Project Manager - HSNP Social Protection Rights Component

Department : Africa Regional Development Centre (ARDC) – Social Protection Team
Location
: Nairobi, Kenya with regular travel to northern Kenya
Responsible To: Social Protection Team Leader, ARDC.
Contract Duration: One Year Renewable
Relations with Others:
HelpAge ARDC‟s Social Protection team, ARDC staff, Social Protection Rights
Coordinator, Assistant Social Protection Rights Coordinator in Lodwar, Administrative
team in Lodwar HSNP Secretariat (Located at the Ministry of the Development of
Northern Kenya and other Arid Lands) CSO in areas of operation,
Background to the HSNP
The Hunger Safety Net Programme (HSNP) is a major joint GoK/DFID initiative that
seeks to reduce extreme poverty in Kenya and support the establishment of a
government-led national social protection system delivering long-term, guaranteed cash
transfers to extremely poor and vulnerable people to improve access to food, protect
assets and reduce the impact of shocks. The HSNP will be implemented in two phases.
The objective of Phase I (April 2007 - March 2011) is to design and pilot cost-effective
mechanisms for beneficiary targeting, payment delivery and grievance management in
four districts (Turkana, Marsabit, Mandera and Wajir) targeting 60,000 households
(300,000 individuals). The second phase will be scaled-up to target approximately
300,000 households (1.5 million individuals) across the ASALs with GoK and
Development Partners‟ support.
The Social Protection Rights component
The HSNP has been divided into 5 components: Administration, Payments, MIS, M&E
and Social Protection Rights (SPR). The objective of the SPR component is to support
programme
effectiveness through implementing mechanisms of beneficiary
accountability within the programme and through empowerment of communities vis-à-
vis the other programme components as well as the empowerment of vulnerable groups
within communities who might otherwise be excluded from the programme. As such the
SPR component is charged with acting as an independent beneficiary advocate and
„guardian‟ of the Programme Charter of Rights and Responsibilities. More broadly, it
seeks to set a rights-based and replicable precedent to social protection policy and
programme development in Kenya. In its relationship with other components, the SPR
component will have to tread a fine line between exercising independent and proactive
promotion and protection of people‟s rights, and collaborative engagement in a
challenging and unique programme.
The SPR Component: Scope of Work
The SPR component is responsible for: defining a HSNP Charter of Programme Rights,
designing a system for managing and following up on grievances (including general
complaints and targeting appeals) and implementing a rights education and outreach
programme. In addition, the grievance system should serve the approximately 8000
“control” households included in the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) component. The
grievance mechanism is intended to provide a vehicle for community participation and
feedback that may inform adjustments to programme design and operations and will
essentially have to deal with three forms of grievance: programme performance issues
(failures in service delivery- including targeting appeals), programme legitimacy issues
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(complaints about programme approach), and disputes that occur within and between
communities and are associated with the programme. The grievance mechanism will
also need to handle complaints from non-beneficiaries, though this will need to be
proportionate and feasible to the overall scale of the project.

Responsibilities:
1. Project management of the HSNP SPR component including Contract Management,
coordination of field teams, financial management and representation of HelpAge on
the HSNP‟s multi-agency national programme management team.
2. On-going review, design and documentation of the HSNP‟s complaints, appeals,
referrals and dispute resolution mechanisms.
3. Production of high quality and timely quarterly narrative and financial reports for
the HSNP Secretariat.
4. Participation in regular meetings of the HSNP secretariat and other Social Protection
fora
5. Management of a risk-based grievance mechanism and leadership of evidence-
based beneficiary advocacy within the HSNP.
6. Responsibility for the operations and security of HAI‟s programme office in Lodwar
and line management of programme staff.
7. Coordination of the SPR component‟s M&E exercise and contribution to the HSNP‟s
and HAI‟s learning objectives.
8. Maintenance of the HSNP SPR component‟s Management Information System (MIS).
9. Coordination and capacity building of HAI‟s implementing partners in northern
Kenya.
10. Development of high quality communications materials to support programme
implementation. This to include piloting innovative methodologies in partnership
with HAI‟s implementing partners.
11. Undertake any other duties as and when necessary to fulfil the objectives of the
HSNP SPR component.
Other Features of the Job (Working Conditions)
The HSNP SPR PM will be based in HelpAge International Africa Regional Development
Centre in Nairobi and will work closely with other members of the Social Protection team
at ARDC and within the Africa region to help draw lessons from activities undertaken at
field level, build capacity, and contribute to national and regional SP policy objectives. In
order for him/her to achieve this, s/he will participate in selected country and regional
processes but will be expected to travel regularly throughout northern Kenya.

Person Specification:
The following competences are considered as essential:

Relevant degree from a recognised university.

At least 3 years experience in management of complex programmes – including
financial and people management and at least 5 years working in an NGO
environment.

A good understanding of the political economy of anti-poverty programming in
Kenya

Understanding of the social protection policy landscape in Kenya.

Experience in operational management, including management of field staff.

Experience in capacity building of civil society-based organisations.

Strong team working and negotiation skills.

Ability to show initiative and to work under pressure.
In addition, the following will are considered desirable:

Experience in cash-based interventions;

Some experience in the design or management of complaints mechanisms and/or dispute resolution

To apply for this position, please send an updated CV and covering letter by 8
th
December, 2010, explaining how you meet the criteria for the role to:
Human Resource Officer
HelpAge International
Africa Regional Development Centre,
P.O. Box 14888 - 00800
Westlands, Nairobi
Email: helpage@helpage.co.ke