Programmes and Policy Lead – ActionAid Malawi

Job Description

The Organisation:

ActionAid Malawi is a locally registered non‐governmental organisation under the Company’s Act 1984 as a company limited by guarantee and is affiliated to ActionAid International, a federation of national organizations working in over 45 countries in Africa, Asia, America and Europe regions. ActionAid International is a global justice Federation working to achieve social justice, gender equality and poverty eradication. ActionAid works to strengthen the capacity and active agency of people living in poverty and exclusion, especially women, to assert their rights.

Applications are invited from suitably qualified candidates for the position of Programmes and Policy Lead tenable at its Head Office in Lilongwe to head the Programmes and Policy Unit.

The Role:

The Programmes and Policy Lead reporting to the Executive Director, shall be responsible for the design, development, implementation, reporting and management of all programmes and policy advocacy work at ActionAid Malawi in line with the Transforming Systems for Social Justice Country Strategy Paper VI (CSP VI). They will maintain strong programme links from community to national and international levels. S/he is a member of Senior Management Team (SMT) and is expected to contribute to organizational efficiency and effectiveness through participation in decision making, advising on the programmes (including donor funded projects) and policy issues, communication and implementation of agreed upon decisions. Supervises programme and policy staff and contributes to resource mobilisation and donor reporting.

Roles and Responsibilities

Leadership of the Programmes and Policy Unit in Planning, Designing and Implementation of Programmes and Policy Work

1. Drives the programme staff and partners in advancing the ActionAid theory of Change and ActionAid Malawi programme priorities.
2. Overseeing formulation and implementation of programme & donor funded project activities in line with CSP VI and in accordance with sound management practice, ActionAid Malawi policies and accountability systems.
3. Leads development, reviews and aggregation of annual programme and policy plans and related budgets and recommends to the Executive Director for onward approval by the Board.
4. Ensuring all programme activities are sensitive to and responsive to changes in the political, social, and economic environments.
5. Ensuring ActionAid Malawi programmes and projects are well balanced, well documented and implemented in an effective and efficient manner.
6. Overseeing development of ActionAid Malawi capacity to document, disseminate and learn from development work.
7. Overseeing programme monitoring and evaluation.
8. Overseeing timely submission of quality programme/ projects reports for accountability to stakeholders including relevant Board committees.
9. Leads a continuous Participatory Review and Reflection Process (PRRP) for learning, accountability and systems and processes improvements.
10. Ensures alignment of ActionAid Malawi CSP with ActionAid International Strategy

Policy, Campaign & Advocacy

1. Coordinates, facilitates and leads policy analysis and research and dissemination of research findings at national, multi-country and/or international campaigns or programmes.
2. Facilitate identification of key issues, collaborators and partners for ActionAid Malawi advocacy work aiming at policy influencing and campaigns.
3. Leads and guides in development of policy position papers of ActionAid Malawi.
4. Leads and promotes use of a rights-based approach in advocating for rights of the people living in poverty and exclusion.

Linkages at Regional/ Sub regional, International and National Level

1. Overseeing establishment and management of co-operative relationships with social movements, partners, and other stakeholders at all levels.
2. Works with other institutions to form and energize local, regional and international social movements, coalitions and alliances of civil society to fight for justice and equity.
3. Ensuring assessment/conduct of due diligence on partner organizations and support capacity for collaborating with social movements, networks and partners.
4. Coordinates ActionAid Malawi’s collaboration with networks, government agencies and other organizations to share information, experiences, influence and/or build capacity.

Promote partnership and movement building

1. Lead partnership approach and policy development and review from local to national level to ensure our work with partners are aligned with ActionAid Malawi CSP.
2. Jointly facilitate partner’s appraisal for new partnership with appropriate SMT members’ mandate.
3. Familiarize partners on the new Partnership policy and approach as appropriate.

Promote documentation, sharing, M&E, learning processes

1. Work closely with fundraising and communication teams to ensure the stories of change are generated, packaged and disseminated to different audiences.
2. Make sure AA Malawi has MEL framework in line with the global framework and ActionAid Malawi CSP.
3. Responsible for leading the annual plan and reports with the country team and guidance of the global secretariat.

People Management and Internal linkages

1. Ensuring that the Programme & Policy unit is staffed with competent, skilled and motivated staff members.
2. Develop annual staff development plans for the team, balancing staff personal development needs with organisational skills requirement.
3. Identify the Human Resource needs of the team and initiate the recruitment of all such staff.
4. Participate in the recruitment of all staff of the Team (from short-listing to interviews) and participate in induction of all new staff.
5. Participate in Board and committee meetings and give necessary support and information.
6. Contributes to management decisions as a member of the Senior Management Team.
7. Carry out lawful duties as may be assigned to Programme & Policy Lead.
8. Works in collaboration with other ActionAid Malawi units and functions.

Resource Mobilisation and financial sustainability.

1. Facilitates programme funding through costing of CSP and identifies funding gaps.
2. Contributes and facilitates development of donor project proposals and contract negotiation.
3. Contributes to compliance with donor rules and deadlines.
4. Maintains a good relationship with donors.
5. Provide oversight for donor contract management and donor relations in the team.
6. Supports management of LRP portfolio income and reserve.
7. Supports effective utilization of funds in line with projects / programme expectations.
8. Ensures documents required for the release of funds are submitted by dates agreed in each project.

Qualifications and Experience:

1. The ideal candidate should have a Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree in Social Sciences or its equivalent from a recognised University.
2. At least ten (10) years working experience in programmes and policy function; five (5) of which should be in a large Non-Government Organisation and at senior management level.
3. Proven experience in leading programmes and policy functions in planning, designing and implementation of programmes including policy work.
4. Experience in leading policy, campaigns and advocacy work.
5. Sound awareness of the political, social, economic and historic environment in which ActionAid’s poverty alleviation programmes are operating at both national and community levels.
6. Sound and up to date knowledge of development concepts with human rights-based approach, participatory methodologies and techniques including demonstrated expertise in M&E, Partnerships and movement building,
7. Fundraising skills with the knowledge of the donors’ landscape in Southern African countries in general and Malawi in particular.
8. Strong people management skills.

How to apply:

Interested individuals should apply to the Executive Director, ActionAid Malawi, P. O. Box 30735 Lilongwe 3, Malawi through Recruitment.Malawi@actionaid.org.  Submission should be made by 5pm; 7^th February 2025 Malawi time.

ActionAid Malawi welcomes applications from all sections of the community and promotes diversity.  All applications will be considered on their individual merit. An attractive compensation package will be offered to the successful candidate, in line with ActionAid Malawi Pay and Benefits Policy. Suitably qualified Malawian nationals, especially women leaders, are encouraged to apply.  Due to high volumes of applications received, we can only correspond with short listed applicants.