Local Coordinator at Veterinarians Without Borders Canada

Country: Meru or Katarina, Kenya (home based with travel between cities)

Reports to: VETS Africa Program Officer

VWB/VSF is presently seeking a Local Coordinator to join our team. The successful candidate will lead volunteer management, planning, administration and logistics of VWB/VSF’s Kenya portfolio. In this fast-paced work environment, the individual will require exceptional time management and organizational skills, be self-sufficient, and able to think quickly on his/her feet. S/he must be able to consistently project an enthusiastic, positive approach that contributes to a collegial and closely-knit organizational culture. The ideal individual will have the ability to exercise good judgment in a variety of situations, with strong written and verbal communication, administrative, financial, monitoring and evaluation and organizational skills.

Responsibilities:

• Partnership Development
  • Work with VWB-HQ staff in the discussion and preparation of a Partnership Agreement/MOU between VWB, and MCDU/Wakulima
  • Responsible for relationship building, coordination and communications with MCDU/Wakulima and target community/ies in relation to the VETS project and in coordination with the related MCDU/Wakulima activities
  • Work with VWB-HQ staff and volunteers to build relationships with other potential partners and stakeholders as relevant to the project; particularly, women and women-led local organizations.
• Volunteer Management
  • Liaise with MCDU/Wakulima and target community/ies to develop and submit placement descriptions for Canadian volunteers to VWB for review and finalization based on local needs
  • Provide professional support to the volunteer(s), including in-country orientation upon arrival, support workplan development and regular monitoring meetings to ensure volunteer workplan progress is on track and the volunteer is supported and content (monthly check-in)
  • When necessary, provide (or arrange for) interpretation and translation (oral and written) for the volunteer(s) for project activities including training sessions, village meetings and other activities
  • Coordinate logistics of volunteer placements, including arrival support, visa facilitation (including invitation letter), accommodation arrangements, workplan logistics, and transportation support (when required)
  • Be available for on-call (24/7) phone support to the volunteers while in-country and ensure cover arrangements are in place for a suitable alternative if away from the project location or out of range.
• Security and Safety
  • Contribute to the health and security of the volunteers by providing information on local clinics/hospitals and safety advice and responding to emergency situations as/if needed
  • Provide incident reports to VWB-HQ staff when incidents occur, even when they are considered minor
  • Follow VWB-HQ led safety and security protocols at all times, and reinforce safety standard operation procedures (SOPS) with volunteers while they are in-country
  • For serious incidents, contact VWB-HQ staff immediately while seeking medical attention for those impacted **
• Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E)
  • Contribute to the development of the Project Implementation Plan (PIP) in Year 1, and the Annual Work Plans (AWPs) in Years 1-7
  • Coordinate and ensure the completion of Quarterly Placement Reports (QPRs) by volunteers
  • Participate in quarterly status update and planning session with Program Officer
  • Facilitate a participatory Annual Partnership Review (APR) meeting with MCDU/Wakulima, community(ies) beneficiaries and volunteer(s)
  • Prepare an Annual Country Report which will contribute to VWB/VSF’s Annual Narrative Report (ARN)
  • Conduct data collection/monitoring evaluation activities the end of March to evaluate community impact of program
  • Cross-cutting themes: Analyse local context and advise VWB, volunteers and MCDU/Wakulima on gender equality, environmental sustainability and governance aspects of all project activities
  • Keep a daily record of all project activities to contribute to program monitoring
  • Take photos and videos of key community activities that involve the volunteers, to use in project communications and to supplement narrative reporting
• Financial Management
  • Prepare monthly expense claims to VWB-HQ using templates provided
  • Ensuring the proper storing of all original receipts relating to project expenses (copies are required to be sent to VWB-HQ staff to accompany all expense claims)
  • Coordinate booking and make payments for local travel, accommodation, meeting rooms and other resources as required for program activities
  • Support the volunteer(s) and MCDU/Wakulima in complying with any financial management duties they are responsible for (will vary by project)
• Communications
  • Collect impact statements from beneficiaries, local partners, and volunteers regarding notable changes and benefits from program participation; send on a quarterly basis
  • Collect photos and videos to submit to VWB HQ staff of local beneficiaries, livestock, volunteers, and local partner staff and share with VWB-HQ staff monthly**
  • Submit one GAC Case Study per quarter to VWB-HQ staff
• General / Administrative
  • Prepare, sign and submit monthly timesheets using the template provided by VWB-HQ as per GAC requirements
  • Coordinate time-tracking for the volunteer(s) which is required to be submitted quarterly
  • Conduct general administrative duties to ensure that the project and its activities and processes align with local laws and regulations (e.g. operations permit, visas for volunteers, insurance, etc.)
  • Coordinate, as/if required by the project, the identification of local resource people to participate in the project (i.e. trainers, gender advisors, etc.)
  • Manage inventory: keep record of all project equipment, ensuring it is used appropriately and labelled as required
  • Carry out other tasks as arising and as agreed as per discussions with the VCP manager, in collaboration with MCDU/Wakulima

Required:

• Bachelors degree in international development, social science or a related field
• Fluent in English (written and oral)
• Excellent cross-cultural communication skills
• Experience working with international development organizations
• Experience managing/working with international volunteers
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Powerpoint)
• 1 to 3 years experience in monitoring and evaluation

Desired:

• Knowledge of Kenya’s dairy sector
• Experience with participatory approaches
• Strong financial management knowledge