Consortium Coordinator

The MENTOR Initiative (‘MENTOR’) is a humanitarian organisation specialising in disease control and improving access to healthcare in emergency settings across countries in Africa, the Middle East and South America. MENTOR is the leading organisation dedicated to the control of malaria and other vector borne diseases in complex, challenging settings.

MENTOR delivers large scale disease control interventions working with remote and underserved communities affected by emergencies such as conflict and natural disasters. We also help build the technical and operational capacity of local and international partners to incorporate medium- and long-term disease control systems into their operations and country strategy.

Since April 2019, MENTOR has led a FCDO-funded consortium, which is in its last phase of addressing acute humanitarian emergency health needs in two prefectures in Central African Republic (CAR): Ouham-Pendé and Basse Kotto. This transition phase builds upon the collaborative work of Phase 3. It makes use of the technical and operational expertise and experience of all partners, while focusing on a transition aimed at supporting communities to build and maintain activities and projects independently.

The Consortium Coordinator will be responsible for overseeing and supporting the day-to-day implementation of the grant and will be the focal point – both for technical and coordination purposes – amongst the partners and between the Consortium and FCDO at field level. They will work closely with and report to the Consortium Manager at MENTOR HQ.

Essential:

• Ability to monitor high-quality technical inputs throughout the consortium implementation process.
• Experience in coordinating the preparation of programme reports and ensuring compliance with donor and organisational standards.
• Excellent diplomatic, communication, analytic and writing skills.
• Experience in coordinating and managing partnerships and/or people highly desirable.
• Operational programme management skills in budget, asset management and compliance specifically regarding safeguarding.
• Fluency in French and English is compulsory**.**

Desirable:

• Master’s degree in public health, epidemiology or equivalent.
• At least three years’ experience in health programme implementation in low-and middle income countries.
• Experience of a similar position managing health programmes and/or consortiums is highly desirable.
• Previous experience working experience in healthcare provision, including targeted water and sanitation at health facility level, plus community IEC, nutrition and community WASH interventions is highly desirable.

Tasks and responsibilities:

1 Consortium Coordination

• Ensure that all aspects of the project are implemented effectively, according to the donor proposal and considering the key needs and wants of all involved stakeholders.
• Create an effectively working relationship between all stakeholders.
• Ensure workplans are being followed and epidemiological data is collected, processed and reported appropriately.
• Adhere to FCDO principles throughout the consortium’s implementation, including but not limited to their Value for Money framework and their Smart Rules.
• To work with the consortium partners and Consortium Manager to ensure compliance to the FCDO, organisational and international standards on safeguarding and PSEAH.
• Manage complaints from within or outside the partner organisations, escalate issues if needed and provide appropriate support with timely and appropriate feedback.
• Conducts regular field visits (two visits each month) to consortium partner field locations.

2 Consortium Technical Support

• Monitor high-quality technical inputs throughout the implementation process, including but not limited to programme design, programme implementation and monitoring and evaluation.
• Share knowledge and best practice across the consortium, makes the most out of each partner’s areas of expertise and that synergies are applied as planned in the grant, in close cooperation with the delegate HPC.
• Ensure that all internal and external reporting requirements are clear, and that they consistently met comply with required FCDO / MENTOR formats. This includes required input from HQ level within the partner organisations.
• Develop a programme risk register, updating where new risks emerge, and work with the Consortium Coordination Team and the Consortium Steering Committee to ensure that risks are mitigated as much as possible.
• Maintain and develop a framework for the constant monitoring of programme progress through regular, harmonised data collection and analysis of key indicators. Ensure that processes and results are properly documented.
• Support shared and constant lesson learning processes across the consortium and throughout the consortium project period.

3 Consortium Reporting

• Coordinate the preparation of monthly, quarterly and annual reporting to the donor, other consortium members and any other stakeholders as required through liaison with partners. Ensure the reports are of high quality and in English.
• Build working relationships with focal points from each partner organisation to create a collaborative atmosphere.
• Collate and prepare any documentation required for any programme modifications, amendments, extensions etc. for donor or government approval.
• Responsible for timely and detailed communication of all security incidents within the operational area of the Consortium to the MENTOR HQ based Consortium Manager.
• Responsible for timely and detailed communication of all safeguarding and aid diversion incidents with consortium partners, ensuring that appropriate and timely reports are made to FCDO via the Consortium Manager. Advise and support partners on appropriate actions and investigations as necessary.
• Support, and when appropriate, lead the development of future proposals to enable continuation of the programme.

Provide additional support to the MENTOR in-country team as required.