Grants Coordinator at Plan International

To support the Grants Manager in the development of innovative approaches in mobilizing resources at the community, local and international levels, research into funding opportunities inside and outside of Ghana, support the Grants Manager in the development of proposals and concept notes in line with program needs and donor requirements, and ensure high-quality submissions by established deadlines and in ensuring donor compliance and timely grants reporting.

Dimensions of Role:

• Financial measures or statistics relevant to post such as budget; list of direct and indirect reports
• Contributes to the Country Resource Mobilization targets.
• Area of Responsibility – country office

Typical Responsibilities – Key End Results of Position:

“What” is done and “why”, but not “how”; include indicators for success

• Grants Reporting: Support Grants Reporting to ensure they meet donor requirements and produce no negative/adverse feedback. To do this, the role will:
• Develop, updates and maintenance a schedule for grants reporting detailing the donor, reporting requirements, type of reports, deadlines
• Facilitate timely follow ups on donor deadlines

Grants Acquisition and Management

• Ensure readily available data per CSP CP Objectives for easy reference for proposal and concept note development.
• Call for proposals and concept notes from PUs
• Maintain a database of all proposals received for easy reference by grouping the proposals received by CP Objectives and by PUs
• Maintain a photo bank on grant funded projects per PUs
• Maintain a database of reports to NOs per PUs
• Review concept notes and proposals developed from the field per CSP CP Objectives for submission to the Grants Manager
• Draft GADs
• Ensure that GAD files are updated with relevant information including GAD, reports, MOUs, Contracts, addendums, etc on a monthly basis
• Monitor Grants Implementation in the field especially in Eastern and Central PUs

Grants Systems Management

• Provide information on discrepancies between GL and PPM grants expenditures to Grants Manager for these to be rectified after GL closure
• Provide updates on grants information to PUMs and managers of grants projects monthly regarding discrepancies between GL and PPM expenditures against planned budgets
• Support the Grant Manager maintain GADs in GTS and GL
• Verify PO Content to ensure outputs corresponds to GAD and recommend actions to Grants Manager

Donor Relationship Management:

• Facilitate timely follow ups on donor deadlines and ensure that all donor queries are adequately addressed
• Review reports due NOs and ensure that reports meet donor reporting requirements as per GAD and other documented agreements and recommend actions to Grants Manager

Budget Management

• Prepare and Manages the Grants Department PO
• Review reports submitted from the PUs in terms of expenditure vrs actuals and approved output codes on GAD,  against reporting before submitting to Grants Manager
• Verify grants PO content to ensure PO budgets agree with approved GAD budget  and approved proposal and recommend action to Grants Manager
• Support the preparation and review of grants proposal budgets

Co-ordinating Donor Visits

• Co-ordinate agreed donor visits in consultation with the  with the PUMs and CMT as appropriate
• Liaise with the Admin Department on logistics
• Liaise with Communication and PR Advisor to ensure that donors are adequately given orientation in terms of security, culture, etc
• Liaise with the PUMs to identify funding opportunities for marketing during the donor visit
• Liaise with the PUM to prepare communities prior to donors visits

Others

• Fulfill Plan’s Child Protection Policy at all times
• Perform any other duties that may be assigned from time to time.

Dealing with Problems:

• Complexity of problems handled & the degree of investigation, analysis, & creative thinking required to solve them
• Provides support in the implementation of the country’s grant and resource mobilization activities that meets the requirements of the FOB and other policies and procedures
• Prepares the Grants Department PO and advices the Grants Manager on the PO performance
• Conducts Field visits for reports verification and validation
• Works with minimum supervision

Communications and Working Relationships:

• Working contacts inside and outside the organization; include the purpose and level (high, medium, low) of the contact
• There is a medium contact with program unit staff in the field for field proposals and project reports
• Maintains low contact with Plan grant partners
• Knowledge, Skills, Behaviors, and Experience Required to Achieve Role’s Objectives:
• Gained through education, training, & experience

Qualification and Experience:

• A Degree in relevant field such as international development, Planning, Management, Marketing and Communication and in social sciences, etc.
• A minimum of 3 years of relevant professional experience in Grants Acquisition and Management
• Preferably at least 2 years work experience with international development or humanitarian organizations.
• Report writing skills

Demonstrated behaviors needed by the postholder to successfully perform the role:

• Promotes team work
• Promotes innovation and learning
• Communicates clearly and effectively
• Gains, develops and retains credibility about his/her performance

Skills Specific to the post needed to put knowledge into practice.

• Good knowledge of funding cycles, strategic priorities, and requirements of donors
• Good Resource Mobilization skills
• Good proposal and report writing skills.
• Fundraising skills
• Average Financial Management skills
• Proficient in Microsoft application and use of relevant software and other applications
• Self-starter takes initiative and works with minimal direct supervision.
• Strong inter-personal and cross-cultural skills.

Physical Environment and Demands:

• May be “typical office environment”; note if heavy lifting, climbing, excess travel, etc.

Travel requirements

• This position entails 30% travelling within communities in the program unit.

Level of Contact with Children:

Low contact: No contact or very low frequency of interaction

Mid contact: Occasional interaction with children

High level:Frequent interaction with children