingalganj Block (West Bengal) following Cyclone Aila in 2009. ACTED has also continued supporting South Asia Microfinance Network (SAMN – www.samn.eu), a regional platform to develop microfinance capacity in South Asia, with the objective of enhancing capacity, investment and regional dialogue in the microfinance sector in South Asia. While disaster response and early recovery continue to be a constant feature of ACTED’s work in this region, ACTED is increasingly shifting its focus towards disaster response and mitigation, building capacities of people to prepare for the next disaster. For SAMN, opportunities for new partnerships and strengthening existing linkages are promising exciting prospects, and work will continue to source funding for developing SAMN as the only regional microfinance network for South Asia.

III. Position Profile

Under the supervision of the country director:

  1. Ensure ACTED representation in the area of activity
    • Lead and facilitate donor visits to the field;
    • Participate in official meetings and ensure ongoing and regular coordination with state authorities to ensure maximum visibility;
    • Participate in donor meetings at state level and communicate relevant information to the Country Director;
    • Participate in IAG and inter-NGO Coordination meetings and any other relevant inter-governmental institution at state level;
    • Ensure maximum visibility of ACTED amongst the NGO community at state level.

More generally, s/he is expected to contribute to the creation of a positive image and overall credibility of the organisation, notably through the application of ACTED’s mandate, ethics, values and stand-point with regard to other actors.

  1. Ensure good quality and timely project implementation through close collaboration with IPs

    • Lead the application and adherence to donor and IP contract terms and requirements;
    • Ensure adherence to FLAT procedures by ACTED and IP, with close follow up on HR and procurement of the IP;
    • Participate in weekly project update meetings and monthly review meetings with ACTED’s partners, ensuring accurate minutes are kept and shared with the Country Director and that action points are met in a timely manner;
    • Maintain regular and ongoing coordination with IP project staff;
    • Work closely with the finance officer to ensure all necessary and correct documentation (programme and FLAT) is kept by the IPs and shared with ACTED in a timely manner.
  2. Management of AMEU

    • Manage the AMEU in the development and implementation of Appraisal, Monitoring and Evaluation strategies by designing surveys and evaluations;
    • Collect quantitative and qualitative data on ACTED programs and general pre-project data;
    • Work closely with the the Programme Development Manager to design appropriate information collection tools and methodologies including the assessment ToRs, questionnaires etc;
    • Ensure transparent, accurate and timely collection of data by administering surveys, conducting focus groups of other participatory information collection tools as well as collecting secondary data;
    • Maintain a photo database;
    • Supervise data entry and cross-checking of data accuracy.
  3. Ensure reporting obligations of ACTED and its donors are met

    • Ensure all ACTED internal reporting obligations are met;
    • Regular budget monitoring and the supervision of finances at the field level;
    • Assist in the completion of donor reports.
  4. Develop ACTED’s emergency response capabilities in the state

    • Gather and analyse information regarding opportunities and risk;
    • Identify possible funding and partnership opportunities in West Bengal, in particular related to emergency preparedness and response;
    • Carry out emergency assessments where relevant;
    • Assistance in developing proposals for the state including budget development.
  5. Oversee staff and security

    • Supervise ACTED staff;
    • Undertake regular appraisals of ACTED staff and pass appraisal forms to the Country Administrator with recommendations (new position, changes to contract or salary etc.);
    • Follow recruitment procedures: plan recruitment needs in advance; draft ToRs for open vacancies; if necessary undertake phone interviews with candidates;
    • Update the security guidelines in the area of intervention;
    • Ensure that security procedures are respected by all staff.

IV. Qualifications:

 Master Level education in a relevant field such as International Relations or Development  Project management experience (management, planning, staff development and training skills) in development programmes  2-3 years previous work experience in a relevant position  Proven capabilities in leadership and management required  Excellent skills in written and spoken English  Strong negotiation and interpersonal skills, and flexibility in cultural and organizational terms  Ability to work well and punctually under pressure

V. Conditions:

 Salary defined by the ACTED salary grid; educational level, expertise, hardship, security, and performance are considered for pay bonus  Additional monthly living allowance 300$  Free food and lodging provided at the organisation’s guesthouse/or housing allowance (depending on contract length and country of assignment)  Transportation costs covered, including additional return ticket + luggage allowance  Provision of medical, life, and repatriation insurance + retirement package

How to apply:

Please send, in English, your cover letter, CV, and three references to jobs@acted.org Ref : BM/INDIA/RW

For more information, visit us at http://www.acted.org